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.