Homemade Gingerbread Ice Cream ~ my latest ice cream obsession is bursting with the warm spicy flavor of the best gingerbread!
gingerbread ice cream is the unexpected sweet treat you need this season!
Every once in a while I create a recipe that surprises even me. That’s the case with this amazing gingerbread ice cream. I was expecting to love it because I love gingerbread, I love molasses, and I’ve made spiced ice creams before (they’ve been some of my very favorites!) But this particular combination blew me away ~ it’s one of the most unique ice creams I’ve ever tasted, and every single person who I allowed to take a taste agreed. I really really hope you try it before the season’s out, I think you’ll be as enchanted as I am.
so many ways to enjoy gingerbread-spiced ice cream
The flavor of this gingerbread ice cream is so bold that you don’t need anything but a bowl and a spoon to enjoy it, but I can’t help fantasizing about topping it with a hot fudge or caramel sauce. You can see I’ve already sandwiched it between gingersnap cookies for an extra special frozen treat, and I think it would be great as the base of a holiday affogato. There are so many possibilities!
gather your ingredients
The ingredients list is very simple here, with no eggs to cook, making it very a satisfyingly quick recipe, too. The gingerbread flavor just works so well in the creamy base- if I had to guess, it’s the molasses that makes the magic happen, so don’t skip it!
- heavy cream
- milk
- sugar
- molasses
- vanilla extract
- ginger
- cinnamon
- allspice
- clove
- nutmeg
what I learned about adding molasses to an ice cream recipe
One interesting discovery is that the molasses in the mix kept the ice cream from freezing rock hard like most homemade ice creams do. It froze to the perfect consistency and then stayed that way. Love that! I discovered a similar effect with my homemade honey ice cream. Honey, like molasses, has very little water content so helps ice creams to not freeze quite so solid.
Some of my all time favorite homemade ice creams are spice flavored, here are a few recipes to try:
- CARDAMOM ICE CREAM
- NUTMEG ICE CREAM
- PUMPKIN SPICE ICE CREAM
- CHAI GELATO
- CINNAMON ICE CREAM
- MEXICAN CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM
I know when I’ve got a winning recipe when I can’t even look at the photos without my heart starting to beat a little faster. Excuse me while I go make another pint…
Which ice cream machine do I recommend?
I get asked all the time about what machine I use. I use and recommend Cuisinart. I’ve had my machine for years without any issues, I think because there are no fussy electronic parts to break down ~ it’s a simple motor that turns the freezer bowl for churning the ice cream and it works quickly and perfectly every time.
- The machine I use, and it’s the base model. It works great for ice cream, frozen yogurt, and sorbets, and makes all of them in about 2o minutes. Click HERE for more info.
variations to try
- You can play with the spice combination a bit, but don’t leave out the molasses if you want this ice cream to taste like gingerbread.
- I’d be tempted to try a chocolate version…add cocoa powder along with the spices, or heat the cream mixture on the stove and add finely chopped chocolate, stir until everything is smooth. Then chill the mixture thoroughly before processing.
- MAKE IT NO-CHURN ~ whip the heavy cream, and substitute sweetened condensed milk for the lowfat milk. Eliminate or reduce the sugar, and blend everything together. Pour it into a loaf pan and freeze until scoop-able.
Homemade Gingerbread Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup low fat milk
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp allspice
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- 2 Tbsp molasses
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together all the ingredients. Stir long enough so that the sugar is dissolved and the molasses has been completely incorporated.
- Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and process according to your machine’s directions. For me the ice cream takes about 25 minutes.
- Turn the soft ice cream into a container, cover with plastic wrap, and put in the freezer to firm up, this will take a minimum of 4-6 hours, or overnight.
Nutrition
I made this recipe two days in a row. Frozen perfection!
So glad you loved it!
I made this recipe yesterday. I do do some tinkering with it though. I used 2c heavy cream instead of using heavy cream and whole milk. I used sweetened condensed milk instead of the sugar. Finally I added white chocolate chips. It is awesome!! Thank you for the inspiration and the little taste of fall.
I love this ice cream Laura, and I’m so glad you did too 🙂
Sue’s Chewy Ginger Cookies are the best! Can’t wait to make No Churn Gingerbread Ice Cream, but have never tried before.
Sue, Laura ~~ please advise if subbing sweetened condensed milk is a 1:1 ratio for the original recipe that calls for 1 c. low fat milk. And is said milk added after the heavy cream has been whipped to medium peak stage? Followed by adding the wonderfully warm spices? Any and all suggestions are greatly apprecited.
Hi Sue. I can’t wait to try this recipe. 🙂 What changes would I have to make to the recipe if I wanted to start it with an egg custard base?
Hi Sue. I’ve just made it the no churn way and it’s now setting in the freezer. I wasn’t sure how far to whisk the cream though. Crossing fingers! It tastes amazing though. I added a couple of tablespoons of sugar to it since I know that ice cream loses some of it’s sweetness once frozen.
You would whip the cream to medium peaks, Sue, you want it mostly firm, so that air lightens the finished product. Hope you love it!
This is so lovely, made it to have with plum pudding for Christmas lunch tomorrow ! I didn’t have molasses so substituted half golden syrup and half rice malt syrup and still tastes divine! Thank you and Merry Christmas
Thanks Michelle, the molasses substitute is especially helpful to all my Commonwealth readers!
Phew that is actually what I did! Medium peak stage and now it’s been in the freezer all night I checked it and it’s absolutely perfectly scoopable 🙂 Not hard at all. Pretty rich though so will serve small scoops. I think I probably didn’t need to add any additional sugar with the sweetened condensed milk but luckily my guests have a major sweet tooth so I know they’ll love it. It has a very Christmasy flavour unlike the one I bought at the supermarket. Yuk!
If I find my ice cream machine in one of the boxes (we got flooded and can’t remember if it got thrown out 9 months ago) then I’ll try the proper recipe to compare.
Making this for Thanksgiving. love anything gingerbread.
I really enjoyed this ice cream, I’m amazed I haven’t seen this flavor sold commercially, it’s soooo good 🙂
Lovely recipe. thinking of possibly adding some roasted walnuts… thank you for sharing this recipe and the products! Please direct me to your post do that may make those cookies as well?!!
Hi Blue ~ those cookies are store bought gingersnaps, but I do have a ginger molasses cookie that would work great, as well, here.
Can you substitute whole milk for the low fat?
Yes, sure.
Can’t wait to try this flavor ice cream! Love everything about it Sue – sounds amazing!
Have a wonderful holiday Sue!
These are everything. As if I didn’t already have a weakness for straight up gingerbread cookies, this takes things to a whole new level. MUST try!