This Cinnamon Toast Crunch Ice Cream is the nostalgic cereal treat, made into a frozen dessert that’s better than anything you'll find at the store. Creamy, crunchy, and loaded with cinnamon flavor, it comes together with just 3 ingredients and no ice cream maker required.
If you love ice cream and frozen treats, you are going to enjoy this recipe. Cinnamon Toast Crunch Ice Cream combines the classic, cinnamon-packed cereal with creamy vanilla ice cream that is better than anything you'll find at the store.
What You Should Know First:
Choosing a premium, high-butterfat vanilla ice cream is what gives this cinnamon toast crunch ice cream its creamy, scoopable texture after refreezing.
- ⏱ Active Time: 15 minutes / Total: 4+ hours (includes freezing). 🍽 Serves: 8 to 10. 🧾 Ingredients: 3. 📊 Difficulty: Easy. 🥛 Dietary: Vegetarian.
- Premium ice cream makes a real difference. High-butterfat brands hold up to softening and refreezing. Lower-fat options can turn icy.
- Chill your container before filling. A cold loaf pan helps the ice cream set faster and more evenly for a creamier result.
- Let ice cream sit 3 to 5 minutes at room temperature before serving. Homemade ice cream freezes firmer than store-bought and especially benefits from this step.
- Other cinnamon cereals work too. Cinnamon Life or any cinnamon-forward cereal can substitute for or be mixed in alongside the Cinnamon Toast Crunch.
Generated with AI and experts from the Tara Teaspoon team.
Better than the churned version, without the work
The good news is that no ice cream maker is needed to make this cool, creamy treat! You can use store-bought ice cream or your favorite no-churn recipe. If you prefer churned, homemade ice cream use my Super Creamy Eggless Vanilla Ice Cream as the base.
Most cinnamon toast crunch ice cream recipes call for an ice cream maker, a cereal milk steep of 6 or more hours, and cereal caramelized in butter and brown sugar on the stovetop. This version skips all three. A premium vanilla base with ground cinnamon folded in fresh delivers the same bold flavor, and in 15 active minutes, no machine or overnight prep required.
Simply fold in your favorite cinnamon cereal and a little extra ground cinnamon to really amp up the flavor, and you'll have a crave-worthy frozen treat that's ready to scoop in no time. Here's what else make it worth making:
- Perfect for any occasion: This fun, crowd-pleasing ice cream is exactly what summer parties and birthday celebrations were made for. Make it ahead of time, and it's ready to scoop whenever the craving strikes.
- Crunchy cereal in every bite: Cinnamon Toast Crunch is folded right into the base, giving every scoop that irresistible sweet, cinnamon crunch you know and love. It's dessert cereal in frozen form.
- Easy to customize: Cinnamon Toast Crunch is just the beginning! This recipe works beautifully with other cinnamon cereals, and you can easily add toppings and mix-ins like chocolate chips, caramel swirls, or crushed graham crackers to make it your own.
Looking for more fun and creative frozen treat ideas? Check out my 24 Unique Ice Cream Flavors and Homemade Chocolate Ice Cream Recipe for inspiration.
Jump to:
- What You Should Know First:
- Better than the churned version, without the work
- Ingredients and variations
- How to make cinnamon toast crunch ice cream
- Tara's tips for the best cinnamon toast ice cream
- Topping and mix-in ideas
- Equipment helpful for this recipe
- Storage
- FAQ
- More frozen treats
- 📖 Full Recipe
- 💬 Comments & Reviews
Ingredients and variations
Just 3 ingredients are needed to make this cinnamon toast ice cream. Check out these tips before gathering your supplies. See recipe card for full list of ingredients and quantities.
- Vanilla ice cream: Use a high quality, premium vanilla ice cream for this semi-homemade method. Slow-churned ice cream like Haagen Dazs, Tillamook, Van Leeuwen, and Graeter’s have less air mixed into the base and high butterfat content. Less premium ice creams, like Breyer’s or generic store brands, contain more air and are often lower in butterfat, so they don’t hold up to the softening and re-freezing process in this recipe.
- Ground cinnamon
- Cinnamon toast crunch cereal: Use a fresh bag or box of cereal so that it's nice and crisp when folded into the base. If you don't have Cinnamon Toast Crunch on hand, Cinnamon Life, or any other cinnamon-forward cereal will work as a substitute or addition.
How to make cinnamon toast crunch ice cream
This photo tutorial will give you the step-by-step instructions for making this recipe with store-bought or no-churn ice cream. See recipe card for comprehensive directions.
- Step 1: Scoop frozen ice cream into the bowl of a stand mixer and mix to soften it. Add the cinnamon.
- Step 2: Continue mixing until the cinnamon is fully incorporated.
- Step 3: Add the cereal and mix it in by hand with a spatula.
- Step 4: Scoop the fully mixed ice cream into a chilled loaf pan.
- Step 5: Sprinkle the top with additional cereal.
- Step 6: Cover the pan with plastic wrap and place in the freezer for at least 4 hours to fully refreeze.
To make with churned homemade ice cream: Just before the ice cream finishes churning, stir in the 2 teaspoons cinnamon and 2 cups cereal. Once the mix-ins have churned into the vanilla ice cream, transfer it quickly into your chilled container and freeze.
Tara's tips for the best cinnamon toast ice cream
Add the cereal right before freezing: For the best texture, fold the cereal into the ice cream base right before transferring it to the freezer. Adding it too early gives the cereal extra time to absorb moisture, which can make those irresistible crunchy pieces turn soft and mushy before they even make it to the scoop. Work quickly once the cereal is folded in, and get it into the freezer right away.
Freeze your container first: If possible, place your container in the freezer for about 30 minutes before filling it with the ice cream. A cold container helps the ice cream set faster and more evenly, which means better texture and creamier scoops.
Let it soften before serving: Let your ice cream sit at room temperature for 3 to 5 minutes before scooping. This makes it easier to scoop and brings out the full, creamy flavor. Homemade ice cream tends to freeze firmer than store-bought, so this step makes a real difference.
Topping and mix-in ideas
This ice cream is delicious straight from the scoop, but a few extra toppings or mix-ins take it completely over the top. Here are some of my favorite ways to dress it up:
Toppings:
- Extra Cinnamon Toast Crunch: More is more! A handful of cereal sprinkled on top adds extra crunch and makes for an eye-catching presentation.
- Whipped cream: A dollop of freshly whipped cream is always a good idea!
- Caramel sauce: Add a generous drizzle of caramel sauce for extra rich, buttery sweetness.
- White chocolate drizzle: Creamy, melted white chocolate is a dreamy complement for cinnamon-flavored ice cream.
Mix-ins:
- Baking chips: Fold in cinnamon chips, caramel or toffee bits, or mini chocolate chips to add little pockets of flavor to every bite.
- Sweet swirls: Add layers of caramel sauce, fudge sauce, or Nutella to the ice cream base as you transfer it to the container.
- Extra crunch: Mix in crushed graham crackers, granola, or other cinnamon-forward cereals for an extra layer of crunch.
Equipment helpful for this recipe
Storage
Freeze: Store in the freezer in a sealed freezer-safe container. To prevent ice crystals from forming, press an extra piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface before sealing. For the best flavor and texture, enjoy within 2 weeks.
FAQ
Some softening is natural as the ice cream freezes. To preserve as much of the crunch as possible, add the cereal right before transferring the ice cream to the freezer, and eat within about 2 weeks.
Sprinkling extra cereal on top just before serving is also a great way to guarantee a satisfying crunch in every bite!
A shallow, wide container works best for homemade ice cream because it allows the ice cream to freeze more evenly and makes scooping easier. I use pint ice cream containers or a loaf pan works really well and is what I recommend for this recipe. Whatever container you use, make sure it has a tight-fitting lid or cover it tightly with plastic wrap to protect the ice cream from absorbing any freezer odors.
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📖 Full Recipe
Cinnamon Toast Crunch Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 1½ quarts vanilla ice cream (premium store bought or homemade*, about 6 cups)
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 cups cinnamon toast crunch cereal (plus more for topping)
Instructions
- Make the ice cream by quickly scooping frozen store-bought or homemade vanilla ice cream into a stand mixer (or large mixing bowl if you're using a hand mixer).
- Add the cinnamon, and use the paddle attachment to blend quickly, until ice cream is just soft (like a thick milkshake).
- While ice cream is soft, mix in cereal. Then quickly transfer ice cream to a container or loaf pan. Sprinkle with extra cereal for crunch on top.
- Cover and freeze until solid, about 4 hours or overnight; then scoop and serve.
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving
Tara Teaspoon
I’ve been in food publishing for over 25 years, creating recipes & food-styling for magazines, books, television, food brands, & advertising. With two cookbooks under my belt and thousands of my recipes at your fingertips, I hope you'll be inspired to spend more time in the kitchen!
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