Creamy homemade ice cream made with real pumpkin, brown sugar, pumpkin spice flavor and candied walnuts. This Vegan Pumpkin Ice Cream is the perfect dessert for fall!
Living in Florida, we don't get to experience "fall' weather or leaves changing colors. Warm and cozy drinks like ciders and pumpkin spice lattes are nice, but not when it's still so hot. Vegan Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream is the perfect way to enjoy the flavors of autumn even when it's hot outside. This rich, creamy ice cream is made with real pumpkin, plenty of spice and studded with delicious candied walnuts throughout.
This pumpkin ice cream is based on my very popular Strawberry Swirl Ice Cream. For a really decadent treat, try this ice cream with crushed homemade graham crackers and/or caramel sauce.
Jump to:
Ingredients
This ice cream is made with simple ingredients that are pretty easy to find. In fact, you may already have what you need on hand.
- full fat coconut milk
- pumpkin puree
- brown sugar
- pumpkin pie spice
- salt
- vanilla
- walnuts
- non dairy butter
- water
See recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
- Pumpkin puree - instead of pumpkin puree you can use cooked, mashed sweet potato
- Walnuts - instead of walnuts you can use pecans or omit nuts if needed. You can even fold in crushed grahams crackers instead.
- Coconut milk - if you can't have coconut milk you could use soy milk instead. The flavor will be slightly different and it won't be as rich, but it will work.
Instructions
We use an ice cream maker to make this recipe, but you can still make it even if you don't have one. See the instructions in the recipe card below for more information on how to do that. Whether you use an ice cream maker or not, this recipe is so easy to make.
Combine coconut milk, pumpkin puree, brown sugar, pie spice, salt and vanilla. Whisk to thoroughly combine. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight before churning.
Add walnuts, brown sugar, vegan butter and water in a skillet. Heat over medium, stirring as butter melts and sugar dissolves. Cook until walnuts are toasted. Spread walnuts on a baking sheet lined with a silicone mat to cool.
Follow manufacturer's guide to churn ice cream base.
Fold candied walnuts into ice cream after churning. Freeze until firm.
Top Tip
To make this ice cream, use canned coconut milk not the one in the carton. The stuff in the carton has added stabilizers, sugars, etc. and will not yield the same texture or richness as canned milk.
Equipment
An ice cream maker is used to make the recipe as well as basic kitchen tools like measuring cups and spoons. If you don't have an ice cream maker there are alternate instructions in the recipe notes below.
Storage
Store ice cream in an airtight container in the freezer. Good for up to a month.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with this ice cream:
Did you make this recipe? Let me know what you think! Leave a review and rating in the comments below. This helps me continue to provide great recipes for you.
Recipe
Vegan Pumpkin Ice Cream
Equipment
- ice cream maker
Ingredients
Candied Walnuts
- ½ cup walnut halves and pieces
- 2 tablespoon brown sugar
- ½ tablespoon non dairy butter
- 1 tbsp water
Pumpkin Ice Cream
- 13.5 oz canned coconut milk full fat, not lite
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- ¾ cup packed brown sugar
- 2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Candied Walnuts
- Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper. Set aside. In a small skillet, add walnuts, brown sugar, non dairy butter and water. Heat over medium, stirring as butter melts and sugar dissolves. Continue to cook for about 5 minutes until walnuts are toasted and golden, stirring often.½ cup walnut halves and pieces, 2 tbsp brown sugar, ½ tbsp non dairy butter, 1 tbsp water
- Transfer walnuts to baking sheet spreading out in a single layer. Cool completely. Store in a container with a lid until ready to fold into ice cream.
Pumpkin Ice cream
- In a bowl, combine coconut milk, pumpkin puree, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, salt and vanilla. Whisk very well to throughly incorporate.13.5 oz canned coconut milk , 1 cup pumpkin puree, ¾ cup packed brown sugar, 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice , ¼ tsp salt, ½ tsp vanilla extract
- Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or up to overnight. Don't skip this step. Chilling the mixture gives the sugar time to fully dissolve for a smoother, creamier ice cream.
- Follow the manufacturer's instructions for your model of ice cream maker to freeze.
- Scoop churned ice cream from maker bowl into another bowl that has a lid. Use a large spatula to fold in candied walnuts. Cover and freeze for 3-4 hours until firm before serving.
- To make ice cream without an ice cream maker: Line a loaf pan or other similar container with parchment paper to protect the surface from damage when scooping ice cream later. Transfer the cream mixture to the pan. Place in freezer for about one hour to firm enough to add candied walnuts. Carefully stir in walnuts after mixture firms up a bit. Return pan to freezer to freeze fully, 2-3 more hours.
- When ready to serve, allow to thaw briefly and scoop as normal.
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!