This pumpkin ice cream is rich and creamy with plenty of fresh pumpkin flavor and a perfect blend of cinnamon, ginger, ground cloves, and nutmeg. This is one of my favorite fall ice cream recipes and a must-try.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
See the recipe card below for the complete list of ingredients.
- Egg yolks: These give the ice cream a rich custard texture and flavor.
- Milk: Preferably whole milk, but I have used 2% in a pinch with good results.
- Ground nutmeg: For those who like it; omit it if you don’t.
- Black pepper: I add a little freshly ground black pepper for a little zip and warmth.
- Heavy cream: You can substitute whipping cream.
- Pumpkin puree: Use pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling.
How To Make Pumpkin Ice Cream
This is a summary; for the complete list of ingredients and instructions, see the recipe card below.
- Whisk the egg yolks with the milk, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, sea salt, ground cloves, nutmeg, and black pepper.
- Heat the cream and brown sugar in a pot on the stovetop over medium-low heat.
- Temper the egg mixture by adding several spoonfuls of the hot mixture to the egg mixture, whisking as you go. Repeat several times until the egg mixture warms.
- Whisk the warm egg mixture into the pot. Whisk the pumpkin puree into the pot and continue cooking over medium-low heat until the mixture reaches 170-180° and coats the back of a spoon. Whisk frequently.
- Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh screen.
- Cover and refrigerate overnight.
- Pour into your ice cream maker and follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
- Spoon the ice cream into a freezer-safe container. Freeze for several hours.
Tips For Success
- Temper the egg yolks so you do not end up with curdled or scrambled eggs in your ice cream.
- Always run the ice cream mixture through a fine-mesh screen to filter out any bits of cooked egg. Trust me when I tell you that you won’t regret it.
- Once the egg yolks are tempered and mixed into the cream mixture, cook, whisking constantly and without boiling, until the mixture coats the back of a spoon.
- Use an instant-read thermometer to know when the mixture reaches 170-180°.
- Check the ice cream mixture after 18-20 minutes of churning, as you can over-churn ice cream.
More Ice Cream Recipes
- Vanilla Ice Cream
- Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
- Raspberry Ice Cream
- Coffee Ice Cream
- Fried Ice Cream
- Chocolate Ice Cream
Pumpkin Ice Cream
This pumpkin ice cream is rich and creamy with pumpkin puree and a perfect blend of cinnamon, ginger, ground cloves, and nutmeg.
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Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 388kcal
Ingredients
- 6 egg yolks
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the milk, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, sea salt, ground cloves, nutmeg, and black pepper.
- Heat the cream and brown sugar in a medium pot on the stovetop over medium-low heat until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is hot.
- Temper the egg mixture by adding 2-3 spoonfuls of the hot mixture to the egg mixture, whisking as you go. Repeat several times until the egg mixture is warm.
- Whisk the warm egg mixture into the pot. Whisk the pumpkin puree into the pot and continue cooking over medium-low heat until the mixture reaches 170-180° and lightly coats the back of a spoon. Whisk frequently.
- Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh screen. Cover and refrigerate for several hours or up to overnight.
- Pour the ice cream mixture into the ice cream machine and follow the manufacturer's instructions. Check after 18 minutes to see if it is in soft-serve form. You can overchurn ice cream.
- Pour the ice cream into a freezer-safe, airtight container. Cover the surface of the ice cream with plastic wrap to prevent ice crystals from forming. Freeze for several hours.
Notes
Store ice cream in an airtight container in the coldest part of the freezer.
Nutrition
Calories: 388kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 217mg | Sodium: 108mg | Potassium: 183mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 27g | Vitamin A: 5886IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 105mg | Iron: 1mg
Did You Make This Recipe?Mention @smalltownwomanfoodnut or tag #smalltownwomanfoodnut!
Patti
This ice cream is creamy and delicious! At first, I didn’t know that there was a punpkin flavor of ice cream. Now I know better. I can’t wait to make this again.
Lisa
This was absolutely delicious and creamy! I love pumpkin everything this time of year, and turning those warm fall flavors into a creamy ice cream was such a wonderful treat.
Beth Pierce
Thank you, Lisa! We love it too!
elizabeth f
I’ll gladly take several scoops of that pumpkin ice cream, thank you! It’s pumpkin season, and I have been indulging in it. I love it all.
Amanda
You had me at pumpkin. I love all pumpkin things in the fall. This ice cream is delicious and creamy. It really hit the spot.
Richard L
I was thoroughly pleased with this recipe. It has all the fall flavor I enjoy, and it was nice and cooling on a relatively hot fall Florida day.