Gingerbread Ice Cream Recipe
Your holiday celebrations call for a big bowl of gingerbread ice cream! This sweet treat is full of warm spices, rich molasses and crushed ginger snaps for an ice cream that's perfect for any festive occasion. After one taste, this will surely be a new favorite Christmas dessert.
How to Make the Best Gingerbread Ice Cream
There’s nothing quite like a creamy scoop of gingerbread ice cream to bring festive holiday flavors to your dessert table. This gingerbread ice cream combines all the warm, cozy spices you love—cinnamon, allspice, cloves, and fresh ginger—with rich molasses and crushed ginger snap cookies for a dessert that tastes like Christmas in every bite.
The secret to this ice cream’s incredible flavor is the fresh ginger infused directly into the cream base, along with a touch of molasses for authentic gingerbread depth. Unlike store-bought versions, this homemade recipe lets you control the spice level and ensures a smooth, creamy texture that’s hard to beat. The crushed ginger snaps folded in during the last minutes of churning add the perfect crunch and extra gingerbread flavor.
This is the perfect dessert for holiday parties, Christmas dinners, or any time you want to bring that festive gingerbread magic to your frozen treats. One taste and you’ll understand why this sweet creation deserves a permanent place in your holiday dessert rotation.
Gingerbread Ice Cream
Your holiday celebrations call for a big bowl of gingerbread ice cream! This sweet treat is full of warm spices, rich molasses and crushed ginger snaps for an ice cream that's perfect for any festive occasion. After one taste, this will surely be a new favorite Christmas dessert.
Ingredients
Ice Cream Base
Spices & Flavoring
Topping
Instructions
Prepare the Cream Base
- Whisk together the heavy cream, whole milk, sugar and molasses in a saucepan. Add the ginger pieces.
- Bring to a simmer over medium heat, whisking periodically to help dissolve the sugar. Do not bring to a boil as this can cause the milk to separate.
Temper the Eggs
- In a separate bowl, whisk together egg yolks, vanilla, cinnamon, allspice, cloves and salt constantly for about three minutes.
- Slowly add about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of the warm cream mixture into the egg mixture, whisking constantly. This tempers the eggs to gently cook them.
- Repeat this tempering process a few more times, gradually bringing the egg mixture to temperature.
Cook the Custard
- Add the tempered egg-cream mixture back to the saucepan with the rest of the cream. Whisk constantly over medium heat and bring back to a simmer. Do not boil.
- Cook until mixture thickens and coats the back of a wooden spoon, about 6 to 10 minutes.
- Turn off heat and stir in the orange zest. Allow to steep for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent a film from forming.
Chill & Churn
- Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a large mixing bowl. Place plastic wrap directly on the custard's surface.
- Refrigerate until completely cold, at least 4 hours (overnight is best to ensure proper churning).
- Pour custard into an ice cream maker and churn according to manufacturer's directions.
- In the last couple minutes of churning, add the crushed ginger snaps.
- Transfer to an airtight container and freeze for a few hours before serving.
Notes
- Make sure the cream mixture doesn't boil, as this can cause the milk to separate and ruin the custard.
- Chilling the custard overnight ensures the best texture when churning.
- Fresh ginger in the cream base gives this ice cream its signature warmth and depth of flavor.
- Orange zest is optional but adds a subtle brightness that complements the gingerbread spices perfectly.