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Easy Pumpkin Ice Cream

Posted by Elise on Nov 21, 2007

Filed under Dessert

Easy Pumpkin Ice Cream

Most of the ice cream recipes we have on this site involve making a custard base. This approach results in a creamy and smooth homemade ice cream, but requires several extra steps and extra time. If you don't use an egg custard base, your ice cream will not be nearly as rich, but if you are serving it as an accompaniment to a pie, or perhaps after a filling dinner, a not-as-rich ice cream may be just what you want.

This pumpkin ice cream recipe is as easy of an ice cream recipe as they come. Blend pumpkin puree with cream, sugar, and pumpkin pie spices and then churn in your ice cream maker. If you want, add a couple tablespoons of brandy or rum to help the ice cream from getting too icy. Best to eat it on the same day you make it, as it lacks the stabilizing properties that you get with a custard base, and it will get icy if it stays in the freezer for more than 8 or so hours. Freshly churned it is still soft and creamy and is perfect alongside an apple pie.

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Easy Pumpkin Ice Cream Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 3/4 cups pumpkin purée (1 15-ounce can pumpkin purée)
  • 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
  • 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
  • Pinch of salt
  • 2 Tbsp brandy (optional)

Method

1 Put the pumpkin puree, sugar, spices, and salt in a blender. Purée until smooth. Slowly add the cream, a tablespoon or two at a time, pulsing after each addition. Chill for 15 minutes (or longer, this part you can make ahead).

2 If you are using brandy, mix it in to the cream mixture right before churning. Churn in your ice cream machine 20 to 25 minutes. Keep in freezer until served.

Makes about 1 quart.

Indexed: Ice Cream, Pumpkin

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20 Comments

I love ice cream, and even bought an ice cream churner this summer. However, I'm not too keen on the custard stage, so I've been mostly making various sorbets (gooseberry, sea-buckthorn, watermelon, coconut, orange etc) and no-custard ice creams. David Lebovitz vietnamese coffee ice cream was a great success (sweetened condensed milk, coffee, cream), and I can see your pumpkin ice cream becoming another one:)
Thank you, Elise!!

Posted by: Pille on November 21, 2007 2:15 AM

Great. Just...great.

You post this after I spent hours preparing a custard-based Cinnamon Ice Cream (which, I might add, turned out quite delicious) to accompany our T'Giving apple pie?

Here it is: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Cinnamon-Ice-Cream/Detail.aspx

A happy Thanksgiving to you and yours, Elise.

Posted by: jonathan on November 21, 2007 7:00 AM

Elise, seriously, you must have read my mind! This is EXACTLY what I wanted to try making for Thanksgiving dessert, non-custard base and all (I'm actually considering making it with almond cream instead of cow's cream). Thank you as always for sharing your great recipes, and best wishes for a wonderful Thanksgiving to you and yours!

Posted by: Kristi on November 21, 2007 9:01 AM

Perfect! I live for pumpkin ice cream but I didn't even think to make it for myself as a Thanksgiving treat. THANKS!!

Posted by: EB on November 21, 2007 10:01 AM

This looks FABULOUS!!!! : ) I've been on a pumpkin kick this year and it's tough when needing to eat gluten free. I've resorted to getting the pumpkin pie feeling by mixing pumpkin butter into greek yogurt but after seeing this, I don't think I'll ever be able to do that again. The thought of pumpkin ice cream has never even crossed my mind -- time to pull back out the ice cream maker! Thanks so much for the inspiration.

Posted by: Maggie on November 21, 2007 10:07 AM

Pumpkin ice cream would go so well with my pumpkin pie truffles! I'm making this tomorrow! Thanks!

Posted by: jennbec on November 21, 2007 11:55 AM

Homemade pumpkin ice cream sounds wonderful! And looks so easy! I used to consume mass quantities of cinnamon ice cream from Babcock Hall at UW-Madison and when I could not get it, I'd buy plain vanilla and add sugar and cinnamon. I once had pumpkin pie ice cream with little pieces of pie crust in it. Ate a whole (large) carton.

Posted by: Mimi on November 21, 2007 5:21 PM

Elise, this was a lifesaver!
My uncle thought I asked him not make pumpkin pie because I was making a birthday cake (it was the exact opposite) so when he showed up I was able to whip up some of this pumpkin ice cream since I had everything, and it was delicious!

Posted by: Mar on November 23, 2007 8:54 AM

Elise,

Wow, this sounds delicious. I'll have two scoops on a sugar cone (to-go). I'm in Florida where it is still 80 degrees so a cone would be nice today. Have a great day.

Smiles,

Posted by: Kennedy Patrick on November 27, 2007 6:06 AM

HI Elise,

I love flavored ice cream, you never see pumpkin ice cream anywhere yum. Great Photo pass the scoop!

I also read David's chocolate ice cream recipe. I make a thick smoothie with frozen banana, dark chocolate syrup and 2% milk. Freezing the banana 1st is the key to keeping it smooth. I tried making my smoothie with a fresh banana then adding ice to it. The smoothie was still good but not nearly as creamy or smooth as the frozen banana version. If you don't like liquors, Vodka can be used instead when making ice cream or powdered unflavored gelatin can be used to keep the consistency smooth.

Linda

Posted by: Linda on November 27, 2007 2:16 PM

This is the first ice cream I've ever made, so I followed the recipe exactly. Putting the cream in the blender didn't work out so well - it turned into a very lumpy mess. On my next try I STIRRED in the cream after mixing the other ingredients, and the ice cream turned out perfect. I'm glad, because this recipe is the whole reason I went out and bought an ice cream maker! Can't wait to try more recipes!

Posted by: Danielle on December 31, 2007 8:13 AM

I just received the ice cream attachment for my kitchen aid mixer on Christmas. I made your coffee-OREO recipe first (it was great!). This will definitely be my next. I love your site. Thanks for all the great recipes.

Posted by: Beau on January 2, 2008 8:33 AM

Inedible. My wife ate it but I could not get over the film of fat that coated the roof if my mouth like peanut butter. It didn't taste very good either. If you knew me, you would understand what bold statements these are. I'll eat almost anything!

Posted by: Kevin Wright on July 18, 2008 6:28 AM

eww I agree with the PP this left an oily film on the roof of my mouth. I will not make this again..

Posted by: Jessica on July 26, 2008 2:03 PM

I just made this ice-cream, and instead of putting everything in the blender you should definitely leave the heavy whipping cream out as it just makes a lumpy mess!!!! You should however put all ingredients except the cream in the blender and then before ready to churn stir in the whipping cream, otherwise the fat seperates when you blend it and it does NOT turn out!!!! I have now learned this after ruining a whole batch of ice cream!!!!! Grrrrr....and I was sooo looking forward to this. Next time I will just make it in my KitchenAid mixer and cut out the blender completly. Hope this helps....I'll have to try again...=)

Posted by: Jaime White on September 28, 2008 11:51 AM

I just made this recipe with my 9-year-old daughter. We were so looking forward to our delicious pumpkin ice cream, but we had the same experience with the cream separating and getting lumpy. It wasn't edible; the texture really ruined it for us.

Posted by: Mary Frances Reed on October 16, 2008 7:10 PM

Hello Mary Frances, Jaime, Danielle and others who have had trouble with the cream separating. I didn't have the same problem you had with it when I made it, but since several of you are having an issue with the lumpiness, I've changed the directions to say puree everything else first, then slowly add in the cream. Thank you for your feedback!

Posted by: Elise on October 16, 2008 7:50 PM

When reading this, I was kind of worried because of some of the comments.
The only thing I needed for this recipe was the whipping cream. I got it today while at the store.

The ice cream turned out AMAZING!
To think, it cost $4 for a pumpkin blizzard at DQ, and it cost less than $2 to make enough for several servings. My husband is going to love it. I cant wait until he gets home so he can try it.

Super easy - I didnt even bother getting the blender out. Just used a large bowl and wooden spoon.

Next time, I think I'm going to get some fluffernutter and add a little bit to the mix.

Thank you - you are brilliant! Just my type of recipe, easy and quick.

~M

Posted by: ~M on October 19, 2008 3:05 PM

Do not waste your time or money with this recipe! I have made several ice cream recipes and have never had a disaster like I did with this one. Even with the revisions of adding the cream last I got the lumpy mess. I'm really disappointed that I just poured all the money I spent in ingredients down the drain...literally.

Posted by: Erin on November 10, 2008 6:08 PM

This was a great foundation for a pumpkin ice cream recipe! I doubled the amount of pumpkin, cut the sugar down by half, and substituted 1/2 of the cream with milk...it is fabulously pumpkin pie ice cream!!

Posted by: christa on November 16, 2008 4:36 PM

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