You totally saw this one coming didn’t you?!
How could I not?? After the strawberry, the chocolate, and the watermelon… of course I had to make PUMPKIN ice cream! It’s October after all – THE pumpkin month!
It dawned on me that I hadn’t attempted pumpkin ice cream as I was looking through all my other pumpkin inspired recipes … and I thought, well, I have no other choice but to make some!
I took out my trusty vitamix and went to work!
That’s right, just the blender! I don’t have an ice cream maker so this is my method – first the blender, then I use the food processor, and my freezer of course!
I decided to use agave as a sweetener for this batch to keep it vegan, but honey or pure maple syrup would work just as well! Pumpkin puree gives the ice cream that classic pumpkin flavour along with the perfect amount of pumpkin pie spices!
I used canned organic full fat coconut milk (my favourite dairy free option for making ice cream), and blended it all up in the Vitamix! So rich, creamy, dreamy and delicious …the blended mixture went into a pan and then into the freezer to set!
Once frozen I just broke up the frozen pumpkin ice cream and let it whirl in the food processor to create a creamy scoop-able consistency!
This ice cream is velvety and rich, spicy from the cinnamon and nutmeg, and oh so delicious! I served some to the in-laws for a taste-test and it passed with flying colours!
The light orange hue and the slight scent of pumpkin also makes this ice cream unmistakably perfect for Fall!
How could you not want to enjoy this as a sweet yet healthy dessert??
With no refined sugars, colours, or additives, and just simple, wholesome ingredients this vegan ice cream is a treat anyone can enjoy! Unless you don’t like pumpkin – then you won’t enjoy it …. but pumpkin doesn’t like you either, so there. 😉
I think this ice cream would make the perfect Thanksgiving dessert for your guests next Sunday (for those of you celebrating Canadian Thanksgiving)! It’s a change from the traditional pumpkin pie, and still super delicious!
Or, what the heck, serve this ON TOP of your healthy homemade pumpkin pie (this crustless recipe is from my gal Kristine over at Busy But Healthy), that would be a double-whammie your guests would be talking about for ages!
No matter what, you must make it!
Oh, and just an FYI, the servings are G E N E R O U S ! You could easily split the batch by 6 to cut down on the calorie content a little more if you prefer!
- 1 can full-fat organic coconut milk
- ¼ to ⅓ cup pumpkin puree (depending on how pumpkin-y you want it!)
- 3 tablespoons agave nectar (or honey or pure maple syrup)
- ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1-2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- In a blender combine all ingredients, and blend until smooth.
- Pour mixture into a container and freeze for 3 hours.
- Remove frozen mixture from container, into large chunks and place in a food processor and process until smooth and creamy. You may need to stop and scrape the mixture with a spatula several times.
- Smooth the "ice cream" into a loaf pan and place in the freezer for 1 hour to set.
- Scoop and enjoy!
Have a wonderful rest of your Sunday!
Please… could you precise the quantity of coconut fat ?
I’m afraid the size of canned bricks is not the same from one country to an other
I like your vegan ice-cream recipe so much
Thanks
Hmmm… that’s a tough one Sylvie, I would say you want about 1/2 cup at least of coconut cream. You might want to add the ingredients to the blender then feel it out with the coconut fat you are using, add a little at a time until you think the taste and creaminess is right! Sorry I can’t be of more help!
This looks terrific! I’m not very experienced with coconut milks. Are they all created equal so long as it’s full fat? I recall that sometimes people recommended a specific brand for making whipped cream, and I’m not sure if that applies here or they’ll all be delicious. I love that your recipe is balanced for fat/carbs/sugar to ward off midnight cravings.
Hey Jessica, yes you can get light or full fat coconut milk and I find that consistencies can vary from brand to brand – I think any brand will work for this recipe, I like Thai Kitchen! Enjoy the recipe! 🙂
Hey Christal, would this still work if I just put the frozen chunks back into my Vitamix ? (I don’t have a food processor)
Hey Jenel, it sure would! 🙂
This looks amazing! I’m totally going to try it in my ice cream maker! Thanks for mentioning my crustless pumpkin pie. OMG, they would go so awesome together. I’m drooling just thinking about it!
Thanks lovely! Yes, the sure would!! 🙂
I find it odd that a nutritionist would actually use agave in any of her recipes. Agave is/can be worse that HFCS…
Much better to use raw honey, maple syrup, coconut nectar, yacon, stevia…(which you mention – but as an alternative)
…not cool.
Hi Sophie…. I appreciate your comment (although rather undiplomatic…gotta love the anonymity of the internet right??), however there are many different schools of thought on agave…. Mine: agave nectar is higher in fructose, which is not an “evil” … it is actually the most common form of sugar in all fruits. Dried fruits like dates and raisins (which I use a lot of), molasses, apples, honey, and even many vegetables and other plants are also high in fructose. Fructose is a natural form of carbohydrate and the fructose found in agave releases into the blood stream HALF as fast as HFCS which spikes blood sugar levels.
There is actually no comparison between a natural form of fructose found in agave, and the chemically-processed, GMO “HFCS” that you mention in your comment. ALSO the enzymatic processing of agave is VERY different from the process of HFCS, which fabricates fructose OUT OF the glucose made from corn… whereas agave is processed through either the use of NATURAL enzymes, or through the use of thermal hydrolysis!
So – in my EDUCATED opinion, maybe you are a Nutritionist too but forgot to mention that, agave is NOT even close to, or worse than HFCS. Unfortunately, extreme views drawn from extreme examples have likely frightened you and not educated you. So please next time, before making a comment like you did, please educate yourself on the facts, and keep the “…not cools” to yourself.
Mmm so easy and delicious! That’s great it turned out this lovely and creamy without an ice cream machine as well 😀 I want this now! 😛
I hope you have a great start to your week 🙂 xx
One day I will invest in a machine but for now this does wonders! 🙂 Have a great week Julie!
Congrats on all your accomplishments fellow edmontinian fashionista. ..I am proud of u. Did u ever grow your tomatoes this year?
Hey Crystal! Thanks 🙂 No! We bought a new house and moved in in May and I have no yard still, haha, so… next year it will be!