Cinnamon lovers, this churro ice cream is for you! This no-churn recipe is supremely creamy, with crunchy cinnamon bits and ribbons of dulce de leche in every bite.
If you can’t leave a Mexican restaurant without ordering a batch of churros, you’re going to flip for this churro ice cream. It combines crunchy graham cracker “churros” with cinnamon-infused ice cream and swirls of gooey dulce de leche. Bliss!
Why You’ll Love This Churro Ice Cream Recipe
- Easy no-churn method. Who needs an ice cream maker taking up space in their kitchen?! I love no-churn ice cream because it requires minimal equipment and I think the texture is even better than traditional ice cream. (Try my no-churn vanilla ice cream and no-churn dulce de leche Biscoff ice cream next.)
- Full of delicious churro flavor. This ice cream is loaded with cinnamon goodness, just like traditional churros. Plus, the addition of dulce de leche takes it to the next level.
- No actual churros required. Because I don’t think real churro pieces would fare well in ice cream, I improvised by using graham cracker bits instead.
What You’ll Need
Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.
For the Churro Filling
- Cinnamon graham crackers – Or use regular graham crackers if that’s what you have on hand.
- Granulated sugar
- Ground cinnamon – Learn more: Types of Cinnamon: A Home Baker’s Guide
- Unsalted butter – Melt this in the microwave or a small saucepan.
For the Ice Cream
- Sweetened condensed milk – Not evaporated milk; condensed milk is sweetened, which means you don’t need to add more sweetener to the ice cream.
- Ground cinnamon
- Vanilla extract – I love using this homemade vanilla extract.
- Salt
- Heavy cream – You need heavy cream, as opposed to half-and-half or whole milk, to create the structure of this ice cream. (When beaten, the fat forms scaffolding that helps hold the air that makes no-churn ice cream fluffy.)
- Dulce de leche
What Is Dulce de Leche?
Dulce de leche is a sweet, decadent caramel-like sauce that’s popular in many Latin American countries—and excellent for dipping churros! You can swap in caramel sauce if you’d like.
How to Make Churro Ice Cream
- Make the churro bits. Combine the graham crackers, cinnamon, and sugar, then stir in the melted butter. Spread on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake in a 350ºF oven for 5 to 7 minutes. Cool completely.
- Make the cinnamon base. Whisk the condensed milk, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt in a large bowl.
- Whip the cream. Use a whisk attachment on an electric mixer to whip the heavy cream into stiff peaks in a separate bowl.
- Combine the two. Fold a cup of the whipped cream into the cinnamon mixture, then transfer that mixture into the bowl with the whipped cream. Fold to combine.
- Freeze. Transfer a third of the ice cream mixture into a chilled loaf pan. Add dollops of dulce de leche and graham crackers, then swirl. Repeat with two more layers, then cover and freeze for at least 5 hours.
Tips for Success
- Don’t over-process the graham crackers. Be sure to chop the graham crackers into small pieces instead of grinding them. That will create little churro-like bites throughout your ice cream. You’ll inevitably end up with some crumbs, too, which can be added along with the larger pieces.
- Options for the dulce de leche. If you want to skip the dulce de leche or serve it on the side, simply fold the graham cracker mixture into the ice cream and then transfer to the pan for chilling.
- Know when stiff peaks form. When whipping cream, you want to reach a stage where stiff peaks form. This means that when you lift the beaters out of the cream, the peaks stand up straight without folding over.
Serving Suggestions
I love making my no-churn ice cream recipes into ice cream sandwiches! This churro ice cream would be fantastic sandwiched between two snickerdoodles for even more cinnamon flavor. It would also be delicious scooped onto warm banana bread pudding or bananas Foster.
How to Store
A metal loaf pan is great for freezing the ice cream, but I recommend transferring your ice cream to an airtight, freezer-safe container for longer storage. Properly stored, it should keep in the freezer for up to 1 month. If your freezer runs cold, you may need to let it sit on the counter for a few minutes before scooping.
More Ice Cream Recipes
- Blueberry Cheesecake Ice Cream
- Peppermint Ice Cream
- Cheesecake Ice Cream
- Butter Pecan Ice Cream
- No-Churn Chocolate Brownie Ice Cream
Churro Ice Cream
This easy no-churn churro ice cream recipe is supremely creamy, with crunchy cinnamon bits and ribbons of dulce de leche in every bite!
Ingredients
For the "churro" filling:
- 8 full sheets of cinnamon graham crackers (or regular graham crackers), roughly chopped or crushed
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (or 2 teaspoons with regular graham crackers)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
For the ice cream:
- 14 ounces (397g) sweetened condensed milk
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups (473ml) heavy cream
- approximately 1/4-1/3 cup dulce de leche
Instructions
To make the filling:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Combine the cookie pieces, sugar, and cinnamon. Add the butter, and stir until combined.
- Spread the cookie mixture evenly on the prepared pan. Bake for 5 to 7 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy. Set aside to cool completely.
To make the ice cream:
- Place a 9” x 5” x 3” metal loaf pan or other similarly sized freezer-safe container in the freezer.
- Whisk together the condensed milk, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt in a large bowl.
- Place the cream in a separate bowl. Use an electric mixer with a whisk attachment to whip the cream at medium-high speed until stiff peaks form.
- Fold about 1 cup of the whipped cream into the milk mixture. Transfer that mixture to the remaining whipped cream, and gently fold until combined.
- Transfer about a third of the mixture to the chilled pan. Dollop small amounts of dulce de leche over the top. Sprinkle with about a third of the graham cracker mixture. Use a thin knife to swirl gently. Repeat the layers two times. If you like, save a bit of the graham cracker mixture to sprinkle over the top after the ice cream is completely assembled.
- Cover and freeze for at least 5 hours, until the ice cream has a scoop-able texture.
Notes
Store in an airtight, freezer-safe container in the freezer up to 1 month.
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