Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream

Delicious and seasonal Pumpkin Pie Ice cream is a traditional, French-style, churned ice cream recipe that’s perfect for fall. Creamy, silky, pumpkin pie ice cream is swirled with crisp gingersnap cookies to make this recipe extra special.

Four scoops of homemade pumpkin pie ice cream in a glass dessert dish.

This Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream can be made gluten-free (with the use of gluten free cookies) and is naturally nut-free. It’s also amazing sandwiched between two cookies, like these pumpkin s’mores cookies.

French Silk Ice Cream is the best of both worlds with swirls of rich chocolate ice cream and fluffy vanilla mousse.

Love trying fun ice cream recipes like pumpkin pie ice cream? Try Marshmallow Ice Cream next for sweet, toasty, nutty, and vanilla flavors.

If you want more ice cream recipes that use cookies, try this apple pie ice cream next. This peppermint ice cream is also fun.

WHY YOU’RE GOING TO LOVE THIS PUMPKIN PIE ICE CREAM

This traditionally churned pumpkin pie ice cream recipe has a few steps to it, but it will be worth it when you taste how creamy and amazing this ice cream is. I promise It’s easier than it looks, and I’m sharing full step by step instructions and helpful tips.

You can enjoy pumpkin pie ice cream whenever the mood strikes. Most stores only carry this flavor in the fall months, so if you want pumpkin pie ice cream in June, you can make it yourself!

Satisfy any pumpkin spice craving with this delicious pumpkin pie ice cream – have it waiting for you in the freezer.

Make Pumpkin Spice Ice Cream if you are looking for something a bit more smooth and simple.

top down view of all of the ingredient needed to make pumpkin pie ice cream, each in separate white and glass bowls, all set on a marble countertop

INGREDIENTS IN HOMEMADE PUMPKIN PIE ICE CREAM

Egg Yolks – These create the base for our ice cream custard. We’ll gently heat the egg yolks to pasteurize them, but you can also purchase pasteurized eggs if you prefer.

Pumpkin Puree – Be sure to buy plain, unsweetened pumpkin, rather than pumpkin pie filling, which has spices and sweeteners added to it.

Brown Sugar – We’re using brown sugar rather than white to add depth and warm flavor.

Ground Cinnamon – The main ingredient in pumpkin spice, cinnamon is warm and sweetly spicy.

Ground Ginger – Ginger adds a bright, spicy kick.

Nutmeg – Warm and muted, nutmeg is key in any pumpkin spice recipe.

Ground Cloves – The final ingredient in our delicious spice blend.

Kosher Salt – A bit of salt balances out the sweetness from the sugar

Whole Milk – A mix of both heavy cream and whole milk creates the perfect ice cream texture. 

Heavy Cream – The basis for any good ice cream is rich heavy cream. 

Vanilla Extract – Vanilla helps to enhance and bring out the flavors in this pumpkin ice cream.

Ginger Cookies – These crispy cookies add texture and amazing flavor to this ice cream. Vanilla wafers or any other crispy vanilla or spiced cookie will work too.

If you have any questions on how to make pumpkin pie ice cream, please leave a comment below and I will get back to you.

photo collage showing 8 steps needed to make pumpkin pie ice cream

HOW TO MAKE PUMPKIN PIE ICE CREAM

  1. Chill the ice cream bowl for at least 24 hours or until solid. You should not hear any water sloshing around when you shake the bowl. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, pumpkin puree, ½ cup of the brown sugar, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and salt until smooth.
  2. Add the milk and remaining ¼ cup of brown sugar to a saucepan over medium heat. Bring the whole milk to a simmer and then remove from the heat. Be sure not to boil.
  3. Add about 1/2 cup of the hot milk to the egg and sugar mixture and whisk constantly until combined.
  4. Then, add the tempered egg mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining hot milk.
  5. Heat the saucepan on low. Stirring constantly, heat until the base has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. This should take a few minutes.
  6. Strain the mixture into a bowl to remove any pieces of egg that may have cooked. Then add the heavy cream and vanilla and stir to combine. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, ensuring that the wrap is touching the surface of the ice cream base. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
  7. Churn the ice cream mixture in the bowl of your ice cream machine according to your manufacturer’s instructions, until it is thick and the consistency of soft-serve ice cream. In the last 2 minutes, add all except 1/4 cup of the chopped ginger cookies and churn until they are evenly distributed.
  8. Spoon the ice cream into a shallow container or loaf pan. Top with remaining ginger cookies. Press plastic wrap or wax paper to the surface of the ice cream. Freeze for at least 4 hours, or until solid. Let sit at room temperature for about 5 minutes before serving.

These numbered steps match the numbered photos above and are for illustration purposes. For the complete list of ingredients and instructions in this pumpkin pie ice cream, please see the recipe below.

Closeup view of pumpkin pie ice cream in a dish, with a cookie on the side.

HOW TO STORE PUMPKIN PIE ICE CREAM

Store this Pumpkin Pie ice cream in the freezer in an airtight container (we really like these reusable ice cream containers) with a piece of parchment paper or wax paper pressed on top for up to one month.

TIPS FOR MAKING PUMPKIN PIE ICE CREAM

Use quality ingredients – When making homemade ice cream, you’ll want to make sure you are using high quality ingredients for the best outcome.

Choose the right pumpkin puree – make sure to use unsweetened canned pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling which already has spices and sugar added to it.

Swap Spices – Use 2 teaspoons of pumpkin spice blend rather than the individual spices if desired.

Chill out – If possible, always start with chilled ingredients. This is important for homemade no-churn ice cream recipes and ice cream maker recipes.

Don’t skimp on the fat – High fat milks and creams are essential when making homemade ice cream. Opting for a low-fat option often leads to icy ice creams and inconsistency in the texture.

Don’t go crazy with the add-ins – If you’re adding in additional ingredients, pick one or two and make sure they are chopped into pieces no larger than a blueberry or pea.

Don’t skimp on the sugar – Sugar not only adds sweetness to homemade ice creams, it also helps with the texture. Sugar is essential for the creamy texture in ice cream.

Make it gluten-free – Simply use gluten free cookies or graham crackers as your add-in.

pumpkin ice cream with gingersnap cookies on top, being scooped by a metal, yellow handled ice cream scoop.

NO CHURN PUMPKIN PIE ICE CREAM

To make this pumpkin pie ice cream without an ice cream maker, chill a shallow container or a loaf pan in the freezer while you mix the ice cream ingredients.

Pour the ice cream mixture into the prepared pan and freeze for 3-4 hours. Stir the ice cream every 30 minutes for the first 2 hours to help add air. This will help create a creamy, smooth texture.

PUMPKIN PIE ICE CREAM ADD-INS

Try swirling in some prepared whipped topping to really bring home the pumpkin pie theme in this pumpkin pie ice cream.

Toasted almonds, pecans, or walnuts will add additional texture.

White Chocolate pairs well with chocolate, try adding small chopped pieces or shavings.

Small pieces of pound cake or pumpkin cake would add something really special here.

If you love pumpkin, you’ll want to try this pumpkin pie without evaporated milk next!

MORE HOMEMADE ICE CREAM RECIPES

Here are some of our favorite tools for making ice cream in an ice cream maker:

LET’S GET SOCIAL, you can follow us on Pinterest or leave a comment below if you have any questions.

Did you make this Pumpkin Pie ice cream recipe? Leave a comment below letting us know what you thought and if you added any additional add-ins.

Four scoops of homemade pumpkin pie ice cream in a glass dessert dish.

Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream

Ice Cream From Scratch
Pumpkin Pie Ice cream is a traditional, French-style, churned ice cream recipe that's perfect for fall. Creamy, silky, pumpkin spiced ice cream is swirled with crisp gingersnap cookies to make this recipe extra special.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Chillin/Freezing Time 8 hours
Total Time 8 hours 45 minutes
Course Ice Cream Recipes
Cuisine Dessert
Servings 6 Servings
Calories 554 kcal

Equipment

  • Set of 2 Reusable Ice Cream Tub Containers For Homemade Ice Cream 1.6 Quart
  • Cusinart ICE-70P1 2-Quart Cool Creations Ice Cream, Frozen Yogurt, Gelato and Sorbet Maker, LCD Screen with Countdown Timer, Makes Frozen Treats in 20-Minutes or Less, Stainless Steel
  • KitchenAid KO117OHAQA Gourmet Ice Cream Scoop, One Size, Matte Aqua Sky

Ingredients
  

  • 5 large egg yolks
  • 1 cup unsweetened pumpkin puree
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar divided
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon cloves
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 cups whole milk
  • 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups ginger cookies or graham crackers roughly chopped

Instructions
 

  • Chill the ice cream bowl for at least 24 hours or until solid. You should not hear any water sloshing around when you shake the bowl.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, pumpkin puree, ½ cup of the brown sugar, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and salt until smooth.
  • Add the milk and remaining ¼ cup of brown sugar to a saucepan over medium heat. Bring the whole milk to a simmer and then remove from the heat. Be sure not to boil.
  • Add about 1/2 cup of the hot milk to the egg and sugar mixture and whisk constantly until combined.
  • Then, add the tempered egg mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining hot milk.
  • Heat the saucepan on low. Stirring constantly, heat until the base has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. This should take a few minutes.
  • Strain the mixture into a bowl to remove any pieces of egg that may have cooked.
  • Add the heavy cream and vanilla extract and stir to combine.
  • Cover the bowl with plastic wrap making sure to have the plastic wrap touching the surface of the ice cream base. This will help keep it from forming a skin while chilling. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
  • Churn the ice cream mixture in the bowl of your ice cream machine according to your manufacturer’s instructions (mine took about 20 minutes), until it is thick and the consistency of soft-serve ice cream.
  • In the last two minutes, add all except ¼ cup of the chopped ginger cookies and churn until they are evenly distributed.
  • Spoon the ice cream into a shallow container or a loaf pan. Top with remaining ginger cookies. Press plastic wrap or wax paper to the surface of the ice cream. Freeze for at least 4 hours, or until solid. Let sit at room temperature for about 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

    • I added an extra egg yolk from my typical french-style ice cream base to get a really rich base and to offset some of the additional pumpkin that was added to the ice cream.
    • We used brown sugar for its molasses flavor in this base. If you don’t have brown sugar, you can also use granulated sugar.
    • We used store-bought ginger cookies in this recipe to mimic the pie crust. You can use crushed up graham crackers or vanilla wafers instead if you’d like.
    • To make this recipe gluten-free, use gluten-free cookies or graham crackers.
    • You can use 2 teaspoons of pumpkin spice mix instead of the spices in this recipe if you wish.
Keyword pumpkin pie ice cream, pumpkin pie ice cream recipe

Similar Posts

6 Comments

  1. When do you add in the salt? With the other spices? Or with the milk mixture? I’ve read this three times and don’t see it in the instructions. Thanks!

        1. In this recipe you can sub the heavy whipping cream for full-fat coconut cream, and the milk for coconut milk. Just note that the texture will be slightly different and you will be be able to taste the coconut flavor.

          The Four Score Living Team

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.