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No Churn Pumpkin Ice Cream Recipe
Ash Tyrrell

No Churn Pumpkin Ice Cream Recipe

I first made this no-churn pumpkin ice cream on a weirdly warm October afternoon when I was craving fall flavors but definitely not craving a hot oven. I didn't have an ice cream maker sitting around, so I figured I'd give the no-churn method a shot, and honestly, I haven't looked back since.
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Total Time 6 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 8
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups heavy whipping cream — the higher fat content is what gives this ice cream its rich scoopable texture
  • 1 can 14 oz sweetened condensed milk — this sweetens the whole batch and keeps it from turning icy in the freezer
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree — always double-check you're grabbing plain puree not pumpkin pie filling with added sugar and spice
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract — adds warmth and rounds out the pumpkin flavor nicely
  • 1 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice — this is where all that cozy fall flavor really comes from
  • ¼ teaspoon salt — just enough to keep the sweetness from tasting flat

Method
 

  1. Pour the cold heavy cream into a large mixing bowl and beat it with a stand mixer or hand mixer until stiff peaks form. This usually takes around five to seven minutes, and you'll know it's ready when the cream holds its shape firmly on the beaters.
  2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the sweetened condensed milk, pumpkin puree, vanilla extract, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Stir until the mixture is completely smooth with no streaks of condensed milk left behind.
  3. Add about half of the whipped cream into the pumpkin mixture and fold it in gently with a spatula. Once combined, add the remaining whipped cream and continue folding until the mixture is light, airy, and evenly colored.
  4. Pour the finished mixture into your loaf pan and smooth the top with your spatula. Cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap so no ice crystals form on the surface while it freezes.
  5. Place the pan in the freezer for at least six hours, though overnight gives you the best texture. Once it's firm enough to scoop, you're ready to serve.

Notes

  • I always make sure my mixing bowl and beaters are cold before whipping the cream, since it helps the peaks form faster.
  • I stop whipping the second I see stiff peaks, because going too far turns the cream grainy and almost buttery.
  • I like using homemade pumpkin puree when I have leftover roasted pumpkin, but canned works beautifully too.
  • I taste my pumpkin mixture before folding in the cream, so I can adjust the spice level if I want it bolder.
  • I never skip lining the pan, since it makes lifting the frozen block out for slicing so much easier.