Oat Milk Ice Cream with Cinnamon Toast Crunch

It’s pretty much a Toronto right of passage to visit Bang Bang Ice Cream for one of their legendary ice cream cookie sandwiches. In the summer there’s usually a steady line-up all day long, and you know that your day is about to get better as soon as you have that perfect little cookie/ice cream parcel in your hands ( I am a golden oreo ice cream + vegan everything cookie gal in case you were wondering).

With my newly acquired ice cream maker (thank you Courtenay!), I decided I would try my hand at some fun, Bang Bang-inspired flavours, using my favourite dairy alternative, oat milk, as the base.

Ice cream is, admittedly, a bit of a process, but that’s what I love about cooking, plus, when the reward is so sweet who cares? Once you get the general technique down for the base, it’s really easy, and the add-in options are endless.

Whether you are a dairy-free devotee or a hardcore milk-lover I think you’ll find this ice cream delicious. Give it a try and tell me what you think!

Cinnamon Toast Crunch Oat Milk Ice Cream

makes about 1 litre of ice cream

For the ice cream base:

one 1L carton of barista-blend Oat Milk (I used Earth’s Own)

2 cups of cinnamon toast crunch cereal

1 tbsp of vanilla extract

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp kosher salt

6 large egg yolks

2/3 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch

For the cinnamon swirl:

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 tbsp water

2 tbsp coconut oil or unsalted butter, diced

2 tbsp light corn syrup

pinch of kosher salt

For the cereal crunch:

3 cups of cinnamon toast crunch cereal

2 tbsp brown sugar

1/2 tsp kosher salt

3 tbsp coconut oil, melted

To make the ice cream base: One day before you plan to make the ice cream, combine the litre of oat milk and 2 cups of cinnamon toast crunch in a large container, and steep overnight. When you are ready to make your ice cream base, strain the oat milk and cereal mixture and discard the cereal solids. In a large pot over medium heat, combine the strained oat milk, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt. Heat, stirring constantly until the mixture is hot and steam is beginning to rise from it but it is not yet at a simmer, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the egg yolks, sugar and cornstarch and whisk until pale yellow and smooth.
Temper the mixture by carefully ladling half of the hot oat milk mixture into the egg yolk mixture, one ladle at a time, and whisking constantly to combine. Then, pour the egg yolk-oat milk mixture into the pot containing the rest of the hot oat milk, and heat over medium-low, stirring constantly, until mixture has thickened and coats the back of a spoon.
Pour the ice cream base into a container and place in the fridge to chill before mixing for a minimum of 4 hours, but preferably 8 hours or overnight. To cool down the ice cream base more quickly you can place it in a bowl resting in an ice bath for a few minutes before chilling in the fridge.
To make the cinnamon swirl, combine the brown sugar, water, and pinch of salt over medium, stirring occasionally, until a syrup forms, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in the coconut oil or butter until fully incorporated. Vigorously whisk in the corn syrup, then pour into a heat-proof container and refrigerate until ready to use.
To make the cereal crunch, preheat the oven to 325 F. In a medium-sized bowl combine the cinnamon toast crunch, sugar, and salt. Using your hands, crush the cereal into smaller pieces (think pea-sized). Drizzle over the melted coconut oil, toss to combine, and spread over a parchment-line baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes until cereal is toasted. Don’t worry if some areas still seem moist, it will firm up as it cools.
Once ice cream is well chilled, prepare according to ice cream makers instructions. Once ice cream has reached a soft-serve like consistency, spread about half of the oat milk ice cream into a 9”x 3” loaf pan. Remove cinnamons swirl from the fridge and heat in the microwave until it has loosened and is pourable, about 30 seconds, Drizzle half of the cinnamon swirl over the ice cream, and sprinkle with half of the cereal crunch. Repeat with the second half of the ice cream and the other ingredients. Pop the loaf pan into the freezer to chill until it is very firm ( a few hours). Remove a few minutes before serving so that the ice cream can soften slightly before you scoop it.