This Pumpkin Pie Custard Ice Cream recipe is perfect year-round, but I also think it’s a great alternative to traditional pumpkin pie for the holidays. Custard-based ice cream is now my preferred way to enjoy this frozen dessert. It’s not that difficult to make the custard, and it’s so worth the effort. It’s creamy and rich, and so good!
A few days ago, I taught myself how to make pumpkin puree, and it’s safely stored in my freezer. I had some leftover canned pumpkin puree, so this would be a perfect way to use it.
I looked through my copy of “The Perfect Scoop” for a pumpkin ice cream recipe. I didn’t find one! I decided to improvise, remembering how creamy and good that David Lebovitz’s Strawberry Ice Cream turned out to be, when I made it. I much prefer to make an egg custard based ice cream, now that I’ve learned that it’s pretty easy to do. The egg yolks give such a silky and creamy texture to the ice cream.
To begin with, you need to make the custard:
Combine cream, milk, brown sugar and granulated sugar in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until the mixture is hot but not boiling, about six minutes (mine took about ten minutes).
Whisk eggs in a medium bowl. Gradually whisk 1 cup of the warm cream mixture into the bowl with the eggs (that would be “tempering”). Pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring, until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, 5 to 10 minutes. (Mine took about 15 minutes to reach this stage.) Do not boil.
Combine pumpkin, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves (or use 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice, which I did) and salt in a medium bowl and blend well.
Add the pumpkin mixture to the cooled custard and whisk so that all the ingredients are evenly distributed. Refrigerate, covered completely, in the coldest part of your refrigerator until the mixture is very cold, about six hours. (Be patient, it’s worth the wait.)
Stir the cold pumpkin mixture, then pour into the mixing bowl of an ice cream maker. Freeze according to ice cream maker manufacturer’s directions.
There’s a reason why the instructions say to “freeze according to the manufacturer’s directions”. I couldn’t find the manual, and I think that the 5 cups of mixture was 1 cup too much. Ooops!
Put the pumpkin ice cream in a container with a tight cover. Freeze at least three hours before serving.
I don’t know about you ice cream machine owners, but I love scraping out that extra frozen bits of cream and sugar. Oh my! This is outstanding! It tastes just like pumpkin pie, with whipped cream. I ate one scoop. I promise.
It’s from Martha Stewart’s Cookie Book
How to make Homemade Pumpkin Pie Custard Ice Cream
Equipment
- Ice Cream Maker
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup canned solid-pack unsweetened pumpkin
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 2 cups milk
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Combine cream, milk, brown sugar and granulated sugar in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until the mixture is hot but not boiling, about 6 minutes.
- Whisk eggs in a medium bowl. Gradually whisk 1 cup of the warm cream mixture into the bowl with the eggs.
- Pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring, until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, 5 to 10 minutes. Do not boil.
- Strain the custard into another bowl and cover it partially with plastic wrap. Cool at least one hour at room temperature.
- Combine pumpkin, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves (or use 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice) and salt in a medium bowl and blend well. Add to the cooled custard and mix so that all the ingredients are evenly distributed. Refrigerate, covered completely, in the coldest part of your refrigerator until the mixture is very cold, about six hours.
- Stir the cold pumpkin mixture, then pour into the mixing bowl of an ice cream maker. Freeze according to ice cream maker manufacturer’s directions.
- Put pumpkin ice cream in a container with a tight cover. Freeze at least three hours before serving.Edit my recipe
You are a GENIUS! Why don't you make individual scoops of ice cream and roll 'em in crushed gingersnap cookies….Yum! Ü
Debby… This sounds absolutely incredible! Ice cream is my all-time weakness, so I'll have two scoops please.
I love David Lebowitz's book The Perfect Scoop. He is truly an ice cream genius!! This pumpkin ice cream sounds heavenly. I agree that the egg based ice creams are definitely the creamiest and best. Looks terrific. I like the tupperware container. I'm going to search for one of those.
Deb,
this is gorgeous!
I am impressed with your gelato ice cream skills!!
It looks like it's worth the hard work – pumpkin ice cream is the best, especially with ginger cookies.
Oh my gosh! I think I need some right now to go with the ginger cookies I'm eating!! (I swear…I'm really eating some LOL)
I love pumpkin ice creeam and it's such a pretty color too! I'd definitely be all over that cheesecake version. nom nom nom!
pumpkin pie ice cream and ginger cookies? Is this heaven??
Debby, I am in love with your blog and your creativity! Your gelato ice cream looks done to perfection. I Love it, love it, love it.
I adore pumpkin ice cream! I'm actually thinking of making this instead of pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving this year. Yum!
What a gorgeous color! I, too, have a weakness for ice cream and this sounds delicious. I hope you won the battle with the cold and flu germs. It's such a bad time of year to not feel well.
Wow wow and wow! I love the sound of that I could use some now, sore throat. I do think it is one of the most perfect scoops I have ever seen!
OMG! This is heavenly! My favorite fall flavors, in a lovely scoop of ice cream!
Lol I use that same tupperware container for homemade ice cream. I've had mine since …long time I got it new!
The ice cream looks so delicious.
Mimi
Ice-cream for my sore throat?? You're living dangerously, woman 😉 But that DOES look like the perfect scoop … almost sherbet-like in its color. I've got my eye on that book of David's!
Excellent recipe and one I will make again and again!