When Fall (or more like August these days) rolls around and everybody goes crazy for pumpkin spice lattes, you’ll find me looking for pumpkin ice cream. It’s a seasonal flavor that is impossible to find most of the year, and even during the Fall season it’s not always easy to get my hands on some. I LOVE pumpkin ice cream. Which is funny considering I’m not the biggest pumpkin pie fan. It’s got such an amazing flavor with plenty of spices and that rich, unique pumpkin quality that makes it so, so good! I highly recommend eating this with some Biscoff cookies crumbled on top for crunch. Or have a scoop of pumpkin ice cream on top of brownies or apple pie instead of vanilla. Or sandwich it between white chocolate macadamia nut cookies or gingerbread cookies for a fantastic ice cream sandwich! If you are a fun of pumpkin treats, be sure to check out my Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread, Pumpkin Juice, and Glazed Pumpkin Scones next!
What is Pumpkin Ice Cream?
Pumpkin ice cream is a creamy and sweet slow-churned ice cream made the old-fashioned way using spices, egg yolks, heavy cream, pumpkin puree, and sugar along wit a few other simple ingredients. Once finished, you end up with a creamy ice cream that tastes like a pumpkin pie except smoother, creamier, colder, and way, way better (again, I’m not a huge pumpkin pie fan but even I’m obsessed with this ice cream flavor). Eat it as is or serve it up in your favorite ice cream cone.
How to Make Pumpkin Ice Cream
What can I do to reduce the pumpkin flavor in this ice cream?
I was surprised at how much the pumpkin flavor mellows and melds with the other flavors after freezing the ice cream for 4 hours. It’s much less in your face pumpkin-y than right when the ice cream is done churning and more of a soft serve consistency. Personally love this recipe as is, but you CAN reduce the pumpkin puree amount by half for a much more mild pumpkin flavor. Go ahead and try it both ways and see which one is your favorite.
What additional add-ins can I add to my pumpkin ice cream?
I love this soft serve pumpkin ice cream because it’s so creamy and smooth, making it perfect as-is. But additional add-ins for flavor and texture are always fun and this is an excellent ice cream based for experimenting with add-ins. For ripples and sauces, layer them with the soft-serve ice cream as you are transferring it to a freezer safe pan. For harder mix-ins like cookies or nuts, add them during the last minute of churning so they are evenly dispersed throughout the ice cream. Here are some of my favorite mix-in ideas to go with this pumpkin ice cream:
Candied pecans, walnuts, or almonds add a fantastic crunch! Try a chocolate ripple (use the one from this recipe) or chocolate truffle chunks (like the ones in this recipe). Add chopped Biscoff, Oreo, gingersnap, or oatmeal cookies. Add the crumble pieces from this recipe for more of a pumpkin pie effect. Mix in about 1 cup of white or milk chocolate chips, chopped Skor or Daim toffee bars. Break up a homemade or store-bought graham cracker crust and fold into the just-churned ice cream.
What to serve with pumpkin ice cream?
Any of the mix-ins above are going to be delicious served on top of or with this dessert. But it’s also fantastic served with a slice of pumpkin or apple pie and whipped cream. It’s a great way to really pack in all of your favorite Fall flavors! It’s also fantastic served with a drizzle of caramel or sandwiched between two of your cookies or brownies for ice cream sandwiches.
Even More Pumpkin Recipes
Easy Homemade Pumpkin Pie Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting Salted Caramel Pumpkin Panna Cotta Pumpkin Juice Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread Light and Creamy Pumpkin Chiffon Pie Chicken Enchiladas with Pumpkin Sauce Cheesy Tortellini and Chicken Pumpkin Alfredo Bake Homemade Pumpkin Puree
More Ice Cream Recipes You’ll Love!
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream Fresh Lemon Ice Cream Burnt Almond Fudge Ice Cream Tutti-Frutti Ice Cream Homemade Chocolate Ice Cream Cherry Vanilla Ice Cream Maple Walnut Ice Cream Graham Canyon Ice Cream Butter Pecan Ice Cream
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