This cinnamon, apple and oat milk ice cream is so creamy and delicious, its just like your favorite bowl of porridge but better! Ice cream for breakfast anyone?
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The flavors in this ice cream are inspired by my apple crisp recipe and a warming bowl of creamy, delicious porridge. I've made several dairy free ice creams but challenged myself to make an oat milk ice cream. Could I make it as creamy? Would is be delicious? In a word Yes! I am delighted with how well this recipe turned out, to the point is has become my new favourite vegan ice cream. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!
In the mood for more delectable ice creams? Check out my full collection of Cuisinart ice cream maker recipes (that work well in other brands ice cream makers too!). Or if you can't get enough of cinnamon try making my Cinnamon Toast Crunch cheesecake. Delicious!
Ingredients
Cinnamon: I use regular ground cinnamon in this recipe.
Apples: I use Jazz apples in this recipe. I love the sweet, crisp crunchiness of them. I prefer using red apples rather than green which can be a little sour but use what you can get. You can always add a little more sugar if you need to.
Oats: rolled oats are best for this recipe. They roast up beautifully. You could try using steel cut or quick oats, however I haven't tested the recipe with these varieties and it may affect the texture of your ice cream. Quick oats in particular may make the ice cream to thick.
Oat milk: available from supermarkets and health food stores. You could also make your own using a recipe such as this one by This Healthy Kitchen.
Cashews: I use un roasted cashews here so as not to compete with the flavour of the oats. Cashews give much needed fats and creaminess to this recipe. I have not tried this recipe with other nuts and you may not get the same creaminess, but let me know if you try it.
Castor sugar: regular white sugar is fine. You could substitute with the same amount of brown sugar but it may compete with the oat flavor. I don't recommend using powdered sugar. I have not made this recipe with sugar substitutes.
Brown sugar: I use this in the oat topping which is optional and in the apples. You can substitute with regular white sugar if you wish.
Refined coconut oil: also known as expeller coconut oil. This type of coconut oil gives a neutral taste a small with no strong coconut flavor left. You could unrefined coconut oil but it will likely compete with the oat flavor and may overwhelm it.
Non dairy margarine: if you want to keep things diary free use non dairy margarine or spread, other wise you could use butter if you prefer.
Optional: a shot of 40% neutral alcohol such as vodka. This helps lower the freezing point of the ice cream and keeps it scoopable. You can try substituting with ½ tablespoon of glucose syrup or leave it out altogether. Your ice cream will set firmer but it will still taste delicious!
How to make cinnamon, apple and oat ice cream
To make the ice cream
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) Spread oats onto a tray and bake for five to ten minutes until golden brown, watching carefully to make sure they don't burn.
Add toasted oats and oat milk to a saucepan. Bring to the boil then simmer for 20 minutes, stirring frequently to make sure it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan. Allow to cool then strain using a metal strainer. Do not use a cheesecloth as pictured, the mix will be to thick! (I learned this the hard way). You will need to work at the oats to get the milk through the strainer with a spatular to the back of a small plastic cup works well. The milk that strains through with be a lovely thick, creamy texture.
Peel, core and chop apples. Add to a frying pan with nondairy margarine and panfry on a medium heat until soft and starting to caramelize. Add sugar and ground cloves and heat for a few more minutes until sugar is dissolved. Allow to cool. Set aside about ¼ of the apple mix to top the ice cream with. Blend remaining apple mix in a food processor or the chopping bowl of an immersion blender until fairly smooth. You may need to scrap down the sides. Do not add any water to make blending easier, you will introduce to much water into the ice cream.
Measure the coconut oil. If the coconut oil is solid melt it in the microwave for a few seconds until runny. Add the cashews to a food processor or the chopping bowl of an immersion blender. Blend until fine bread crumb consistency. Add the coconut oil and blend for several minutes until smooth and no longer gritty. You may need to stop and carefully scrape down the sides to ensure even blending.
Add the cashew oil mix to the oat milk mix and blend well using an immersion blender. Add sugar, salt, cinnamon, vanilla essence, blended apple and mix well. Refrigerate for at least four hours or until well chilled. If using, mix in alcohol just before churning.
Put your ice cream storage container into the freezer to chill. If using a self-churning ice cream machine turn it on ten minutes before churning to chill, otherwise take the churning bowl out of the freezer just before churning.
Churn the ice cream. It will be the consistency of soft serve when done. Transfer to a chilled container and freeze until firm or overnight.
To make the crunchy oat topping
Preheat the oven to 350F (180C). Melt nondairy margarine in the microwave for a few seconds until runny. Add melted butter and brown sugar to oats for topping and mix well. Spread out on a baking tray and bake for approximately ten minutes until golden brown and starting to crisp up. Turn off the oven and allow to cool completely for maximum crunch. Transfer to an air tight container to store until needed.
To serve
Scoop from the container into a bowl, top with saved caramelized apple and crunchy oat topping. So good you could eat it for breakfast!
To store
This ice cream will keep in an airtight container in the freezer for up to a month, after which it will still taste delicious, but may become a little icy over time.
Looking for more yummy dessert recipes?
Why not try making
- Apple crumble (apple crisp)
- Cinnamon sugar pita chips
- Easy apple popsicles
- Apple Upside Down Cake by A Baking Journey
- Cinnamon Panna Cotta by Marcellina in Cucina
- Spiced Rum with Maple Apple Pie by Jamie Eats
📋 Recipe
Cinnamon, apple and oat milk ice cream
Equipment
- ice cream churner
- food processor or immersion blender with chopping bowl attachment
- immersion blender
Ingredients
For the ice cream
- 1 cup (100gms) rolled oats
- 3 & ½ cup (875 mls) oat milk
- 4 medium (1.6lbs/750gms) apples
- 2 tablespoons (30gms) non dairy margarine
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 cups (300mgs) raw cashews
- ¼ cup (55gms) refined coconut oil
- ½ cup (120gms) granulated white sugar
- 1 pinch salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
- 1 shot (30mls) neutral 40% alcohol such as vodka *optional
Oat topping
- ¾ cup (75gms) oats
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons (30gms) non dairy margarine
Instructions
To make the ice cream
- Pre-heat oven to 350°F (180°C)
- Spread out oats for ice cream on a baking tray in a thin layer. Bake for approximatly five to ten minutes until golden brown. Do not let the oats burn or you ice cream will be bitter.
- Add oat milk and toasted oats to a small saucepan. Bring to boil then simmer for about 20mins until mix starts to thicken.
- Turn off and allow mix to cool. Strain mix using a sieve. You will need to work the oat milk mix using a spatular or similar. The strained oat milk mix will be very thick and creamy (do not use a cheesecloth, the mix will be to thick)
- Refrigerate oat milk mix while making the rest of the base.
- Add cashews to a food processor or the chopping bowl of an immersion blender. Blend cashew nuts until bread crumb consistency forms.
- Measure coconut oil and melt to make runny (easiest in a microwave)
- Add coconut oil to cashew nuts and blend for several minutes until smooth and no longer gritty.
- Add cashew oil mix and apple mix to oat milk mix. Blend well with an immersion blender.
- Add vanilla, salt, cinnamon and granuldated sugar and blend well. Refrigerate while making apple mix
- Peel, core and slice apples.
- Add to frying pan with marge. Cook apples untill soft and starting to carmalize.
- Add brown sugar and cloves, cook until sugar is well mixed in.
- Allow apple mix to cool. Set aside ¼ of apple mix for ice cream topping
- Put rest of apple mix in a food processor and blend until smooth fairly smooth
- Mix blended apple into ice cream base.
- Chill mix for at least four hours until very cold.
- Put your storage container into the freezer to chill.
- If using a self churning ice cream machine turn it on ten minutes before churning to chill, other wise take your churning bowl out of the freezer just before churning.
- If using, stir in alcohol just before churning base.
- Churn the ice cream. It will be the consistency of soft serve when done.
- Transfer to storage container and freeze for at least four hours or until set.
To make the oat topping
- Pre heat the over to 350°F (180°C)
- Melt dairy free butter. Mix into oats with sugar.
- Spread oat butter and sugar mix out onto a baking tray. Bake for ten minutes until golden brown and starting to go crunchy. Turn oven off and allow to coo completely for maximun oat crunch.
- Once cool add to an airtight container to store until needed.
To serve
- Scoop the ice cream into a bowl. Top with caramelised apple mix and oat topping if using. Dig in and enjoy! So good you could eat it for breakfast!
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate based on an online database. The nutritional content of ingredients may vary by brand. If you require accurate nutritional information, you should calculate this based on the specific brands and products you are using.
Sally says
I use oat milk a lot in my dairy-free baking recipes and love how creamy it is, so I love that you have used it here for ice cream! I really must give this a try as it looks like the perfect mix of winter flavours and yummy ice cream!
Sylvie says
Such a fun mix between winter flavours and a summer dessert! It sounds so delicious and comforting - I just want to make an apple crumble to serve next to this ice cream now!
Rachi says
Oh yummm, I love the flavours. Looks amazing
Gavin says
This combo sounds SO good. I could eat this for breakfast right 😉
Andrea says
I love apple and cinnamon together and this ice cream looks like the perfect way to eat them! It would be perfect with a big bowl of hot apple crumble.
Robyn says
The combination of apple and cinnamon in ice cream is so inspired! It looks amazing too!
Jay says
For my clarity do you not need to strain the cashews before mixing? Doesn’t that lead to a strange texture?
Sarah Brooks says
Hi Jay, no I do not strain the cashews before mixing. You need to blend the cashews up very well. In the instructions I recommend blending until smooth and no longer gritty. You can check this by rubbing a little of the mix between your thumb and finger. The texture is not as smooth as dairy ice cream but for a dairy-free alternative it's pretty good. The pectin in the apples and the oats also help with the 'creamy' taste and feel without the dairy.
Melanie says
This looks amazing!! I’m going to make it tonight… but you wrote 1/4 tsp ground cloves… did you mean ground cinnamon?
I’ll report back how everyone liked it…
Sarah Brooks says
Opps, yes I meant ground cinnamon. But to be honest it would probably work well with ground cloves to 🙂 then it would be clove, apple and oat milk ice cream. Let me know how it goes.
Patty says
Where’s the cinnamon?
Sarah Brooks says
Missed that one in the recipe card, opps!. Thanks Patty, added now 🙂