Dessert

Pumpkin Ice Cream with Gingersnaps

Creamy pumpkin ice cream filled with nuggets of crunchy brown butter gingersnap crumbs. Full of real pumpkin flavor and super tasty!

To recipe
Pumpkin ice cream with gingersnaps
Recipe insights & TIPS

I know it's almost October and the snow and rain isn't very far away. But where I am the temperature is still in the high seventies, so I feel okay posting ice cream recipes. By the way if you ever have aspirations to open your own ice cream place, remember to factor in relocation costs to California and you can sell all year round. Let's start with some pumpkin ice cream.

Pumpkin ice cream

I'm keeping this post short and sweet. Do you guys remember the cartoon characteHe would antagonize poor Bugs Bunny into all sorts of situations and create a mess you wouldn't believe. Well this morning, I'm playing the part of Bugs and Quinn is Taz. So far he's managed to turn three rooms and an outside garage upside down. My bad for trying to do what I had planned to do last night. The couch basically swallowed me whole and released me around midnight. I think I'll see if Taz wants to help me make some more ice cream...after he tidies up!

Pumpkin ice cream with gingersnaps

This is the same recipe used in all of the ice cream posts on my blog just because it's so good and so easy to adapt! It's more like a creamy gelato chock-full of pumpkin flavor which meltsslowlyin your mouth. All that's left behind are little crunchy nuggets of brown butter gingersnaps. That's right I said brown butter. This isn't a requirement to make this recipe but if you need to melt butter, you might as well take it to the brown stage and reap the benefits of the added nutty flavor. Oh and it's a cool thing to do right now.

Rich pumpkin ice cream
A white, fluffy chef's hat with an orange band, logo of Foodness Gracious.

Recipe

Pumpkin ice cream with gingersnaps

Course:
Dessert
COOKing TIME:
20 minutes
Total TIME:
50 minutes
CUISINE:
American
PREP TIME:
30 minutes
SERVINGS:
4

Ingredients

For the ice cream:

  • 3/4 cup canned pumpkin puree
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 1 tbsp plus 1 tsp cornstarch
  • 1 1/2 ounces cream cheese (softened to room temperature)
  • 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1 1/4 cups heavy cream
  • 2/3 cups packed light brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp dark corn syrup
  • 1/4 tsp ground cloves
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/8 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/8 tsp ground ginger

For the gingersnap bites:

  • 3/4 cup ground gingersnap cookie crumbs
  • 1/2 stick butter

Ingredient Swaps

Instructions

  1. Heat the butter in a small pan until it starts to turn brown. Keep a close eye on it as it can burn very fast.
  2. Once it's a deep golden color take it off the heat and add the gingersnap crumb.
  3. Mix well and set aside to cool.
  4. In a bowl whisk the cream cheese and salt until soft and creamy. Add the pumpkin and honey.
  5. Whisk until everything is smooth and well mixed.
  6. Mix 2 tbsp of the milk in a small bowl along with the cornstarch and set aside.
  7. Pour the remaining milk into a pot with the cream, sugar, corn syrup and spices.
  8. Heat over a medium heat until a rolling boil starts. Boil slowly for 4 minutes.
  9. Remove from the heat and whisk in the cornstarch mix.
  10. Place the pot back on the heat and bring back to a boil. Boil for a further 2 minutes and the mixture gets slightly thicker.
  11. Remove from the heat and gradually whisk into the pumpkin mixture. Mix until smooth.
  12. Transfer the whole mixture to a 1 quart zip lock bag and seal.
  13. Place the bag into the ice water bath and let it cool for at least 30 minutes.
  14. Once it's cool transfer it to your ice cream maker and follow the instructions for that. It usually takes about 20-25 minutes to be fully churned.
  15. After it finishes in the machine, place half of it in a small plastic Tupperware. Sprinkle some of the cooled gingersnap crumbs on top.
  16. Spread the rest of the ice cream on top and sprinkle with more of the crumbs. Seal with the lid and place into the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight.
A white, fluffy chef's hat with an orange band, logo of Foodness Gracious.

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