Of all the ice cream recipes I have made, the apple caramel ice cream recipe is my favorite. The granny smith apples add a tartness to contrast the sweetness of the ice cream and caramel! The apples are cooked until they are just getting soft so they still have some texture when you eat the ice cream. I use a Kitchen Aid ice cream attachment to make my ice cream at home. It’s perfect for our family of four.
What You Will Need:
- For the Ice Cream
- 2 cups of heavy whipping cream
- 1 cup of half and half
- 3/4 cup of sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon of fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla
- 6 well beaten eggs
- 1 cup of salted caramel homemade or store bought
- Apple mixture
- 2 Granny Smith apples corned, peeled, and diced
- 1 tablespoon of pure maple syrup or granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon of butter
Preparing the Tart Granny Smith Apples
Dice the peeled granny smith apples to 3/4 inch pieces. Why Granny Smith? They hold up better when cooked and they have a nice tartness to them. You can use any apple you please. Add the apples, pure maple syrup (not pancake syrup), and the butter to a saute pan and cook until the apples are just starting to get tender. When they are at that point, take the pan off the heat and let them cool.
The Ice Cream
The yolks will need to be in another bowl big enough for the egg yolks and some of the cream mixture. In a medium saute pan (or something close to it) over medium heat, bring the sugar, cream, half and half, and salt to about 160 degrees F. Make sure you are always whisking the mixture as it heats. When heated, pour about 1/3 of the cream mixture into the bowl with the egg yolks. Make sure you are whisking the egg yolks as you are pouring the cream mixture in. The point of tempering is to not scramble the eggs when combining with the hot milk mixture. Slowly adding the milk mixture and whisking as you add it will keep the eggs from scrambling. Next, pour the tempered eggs back into the cream mixture and keep whisking. Continue heating and whisking until the mixture coats the back of a spoon. The ice cream custard mixture will stay on the spoon to coat it after you dip it in the custard. This means it is thick enough and you can move on to straining, covering, and cooling.
Straining, Covering, and Cooling the Custard
The vanilla ice cream recipe just has to cool and it will be ready for the ice cream machine. After the custard coats the back of a spoon, take it off of the heat. The next step is to strain it into an appropriately sized bowl. This will help keep the ice cream smooth. Add the vanilla and mix well. Let the mixture cool to the touch. Then take a piece of plastic wrap and press it onto the surface of the custard. This keeps the custard from forming a “skin”. Set the covered custard in the fridge for at least 3 hours, preferably overnight, before making the ice cream. Next, follow the directions provided by your ice cream maker manufacturer.
The Caramel Options
You can purchase your caramel at a store or you can make it yourself. The first step to a successful homemade caramel is to have your ingredients prepped and ready before you start. Timing is important in this recipe and preparation can reduce the stress of making caramel in the beginning. You will need to watch the changing color of the caramel closely to avoid burning. Here is a video of the caramel being made:
Do not taste the sugar or dip your finger in the sugar while cooking. The sugar gets very very hot and will burn you when it is melted. At first, the sugar seems to take forever to start melting. However, when the sugar starts melting things start to move pretty quickly. The sugar will start showing some light brown liquid areas. I personally start stirring frequently at this point.
Next you will see small chunks of sugar that don’t seem to melt. Do not worry, they will melt. The chunks will go away and the sugar will start turning darker. Be careful not to burn the sugar. Once the sugar reaches a dark amber color turn the fire off and take the caramel off of the burner.
Next, add all of the butter you have ready to go into the melted sugar. Stir the butter and melted sugar until combined. The pan that you use and the melted sugar will both retain enough heat to melt the butter. When the butter is combined add the cream and stir until combined. The cream may bubble up a bit but keep stirring. If you think the cream is not combining, put the pan back on low heat for a minute or two until combined.
As the caramel starts to cool it is time to add the salt if you want salted caramel. While stirring, add the salt and keep stirring until dissolved and combined. You do not need to add the salt if you would like to make a regular caramel sauce.
Adding the Apples and Salted Caramel to the Churning Ice Cream
Add the apples when the ice cream is about 3/4 of the way through churning. When the churning process is done swirl the caramel into the ice cream. I used one cup of caramel but you can use as little or as much as you like! Enjoy!
If you like this recipe try my bananas foster ice cream recipe!
FAQ’s:
Yes, you can use any apple you like, but Granny Smith apples are recommended because their tartness provides a good contrast to the sweet caramel and they hold their shape well when cooked.
You can definitely use store-bought caramel to save time. The recipe is written with the flexibility to use either homemade or pre-made caramel.
Make sure you are whisking constantly and that the mixture reaches a thick enough consistency to coat the back of a spoon. If it’s still too thin, you can return it to low heat for a minute or two while continuing to whisk.
Yes, you can make a no-churn version by using a different base that doesn’t require churning, such as a sweetened condensed milk and whipped cream mixture.
For the best texture and flavor, homemade ice cream should be stored in an airtight container in the freezer and consumed within a few weeks.
Apple Caramel Ice Cream
Equipment
- 1 Ice Cream Machine
Ingredients
- Vanilla ice cream recipe
- 1 cup Salted caramel recipe or store bought caramel
- 2 diced and peeled granny smith apples
- 1 tablespoon of pure maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon of butter
Instructions
- Place diced apples, maple syrup, and butter in a pan. Cook over medium heat until the apples are just starting to soften.
- Set aside to cool.
- Prepare vanilla ice cream custard
- Prepare salted caramel recipe. Let cool to room temperature.
- When vanilla ice cream ice ¾ of the way through the churning process, add the apples to the ice cream to combine for the last ¼ of the churning process.
- When churning is finished, swirl in caramel with a spoon then freeze.
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