Healthy Pumpkin Spice Latte Ice Cream

Yields: 4 servings

This sweet treat is perfect for anyone who loves Starbucks’ classic PSL! Plenty of pumpkin, lots of spices, and a delicious kiss of coffee flavor… What’s not to love?? The ice cream is best if eaten right after making it. It will turn somewhat icy and hard if left for too long in the freezer. (However, you can minimize that by letting it thaw on the counter for a few minutes or microwaving it for 10-30 seconds, depending on the wattage of your microwave, before enjoying at a later date!)

5 from 5 votes

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Ingredients

1 cup (240g) pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie mix!)
1 cup (24mL) 2% milk (see Notes!)
1 ½ tsp instant coffee granules
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp liquid stevia
½ tsp xanthan gum
generous ¾ tsp homemade pumpkin pie spice (see Notes!)
¼ tsp salt

Instructions

The night before you plan on making your ice cream, place the bowl of an electric ice cream maker in the freezer. Freeze for at least 12-16 hours.
Add all of the ingredients to a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer for 1 minute or until frothy and the instant coffee has fully dissolved.
Working quickly, remove the ice cream maker bowl from the freezer. Place it on the ice cream maker base, attach the paddle and the lid, and turn it on. With the ice cream maker turning, pour in the milk mixture. Let the ice cream maker churn for 15-20 minutes or until the ice cream is frozen and has reached your desired consistency. For the best texture and taste, serve your ice cream immediately.

Notes

For more information regarding the ingredients and why they’re critical to achieving the smooth, creamy texture of the ice cream, please read my blog post here.

MILK NOTES + ALTERNATIVES: You can use higher percentages of milk (i.e. whole milk) or coconut milk if you prefer.

I do not recommend substituting nonfat milk, 1% milk, almond milk, and cashew milk. Any of these will result in ice cream with a less smooth and creamy texture.

COFFEE NOTES: For a stronger coffee flavor, increase the instant coffee to 2 teaspoons. I use this kind (or this decaf version). Do not substitute regular coffee grounds (they don’t dissolve and will make your ice cream gritty) or brewed coffee (it’ll dilute your ice cream and make it overly icy).

However, if you don't like coffee (or don't have instant coffee), you can easily omit it to make plain pumpkin spice ice cream!

HOMEMADE PUMPKIN PIE SPICE: For the homemade pumpkin pie spice, use as follows: ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground ginger, and ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg. For less spice flavor, decrease both the cinnamon and ginger by ⅛ teaspoon.

STEVIA NOTES: For sweeter ice cream, increase the liquid stevia by ¼ to ½ teaspoon. (I highly recommend using it! It’s one of my favorite ingredients, and you’ll use it in all of these recipes of mine, too! I buy it here because that's the cheapest price I've found.)

I have not tried substituting other sweeteners and do not know how they will turn out. If you prefer not to use the liquid stevia, you’ll need the equivalent of ½ to ¾ cup granulated sugar.

XANTHAN GUM NOTE: I do not recommend skipping the xanthan gum. Without it, your ice cream will taste icy and hard rather than smooth and creamy.

ICE CREAM MAKER RECOMMENDATIONS + NOTES: To achieve the best smooth and creamy texture, the ice cream should be made in an ice cream maker. This is the affordable one I own. If you don’t own one, use the method below (but keep in mind that the ice cream will turn out with a grainier and harder texture).

After about 10 minutes, I found that my ice cream started getting “stuck” and wasn’t churning around the ice cream maker. If that happens to you, carefully “help” it along by gently pressing down with a small spatula to get the ice cream moving around the ice cream maker’s bowl. (I did that very frequently for the last 10 minutes of freezing!)

NO ICE CREAM MAKER METHOD: After Step 2, add the mixture to an 8”-square baking pan, and place in the freezer, ensuring that the pan is flat and level. Freezer for 2-3 hours, vigorously stirring with a spatula for 2-4 minutes every 30 minutes to break up any chunks and mix air into the ice cream.

VEGAN OPTION: Use coconut milk in place of the 2% milk. (Other dairy free milks, such as almond milk and cashew milk, generally have a higher water content, which makes the ice cream icy and hard.)

{gluten free, clean eating, low fat, low carb, sugar free, vegan option, dairy free option}

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?I'd love to hear what you think of it in a comment below! If you take a picture, tag @amys.healthy.baking on Instagram or use the hashtag #amyshealthybaking.