Apple Pie Ice Cream

In my family, homemade ice cream is a July 4th tradition. When I found a recipe for apple pie ice cream, I knew I had to make it for the Fourth! It doesn't get much more American than Apple Pie Ice Cream!

Let me just tell you... I think this is the best ice cream I've ever tasted. I've preferred homemade ice cream over store-bought ever since I learned to use my ice cream maker, but this one is just delicious. You'll never want to go to Cold Stone or Baskin Robbins again after you taste this. Unless you don't like cinnamon and apples... then you're not going to like it at all. Haha.

Recipe adapted from here.

Ingredients:
8 oatmeal cookies, crushed (it's easiest to use the store-bought ones... they're harder and crumble easier)
2 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and sliced into little cubes
1 cup plus 3 tbsp sugar, divided
3 tsp ground cinnamon
3 cups whipping cream
1 1/2 cups half-and-half
3 eggs, beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup caramel ice cream topping

Directions:
1. Melt 1 tbsp butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in the chopped apples, 3 tbsp sugar, and 1 tsp cinnamon. Cook until the apples have lightly browned and the sugar has begun to caramelize (about 10 minutes). Remove from the pan and allow to cool COMPLETELY (put them in the fridge or freezer to cool them faster).
2. Combine whipping cream, half-and-half, 1 cup sugar, eggs, vanilla, and 2 tsp cinnamon in a large bowl. Mix well.
3. Pour the cream mixture into an ice cream maker and freeze according to the ice cream maker's directions (probably about 30 minutes).
4. When ice cream is finished, remove from ice cream maker and stir in apples and cookie crumbs. Mix in caramel ice cream topping on spoonful at a time.
5. Refrigerate at least two hours before serving.

Cream mixture

Pouring into the ice cream maker...

Chopped Granny Smith apples

Apple mixture in the skillet

Mmm!

Mixing in the cooled apples and oatmeal cookie crumbs

Ta-da!

If you have an ice cream maker, you HAVE to make this. It's just so delicious! I hope you love it as much as we do!