Pumpkin Pecan Praline Ice Cream

The minute October (actually September) hits, it’s pumpkin everything. My Pinterest feed is flooded with pumpkin recipes and pumpkin decorating ideas. I’ve also posted my fair share of pumpkin recipes—pumpkin scones with pumpkin butter, and cranberry pecan pumpkin cookies.

I love the flavor of pumpkin foods, especially how the spiciness of the cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves compliment the pumpkin flavor. But it’s not just the flavor I love, it’s the memory of fall, of the start of the holiday season. I figured I could make another pumpkin baked good this year, but I decided to try something more out of the box — homemade pumpkin pecan praline ice cream, made without an ice cream maker.

A few weeks ago, I showed how to make premium ice cream without an ice cream maker, using ice cube trays. I used this recipe as the basis for my pumpkin pecan praline ice cream, along with a simple microwave pecan praline recipe. I also used these tips on how to roast a pumpkin. I decided how much pumpkin to use in the ice cream based on this recipe.

Just as I had hoped, this ice cream was delicious. The only thing I would change next time is to strain the pumpkin to get out some of the water. The ice cream was still really creamy, but was slightly icier than the last time I made it. I figure, the slight iciness must be due to the water in the pumpkin.

The overall flavor was phenomenal—all that pumpkin and spicy goodness to usher in fall. If you haven’t tried making ice cream at home yet, you’ve got to try it. It’s so easy to do and tastes even better than premium store bought ice cream. The flavor combinations are endless.

Pumpkin Pecan Praline Ice Cream Made without an Ice Cream Maker

Ingredients:

2 cups milk
4 tsp. cornstarch
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
2/3 cup sugar
2 tbsp. light corn syrup
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
3 tbsp. cream cheese, softened
1 cinnamon stick
½ teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon cloves (optional)
½ cup fresh roasted pumpkin, pureed (canned could work)
2/3 cup chopped pralines

Directions:

Prepare an ice bath using a bowl large enough for another bowl to fit in. In a small bowl, stir together 1/4 cup milk and cornstarch; set slurry aside.

In a 4-qt. saucepan, whisk together remaining milk, cream, sugar, syrup, and salt; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the spices. Cook for 4 minutes. Stir in the slurry. Return to a boil and cook, stirring, until thickened, about 2 minutes. Strain the entire milk mixture to remove spice clumps amd cinnamon stick.

Place cream cheese in a large bowl and pour in 1/4 cup hot milk mixture; whisk until smooth. Then whisk in remaining milk mixture. Mix in the ½ cup of pumpkin and stir until well incorporated.

Place bowl in a bowl of ice water and stir occasionally until cool, about 20 minutes. Pour mixture into ice cube trays and freeze for four hours.

Combine frozen cubes of ice cream in food processor and process until smooth, about 30 seconds, scraping down sides and breaking up lumps as necessary during process. Gently fold in the pralines and mix to distribute evenly throughout the ice cream.

Transfer mixture to quart container, and freeze for at least 4 more hours before serving.