Half the Sugar Baker
This Maple Pumpkin Pecan ice cream is super creamy and full of delicious pumpkin spice flavor. It’s made with real pumpkin puree and simple ingredients. The ice cream is also sweetened with pure maple syrup for amazing flavor and texture. Plus, pieces of toasted pecans add the perfect crunch!
Right now it’s the end of August and my entire social media is filled with pumpkin and apple recipes! For some people, it might be too early to dive into fall – I mean, it’s literally still August! If you’re still holding onto summer, this ice cream recipe is the perfect combination of summer treats and fall flavors.
Ingredients in this Maple Pumpkin Ice Cream
- Heavy Cream – Heavy cream makes this pumpkin ice super smooth and creamy. If you don’t have heavy cream, see the section below for substitutions.
- Milk – For best results, I recommend using whole milk, but I tested this recipe with 2% milk and still worked out great! I have not tested this recipe with plant-based milks, so let me know how it goes if you try it!
- Maple Syrup – This recipe is sweetened completely with maple syrup. Maple syrup gives this recipe a super smooth texture as well as delicious flavor. For a sweeter ice cream, increase the maple syrup to 1/2 cup.
- Salt
- Pumpkin Puree – This recipe use pumpkin puree for real pumpkin flavor. Make sure you using pure pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling. If you check the ingredients label, it should just say pumpkin.
- Egg yolks – The egg yolks make this ice cream extra rich and creamy. There’s no need to worry about raw eggs because the egg yolks are cooked before being churned into ice cream.
- Vanilla extract
- Spices – This recipe uses a mixture of fall spices like cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. If you are missing nutmeg or cloves, feel free to just skip them.
- Toasted Pecans – I especially like to toast pecans coated in maple syrup at 350ยบF for around 10 minutes. They pair perfectly with this ice cream!
Variations and substitutions for this Maple Pumpkin Ice Cream
- Heavy cream – If you don’t have heavy cream, you can use half and half instead. It won’t be quite as rich and creamy, but it will still taste amazing! Adjust the ratio to 1 3/4 cups half and half + 1/2 cup milk.
- Maple syrup – If you don’t have maple syrup, you can substitute honey or granulated sugar.
- Vanilla extract – I highly recommend using vanilla extract, but if you don’t have any, feel free to skip it.
- Spices – Instead of using each of the individual seasonings, you can substitute 2 1/2 teaspoons pre-made pumpkin pie seasoning.
- Pecans – You can leave them out or substitute chopped walnuts.
- Other add-ins: Try adding graham crackers, shortbread cookies, or gingerbread cookies. Also try swirling in some caramel or adding chocolate chips.
Tips and notes on how to make this Maple Pumpkin Ice Cream
This ice cream is very easy to make, but here are some tips to help things go extra smoothly!
- While heating the milk mixture, make sure to use a spatula and scrape the bottom and sides of the pot frequently to avoid scorching.
- When mixing the hot milk into the egg yolks, start by adding milk a tiny bit at a time to prevent overcooking them. Make sure to whisk constantly while pouring in the hot milk. It can help to have someone else slowly pour the milk while you whisk. Alternatively, use a wet towel and wrap it around the base of the egg yolk bowl to prevent it from spinning around while you whisk.
- When you heat the milk mixture again after adding the eggs, make sure to go slowly and stir often. You do not want to overcook and curdle the eggs. If the eggs do start to overcook, simply push them through a fine-mesh sieve and everything will be ok!
How to store this Maple Pumpkin Ice Cream
Freeze any leftover ice cream in a tightly covered bowl or container. If you freeze this ice cream overnight, allow it to thaw on the counter for 10-20 minutes before serving.
If you liked this Maple Pumpkin Ice Cream, you might also enjoy…
- Maple Bacon Pecan Crunch Ice Cream
- No-churn Frozen Yogurt
- Mini Pumpkin Pies
- Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
- Or check out the rest of my pumpkin recipes here!
Maple Pumpkin Ice Cream with Pecans
Creamy and rich ice cream made with real pumpkin puree and cozy fall spices. This ice cream is made with simple ingredients and there are so many ways to customize it! Try adding graham crackers, shortbread, gingerbread cookies, walnuts, or chocolate chips!
Servings: 2 pints
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream see notes for substitutions
- 3/4 cup milk whole or 2%
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 4 large egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract optional
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg optional
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves optional
- 1/2 cup toasted pecans
- 1/2 cup optional add-ins like graham crackers, gingerbread cookies, walnuts, or chocolate chips
Instructions
- Add heavy cream, milk, maple syrup, pumpkin puree, and salt to a medium pot and whisk to combine. Simmer over medium heat for around 5 minutes (make sure to scrape the bottom and sides of the pot to prevent scorching) then remove from heat. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, vanilla extract, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Then very slowly dribble one third of the hot milk mixture into the egg yolks while whisking constantly. Once combined, pour the egg yolk mixture back into the pot with the rest of the cream and whisk to combine.
- Reheat the pot over medium-low heat while stirring often. Cook until the mixture thickens and can coat the back of a spoon (around 170ยบ F). Then pour the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl. If the mixture is too thick, you can try to use a spatula to push it through the sieve. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature and then refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Once chilled, churn the ice cream according to your machine's instructions. Add the pecans and other add-ins around 5 minutes before the ice cream is done churning. Enjoy the ice cream directly after churning or freeze for 2-3 hours to firm up. Freeze any leftover ice cream in a tightly covered container and allow to thaw at room temperature for 20-30 minutes before serving.
Notes
Heavy cream – If you don’t have heavy cream, you can use half and half instead. It won’t be quite as rich and creamy, but it will still taste amazing! Adjust the ratio to 1 3/4 cups half and half + 1/2 cup milk.
Feel free to skip the pecans or substitute walnuts.
When mixing the hot milk into the egg yolks, start by adding milk a tiny bit at a time to prevent overcooking them. Make sure to whisk constantly while pouring in the hot milk. It can help to have someone else slowly pour the milk while you whisk. Alternatively, use a wet towel and wrap it around the base of the egg yolk bowl to prevent it from spinning around while you whisk.
