Pumpkin Nice Cream
This Pumpkin Nice Cream is easy to make without an ice cream maker with frozen bananas, coconut cream, real pumpkin and optional pumpkin spice cookie dough balls. A vegan pumpkin ice cream that is sweet, creamy and is a healthy and delicious way to get your pumpkin pie fix. Gluten-free, dairy-free, refined-sugar free and paleo-friendly.
Ingredients
For the optional cookie dough balls
- 2 tablespoons creamy cashew butter , or any nut or seed butter
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup , sub with Lakanto sugar-free maple syrup or preferred liquid sweetener for a low sugar / lower carb option
- 1/2 tablespoon unsweetened almond milk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 cups superfine blanched almond flour , add more as needed
- 1 tablespoon coconut flour
- 1/8 teaspoon pumpkin spice
- 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon dairy-free chocolate chips OR chopped chocolate, we like Lily's Sweets, Paschas or Hu's Kitchen Gems
For the Ice Cream
- 3-4 medium ripe banana , cut into rounds and frozen
- 1/2 cup canned coconut cream , we usually use the ones with no gums or fillers - either Trader Joe’s, Aroy-D or Earth’s Choice - if you don’t have coconut cream, you can also spoon the thick part from full-fat canned coconut milk that has been chilled for at least 6 hours
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree , not pumpkin pie filling
- 1 tsp pumpkin spice
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Instructions
For the optional cookie dough balls
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In a medium mixing bowl, combine all the cookie dough ingredients together in the order they appear (starting with the cashew butter) using a fork followed by your hands to knead into a cookie-dough texture.
Add more liquid sweetener, milk or cashew butter if the dough seems too dry and alternatively, add more almond flour if the dough seems too wet.
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Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Scoop out ½ teaspoon-size of the mixture and roll into balls. Repeat with remaining dough.
Place the pan in the freezer while you make the ice cream.
For the Ice Cream
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Add the frozen banana slices, coconut cream, pumpkin puree, pumpkin spice and vanilla in a food processor or a high-powered blender.
Blend the ingredients together until the mixture resembles soft serve ice cream. Scrape the sides of the processor and add additional coconut cream or 1-2 tablespoons plant-based milk as needed. After a few minutes, the ice cream should have the correct creamy texture.
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Take the pan of the cookie dough bites from the freezer and add ⅓ of the cookie dough bites and pulse for 30 seconds to break them up. Stir in the remaining cookie dough bites, reserving some for topping on the ice cream. Serve immediately for a soft-serve consistency, or transfer to a resealable airtight container or a loaf pan and freeze until solid, approximately 2 hours.
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Serve with reserved cookie dough bites and enjoy.