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Halloween is almost here and while the candy options are endless, they are also too conventional. I like to spice up the idea of a Halloween treat and make something more grown-up (although kids will swoon over this as well). No matter how cold it becomes outside, my friends will tell you I’m always in the mood for ice cream. It really hits the spot anytime I’m craving something sweet. Of course, you can buy varieties of so-called pumpkin ice cream, but they aren’t even close to this delicacy. Many mass-produced flavors taste artificial and if you look closely at the label, you can’t even tell there if there is pumpkin in the ingredients. Say what?!
For this recipe, I kicked up the pumpkin flavor and added just enough spice for the flavors to be perfectly fall. The result is a creamy, smooth and perfect pumpkin ice cream. It just hits the spot all fall long. To really drive how the idea of the spice-filled goodness that fall has to offer, I love to serve this ice cream with gingersnap cookies for a great dessert pairing.
I usually end up eating a full helping of this pumpkin ice cream during the process (whoops!). It’s just too good in soft-serve form to resist! Please tell me you do the same thing too!
For this ice cream, I used my countertop Cuisinart 1.5 quart (affiliate link) ice cream freezer. These are perfect for the at-home ice cream making novice since you’re able to experiment with different flavors and whip up ice cream in minutes.
UPDATE: I now use my KitchenAid stand mixer (affiliate link) and ice cream maker attachment (affiliate link) to whip up all my ice creams. If you’ve followed along with my recent July tradition of Ice Cream Week, you’ll know this is my go-to ice cream making essential!
You could also use a White Mountain ice cream maker (affiliate link), which is an old-school-style freezer. I have so many cherished childhood memories using my family’s White Mountain: we’d crush ice and add salt to the ice as the ice cream froze. If using a White Mountain freezer, make sure to double the recipe!
Make sure to leave me a comment and recipe rating (any number of stars!) letting me know how this recipe turned out for you!
Pumpkin Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup half & half
- 1 cup milk (the higher the fat content, the creamer the ice cream)
- ¾ cup sugar
- 7 ½ oz pumpkin purée
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- ¼ tsp salt
Instructions
- Combine the cream, half and half, milk, and sugar in a mixing bowl and whisk to dissolve sugar.
- Add pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla extract, and salt and stir to combine. Before freezing, chill this mixture in the refrigerator for two hours or in the freezer for 30 minutes.
- Freeze for 20-30 minutes. As it’s freezing, the ice cream can be checked for flavoring.
- Once frozen, place in a container and freeze for an additional 6-8 hours to fully harden.
Notes
- By freezing the ice cream mixture before using the countertop freezer, the ice cream is able to “preset,” creating creamier ice cream.
