The smooth creamy texture of brown sugar ice cream with its rich caramel, toffee-like flavor makes this the perfect ice cream to take me into fall.
Brown Sugar Ice Cream
Creamy vanilla homemade ice cream is my absolute favorite. But I like to mix things up a bit every once in a while. Creating a slighting richer ice cream with brown sugar is one way to do that.
Why brown sugar instead of white sugar? Brown sugar is simply white sugar with the addition of molasses. The molasses in brown sugar gives a deep caramel or subtle toffee flavor.
Note: I did not put additional molasses in this recipe. However, feel free to add a teaspoon or so to your liking. Depending on my mood I have been known to sneak it in.
Brown sugar changes up the ice cream for something a bit richer tasting. Plus if you are out of white sugar and still want to make ice cream, you can! It is always good to have options.
Mixing up the ice cream base couldn’t be easier. Place all your ingredients in a bowl and whisk. It might take your brown sugar a bit longer to dissolve, so a little extra whisking might be needed, but worth it.
Cinnamon Brown Sugar Ice Cream
You can add in so many delicious things to ice cream. Cinnamon and cinnamon chips pair perfectly with brown sugar. You may recall just how much we love cinnamon ice cream – we love it so much we have 5-minute cinnamon ice cream recipe and a french-style custard too.
Caramelized almonds, candied walnuts, or cinnamon-roasted pecans make terrific add-ins too. Last but not least, don’t forget to top the richness with a sprinkling of flaky Maldon salt. It results in a perfectly sweet and salty combination.
Brown sugar ice cream, while delicious on its own, is also perfect for topping a German apple pie, an old-fashioned apple crisp, or a warm apple brownie.
With over 70 ice cream recipes here to choose from, there’s sure to be an ice cream for everyone! If you’re new to making ice cream, the best and easiest vanilla ice cream is a great place to start.
These are my favorite inexpensive containers for storing ice cream. They’re perfect for gifting (who doesn’t love homemade ice cream?) storage, re-using, etc. I write the flavors on the lids with a sharpie and it washes off with dish soap.
I have more ice cream scoops than I can keep track of at this point and I definitely play favorites. This ice cream scoop does the best job ever of cutting through firm ice cream and still delivers a pretty scoop. It gets bonus points for being one of the least expensive scoops I own as well.
Don’t miss our Ice Cream Maker Review for all the information you need to find the BEST Ice Cream Maker for your needs! Spoiler alert – our top-rated machine under $50 just might surprise you. It sure surprised me!
Brown Sugar Ice Cream Recipe
A simple list of ingredients and two steps is all you need for brown sugar ice cream:
- heavy cream
- whole milk
- dark brown sugar
- kosher salt
- vanilla bean paste
- vanilla extract
- Combine the cream, milk, brown sugar, salt, vanilla bean paste, and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl. Whisk to combine.
- Pour into the ice cream maker. Churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer the finished ice cream to an airtight container and place it in the freezer until ready to serve.
The most popular question I get is whether it’s possible to make ice cream without a machine. The answer is YES. You can make ice cream without a machine. Find the full directions here!
Homemade Ice Cream
I probably don’t even need to mention it, but homemade ice cream is pretty much a dream come true for topping Southern Peach Cobbler, Grandma’s Cherry Flop, or this Strawberry Rhubarb Crunch.
While ice cream is a staple in our freezer year-round, the add-in potentials for this particular ice cream are endless. I’ve filled this ice cream with chunks of brownies, bits of cookie dough, pieces of oatmeal cookies, and swirls of salted caramel sauce.
