Graham Cracker Ice Cream

Loaded with graham crackers, chocolate chips and Buncha Crunch, this graham cracker ice cream will have you wondering where it has been all of your life. Believe me when I say this is better than any store-bought ice cream you can get.

So Lauren’s parents have a condo in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. We go a few times a year and during the summer, we make sure to stop by our favorite ice cream spot – Royal Treat. Recently when we stopped by they had a new flavor called graham central station. It was graham cracker ice cream with some chocolate chips and some type of chocolate crunch. After just a couple of bites, I turned to Lauren and said I have to recreate this. And so here we are today.

The most difficult thing was figuring out how many graham crackers actually needed to go in the ice cream. I settled on 12 but you could honestly go even more if you wanted. However I think 12 was the perfect amount. When I make homemade ice cream these days, it is at the top of the list as well as malted cookie dough ice cream, strawberry ice cream and vanilla bean ice cream.

The other problem was figuring out what the chocolate crunch was. When having the ice cream the first time, I thought it tasted like Buncha Crunch, so that’s what I went with. Luckily, my imitation turned out delicious and might I say even better than Royal Treats. Lauren said it was her favorite ice cream to date, but she has said that in the past as well. But if you love graham crackers, you will be doing backflips over this graham cracker ice cream.

What Ingredients are in this Graham Cracker Ice Cream Recipe?

• Light brown sugar
• Graham crackers
• Salt
• Xanthan gum
• Whole milk
• Heavy cream
• Corn syrup
• Vanilla extract
• Mini chocolate chips
• Buncha Crunch

How to Make Graham Cracker Ice Cream

1. Place graham crackers in food processor and process until fine grain.
2. In medium bowl, combine brown sugar, crushed graham crackers, salt and xanthan gum.
3. Heat a medium pot over medium heat and add the milk, cream, and corn syrup, whisking to combine. Whisk in the sugar mixture until there are no lumps. Cook until the sugar is dissolved, about 2-3 minutes. Remove the pot from heat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight. Stir in vanilla extract.
4. Pour the mixture in the ice cream machine and churn for 20 minutes or however long your ice cream maker says.
5. Fold in chocolate chips and Buncha Crunch.
6. Transfer to container and cover. Store in freezer for 4 hours before serving.

What Ice Cream Maker Do You Use?

It may be the cheapest one available, but the 1.5 quart Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker is super simple to use and makes the best ice cream at home.

Why Use Xanthan Gum in Ice Cream?

So this was actually something new I learned by watching the Tasty video. Xanthan gum helps stabilize the ice cream and prevents ice crystals from forming. The usual problem with homemade ice cream is it will only lasts a couple of days before ice crystals form. But the xanthan gum helps battle this.

Can You Make Ice Cream with Half-and-Half Instead of Heavy Cream?

You can although I highly recommend trying to use whole milk and heavy cream as the high fat content creates the creamy texture when the ice cream is cooled. Nearly any type of milk will work, and you can substitute half-and-half for the cream. But just keep in mind, it won’t be as creamy and could get icy.

Homemade Ice Cream Tips

• Use the Best Ingredients – when making ice cream you want to use the best ingredients possible so use free-range eggs and organic milk and cream. Also use high quality products when it comes to added flavorings like vanilla or chocolate. Never use imitation vanilla.
• Don’t Cut the Fat and Calories – ice cream is not the dessert that you should be cutting the fat. It depends on the high-fat content to create a creamy texture. If you go lower fat, it will cause an icy ice cream. If you’re on a diet, just have a smaller scoop!
• Add Extract at Right Time – if you add an extract or alcohol while the custard is too hot, you won’t get the actual flavor as it will cook out slightly. Just wait until right before you pour the custard into the ice cream maker to add it.
• Chill the Custard – you don’t necessarily need to chill the custard overnight, but you want to chill until it is as cold as possible.
• Use Frozen Bowl – make sure your ice cream bowl has been frozen for at least 24 hours, otherwise you aren’t giving the ice cream a great chance of freeze.
• Start Ice Cream Motor First – do not pour the custard in the frozen bowl before starting the ice cream maker. It will start freezing upon contact. You want the motor running and slowly pour the custard in.
• Add Mix-Ins at the End – never add your mix-ins at the beginning of the process. You want to add them when it looks like there is about a minute left in the churning process.
• Don’t Overchurn – always error on the side of caution when it comes to churning your ice cream. You do not want it to be hard. Remember it will continue to freeze once you place in the freezer.
• Keep It Creamy – homemade ice cream can turn hard as we don’t add preservatives, however Xanthan gum or a couple tbsp of vodka will help keep it creamy.

Other Ice Cream Recipes

• Malted Cookie Dough Ice Cream
• Strawberry Ice Cream
• S’mores Ice Cream
• Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
• Cherry Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream

If you’ve tried this Graham Cracker Ice Cream or any other recipe on Chisel & Fork, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube to see more tasty meals and anything else I’m up to.