This caramel apple matcha ice cream is a creamy no-churn ice cream recipe made with earthy matcha, warmly spiced apples, and ribbons of caramel. It has all the cozy flavors of a caramel apple, but with a little matcha twist. You don't even need an ice cream maker to make it!
I recently ordered a caramel apple matcha latte at a local coffee shop because it sounded like it was going to be insanely good. Caramel, apple, matcha? I was sold. Unfortunately, it was not good. Like, at all. And at $10, I was pretty annoyed about it.
But even though the latte was a flop, I couldn't stop thinking about the flavor combination. Because I still thought caramel apple matcha should be good. So I decided to take matters into my own hands and turn it into ice cream.
And honestly, this is exactly what I wanted that latte to taste like. This caramel apple matcha ice cream has a creamy matcha ice cream base with cinnamon-spiced apples and plenty of caramel swirled throughout. The matcha adds a grassy flavor that keeps the caramel and apples from being too sweet, and the whole thing tastes like fall in ice cream form.
If you love matcha, try my matcha cupcakes and matcha cheesecake too!
Ingredient Notes
Apples: I recommend using Honeycrisp or Granny Smith apples. Both varieties hold their shape well when cooked and have enough tartness to balance the brown sugar and caramel. Honeycrisp will give you a sweeter, more mellow apple flavor, while Granny Smith will add more tartness.
Spices: A combination of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice gives the apples a warm, spiced flavor that pairs especially well with caramel.
Heavy cream and sweetened condensed milk: Heavy cream is whipped to stiff peaks to create the light and airy texture, while the sweetened condensed milk makes the no-churn ice cream creamy and scoopable.
Matcha powder: You don't need to use the most expensive ceremonial-grade matcha for this recipe. Since the matcha is being mixed with several other ingredients, a good-quality culinary matcha works well. Look for matcha that is vibrant green and tastes fresh and earthy rather than dull, yellowish, or super bitter.
Caramel sauce: You can use homemade or store-bought caramel sauce. I love using my homemade salted caramel sauce because the salt is so good with the sweet apples and grassy matcha.
A Quick Testing Note
Don't skip sifting the matcha through a fine-mesh sieve before adding it to the heavy cream! Matcha tends to clump, and I found that skipping this step left small lumps of matcha throughout the ice cream. Sifting it first helps break up those clumps so the matcha incorporates evenly, giving you a smoother ice cream.
How to Make the Ice Cream
Step 1: Chop the apples into bite-sized pieces. Then add them, the butter, brown sugar, and spices to a large pot.
Step 2: Cook the mixture over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the apples have softened and are coated in the spiced brown sugar mixture.
Transfer the apples to another container and let them cool completely.
Step 3: Beat the heavy cream and matcha powder on low speed with an electric mixer to combine the matcha without making a mess. Once it's mostly incorporated, increase the speed to high and beat to stiff peaks.
Step 4: Add the sweetened condensed milk, vanilla extract, and salt. Use a rubber spatula to gently fold everything together until combined.
Step 5: Pour the matcha mixture into a large container, filling it about halfway. Top with some of the cooled apple filling and caramel sauce.
Add another layer of ice cream, followed by more apples and caramel. Use a knife or spatula to gently swirl the layers together.
Step 6: Cover and freeze for at least 8 hours or overnight. Scoop and drizzle with warm caramel sauce.
More Ice Cream Recipes to Try
📖 Recipe
Caramel Apple Matcha Ice Cream
Equipment
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Ingredients
Apple Filling
- 3 medium apples honeycrisp or Granny Smith
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 50 grams light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- ⅛ teaspoon ground allspice
Matcha Ice Cream
- 480 grams heavy cream
- 4 teaspoons matcha powder
- 397 grams sweetened condensed milk 1 14-ounce can
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 300 grams caramel sauce homemade (recipe linked in notes section) or store-bought
Instructions
Apple Filling
- Chop the apples into small, bite-sized pieces. You don't want the pieces too large since they'll be frozen into the ice cream, but don't chop them so finely that they lose all of their texture.3 medium apples
- Add the chopped apples, butter, brown sugar, and spices to a saucepan.2 tablespoons unsalted butter, 50 grams light brown sugar, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves, ⅛ teaspoon ground allspice
- Cook the apple mixture over medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep the apples and sugar from sticking to the bottom. The apples should be slightly softened and coated in the syrupy brown sugar mixture.
- Transfer the filling to a separate container. Let it cool completely to room temperature before adding it to the ice cream.
Matcha Ice Cream
- Pour the heavy cream into a large mixing bowl. Sift the matcha powder directly into the cream through a fine mesh sieve to break up any clumps.480 grams heavy cream, 4 teaspoons matcha powder
- Using an electric hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, begin beating the cream on low speed. This helps incorporate the matcha gradually without sending matcha powder flying everywhere. Once the matcha is mostly incorporated, increase the speed to high and continue beating until the cream reaches stiff peaks. Do not to overbeat.
- Fold in the sweetened condensed milk, vanilla extract, and salt with a rubber spatula until no streaks remain. Fold gently so you don't deflate the whipped cream.397 grams sweetened condensed milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon salt
- Spoon a layer of the matcha mixture into a large deli container or other container. Add some of the cooled apple filling and drizzle with caramel sauce. Add another layer of matcha ice cream, followed by more apple filling and caramel sauce. Gently swirl everything together, being careful not to overmix.300 grams caramel sauce
- Cover tightly and freeze for at least 8 hours, or preferably overnight. When you're ready to serve, let the ice cream sit at room temperature for a few minutes to make scooping easier. Scoop, drizzle with warm caramel sauce, and enjoy!
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