Fall is upon us. Temperatures will start to drop and leaves will begin to change.
Fall is upon us. Temperatures will start to drop and leaves will begin to change.Well, unless you live in Texas. Fall? But, uh… it’s still 100+ degrees outside. Raised in the north, fall brings me images of changing leaves, darker and colder nights and pumpkin patches with vast corn mazes.
I actually miss some of that ‘fall feel’ that comes this time of year in the north, but not-so-much down here in the south. The smell of leaves, earth and maple are quite beautiful in the fall, and sometimes I even miss the idea of bundling up in a large sweater with a scarf and boots.
But let’s be honest, I hate the cold. I am not made to live where the weather gets bitterly cold, so I’m hanging out in Texas in the 100 degree weather.
Being a foodie, the most exciting part of fall is pumpkin. Who doesn’t love pumpkin everything?! Right now everyone is in the transition from summer to fall foods and recipes. So from strawberries to pumpkin. Wait, those aren’t the only summer/fall ingredients?
I decided to take that transition a step further with fall flavors inside a summer treat. With the weather still warm, pumpkin ice cream is the perfect way to enjoy fall flavors.
It takes my two absolute favorite desserts, pumpkin pie and ice cream, and morphs them into one. I really can’t think of a more perfect treat!
This dairy-free ice cream is creamy and rich, just as any ice cream should be, minus the allergens and refined sugar. Fruit-sweetened and coconut milk based, there really is no reason not to enjoy this ice cream!
When I had my sister taste this ice cream her response was, Tastes like fall”. So, I think that pretty much sums it up.
- 1 (15 oz) Can pumpkin puree
- ½ Cup Dates or date paste (whichever you already have on hand)
- ½ Teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1½ Teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- ½ Teaspoon cinnamon
- Pinch of Salt
- Optional: 1 Tablespoon gelatin dissolved in ¼ cup boiling water
Instructions
In a blender, combine all of the ingredients excluding the gelatin and water. Blend until well mixed.
In a small saucepan, bring ¼ cup of water to boil and whisk in the gelatin. Pour this mixture into the blender and blend one more time to combine.
Chill for 1-2 hours in the fridge.
Pour the ice cream base into your ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturers instructions. If your ice cream maker only holds 4 cups, you can freeze any remaining base in popsicle molds (that’s what I did) or churn in two batches.
Enjoy immediately or freeze for 1-2 hours for a firmer ice cream.
Notes
Store in the freezer and let sit 15 minutes on the counter to soften before serving.