Vegan Pumpkin Ice Cream (Blender or Food Processor)
Vegan Pumpkin Ice Cream is a sweet treat that is perfect at any time of year. It’s made using coconut milk and real pumpkin puree. Let me show you how to make it in a blender, food processor, or ice cream maker! Everyone loves this dairy-free frozen treat.
If you’re looking for another way to add pumpkin spice into your life, then you’ve got to try this recipe for Vegan Pumpkin Spice Ice Cream!
This recipe uses both real pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice for a super delicious dairy-free pumpkin dessert. I used full fat coconut milk to replace dairy cream for the ice cream base.
You don’t have to wait for the autumn season to make this recipe. It’s perfect for both warm and cold weather seasons (or any time of year).
Why You Need This Recipe
- This vegan ice cream recipe uses full-fat coconut milk as the base with maple syrup to sweeten. There’s no need for cream or dairy milk. This recipe has a total of five simple ingredients which makes it just so easy to make.
- Even if you’ve never made homemade ice cream before, this recipe is quite easy. You essentially just blend the ingredients and then freeze (or churn in an ice cream machine).
- Make this vegan pumpkin ice cream recipe around the holidays or at any time of year. If you like the flavor of pumpkin spice, then you’ll love this pumpkin dessert. You may also want to check out my recipes for Vegan Pumpkin Pudding, Pumpkin Energy Bites, or Vegan Pumpkin Fluff.
Key Ingredients
- Full-fat canned coconut milk replaces heavy cream in this dairy-free ice cream recipe.
- Pure pumpkin puree adds a nice pumpkin flavor to the nice cream, plus beta carotene and fiber! Don’t use pumpkin pie filling for this recipe, use 100% pumpkin puree.
- Real maple syrup adds sweetness and helps make this pumpkin ice cream taste like fall.
- Vanilla extract and pumpkin pie spice add that characteristic pumpkin pie flavor.
Please see the recipe card at the end of this post for the exact measurements.
Recipe Substitutes
- Don’t have pumpkin pie spice? Just use the same amount of ground cinnamon instead!
- You can also use coconut cream instead of coconut milk, but you’ll need to add about one cup of water or plant milk to get the right texture (soy milk will give you the best texture, but you can use others if you prefer).
Recipe Steps
Step One
Freeze your ice cream bowl overnight if you are going to use an ice cream machine.
Gather your ingredients for your nice cream recipe including coconut milk, maple syrup, vanilla extract, pumpkin pie spice, and pumpkin puree.
Please see the recipe card at the end of this post for the exact ingredients and measurements.
Step Two
Blend the ingredients in a blender or food processor and chill for 30 minutes.
Chilling the mixture before freezing it will help speed up the process.
Step Three
Then, you just pour the mixture into an ice cream churner. Or, if you don’t have an ice cream maker, pour the mixture into a freezer-safe container. You’ll then need to freeze the mixture and use a fork to break up the ice crystals.
In almost no time, you have a creamy and delicious pumpkin pie flavored ice cream with no preservatives or additives.
If you’re craving a pumpkin spice latte but it’s too hot, try this dairy free pumpkin ice cream instead! It’s perfect for fall flavors even when it’s not yet fall.
Step Four
When I make homemade ice cream, I usually transfer the mixture from the machine to the freezer to firm it up a bit before serving (so it’s less like soft serve and more like traditional ice cream).
By the way, I also get a lot of questions about how to make homemade ice cream without an ice cream maker. It can be done! It’s a little bit more time-consuming, but I wrote a blog post about how to make ice cream without an ice cream maker.
Serve your ice cream plain, or with pie. You can also add your favorite toppings such as dairy-free whip cream, nut butter, or banana slices.
I hope your whole family loves this healthier ice cream that is perfect for any time of the year.
Recipes Tips
- If your ice cream is in the freezer for longer than 12 hours, you may need to defrost it on the countertop for 10-20 minutes to let is soften before scooping.
- If you don’t have an ice cream maker, be sure to read my post on how to make homemade ice cream without a machine.
Recipe FAQs
It will make your life easier, but you don’t have to have one! They’re less than $70 on Amazon, but I totally get it if you don’t want another appliance or you don’t want to spend the money. I have the Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker.
Feel free to make homemade dairy-free ice cream by freezing your mixture and stirring it every 30 minutes or so to help incorporate air and create a creamy texture. Read my whole tutorial on making homemade ice cream without an ice cream maker.
Yes, but I only tested it using full-fat milk. It will probably taste more like ice milk than ice cream.
Yes, but I have not tested it that way. I have only made this recipe using canned pumpkin puree.
Yes, but you’ll need to add about 1 cup of plant milk such as soy milk or almond milk to help get the right consistency for your ice cream base.
More Vegan Ice Cream Recipes You Might Like
- Vegan Mango Ice Cream
- Avocado Chocolate Ice Cream
- Vegan Peach Ice Cream
- Vegan Strawberry Coconut Nice Cream
- Vitamix Mango Sorbet
- Vegan Fudgesicles
- Vitamix Ice Cream
Don’t miss my round-up of vegan and dairy-free ice cream recipes.
Don’t Miss These Vegan Pumpkin Recipes!
I hope you make this recipe! If you do, please leave a comment and a starred review below.
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Vegan Pumpkin Ice Cream (Blender or Food Processor)
Vegan Pumpkin Ice Cream is a sweet treat that is perfect at any time of year. It’s made using coconut milk and real pumpkin puree. Blend the ingredients in a blender or food processor and then churn in an ice cream maker or using the freezer method.
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 8
Ingredients
- 1 13.5–ounce can of full-fat coconut milk
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1/3 cup of real maple syrup
- 1 cup pumpkin puree from a can
Instructions
- Combine the coconut milk, vanilla extract, pumpkin pie spice, maple syrup, and pumpkin puree into a high-speed blender or food processor and process until smooth.
- Pour the mixture into a large bowl and refrigerate until chilled (at least 2 hours).
- Pour the chilled mixture into an ice-cream make and follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
- You may need to freeze the ice cream an additional hour or so to harden.
Notes
- If your ice cream is in the freezer for longer than 12 hours, you may need to defrost it on the countertop for 10-20 minutes to let is soften before scooping.
- If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice, you can use ground cinnamon instead.
- If you don’t have an ice cream maker, be sure to read my post on how to make homemade ice cream without a machine.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Ice cream maker or freezer
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/2 cup
- Calories: 182
- Sugar: 10.9 g
- Sodium: 12.1 mg
- Fat: 14.4 g
- Saturated Fat: 12.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 14.5 g
- Fiber: 2.2 g
- Protein: 1.7 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
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About the Author: Carrie Forrest has a master’s degree in public health with a specialty in nutrition and is a certified holistic nutritionist. She is a top wellness and food blogger with over 5 million annual visitors to her site. Carrie has an incredible story of recovery from chronic illness and is passionate about helping other women transform their health. Send her a message through her contact form.
Since I don’t eat sweeteners, instead of maple syrup I add a half or when banana. I also use a combo of cinnamon and ginger. I make it 8n a blender and then pour in popsicle molds. It freezes hard, but it doesn’t matter for popsicles. So yummy!
Such a great tip! 🙂
I’ve made this exact recipe except I sub 1 frozen banana for the maple syrup as I try to avoid all sweeteners. It’s still delicious because the banana is really sweet. Sometimes I also add a few dates.
That is amazing, thanks Shari!
I failed making this…no idea how? I followed the recipe exactly and it never had the ice cream consistency. It spun in the maker and was liquid…????
Did you use full-fat coconut mil? Not low-fat or coconut beverage, has to be full-fat. Let me know, I’d love to trouble-shoot!
I used A Taste of Thai Coconut Milk unsweetened/first pressing. It doesn’t say, how do I know?
That sounds correct, Melissa! Hmmm, I’m wondering if your ice cream maker bowl was cold enough before you churned it? That’s the only other problem I can think of right now? So sorry yours didn’t freeze!
What could be better than pumpkin pie ice cream? Nothing!
I agree, this is the best vegan pumpkin ice cream!
Thanks Carrie for sharing this recipe.
I read your pumpkin granola post and finally getting here to post since I am not a fan of ice cream or super cold foods. Yes there are people that don’t care for it believe it or not! I don’t even have a freezer, lol. I do however love your pumpkin grain-free granola recipe, so will be making that. My family’s birthdays are in Oct, Nov, and Dec, with my parent’s anniversary this week, the day after my mom’s eightieth birthday! They will both be octogenarians, something really to celebrate! Always love your food and travels pics–thanks!
Hi Deb! Well…it is hard for me to believe that there are people like you who don’t like ice cream. But, I suppose this doesn’t have to ruin our friendship, ha ha. More for me. 🙂 Does this mean you also don’t like smoothies? Just curious.
I’m glad you like the granola recipe and how absolutely wonderful that your parents are both in their 80s and still married. What a gift for everyone to celebrate. XOXOXOXOXO.
I love smoothies! I think it is the coldness and sweetness of ice cream. I have eaten melted ice cream and when I was a kid and my dad made homemade, hand churned ice cream at our family reunions, I would stir it up in the bowl until it looked like soup, lol. Give me yogurt over ice cream any day though. Yep, I would try pumpkin yogurt for sure.
Hi Deb! I used to do the same thing with vanilla ice cream! I would stir it and stir it with Hershey’s chocolate syrup until it got melted like a soup. The thought kind of grosses me out now, although at the time I LOVED it. 🙂
Hi Carrie,
Who doesn’t love ice-cream. I make pumpkin ice-cream just like this except I use my own homemade yogurt instead of the dairy free milk. and I also add a couple tablespoons of Coconut Nectar with the Maple Syrup. It gives it a nice flavor. My husband likes to sprinkle cinnamon on top of his ice-cream. Thanks for sharing on Real Food Fridays. Pinned & tweeted!
Sounds so delicious, Marla!!! Happy October!
We have our 5th wedding anniversary coming up ( 10 yrs together in October) and we’re having a baby in December. Super excited for both 🙂
WOW, congratulations!!!