Carrot Cake Ice Cream

Carrot Cake Ice Cream combines creamy homemade cream cheese ice cream with chunks of soft, spiced carrot cake cookies and a swirl of caramel sauce. The rich custard-style ice cream base is made with heavy cream, whole milk, egg yolks, and cream cheese, giving it that tangy cream cheese frosting flavor that goes SO well with carrot cake.

Instead of adding shredded carrots directly to the ice cream, we’re making homemade carrot cake cookies with fresh carrots, brown sugar, cinnamon, and allspice. The cookies get chopped and folded into the ice cream at the end of churning, so you get little bites of actual carrot cake in every scoop.

• Actual carrot cake in every scoop: Homemade carrot cake cookies are chopped and mixed right into the ice cream.
• Cream cheese ice cream: Cream cheese gives the custard base a rich, creamy texture and that classic tang you expect with carrot cake.
• Warm and spiced: Cinnamon and allspice give the cookies plenty of cozy carrot cake flavor.
• Made with fresh carrots: Finely grated carrots keep the cookies soft while adding real carrot flavor.
• Caramel on top: A drizzle of caramel sauce adds another layer of sweetness and gets deliciously chewy in the freezer.
• Homemade from start to finish: Both the carrot cake cookie pieces and churned ice cream are made from scratch.

Carrot Cake Cookies

• Carrots: Finely grate the carrots so they blend easily into the cookie dough and you don’t end up with large pieces in the finished ice cream.
• All-purpose flour: Gives the cookies their structure while keeping them soft enough to mix into the ice cream.
• Unsalted butter: Use room-temperature butter so it creams properly with the sugars.
• Vanilla extract: Adds warmth and sweetness to the carrot cake cookies.
• Egg yolk: Adds richness and helps create a soft cookie texture.
• Light brown sugar: Adds moisture and a deeper caramel-like sweetness.
• Granulated sugar: Sweetens the cookies and works with the brown sugar to create the right texture.
• Baking soda: Helps the cookies spread and rise as they bake.
• Cinnamon: Gives the cookies that classic warm carrot cake flavor.
• Allspice: A little goes a long way and adds another layer of warm spice.

Cream Cheese Ice Cream

• Heavy cream: Creates the rich, creamy base for the homemade ice cream.
• Whole milk: Lightens the heavy cream while still keeping the ice cream rich.
• Egg yolks: Give this custard-style ice cream its smooth, creamy texture.
• Granulated sugar: Sweetens the ice cream and helps create a softer frozen texture.
• Cream cheese: The key to that tangy cream cheese frosting-inspired flavor. Let it come to room temperature so it melts smoothly into the base.
• Vanilla bean paste: Adds deep vanilla flavor and those pretty vanilla bean flecks. You can also use pure vanilla extract.
• Kosher salt: Just a pinch balances the sweetness and brings out the vanilla and cream cheese flavors.
• Caramel sauce: Drizzle it over the finished ice cream before freezing for sweet caramel swirls throughout.

• Make the carrot cake cookie dough. Cream the butter with both sugars until light and fluffy. Mix in the egg yolk, grated carrots, and vanilla. Combine the dry ingredients separately, then mix them into the wet ingredients just until incorporated. Chill the dough for 3 hours.
• Bake the cookies. Scoop the chilled dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets and bake at 350°F for 8-10 minutes. The centers should look slightly underdone but shouldn’t jiggle. Let the cookies cool completely before chopping them into pieces.
• Make the cream cheese ice cream base. Whisk the egg yolks and sugar until pale and fluffy. Gently heat the whole milk, heavy cream, cream cheese, and salt until warm, stirring frequently. Don’t let the mixture boil.
• Temper the eggs. Slowly whisk some of the warm cream mixture into the egg yolks, a little at a time. Add the remaining cream mixture, whisk well, then return everything to the pot.
• Cook and chill. Cook the custard over low heat, stirring constantly, until it reaches 165°F. Stir in the vanilla, transfer to a bowl, and refrigerate until completely cold.
• Churn the ice cream. Prepare your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s directions. Churn the cold cream cheese ice cream base, adding the chopped carrot cake cookies toward the end.
• Add the caramel. Transfer the ice cream to a freezer-safe container and drizzle the caramel sauce over the top. Freeze until firm enough to scoop, then enjoy!

• Chill the cookie dough. Give the carrot cake cookie dough the full 3 hours in the refrigerator. Chilling helps control the spread and gives you thicker, softer cookies that work perfectly in the ice cream.
• Finely grate the carrots. Smaller pieces blend into the cookie dough much better and give you carrot flavor without large pieces of carrot in your ice cream.
• Don’t overbake the cookies. This is especially important for ice cream. Pull the cookies when the centers still look slightly underdone but no longer jiggle. The longer they bake, the more cake-like they become, and softer cookies stay much better once frozen.
• Don’t boil the custard. Keep the heat low and stir constantly, making sure you get into the corners of the pot. This helps prevent the eggs from scrambling.
• Temper the egg yolks slowly. Gradually adding the warm cream mixture brings the eggs up to temperature without cooking them. Whisk constantly as you add the warm liquid.
• Chill the ice cream base completely. Don’t rush this part. The custard should be completely cold before it goes into your ice cream maker. A cold base churns and freezes much better than a warm one.
• Add the cookies at the end. Wait until the ice cream is almost finished churning before adding the chopped carrot cake cookies. You want distinct pieces throughout the ice cream rather than completely breaking them down.

• Vanilla extract: If you don’t have vanilla bean paste, use 3 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract instead.
• Skip the caramel: The caramel sauce is completely optional. Leave it out if you want the cream cheese and carrot cake flavors to really stand out.
• Add pecans or walnuts: Fold chopped toasted pecans or walnuts into the ice cream along with the carrot cake cookie pieces for a little crunch.
• Add raisins: If you’re firmly on Team Raisins In Carrot Cake 😂, add a small amount to the cookie dough.
• Extra caramel: Layer additional caramel sauce between the ice cream as you transfer it to the freezer container for more caramel throughout.
• More spice: Add a pinch of nutmeg or ginger to the cookies if you like a more heavily spiced carrot cake.

This recipe was developed as a churned custard-style ice cream, so I recommend using a traditional ice cream maker for the original method. You can also make it in a Ninja CREAMi with a few adjustments. See the FAQ below for the CREAMi method.

Carrot Cake Ice Cream is SO good straight from the freezer with an extra drizzle of caramel sauce. You can also crumble an extra carrot cake cookie over the top or add chopped toasted pecans or walnuts for a little crunch. If the ice cream is too firm to scoop, let it sit at room temperature for about 5-10 minutes to soften slightly. This is also such a fun make-ahead dessert for Easter, spring dinners, or anyone who loves carrot cake.

• Storage: Keep the Carrot Cake Ice Cream in an airtight, freezer-safe container. For the best flavor and texture, enjoy it within about 2 weeks.
• Freezing: The ice cream will be soft immediately after churning. Transfer it to your freezer-safe container, add the caramel, cover, and freeze for 4-6 hours, or until firm enough to scoop.
• Serving after freezing: Homemade ice cream can freeze harder than store-bought ice cream. Let it sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes before scooping if needed.