Apple Cider Ice Cream

If you love apple cider, you’ll likely fall completely in love with Apple Cider Ice Cream. Rich and creamy, fragrant with apples and real apple cider flavor, this ice cream is heavenly when scooped over an apple crisp or served with a slice of pie.

Ice cream with topping in a red bowl on a wooden table

I tested this recipe a few different ways, and simply couldn’t get the flavor I wanted from apple cider initially. Then I finally stumbled on boiled cider.

What is Boiled Cider?

In a nutshell, boiled cider is a roughly 8 to 1 concentration of apple cider. Nothing is added. It has a tart, sweet apple taste. It will add an intense apple flavor to anything that you cook with apples.

Can you make boiled cider at home? Sure. You’ll need a gallon of cider to make about 2 cups worth of boiled cider. It will take about 5-6 hours to reduce down over low simmering heat.

That said, I found purchasing boiled cider to be a terrific option for my purposes. You can purchase it on Amazon, and also directly from the apple orchard. (It’s a trade off with a higher price and free shipping from Amazon or a lower price and paid shipping direct from the seller.)

overhead view of apple cider ice cream in a red bowl with a spoon

Apple Ice Cream Recipe

To make this ice cream, you’ll need the following ingredients:

Heavy cream
Sugar
Kosher salt
Whole milk
Boiled apple cider
Vanilla extract

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!

Apple Cider Ice Cream in a red bowl with an apple behind it on a wooden table.

Easy Apple Cider Ice Cream Recipe

This recipe is simple to make, and is going to be one of your new favorite fall treats when the fresh apple cider hits the shelves. The good news is that you can have this any time of year if you order your boiled apple cider from one of the options we linked above. Or you can make your own during apple cider season and freeze it so you can pull some out to use any time you get the craving all year long.

How To Make Apple Cider Ice Cream At Home

To make this recipe, first mix together the cream, sugar, and salt in a saucepan.

Next, stir over medium heat until the sugar dissolves.

Now, we remove from the heat and stir in the milk, boiled cider, and vanilla, and then chill the mixture until it is fully cooled.

Before you churn your ice cream, make sure to give it a good whisk to reincorporate all of the ingredients evenly. You’ll want to follow your ice cream machine’s instructions for timing and specifics.

Apple cider ice cream in a red bowl on a wooden table

More Delicious Apple Dessert Recipes

If you love this recipe, you’ll really love our Apple Crisp Ice Cream!

This Apple Cobbler is a classic that we make again and again. It would be perfect with a scoop of this ice cream on top!

If you really want to celebrate all things apple, you have to try Apple Brownies sometime! Not your typical brownie, and SO delicious!

Why not make an Apple Cake with Caramel Sauce the next time you need to bring something sweet to a neighbor, a friend, a church potluck, or a new mom? This cake will be just the thing to hit the spot and disappear from the buffet table quickly. (Better print out a couple copies of this recipe! People will be asking!)

Our easy Apple Pie Bars are a no-fail recipe that is always a hit. I could eat these weekly and never get tired of them. I think you’ll love them just as much as we do!

overhead view of apple cider ice cream in a red bowl with a spoon, without topping

With over 100 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!

Servings: 6 servings

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Combine the cream, sugar, and salt in a saucepan. Warm the mixture over medium heat, whisking or stirring just until the sugar dissolves.
Remove from the heat and add the milk, boiled apple cider, and vanilla extract. Stir to combine and refrigerate until fully cooled.
When ready to churn, whisk the mixture again, and pour it into the ice cream maker. Freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Calories: 284kcal · Carbohydrates: 16g · Protein: 4g · Fat: 23g · Saturated Fat: 15g · Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g · Monounsaturated Fat: 6g · Cholesterol: 75mg · Sodium: 136mg · Potassium: 149mg · Sugar: 16g · Vitamin A: 973IU · Vitamin C: 0.4mg · Calcium: 115mg · Iron: 0.1mg