Homemade Apple Pie Ice Cream Is The Perfect Frozen Treat For Fall
Apple pie is the number one pie choice among Americans and it's easy to see why. Flaky crust is piled high with caramelized apples, notes of brown sugar, and cinnamon, and baked until golden brown and delicious. Even better than a slice of apple pie is pie a la mode, which is pie served with ice cream. Thanks to Mashed recipe developer Kristen Carli, she's combined apple pie and ice cream to create the ultimate apple pie ice cream recipe. Regarding her recipe, she says, "This is my ideal dessert! My pregnant heart is so happy to have this in the freezer."
Instead of putting in the effort to make an entire apple pie and then combine it with ice cream, Carli's more straightforward approach requires only chopping and cooking the apples on the stove, with no need for baking a crust. While you can't have apple pie without crust, Carli uses a secret ingredient: crushed graham crackers. The graham crackers not only add flavor but a nice crunchy texture to the ice cream. As to why Cari adds graham crackers, she says, "I've always loved ice cream with graham crackers in it."
Choose the correct apple
The type of apple you choose for pie matters, and the same is true for this apple pie ice cream recipe. Carli prefers to use an Envy apple. "They are sweet with extra crunch!" she adds. Envy apples are a crossbreed between Braeburn and Royal Gala apples, resulting in the apples being the perfect balance of sweet, tart, and crunchy, with a thicker skin. Along with a sweet flavor, apples are full of fiber, vitamin C, and help support the gut biome. If you cannot get a hold of Envy apples, Carli suggests substituting with Sweetango apples.
Once you make the ice cream and it has set, it can be served on its own, or alongside a slice of pie. Carli likes to add an extra sprinkle of crushed graham crackers over top for even more texture. Since this is a homemade ice cream recipe, you'll want to leave yourself at least 4 hours for the ice cream to freeze. We suggest making this ahead of time and before the craving strikes, so that you already have it on hand. On the off chance you have leftovers, they can be easily stored just like regular ice cream in the freezer. Just make sure it's sealed in an airtight container for ultimate freshness.