Most of the ice cream recipes I’ve written over the years require an ice cream machine. If you are as ice cream mad as me, I’m sure you probably have one, but if you don’t – they aren’t particularly helpful recipes. The good news is that you can make a very good ice cream without a machine, and this pumpkin spice ice cream is proof.
The base of a no-churn ice cream is a little different from a traditional custard ice cream. Sweetened condensed milk brings plenty of sugar, which lowers the freezing point and helps limit the formation of large ice crystals, while whipped double cream gives the mixture its lightness. Together, they make a smooth, scoopable ice cream without any churning. You just need an electric whisk and a little patience while it freezes.
For the pumpkin, I like Crown Prince squash or Delica pumpkin, both of which have lovely sweet, dense flesh. Roast it until completely soft, then blend it into a smooth purée. You only need 250g for this recipe, so freeze any leftover purée to use in soups, cakes or another batch of ice cream.
This pumpkin spice ice cream is rich, creamy and full of warming spice, with the roasted pumpkin giving it a lovely mellow sweetness. Let it sit out for ten minutes before scooping, then finish with a little extra nutmeg. No ice cream machine, no custard to make and absolutely no reason to put the ice cream away just because summer is over.
NO-CHURN PUMPKIN SPICE ICE CREAM
I refuse to believe ice cream has to be a summer-only thing. There are far too many good flavours to get through in a year, and pumpkin spice is a very good place to start.
Ingredients
- 1 crown prince squash or delica pumpkin halved & deseeded
- 397 g can sweetened condensed milk
- 25 g dark brown muscovado sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tsp mixed spice (pumpkin spice if you are in the USA)
- grating of fresh nutmeg
- pinch of salt
- 600 ml double cream
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 180°c (fan-assisted).
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Arrange the pumpkin cut-side down on a baking tray. Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until the middle is very soft. Let it cool enough to touch.
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Meanwhile, combine the condensed milk and muscovado sugar in a saucepan set over a low heat. Cook for 5-10 minutes, stirring constantly, until it has thickened and turned the colour of a light caramel. Remove from the heat, then stir through the vanilla bean paste, cinnamon, mixed spice, a grating of fresh nutmeg and a little pinch of salt. Let the mixture cool completely.
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Combine the condensed milk mixture, double cream and 250g of pumpkin puree (the rest can be frozen separately and used in other recipes!) in a mixing bowl. Use an electric whisk to beat the mixture, until it has thickened and will hold very soft peaks (you don’t want to overmix it here as it will split, so go on the safe side). Transfer into a freezer-safe container, then freeze until solid.
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Let the ice cream rest on the side for 10 minutes before serving. Scoop it into bowls and serve with a little extra grated nutmeg on top, if you like.
If you liked this Pumpkin Spice Ice Cream, I think you’ll like Carrot Cake Ice Cream, too.
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