Enjoy cool treats year round with this fall flavored Gluten Free Cinnamon Maple Ice Cream. It’s a chilly way to welcome the holidays.
I wanted ice cream. When do I NOT want ice cream???
Do you know how long it’s been since I’ve bought ice cream?! TOO LONG!
When we first moved to Hawaii, we would often take family bike rides into town and stop at the Cold Stone Creamery just to get a refreshing treat. I’ve not always been a Cold Stone fan. I grew up with Marble Slab (some places known as Maggie Moo’s) being my favorite creamery. I always felt like Cold Stone was just too thick and rich, almost like eating Play-Doh. And I HATE Play-Doh.
BUT, after having been on an ice cream drought for so long, and Cold Stone being the only ice cream parlor nearby, Cold Stone actually tasted quite good to me. I’d even argue that my first to last bite of sweet cream with Butterfinger mix-in was downright delicious. I think I have been converted to the cold side.
However, taking weekly family outings to Cold Stone was not financially friendly on our Hawaii living budget, so we’ve definitely cut down on the ice cream trips.
But what is a middle aged woman to do when she WANTS ICE CREAM???!
You do what women do in most situations. You take matters into your own hands and you DO IT YOURSELF!
Seeing all the lovely fall flavors on Pinterest for pies and tarts and cobblers and such has really gotten me in the mood for all those wonderful fall spices. But the still high temperatures, and flaky trade winds, have NOT gotten me in the mood to turn my oven on for hours at a time. How do you get the flavors of fall without all the cooking???
Two words: ICE CREAM
This Gluten Free Cinnamon Maple Ice Cream solved all my problems and made my fall flavor wishes come true.
This ice cream is full of maple flavor which is enhanced by using 1/4 cup dark brown sugar in the custard base. It also gives this ice cream that beautiful light amber color that matches perfectly with the colors of fall.
On top of adding that maple flavor to the ice cream, I used a generous amount of cinnamon. Just because, well, it’s cinnamon. And I do LOVE cinnamon. I use cinnamon in everything from my desserts to my main dishes. Cinnamon is definitely not just suitable for sweets!
Now I had a half package of instant pudding mix left over from making this decadent chocolate vanilla banana cake so I thought I would put it to good use in this ice cream recipe. The pudding mix helps to bind the ice cream together and give it a smoother texture after freezing. Plus that extra vanilla flavoring pairs nicely with the cinnamon and maple.
And lastly, Greek yogurt! It may not be a ton, but adding just a half cup of Greek yogurt helps to thicken the custard as well and adds a slight tang to the final flavor of the ice cream. It’s so subtle, but apparent enough that you almost feel you are eating a maple cheesecake ice cream. If you are not a fan of the flavor of cheesecake, you can always leave the yogurt out. I thought was delicious, though!
My girls and I downed this ice cream and sadly the freezer is now again empty of any creamy frozen treats. It looks like it’s about time to whip up another batch of this ice cream…or maybe another ice cream experiment will be calling my name…
What is your favorite maple flavored dessert?
- 1 cup milk (I used 1%)
- ½ cup sugar
- ¼ cup dark brown sugar
- ½ package (3.4 oz size) vanilla pudding mix
- dash of salt
- ¾ teaspoon maple flavoring
- ¾ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- In a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk together milk, sugar, brown sugar, and pudding mix until dissolved. Add salt, maple extract, cinnamon and Greek yogurt and whist until smooth. Add heavy whipping cream and whisk until smooth.
- Pour mixture into 1½ quart ice cream maker and churn according to manufacturer instructions.
- Serve immediately for a soft serve consistency or put in an airtight container in the freezer for at least 6 hours or overnight for a firmer texture.
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