This Ninja Creami Pumpkin Ice Cream is the perfect fall dessert. You blend, you freeze. Twenty-four hours later you spin and have a pint of cold, creamy ice cream. The warming spices are a surprise every time. They sneak up on you in the best way.
Pumpkin Ice Cream in the Ninja Cream is the no-cook cousin of my cooked-base pumpkin ice cream. That one is a custard. You temper eggs, you stir, you chill. It's worth every minute and it is so good. This one skips all of it. The Ninja Creami does the heavy lifting. You just blend and walk away.
If you've already made my other ice cream recipes, like my Ninja Creami chocolate ice cream or the Ninja Creami pistachio ice cream, the method will feel familiar. This one just brings the fall flavors.
Why this one works
Because pumpkin puree contains a lot of water, it can freeze into icy crystals and ruin a creamy texture.
So we push back on two fronts. Heavy cream supplies fat and richness, while cream cheese adds body and a mild tang.
I don’t use cream cheese in most of my Creami recipes, but it works here. Together they keep the texture smooth and scoopable instead of icy.
Brown sugar does double duty. It sweetens. It also lowers the freezing point a touch, which keeps the scoop soft. And it brings a little molasses warmth that white sugar can't.
One ingredient note before you shop. Reach for pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. The filling is already sweetened and spiced, and it will throw the whole base off.
A word on the spice
I tried adding more pumpkin pie spice, but upping it didn't improve the result.
My thinking was that cold mutes flavors, and I needed more to make sure it came through. I didn't account for how loud pumpkin pie spice is. If you do choose to add more, I recommend increasing slowly so you don't end up with ice cream that tastes like a candle.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Step 1: Soften the cream cheese first. If you forget to pull it out, you can microwave it for 15 seconds. Blend the milk, cream, pumpkin, cream cheese, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla, and salt until completely smooth.
- Step 2: Pour it into your Ninja Creami pint (or larger; mine is the larger one) container.
- Step 3: Freeze it flat for a full 24 hours.
- Step 4: Place the ice cream on the base and attach the lid.
- Step 5: Run on the ice cream cycle.
- Step 6: Respin, adding a tablespoon of milk and enjoy!
Mix-ins, if you want them
Plain is great. But this base takes add-ins beautifully.
After your first spin, make a well in the center of the pint. Pour your mix-ins into the hole. Run the Mix-In cycle. Crushed gingersnaps, toasted pecans, a swirl of caramel, or white chocolate chips are all good.
Make it your own
Want it more like pumpkin pie? Swap the vanilla for a splash of maple extract. Crumble graham crackers over each scoop.
Want a protein pumpkin ice cream? Add a scoop of vanilla protein powder and process on the lite ice cream setting.
More Pumpkin, Because Why Stop Here
One can of pumpkin, plenty of places to take it: sour cream pumpkin bread, pumpkin white chocolate chip cookies, pumpkin oatmeal cookies, and pumpkin custard.
Ninja Creami Pumpkin Ice Cream Recipe
Ingredients
- ¾ cup whole milk plus 1 - 2 tablespoons for the respin
- ¾ cup heavy whipping cream
- ½ cup pumpkin puree
- 2 tablespoons cream cheese softened
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- ¾ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- In a blender (or using an immersion blender) combine the milk, cream, pumpkin puree, softened cream cheese, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla, and salt. Process until smooth.
- Transfer the ice cream mixture to a Ninja Creami pint and freeze flat for 24 hours.
- Remove from the freezer, and remove the lid from the pint. Attach it to your Ninja Creami machine.
- Select the ice cream button, and process. After the first processes, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of milk. Select respin and spin your pint again. I like this ice cream with two respins.
- Alternatively, after the first spin you can add your desired add ins. To do this, make a well in the center of the ice cream and pour the add ins in. Re-spin on the Mix-ins cycle.
Notes
- Soften the cream cheese before you blend. Cold cream cheese leaves lumps.
- Use pure pumpkin puree, not pre-spiced pumpkin pie filling.
- To revive a frozen-hard pint, let it sit out a few minutes, then re-spin.
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