This is the perfect ice cream to make for Thanksgiving or a special occasion in the Fall. The Pumpkin Ice Cream recipe is just a delight, and it is low-carb, too. Yes, this is sugar-free; have the perfect balance of pumpkin flavor and tastes just as good as it sounds. I’ll walk you through how to make homemade ice cream recipe right in your kitchen.
This recipe is: Low Carb, Gluten Free and Vegetarian
Table of Contents
6 Reasons to Love this Recipe
Want to know why I call this the best pumpkin ice cream ever? Well, here you go:
- Tastes like pumpkin pie, but in ice cream form!
- The perfect alternative for those who don’t love pumpkin pie!
- Low carb, so it's great to bring to a family gathering so you can enjoy dessert too!
- Sugar free for anyone who is watching their refined sugar intake!
- Uses standard ingredients for those on a low carb diet!
- Kids won't even know if this is from the ice cream shop or homemade!
Is This Pumpkin Ice Cream Low Carb?
Yes, pumpkin ice cream can be low carb, depending on how it's made. Traditional versions often contain sugar, which raises the carb count, but with a few simple adjustments, you can create a low-carb, keto-friendly version.
In this specific recipe, I have used low-carb sweetener and pumpkin puree, which keeps the carb content minimal. By avoiding sugar and opting for low ccarb ingredients, this pumpkin spice ice cream is indeed low carb, making it a perfect fit for a low-carb or keto diet.
Ingredients List For Pumpkin Ice Cream Recipe
Here is a list of simple ingredients you will need to make this ice cream:
- 1 cup pumpkin puree, unsweetened
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- ¾ cup powdered erythritol
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ground
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 pinch kosher salt
Ingredient Substitutions
- Erythritol: It is easy to swap out for allulose, monk fruit sweetener, xylitol or stevia. Please keep in mind that each sweetener has a different level of sweetness, so you will need to taste the mixture and adjust accordingly. Just make sure it is powdered!
- Vanilla extract: Use ¼ teaspoon of vanilla powder.
- Coconut oil: If you have MCT oil around, you can use this as a substitute. This recipe needs the additional fat to prevent it from icing due to the high water content of the pumpkin puree.
Ingredient Additions
- Ground ginger: For a little more zing, you can add ¼ to ½ teaspoon of ground ginger to the cream mixture before churning. Yum.
- Shaved nutmeg: Grab a nutmeg and shave some into the cream mixture… it enhances the overall flavor really nicely.
- Whipped cream: To stay in line with the low carb nature of this recipe, whip up some of my keto whipped cream for a really nice treat.
- Shaved chocolate: Take out a fine grater or microplane and shave some 100% chocolate on top of the ice cream. Not only does it look fantastic, but it is a great counterbalance to the sweetness of the ice cream.
- Salt: I know that this might sound a little outside the box, but adding a pinch of salt on top of your dish of ice cream is really delightful. It makes the flavors more pronounced. If you have some black salt flakes, it also is a really nice decorative touch.
NOTE: These ingredients are not part of the original recipe- use them to enhance or customize the recipe to your liking.
Cooking Tools
To make this Pumpkin Ice Cream recipe, you will need the following cooking tools:
How to Make Pumpkin Ice Cream: Complete Cooking Guide
Once we get this recipe underway, it comes together rather quickly. It is best to have everything measured out ahead of time and ensure that your bowl and beaters and chilled. Additionally, if you are using an ice cream maker like I am using, the bowl will need to be frozen for at least 24 hours for this recipe to work properly!
Cooking Method
- Churning
- No Cook Recipe
Preparation Steps
- Gather up all the ingredients. Add the heavy cream and pumpkin puree to a large mixing bowl. Mix well with a whisk. Add in the remaining ingredients with the exception of the coconut oil. Mix well.
- Add in the coconut oil and mix well.
- Add the mixture to the frozen carafe of your ice cream maker. Add in the paddle blade and start the machine churning.
- Depending on the type of ice cream maker you are using, it may take between 20 to 30 minutes to reach the desired consistency.
- The ice cream will be thick and rich looking when it is ready to be removed from the churn.
- Place the ice cream into a freezer safe container and cover tightly. Freeze for a minimum of 3 hours before serving, otherwise it will be too soft.
- Scoop and serve with your favorite toppings!
Step 1: Add heavy whipping cream into a large mixing bowl.
Step 2: Add unsweetened pumpkin puree to the same mixing bowl with the heavy cream.
Step 3: Whisk the heavy cream and pumpkin puree together until smooth.
Step 4: Add pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon to the mixture.
Step 5: Add in the vanilla extract to the mixture.
Step 6: Pour in the melted coconut oil and continue whisking the mixture until it’s well combined.
Step 7: Carefully pour the mixture into the frozen carafe of your ice cream maker.
Step 8: Start the ice cream maker and allow it to churn the mixture for 20-30 minutes, depending on your machine.
Step 9: Place the container into the freezer for a minimum of 3 hours before serving.
💡 My Pro Tip
We are going to talk about fat in this recipe. This is a no-cook ice cream recipe, meaning that we aren’t adding in eggs and heating them… so in the place of the eggs we need an additional source of fat to offset the high water content of the pumpkin puree. I have chosen to add coconut oil. It helps prevent icing and gives the ice cream a really nice texture.
Note: When the ice cream comes out of the churn, if you taste it at this moment, you will notice that the fats from the cream and the coconut oil have a coating effect on the palette. This effect reduces dramatically when the ice cream has been frozen for a few hours. This ice cream is not intended to be served directly from the ice cream churn.
⏲️ Time-Saving Tips
- Use powdered sweetener. If you are not using a powdered sweetener, the texture of the ice cream will be granular. Using a powdered sweetener makes a smooth and delicious ice cream, saving time from either whisking for a very long time or adding the granulated sweetener to a blender to become powdered.
- Be sure to freeze the carafe for your ice cream maker well in advance! My ice cream maker needs the carafe to be frozen for a minimum of 8 hours, but I find it works best when it is frozen overnight. The worst feeling is when you’re ready to start and find your carafe at room temperature!
- Use a cold mixing bowl when adding the ingredients. The colder everything stays the better, and the faster the ice cream mixture will churn.
Storage Instructions
Storage Tips
This delicious pumpkin ice cream needs to stay covered in the freezer. If left open, it will dehydrate and become very hard and difficult to scoop, even if left out on the counter. Just be sure to store it in a freezer-safe container with a tight-fitting lid. It will last in the freezer for about a week.
Freezing Tips
The best way to freeze the leftover pumpkin ice cream is to find a container that has very little headspace in it. We want to keep the air that comes in contact with the ice cream to a minimum. Add the ice cream from the churning carafe into the freezer-safe container and cover with a tight-fitting lid.
Final Thoughts
Making ice cream that is low carb is somewhat more difficult than making regular ice cream… but by using some alternative ingredients can taste just as good as traditional ice cream. This pumpkin ice cream recipe tastes amazing, with just the right amount of pumpkin puree and pumpkin spice against the richness of the heavy cream and sweetness from the powdered erythritol. It is really well balanced and have creamy consistency that melts in the mouth!
This Thanksgiving I will be serving this pumpkin spice ice cream along with my no-bake pumpkin pie cheesecake recipe. Why? Because I want to have some alternatives available to the traditional pumpkin pie… sometimes it just feels good to make some new things that nobody expects.
Please write in the comments any questions or suggestions you may have. Or, find us on Facebook or Instagram.
Other Dessert Recipes To Try
FAQs
Depending on the recipe, it tastes just like an ice cream version of pumpkin pie. It is creamy, with hints of baking spices through the addition of the pumpkin spice.
Absolutely. There should be no gluten in any pumpkin ice cream provided they are made with unsweetened pumpkin puree and other wholesome ingredients.
Yes, you can make this pumpkin ice cream without a machine by mixing the ingredients and freezing them in a shallow container. Stir the mixture every 30 minutes for about 2-3 hours to achieve a creamy texture & your no churn pumpkin ice cream is ready.
To make a dairy-free pumpkin ice cream, substitute the heavy cream with full-fat coconut milk or coconut cream. Use a dairy-free sweetener like powdered monk fruit or erythritol, and follow the same steps for mixing and freezing.
Yes, you can use canned pumpkin puree for the recipe. Just make sure it’s unsweetened and pure pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling.
Pumpkin Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 1 cup pumpkin puree unsweetened
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- ¾ cup powdered erythritol
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon ground
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 pinch kosher salt
Instructions
- Gather up all the ingredients. Add the heavy cream and pumpkin puree to a large mixing bowl. Mix well with a whisk. Add in the remaining ingredients with the exception of the coconut oil. Mix well.
- Add in the coconut oil and mix well.
- Add the mixture to the frozen carafe of your ice cream maker. Add in the paddle blade and start the machine churning.
- Depending on the type of ice cream maker you are using, it may take between 20 to 30 minutes to reach the desired consistency.
- The ice cream will be thick and rich looking when it is ready to be removed from the churn.
- Place the ice cream into a freezer safe container and cover tightly. Freeze for a minimum of 3 hours before serving, otherwise it will be too soft.
- Scoop and serve with your favorite toppings!
Notes
Nutrition
“This website provides approximate nutrition data and information for convenience and as a courtesy only.”
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