The Creamiest Pumpkin Ice Cream

The Creamiest Pumpkin Ice Cream absolutely must be made with two ingredients or it will not be thick, rich and creamy like you get from a fancy store.

A sugar cone with two scoops of pumpkin ice cream The cone is propped in a jar. There is another ice cream cone in the background and a few cinnamon sticks next to the ice cream cone.

Homemade ice cream doesn’t just have to be ice cream flavors like, vanilla or strawberry. I’d guess 90% of the world loves ice cream and it’s a favorite all year round, so how much would your guests love a fall-inspired flavor?

Must Have Tools for the BEST Homemade Ice Cream

A white dessert bowl with three scoops of pumpkin ice cream. There is a spoon next to the bowl which is sitting on a napkin. A sugar cone and a tiny white pumpkin are in the background.

The Creamiest Pumpkin Ice Cream

Have you ever had the creamiest milk shake and once you have had it you can never settle for just any milkshake again? That’s what happened to me.

Cade and I took our little girl out for her very first milkshake.

I believe she chose bubblegum.

I cannot ever decide which is worse, cotton candy ice cream or bubblegum.

Either way, I went for a pumpkin ice cream shake because it was October and that just felt so darn right.

It ended up being the best milkshake ever!! I have been determined to make a creamy pumpkin ice cream ever since and I believe I’ve found the recipe.

A medium sauce pan with pumpkin, spices and milk that has been whisked together with a red whisk.

How to Make Ice Cream

Homemade ice cream is made by first cooking a custard on the stove top. Even with pumpkin ice cream you have to start out by making the base, just like you would a vanilla ice cream.

The creamiest homemade pumpkin ice cream recipe should always include egg yolks which provide fat without water, making it an ultra smooth, dense ice cream like a frozen custard.

Once your mixture has cooled, spin it in an awesome ice cream machine. We only use Cuisinart.

Small containers filled with the ingredients for pumpkin ice cream. There is a measuring cup of milk, small bowls of egg yolks, cinnamon, brown sugar, pumpkin and creamer filled with heavy cream.

Homemade Pumpkin Ice Cream Ingredients

Canned Pumpkin
Brown Sugar
Pumpkin Pie Spice
Heavy Cream
Whole Milk
Egg Yolks

A glass mixing bowl with a whisk and brown sugar and egg yolks that have been whisked together.

How to Make Pumpkin Ice Cream

Whisk together the pumpkin, spices and the milk in a medium saucepan.
Heat gently over medium heat until very hot, but never let it boil or you can scorch the ice cream.
Whisk the egg yolks and brown sugar until the egg yolk is light in color, keep whisking if you’re unsure.
Slowly add 3 tablespoons hot milk mixture to the eggs while whisking to temper the eggs or they will curdle.
Pour all of the egg mixture into the pan and cook until it reaches 160 degrees.
If you don’t have a thermometer, cook until the custard is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon.
Strain the cooked custard through a fine mesh sieve into a clean bowl and add the cold cream.
Chill until completely cold.
Use an Ice Cream Machine to turn it into ice cream. Freeze to further solidify the ice cream.

A sugar ice cream cone with two scoops of pumpkin ice cream. The cone is sitting in a glass jar and there is another cone laying on the table in the background with a container of cinnamon, a small white pumpkin and cinnamon sticks.

Tips for the Creamiest Ice Cream

I’ve made a lot of mistakes with ice cream over the years. I’ve tried all sorts of recipes and tricks of the trade, but nothing was working. The pumpkin ice cream just wasn’t as good as the store. What was the secret?

Cade and I lived in the Midwest for a hot second and discovered Culver’s Ice Cream. Frozen Custard was the clue.

Egg Yolks provide fat without providing liquid which incorporates more air and water. We want thick and creamy and not ice crystals so egg yolks provide that.
Heavy Cream also has a higher fat content so it’s the better option above a milk.

The cooked pumpkin custard is being strained through a fine mesh strainer.

Which Ice Cream Maker is Best

There are a lot of ice cream maker choices out there, but there are only a few that are worth it.

We have tested a few now and done even more research and our favorite steel home ice cream maker is the Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker. However, it means you have to keep the bowl frozen.

If you are willing to spend a little more, you gotta go with the compression ice cream maker that doesn’t require freezing.

A scoop of ice cream being removed from a loaf pan lined with parchment paper and filled with pumpkin ice cream.

Can You Make Ice Cream Without An Ice Cream Maker?

When I was 12 years old I went to camp one summer with my church group and as the day went on I noticed someone was gathering some ingredients at a table. Please let it be dessert!

And sure enough, it was ice cream in a plastic bag! It was a ton of fun to make. Maybe not pumpkin ice cream, but it was still awesome.

Here’s how:

Mix together your ice cream ingredients. Place in a freezer bag and squeeze out all of the air.
Place this bag inside another quart bag, again squeeze out as much air as possible and seal tightly.
Take both bags and put inside a gallon sized resealable bag and fill with about 4 cups crushed ice then sprinkle with 4 tablespoons coarse salt.
Squeeze out all the air and seal tightly.
Wrap the bag in a towel or put gloves on before shaking vigorously and massaging the bag. Shake for about 5 to 8 minutes, or until the ice cream is frozen. The harder you shake the smoother your ice cream will be.

A scoop of pumpkin ice cream in a sugar cone that is standing in a white cup. There are cinnamon sticks and other cones in the background.

Can Ice Cream Be Made With Milk?

If you can’t use heavy cream I wouldn’t use anything other than a whole milk, but there really is a huge difference with cream and milk. Cream has a higher fat content and makes for a much better ice cream.

Can You Refreeze Ice Cream?

You can refreeze ice cream as long as it doesn’t totally melt down first.

A loaf pan lined with parchment paper filled with pumpkin ice cream. There is an ice cream scoop with a scoop of ice cream in it.

Homemade Ice Cream Recipes

Pumpkin Recipes

A loaf pan lined with parchment paper and filled with pumpkin ice cream with graham cracker crust sprinkled on top. There is a spoon next to the pan of ice cream and a tiny white pumpkin in the background.

It’s time add some fall to your homemade ice cream with this pumpkin ice cream! It’s the creamiest and dreamiest pumpkin ice cream you’ll ever eat!

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Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream

The creamiest pumpkin pie flavored ice cream with little bits of graham cracker crust!

Course 500+ Best Dessert Recipes

Keyword custard, dessert, frozen custard, ice cream, pumpkin

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Additional Time 8 hours

Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Servings

Calories 381kcal

Author Sweet Basil

Ingredients

Recipe by Cafe Johnsonia

1 Cup Canned Pumpkin
2 teaspoons Pumpkin Pie Spice
2 Cups Whole Milk
4-6 Egg Yolks I use 5
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
1 Cup Cream
Dash of Salt
1 Cup Graham Cracker Pie Crust Broken into pieces. See note for homemade or you can buy one.

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Whisk together the pumpkin, spices and the milk in a medium saucepan.
Heat gently over medium heat until very hot, but not boiling.
Whisk the egg yolks and brown sugar until the egg yolk is light in color.
Slowly add 3 tablespoons hot milk mixture to the eggs while whisking.
Pour all of the egg mixture into the pan.
Gently cook over low to medium heat, until it starts to thicken and reaches 160 degrees F on an instant read thermometer. (Don't let it exceed 180 degrees, or it will curdle. If you don't have a thermometer, cook until the custard is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon.)
Strain the cooked custard through a fine mesh sieve into a clean bowl and add the cold cream.
Chill until completely cold.
Follow your manufacturer instructions to make the ice cream.
Place a little in a container, add a sprinkle of graham cracker crust, top with more ice cream and repeat the process.
Freeze until firm.