Pumpkin Brown Sugar Crunch Ice Cream

Pumpkin Brown Sugar Crunch Ice Cream is a homemade custard-style pumpkin ice cream made with buttermilk, dark brown sugar, and pumpkin pie spice. Baked brown sugar pecan streusel is mixed in during churning, giving the finished ice cream buttery pecan pieces throughout.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword brown sugar pumpkin ice cream, buttermilk ice cream, fall ice cream, homemade pumpkin ice cream, pecan streusel ice cream, pumpkin brown sugar crunch ice cream, pumpkin brown sugar ice cream, pumpkin buttermilk ice cream, pumpkin custard ice cream, pumpkin ice cream with pecans, Thanksgiving ice cream

Prep Time 45

Cook Time 15

Chilling + Freezing: 14

Total Time 15

Servings

Calories 373kcal

Author Cathy Pollak

Equipment

ice cream maker For churning the chilled pumpkin custard and incorporating the pecan streusel.
large fine mesh sieve For removing any small amounts of cooked egg from the custard.
loaf pan 9x5 (metal) or freezer-safe container or 9 × 5-inch (23 × 13 cm) for freezing the churned ice cream until firm.
baking dish 9x9 (23 x 23 cm) or an 8 × 8-inch (20 × 20 cm) or for baking the brown sugar pecan streusel.
Saucepan (medium). For heating and cooking the custard.
whisk For mixing the custard and tempering the egg yolks.
instant-read thermometer For checking the custard temperature before removing it from the heat.
mixing bowls (large-heatproof) For cooling the strained custard in an ice bath.

Ingredients

Custard:

1½ cups (360 ml) whole milk
1½ cups (360 ml) heavy cream
½ cup (120 ml) buttermilk
1 can (15 oz / 425 g) pumpkin purée
½ cup (100 g) dark brown sugar
½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
1½ tsps (3 g) pumpkin pie spice
5 large egg yolks lightly beaten

Streusel:

⅓ cup (65 g) packed dark brown sugar
¼ cup (30 g) all-purpose flour
½ tsp (1.5 g) ground cinnamon
3 tbsps (42 g) cold unsalted butter cut into pieces
½ cup (60 g) chopped pecans

Garnish:

turbinado sugar for sprinkling

Instructions

Whisk the whole milk, heavy cream, buttermilk, pumpkin purée, dark brown sugar, granulated sugar, and pumpkin pie spice in a medium saucepan. Heat over low heat, stirring occasionally, until small bubbles appear along the sides of the pan. Do not boil.
1½ cups (360 ml) whole milk, 1½ cups (360 ml) heavy cream, ½ cup (120 ml) buttermilk, 1 can (15 oz / 425 g) pumpkin purée, ½ cup (100 g) dark brown sugar, ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar, 1½ tsps (3 g) pumpkin pie spice
Whisk the egg yolks in a separate bowl. Slowly whisk in ¼ cup (60 ml) of the warm pumpkin mixture, followed by another ¼ cup (60 ml). Pour the tempered yolks into the saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom of the pan, until the custard coats the back of a spoon and reaches 175–180°F (79–82°C).
5 large egg yolks
Strain the custard through a fine-mesh strainer into a heatproof bowl. Cool the bowl in an ice bath, then cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight, until thoroughly chilled.
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Mix the dark brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon in a bowl. Cut in the cold butter until crumbly, then stir in the chopped pecans. Press into a greased 8 × 8-inch (20 × 20 cm) or 9 × 9-inch (23 × 23 cm) baking dish. Bake for 12–15 minutes, until golden. Cool completely and break into pieces, leaving some larger pieces together.
⅓ cup (65 g) packed dark brown sugar, ¼ cup (30 g) all-purpose flour, ½ tsp (1.5 g) ground cinnamon, 3 tbsps (42 g) cold unsalted butter, ½ cup (60 g) chopped pecans
Pour the chilled custard into an ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer's instructions. Add the cooled pecan streusel toward the end of churning, when the ice cream has reached a soft-serve consistency. Churn until the streusel is distributed throughout.
Transfer the ice cream to a freezer-safe container, cover tightly, and freeze for at least 6 hours or overnight, until firm enough to scoop. Sprinkle with turbinado sugar before serving, if desired.

Notes

Use pure canned pumpkin purée, not sweetened pumpkin pie filling.
Chill the custard thoroughly before churning. If your ice cream maker has a freezer bowl, make sure it's fully frozen according to the manufacturer's directions.
Check your ice cream maker's capacity before churning. Work in batches if necessary.
Store covered in the freezer for best quality within two weeks. Let stand at room temperature for 5–10 minutes if too firm to scoop.
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary, and Noble Pig makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.

Nutrition