Pumpkin Ice Cream (Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, Paleo, AIP)

This homemade pumpkin ice cream is very easy to make and it tastes delicious! This recipe is dairy-free, egg-free, paleo and AIP-friendly.

What to make when it’s too hot to cook? With weather heating up, I literally load up on salads and other refreshing foods. And when I think of “refreshing”, it’s the ice cream that pops up first!

I find myself using ice cream maker a lot during summer months. If you still don’t have it, I strongly recommend you to get one. It’s a worthwhile investment, especially if you are serious about making your own, healthy ice cream!

Indeed, making ice cream at home is very rewarding. You can create a variety of flavors to satisfy your unique taste buds. And this comes with a hefty bonus: you know exactly what you put in your homemade ice cream!

So what can you make your frozen treat from? It’s quite easy to make a delicious ice cream from fruits and berries. It doesn’t mean, however, that vegetables have no place in dessert. For example, you can make a delicious pumpkin ice cream! No wonder that it’s one of the most utilized vegetables in desserts.

This ice cream reminds me of a pumpkin pie filling. I also like to give it more flavor by adding orange. Indeed, pumpkin pairs beautifully with citrus fruits. The acidity found in citrus gives pumpkin a refreshing note. And what about all these warming spices?! This is where the best of both worlds, summer and fall, meet in one bowl!

HOW TO MAKE THIS PALEO PUMPKIN ICE CREAM:

STEP 1: FREEZE ICE CREAM MAKER BOWL BEFOREHAND, FOR AT LEAST 16 HOURS.

The longer you freeze the bowl the more predictable the outcome will be. You can freeze it for 16 to 24 hours or even longer. I usually store the bowl in the freezer so that I can make ice cream any time.

STEP 2: GATHER ALL THE INGREDIENTS FOR THE RECIPE:

• Orange
  I added this ingredient because I think that it adds “sunshine” to this homemade pumpkin ice cream.
• Pumpkin
  For convenience sake I used canned puree in this recipe. If you don’t have it available you can easily make one from fresh pumpkin at home. Simply cut the vegetable in half and scrape out the seeds with a spoon. Then, place pumpkin on a baking sheet and roast in the oven until it’s fork-tender. It takes about 45 minutes in the oven, heated to 350C. Let pumpkin cool completely before use.
• Banana
  Bananas add sweetness and a creamy texture. They are often used to make so-called nice creams. Bananas can easily replace eggs, which means that they make a perfect ingredient for egg-free ice creams. Please note that I don’t recommend to use a very ripe banana in this recipe, as it’s flavor can be overpowering.
• Coconut Milk
• Vanilla Powder
• Cinnamon, ginger, cloves
• Maple Syrup

STEP 3 (MAIN ACTION): BLEND AND CHURN.

Start by blending all the ingredients together until thick and creamy.
Next, churn the mixture for about 25 minutes or until the ice cream starts to look like a thick soft serve.

STEP 4: FREEZE.

You can eat the ice cream right away but if you want it to be more scoopable you will need to freeze it. To do this, transfer your ice cream to a freezer-safe container and place in the freezer for about 2-3 hours. After that enjoy your frozen dessert in it’s perfect consistency!

Homemade Pumpkin Ice Cream

Ingredients

• Zest and juice of 1 medium orange
• 1 ½ cups pumpkin purée
• 1 medium banana
• 1 ½ cups full-fat coconut milk
• ¹/₂ teaspoon vanilla powder*
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric (optional)
• ¹/₂ teaspoon ground ginger
• ¹/₈ teaspoon ground cloves
• ¹/₄ cup maple syrup or to taste
• Pinch of sea salt

Instructions

1. Combine all the ingredients in a blender and purée until smooth. Adjust sweetness to your liking.
2. Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
3. Enjoy the ice cream right away as a soft serve or transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze for a few hours or until scoopable.

Notes:

*Substitute with 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract if not on the strict AIP.

HOMEMADE ICE CREAM | NUTRIENT DENSITY MATTERS!

In my cookbook you will find a large selection of nutrient dense ices that you can incorporate into your salads & other meals!