Pumpkin Ice Cream – Barefeet in the Kitchen

Pumpkin has a smooth creamy texture when combined with heavy cream to create a luscious, rich, pumpkin ice cream that is perfect for any occasion this holiday season.

Pumpkin Ice Cream

Fall is right around the corner but there’s no need to put that ice cream maker away! Let’s just change flavors from summer fruits to pumpkin – an ingredient that I love playing with each fall as the weather turns cool.

The nice thing about pumpkin ice cream is that the texture turns out amazingly creamy. Sometimes, when adding fruits or other ingredients to ice cream you have to be sure the moisture content doesn’t make it too “icy.”

That is never a problem when working with pumpkin puree. Pure creamy deliciousness is what you get when you make pumpkin ice cream!

My preference when working with pumpkin is almost always to use canned pumpkin puree. This is pure pumpkin with no spices added. By using pumpkin puree you can control the flavor and sweetness of the dish with whatever else you add to the ice cream.

Canned pumpkin, pumpkin puree, and solid-pack pumpkin are all the same thing. However, canned pumpkin pie mix has additional ingredients added to it: typically cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and sugar. So, take care and use pure pumpkin puree in this ice cream.

Served with some ginger snaps or molasses cookies, this pumpkin ice cream is definitely in our ice cream-making rotation. Most people have a meal plan rotation, but at our house, we take our ice cream-making rotation very seriously.

Pumpkin Ice Cream Recipe

• whole milk
• heavy cream
• light brown sugar
• canned pumpkin puree
• pumpkin pie spice mix
• kosher salt

The most popular question I get is whether it’s possible to make ice cream without a machine. The answer is YES. You can make ice cream without a machine. Find the full directions here!

Homemade Pumpkin Ice Cream

Combine the milk, cream, brown sugar, pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat.

Whisk to combine and continue stirring until the mixture comes together. When the mixture begins to steam, remove it from the heat. Do not allow it to boil.

Cool and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight until completely cold. Process according to your machine’s instructions.

Serve immediately for soft-serve ice cream or transfer to a freezer-safe storage container and freeze until ready to serve.

Easy Pumpkin Desserts

From September to December, you’ll find me making and enjoying everything from Pumpkin Spice Baked Oatmeal for breakfast to Pumpkin Coffee Cake after dinner.

With a beautiful orange color and signature earthy flavor, pumpkin puree works well in both sweet and savory recipes and plenty in between. It doesn’t feel like fall until I have a batch of Pumpkin Muffins or a loaf of Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread baking in the oven.

Make your own Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice to have on hand so you’re ready to brew a hot Pumpkin Spice Latte whenever the craving strikes. And if you love the taste of pumpkin pie and coffee cake, this Layered Pumpkin Coffee Cake should be on your dessert menu this week, too.

These No Bake Pumpkin Cookies from The Reluctant Entertainer look like another great way of enjoying your favorite pumpkin flavors when your holiday turkey is taking over the oven. I’m also loving the sound of this Easy No-Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipe by She Wears Many Hats.

And when you have had enough pumpkin – smooth, creamy, and filled with the warm spices of the holiday season, Eggnog Ice Cream is the perfect fireside treat.

{originally published 8/26/22 – recipe notes and photos updated 11/8/24}