THE BEST Pumpkin Ice Cream

This Pumpkin Ice Cream is perfect for year-round pumpkin lovers! Light on the spices, studded with crunchy pecans, and infused with bright citrus flavors, it’s a flavor that can be enjoyed any day of the year!

This is for all you pumpkin in July naysayers.

That’s right. I see you.

I know you’re out there. Trying to squash (get it – squash? pumpkin?) my joy of all things pumpkin, arriving little by little as the summer slowly waltzes away to make way for the bliss of the fall season.

Well, I have news for you: you can never kill a love that runs this deep, even when it’s “out of season.”

Pumpkin cravings don’t just go away – they demand to be indulged.

But you know, I don’t think you’ll mind when you get your hands on a few scoops of my new favorite summer-fall hybrid treat – pumpkin ice cream!

Homemade Pumpkin Ice Cream!

It may still be too hot to turn the oven on for hours to bake a pumpkin pie, so I figured it might be high time for something cooler and more refreshing with my number one fall flavor.

Enter this fun, citrusy, less spiced pumpkin ice cream. It’s got a super creamy texture, and has everything a classic, homemade pumpkin pie ice cream recipe would have. There’s plenty of vanilla-pumpkin flavor, but I threw in a good amount of orange zest and a bit of lemon extract to keep it light and seasonally neutral.

And some pecans for a little crunch, because texture is fun.

Take that, pumpkin haters. Strap in, it’s that time of year in here.

This is the result of the very first time I’d ever tried making a custard-based ice cream recipe, way back in 2015. Meaning it’s got egg yolks and everything, so I can’t really call it an easy pumpkin ice cream recipe.

That’s not to say it’s difficult! it just involves a little bit of stovetop work, but I promise you that the end result is so worth the effort. Your pumpkin season will be made once you have a bowl of this – even if it’s in July!

If you’re planning to try your hand at this pumpkin ice cream, check your pantry, then add these ingredients to your shopping list and hit the grocery store!

• Whole milk
• Heavy whipping cream
• Pumpkin puree (or pumpkin pie filling)
• Chopped pecans
• Eggs (you only need the yolks)
• Oranges (for the zest!)
• Dark brown sugar
• Granulated sugar
• Vanilla extract (or vanilla bean if you’re fancy!)
• Lemon extract
• Ground cinnamon
• Pumpkin pie spice (or use my homemade spice mix!)

How to make pumpkin ice cream

Making this delightful pumpkin flavored ice cream is so easy – don’t let the custard base intimidate you!

1. First, combine the milk, cream, sugars, and salt in a medium saucepan set over low heat. Whisk everything together until the sugar has dissolved and you have a cohesive liquid. Remove the pan from the heat and set it aside.
2. Set another saucepan with about an inch of water on the stove, and turn up the heat to medium heat.
3. Then, beat the egg yolks in a metal mixing bowl that’s slightly bigger than the simmering saucepan. Slowly stir in 1 cup of the warmed milk mixture to temper the eggs.
4. Set the bowl on top of the saucepan of simmering water, making sure the bottom doesn’t touch the water. Add the remaining milk mixture and whisk constantly. It will start to thicken, and when it coats the back of a metal spoon, remove it from the heat.
5. Next, stir in the pumpkin puree, orange zest, extracts, and spices until it’s all well combined.
6. Then, pour the mixture through a fine mesh strainer to remove any solids the egg yolks may have left behind while cooking. Let the mixture cool to room temperature, then place it in the refrigerator for at least an hour.
7. When you’re ready to churn your ice cream, pour the base into the bowl of your ice cream maker or ice cream maker attachment for your stand mixer and churn it up until it’s nice and thick. Add the pecans in at the end of the churning cycle.
8. Finally, transfer the very soft ice cream to a metal ice cream pan, or a freezer-safe container. Freeze it for at least 4 hours, or overnight for best results.

Here’s a good idea – I dare you to serve this up with something crunchy!

Gingersnaps, snickerdoodles, Biscoff cookies – maybe even cute little baked pie crust shapes? This ice cream is the real deal, and the sky is the limit with what you can do with it!

Would it be overboard to serve it on top of a slice of pumpkin pie? I surely don’t think so.

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THE BEST Pumpkin Ice Cream

This Pumpkin Ice Cream is perfect for year-round pumpkin lovers! Light on the spices, studded with crunchy pecans, and infused with bright citrus flavors, it's a flavor that can be enjoyed any day of the year!

5 from 2 votes

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Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: pumpkin ice cream

Prep Time: 45 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Freezing Time: 4 hours hours

Total Time: 1 hour hour

Servings: 8

Calories: 359kcal

Author: Erica

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 ½ cups whole milk
• ▢ 1 cup heavy cream
• ▢ ½ cup brown sugar packed
• ▢ ½ cup granulated sugar
• ▢ Pinch of salt
• ▢ 4 egg yolks beaten
• ▢ 1 cup pumpkin puree
• ▢ 2 teaspoons orange zest
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon lemon extract
• ▢ ¾ teaspoon cinnamon
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• ▢ ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• ▢ 1 cup pecans chopped

Instructions

• Combine milk, cream, sugars, and salt in a medium saucepan set over medium heat. Whisk until sugars are dissolved and all is combined. Remove from heat.
• Set another saucepan with about an inch of water on the stove, and turn up to med-high heat.
• Beat egg yolks in a metal mixing bowl (one bigger than the mouth of the saucepan), then stir in 1 cup of heated sugar-milk mixture to temper the eggs.
• Set the bowl on top of the saucepan of simmering water, making sure the bottom doesn’t touch the water. Add the remaining sugar-milk mixture and stir constantly, until it thickens to a custard base, and coats the back of a metal spoon.
• Remove the bowl from the heat. Stir in all the remaining ingredients except the pecans. Pour the mixture through a mesh strainer to remove the solids, then refrigerate for at least an hour.
• Follow the manufacturer’s instructions on operating your ice cream maker; pour the ice cream base into the machine and churn, adding the pecans in at the end of the churning cycle.
• Place the ice cream into a metal ice cream pan, or freezer safe container, and freeze for at least 4 hours, or overnight for best results. Enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 359kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 142mg | Sodium: 40mg | Potassium: 224mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 29g | Vitamin A: 5415IU | Vitamin C: 2.3mg | Calcium: 113mg | Iron: 1.1mg

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