I love pumpkin ice cream for a late-summer or early-autumn treat. This recipe is naturally sweetened with Medjool dates and just a touch of maple syrup. It's easy to make with minimal effort using a high-speed blender and an ice cream machine. Free from dairy, gluten, grains, nuts (if the optional topping is omitted), soy, and eggs, it's a delicious treat everyone can enjoy!
I'm a sucker for good ice cream, but I don't like the list of ingredients in most of them. I also have a complicated relationship with dairy. So, I needed to come up with a whole-food ice cream that tastes great.
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Yes, an ice cream machine is a bit of an investment, but I'm so happy that I have mine. I make most of the ice cream that I eat and feel good about it. The high-speed blender is more of an investment, but we use ours every day for smoothies, soups, sauces, and grinding coffee beans.
Dairy-Free Ice Cream Ingredient Notes
- Coconut Milk (from the carton): This works nicely to dissolve the gelatine. The flavor of coconut goes well with pumpkin. You may use any dairy-free milk for this step, but watch out for nuts or soy if that's an issue.
- Coconut Milk (from the can): You'll want the rich creaminess that a full-fat can of coconut milk adds to your ice cream.
- Pumpkin Puree: Use pure pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling. You can freeze what you don't use and save it for another time. I find canned pumpkin in the same section of my grocery store as the pie fillings.
- Medjool Dates: Medjool dates have a softer texture than regular dates, so they'll blend in without leaving a trace. Dates are a natural source of sweetness, including fibre.
- Maple Syrup: Use pure maple syrup, also for natural sweetness.
- Pecans: The chopped pecans are optional. They make the ice cream look pretty. If there's a nut allergy in the house, leave them out.
Exact quantities and details are in the recipe card below.
How do you make pumpkin ice cream from scratch?
- Sprinkle gelatine over some coconut milk from the carton.
2. Stir it in with a fork or small whisk.
3. Blend the ingredients.
4. Add everything to the ice cream machine
5. Process just until your ice cream becomes firm.
6. Sprinkle on some nuts, if you wish, and enjoy!
Top Ice Cream Maker Tips
I make this homemade Dairy-Free Pumpkin Ice Cream in this ice cream machine, and I've learned a couple of interesting things about that process. The machine works by constantly stirring the ingredients within a frozen bowl. As the mixture comes into contact with the frozen sides, it thickens up over half an hour or so.
1. Freeze your bowl
Set your ice cream bowl into the freezer the night before you plan to make ice cream. Since space allows, I store mine in there all the time. Then I can make ice cream whenever the craving hits! I wrap the bowl in a plastic bag to keep it clean from any crumbs or debris that might fall and stick to it in the freezer.
2. Chill your ingredients
Unless all of your ingredients were chilled when you started, put your blended mixture in the fridge for an hour or so to give it a head start on freezing.
3. Keep an eye on it
Once the mixture is in the ice cream machine, it firms up in about half an hour. It's important to keep an eye on your dessert around this time, so you remove it from the machine while it's at its best.
If you leave it too long, the frozen material in your ice cream machine bowl can begin to melt, and your ice cream will start to soften again. This is especially critical in hot weather. I discovered this when I kept running my machine longer and longer, hoping my ice cream would become firmer, while instead it became softer. Lesson learned!
Storage
Once your ice cream is made, store it in an airtight container in the freezer. Scoop out what you want to eat, and return the rest to the freezer right away.
If you find your ice cream freezing too hard, scoop it into serving-size balls and freeze them in a container large enough to spread them out a bit. That way, it's easier to remove one serving at a time.
More NonDairy Treats to Enjoy!
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Recipe
Pumpkin Ice Cream (Dairy-Free)
Equipment
Ingredients
- ¾ cup coconut milk from carton, divided
- 1 tablespoon gelatine powder enough to thicken 2 cups liquid
- ¼ cup boiling water
- 13.5 ounces full-fat coconut milk
- ½ cup pure pumpkin puree
- 8 soft Medjool dates pitted
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- pinch ground cloves
- 1 tablespoon chopped pecans optional (Use only if nuts aren't a problem.)
Instructions
- Sprinkle gelatine powder over ¼ cup cold coconut milk from the carton. Add ¼ cup boiling water and stir with a fork until gelatine is dissolved.¾ cup coconut milk1 tablespoon gelatine powder¼ cup boiling water
- Add the dissolved gelatine, remaining ½ cup coconut milk (from carton), and all other ingredients (except optional nuts) to blender. Puree until smooth. Chill in refrigerator for at least an hour, unless all ingredients were chilled when you started.13.5 ounces full-fat coconut milk½ cup pure pumpkin puree8 soft Medjool dates2 tablespoons pure maple syrup½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract½ teaspoon ground ginger¼ teaspoon ground cinnamonpinch ground cloves
- Remove the mixture from refrigerator and process in an ice cream maker with frozen bowl according to manufacturer's directions, about 20 to 30 minutes.
- Serve immediately or divide into individual portions and store in freezer.
- If you're adding the optional nuts, sprinkle them on individual servings.1 tablespoon chopped pecans
Video
Notes
- Remember to put your ice cream machine bowl in the freezer the night before you make ice cream.
- Medjool dates work best because they're soft.
- Use any dairy-free milk beverage for the milk from a carton if nuts or soy are not a concern.
- Don't leave your mixture processing in the ice cream maker too long. It can begin to go soft again.
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