Pumpkin Ice Cream

It tastes just like pumpkin pie, minus the soggy crust.

By
Mark Beahm
Mark Beahm wearing a black jacket with a grey fleece collar
Mark Beahm
Mark Beahm is a dessert-obsessed baker, recipe developer, and food photographer. Based in Boston, Massachusetts, he’s been developing recipes since 2020.
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Updated on 02/13/24
Tested by
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Tested by Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
A bowl with five scoops of pumpkin ice cream

The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 15 mins
Chill and Churn: 6 hrs 30 mins
Total: 7 hrs
Servings: 6 to 8 servings
Yield: 1 quart

In my family, ice cream is not just a summer dessert, it’s a year-round staple. With the arrival of my nieces and nephews, my parents acquired a second freezer, so we never run out of ice cream when the family gets together. While the ice cream doesn’t disappear when temperatures drop, the flavors in our stockpile change with the seasons.

This homemade pumpkin ice cream is a compromise between the need for warming flavors and the reluctance to endure a season without ice cream. It tastes exactly like pumpkin pie filling, but you'll never have to worry about a soggy pie crust. Even better, the custard comes together in one pot, and there's no need to temper the eggs.

How to Make Pumpkin Ice Cream

Making pumpkin ice cream is surprisingly simple because the base is mixed, all at once, in one pot. Thicken the pumpkin custard on the stove, then rapidly chill it in an ice bath. Finish chilling the base in the refrigerator for a few hours for aging. Aging an ice cream base ensures it's thoroughly cold before churning and gives time for the flavors to meld. After churning in the ice cream machine it goes into the freezer until solid. 

Should the Eggs Be Tempered?

 Most ice cream bases and custards call for tempering the eggs, but I’ve chosen to skip that step for convenience. Tempering the eggs is the process of slowly whisking hot milk into the yolks to raise their temperature slowly and gently. It turns out it's not always necessary, and in many cases, you will achieve the same result without the extra step. Once I learned that from an article by Kristina Razon, I only temper when it's truly necessary.

Choosing a Pumpkin Purée

 I make this ice cream with canned pumpkin purée. Ensure you’re using pure pumpkin and not canned pumpkin pie filling. I’m loyal to Libby’s 100% Pure Pumpkin. It's thicker than other brands I've tried and with a stronger flavor.

For a richer pumpkin flavor, you can roast a pumpkin and make your own pumpkin purée. Choose a sweet pumpkin variety, such as sugar pie. Cut it in half and scoop out the seeds (save them to roast and snack on). Roast the pumpkin until tender, let it cool, then scoop out the pulp to use in the ice cream base.

How to Serve Pumpkin Ice Cream

There's nothing better than a big scoop of homemade ice cream except piling on your favorite toppings. Try topping it with hot fudge, salted caramel sauce, or this maple sauce. You could crush some cookies over the top and add a dollop of whipped cream. If you’re a fan of pumpkin spice lattes, make an affogato and skip the line at the coffee shop.

Tips for Making Pumpkin Ice Cream

  • Cook the base low and slow—You may be tempted to cook the ice cream base on a higher setting, but using low or medium-low heat thickens the custard slowly, preventing the yolks from curdling, and ensuring a smoother ice cream.
  • While cooking, whisk constantly—The movement distributes heat evenly through the base and prevents it from scorching on the bottom of the pot.
  • Get a thermometer. No really.—Using a thermometer is the surest way of knowing that the custard is cooked properly.
  • Use an ice bath to chill the base—Chill the ice cream base quickly and safely with an ice bath. Using an ice bath prevents the ice cream base from sitting on the counter warm for too long or from warming up your refrigerator.
  • Add a little liquor—Adding just a touch of liquor (in this recipe, whiskey or dark rum) helps prevent large ice crystals from forming in the ice cream, making it smoother. Most recipes add the liquor to the ice cream base before freezing. However, it also prolongs the freezing process. This is why I add it towards the very end of churning. You get the same benefit (no large ice crystals), and the ice cream churns in less time.

Make Ahead

The ice cream base can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days before churning.

"Pumpkin ice cream is like a frozen pumpkin pie, only better! The molasses and brown sugar give the ice cream a delicious caramel flavor, while the pumpkin and spices add warmth. With no need to temper the eggs, cooking the custard was a breeze." —Diana Rattray

Pumpkin Ice Cream/Tester Image
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 1 cup (250 grams) pumpkin purée

  • 2 cups (480 ml) heavy cream

  • 4 large egg yolks

  • 1/3 cup (71 grams) firmly packed light brown sugar

  • 1/3 cup (67 grams) granulated sugar

  • 2 tablespoons (43 grams) molasses

  • 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

  • 1/4 teaspoon fine salt

  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

  • 1 tablespoon whiskey or dark rum, optional

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients to make pumpkin ice cream

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  2. Whisk together 1 cup (250 grams) pumpkin purée, 2 cups (480 ml) heavy cream, 4 large egg yolks, 1/3 cup (71 grams) firmly packed light brown sugar, 1/3 cup (67 grams) granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons (43 grams) molasses, 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, and 1/4 teaspoon fine salt in a medium saucepan until smooth and fully combined.

    A sauce pan with pumpkin puree, heavy cream, egg yolks, brown sugar, sugar, molasses, pumpkin pie spice, and salt

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  3. Set the pan over medium-low heat and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens, 10 to 15 minutes. The custard is ready when it reaches 175 F, and you can draw a clear line on the back of a custard-coated spoon. 

    A pot of thickened pumpkin custard with a custard-coated wooden spoon, with a clear line of wooden spoon showing beneath the custard

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  4. Take the pan off the heat and whisk in 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract.

    A pot of thickened pumpkin custard with vanilla extra being whisked in

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  5. Pour the ice cream base through a mesh sieve into a medium, metal bowl. 

    A small metal sieve over a large metal bowl with pumpkin custard

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  6. Fill a larger bowl halfway with ice and water. Set the bowl of ice cream base in the ice bath and let cool. Cover the bowl and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 4 hours or overnight.

    A large chilled metal bowl of pumpkin custard, covered with plastic wrap

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  7. Churn the base in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Add 1 tablespoon whiskey or dark rum in the last 2 minutes of churning, if using.

    An ice cream maker churning pumpkin ice cream

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  8. Freeze the ice cream in an airtight freezer container for at least 2 hours before serving.

    A plastic container with pumpkin ice cream

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

How To Store

Store the ice cream in an airtight freezer container for up to two weeks. After two weeks, large ice crystals may start to form, giving the ice cream an unpleasant texture. For extra protection against ice crystals and freezer burn, place a layer of plastic wrap on the surface of the ice cream.

Feeling Adventurous? Try This:

  • Use sweet potato or squash puree—Taking a cue from pies related to pumpkin pie, this ice cream recipe would work just as well with sweet potato purée or butternut squash puree.
  • Try different spices—Substitute pumpkin pie spice with a single spice or another blend, such as a chai spice blend. I love the combination of pumpkin and ground cardamom. For strong spices, like cardamom, reduce the amount to 1 teaspoon.
  • Use dark brown sugar—For a deeper, caramelized flavor replace the granulated sugar and light brown sugar with dark brown sugar, and use blackstrap molasses.
  • Add mix ins—The possibilities are endless. For some crunch, you could add crumbled pie crust, ginger snaps, or graham crackers. You can’t go wrong with chocolate chips, but other types exist too: cinnamon chips, white chocolate chips, and butterscotch chips. For fall flavor combinations try chopped up leftover halloween candy, toasted or candied pecans, caramelized apples, or candied ginger.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
344 Calories
25g Fat
26g Carbs
6g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6 to 8
Amount per serving
Calories 344
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 25g 32%
Saturated Fat 15g 75%
Cholesterol 184mg 61%
Sodium 125mg 5%
Total Carbohydrate 26g 9%
Dietary Fiber 1g 3%
Total Sugars 24g
Protein 6g
Vitamin C 2mg 9%
Calcium 86mg 7%
Iron 1mg 8%
Potassium 253mg 5%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)