This easy, delicious, no churn caramel crunch pumpkin ice cream is a perfect dessert for any day- not just during pumpkin season!
If you love all kinds of pumpkin desserts during both fall and winter months, then this ice cream is perfect for you! You’ll fall in love with the flavors, the textures, and how easy it is. Then, make some apple cider, a pumpkin casserole, and pull up some pumpkin trivia. Fall really is the best time of the year.
Best Ice Cream For Thanksgiving
Can you serve ice cream at Thanksgiving? Of course, you can! Vanilla ice cream tastes incredible on top of apple pie.
But this pumpkin ice cream doesn’t need pie with it. Grab a spoon and a bowl – this is about to become your favorite no-bake pumpkin dessert.
Why You’ll Love It
- No-Bake – that means you’ll free up your oven for other desserts
- Make Ahead – store it in the freezer until Thanksgiving
- Rich Flavors – it tastes like pumpkin caramel popcorn
- Kid-Friendly – everyone of all ages love it!
Ingredients
Here’s what I used when I made this tasty no-churn fall ice cream. All of the exact amounts are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Heavy Whipping Cream – use full-fat to get the richest flavors
- Sweetened Condensed Milk – this gives is a sweet flavor and creamier texture.
- Pumpkin Puree – use real pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling.
- Caramel Sauce – use your favorite brand; you can even use sugar-free versions
- Heath Bar – this is to crush on top
- Vanilla Extract – this is what gives the ice cream the rich vanilla flavor
Tools
Making my pumpkin ice cream recipe is not hard at all. You don’t even need an ice cream machine or fancy equipment- just a mixer and a bowl! To start making this easy no churn pumpkin ice cream, you will whip heavy cream to stiff peaks. This is how the ice cream gets to be light and fluffy rather than dense and icy. It is all about the air in the whipped cream!
- Mixing Bowls
- Electric or Stand Mixer
- Loaf Pan
Of course, I also had to make my recipe a little more decadent (if it is going to be served on Thanksgiving, it needs to be really over the top!). That is how caramel crunch pumpkin ice cream was born. Sounds like something you need to try? You definitely should! You should probably “test it” a few times before Thanksgiving comes around. 🙂
How To Make It
-
- Mix the condensed milk, pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice and vanilla in a large bowl and then fold together with the whipped cream. To be honest, you could stop right there and enjoy this light, pumpkin mix with a big spoon! But we want ice cream! We want caramel! We want more decadence because in the year 2020, we deserve it!
- Spread half of the airy pumpkin mix in a loaf pan and then swirled with caramel sauce. Crushed Heath Bar candies are sprinkled over the mix to give the ice cream that signature crunch. The rest of the pumpkin mix is spread across the top then we need more caramel and a few more crunchies.
- Place the pan into the freezer and chill until it is firm and has the beautiful, cold texture of ice cream. You may need to eat a few scoops to make sure it is perfectly frozen.
- Mix the condensed milk, pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice and vanilla in a large bowl and then fold together with the whipped cream. To be honest, you could stop right there and enjoy this light, pumpkin mix with a big spoon! But we want ice cream! We want caramel! We want more decadence because in the year 2020, we deserve it!
FAQs
Here are some questions people often ask about how to make homemade pumpkin ice cream without an ice cream maker.
Can I use Cool Whip instead of “heavy whipping cream”?
No, this will not produce a creamy ice cream.
Can I make this in a plastic container?
Yes, any airtight container you want to store it in, just remember that when things freeze they expand, make sure you have some room for stretching.
Can I use toffee bits instead of Heath Bar?
Yes, I have a hard time finding toffee candy pieces, so I use a Heath Bar instead.
Can I use a different Caramel Sauce?
Yes, there are different varieties of caramel sauce, I prefer this one in ice cream because it is thicker and has a richer flavor.
How long can I keep this for?
You can keep this ice cream in the freezer in an airtight container for up to one week. It will start not to taste as good after that (this ice cream does not have the preservatives that store-bought ice cream has)
Can I use lower fat dairy products in this recipe?
You can, but I would not recommend it. This ice cream is creamy because of its fat content; if you use low-fat or non-fat ingredients, it would be very dry and crunchy from ice crystals instead of having the creamy ice cream consistency.
Why does my ice cream seem dry?
The fats freeze more solid, if you let the ice cream sit on the counter for 5 -10 minutes before scooping and serving it makes it creamier.
So, how amazing does this caramel pumpkin ice cream sound? While it is a perfect cool treat to match those cool fall nights, it is definitely elaborate enough to serve on Thanksgiving. I know I will be adding pumpkin ice cream to my Thanksgiving table this year. I may even try a scoop of it on top of a big slice of apple pie! Anything to make this fall and this holiday season a little bit better. If we can’t be with all the family and friends that we love, at least we can indulge in amazing pumpkin desserts!
I highly recommend making this delicious pumpkin ice cream today. I know that today isn’t a holiday but shouldn’t you start getting ready now? And besides, you deserve a big bowl of caramel crunch pumpkin ice cream just for getting through 2020!
Let me know how much you love this fall recipe and if it will be gracing your Thanksgiving table.
I hope you enjoy this new pumpkin treat as much as my family and I did!
Print
Caramel Crunch Pumpkin Ice Cream
- Total Time: 2 hours 5 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Description
This easy, delicious, no-churn caramel crunch pumpkin ice cream is a perfect dessert for any day- not just during pumpkin season!
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups heavy whipping cream
- 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 12 oz jar caramel sauce (you will use 6 oz)
- 2 Heath Bar candy bars, crushed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- 1) Using a hand mixer, whip the heavy whipping cream in a large bowl until stiff peaks form.
- 2) In a medium bowl combine sweetened condensed milk, pumpkin puree, pie spice, and vanilla extract. Use a whisk to mix well.
- 3) Add the pumpkin mixture to the whipped cream using a hand mixer on medium speed to combine well and mix completely.
- 4) Pour half of the ice cream mixture into a 9 x 5 loaf pan. Smooth out and make sure it is even.
- 5) Drizzle half of the caramel sauce( ¼ of the jar) over the ice cream and then use a knife to swirl it gently into the ice cream. Top with one crushed candy bar.
- 6) Pour the second half of the ice cream mixture on top and follow instructions for caramel and candy bar again.
- 7) Cover with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and place in the freezer for at least 6 hours.
Notes
Enjoy this with additional caramel and toffee candy bars, it is especially good as a topping for your favorite blondie brownie or with sugar cookies on top.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours
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A former school teacher, Jocelyn Brown created Hip Mama’s Place in 2007. Her motto for this blog is: get inspired, create and share! Jocelyn loves sharing about food and recipes, crafts, DIY projects and her random travels with her family. She also loves all things social media, but her latest obsession is Instagram.
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Oh yum. I need to make myself pumpkin ice cream!
Oh my goodness!! This looks amazing!!
I can’t wait to try it. Caramel and pumpkin? Definitely yes! Can’t believe I haven’t had it yet. I am an ice cream lover.
Caramel ice cream? Definitely yes and with pumpkin? For sure! I will give it a big try. Haven’t had ice cream with pumpkin and can’t wait to try! Love it
Yummy!! I bet this is so good!
This looks so good! I’ve never made ice cream before! Can’t wait to try!
This looks so tasty for a fall treat.
I would love to try that ice cream! I love pumpkin flavored things!
I haven’t tried pumpkin ice cream before but, wow this looks and sounds incredibly amazing. That Carmel drizzle onto made it even better. Yum!
Ooooh. My mouth is totally watering for some of that ice cream now!! I love pumpkin!!
Your pictures definitely make this look mouth watering. What a great addition to the Thanksgiving table with the pumpkin flavoring. It would go great with all the pies!
This looks absolutely amazing! It’s making me want it now lol! I love fall desserts, I’ve never made my own ice cream but I definitely need to try this out!
This sounds amazing 😋 easier to make than I thought!!
This looks and sounds so delicious.
This sounds moth watering good. I can’t wait to make this! Thanks for the recipe.
What a great idea for ice cream. Love the idea of the crunch added in for flavor and texture!
Love this recipe. Thank you.
My mouth is watering! Looks so yummy! Need to try this for sure!
This is such a yummy dish to try on festive session. I’ll try this on weekend, thank for sharing!
We love making homemade ice cream and this looks so incredible.
Wow, this ice cream is absolutely amazing! Such a healthy treat as well!
What a delicious treat. Flavors are amazing and that crushed bars and sauce on top… yum! I must make this!
I’m on a diet but I wouldn’t mind tasting this ice-cream. I will save the reciepe for later, in the summer days ❤️
Who can resist to this deliciousness?! This caramel pumpkin ice cream sounds and looks amazing!
This looks all so amazing and delicious!!
WOW! This must have 1 million calories. But, don’t get me wrong – looks super delicious.
I made pumpkin ice cream for Thanksgiving a couple years ago and everyone loved it. It’s a great taste.
Nice recipe! I would like to make my own Caramel Crunch Pumpkin Ice Cream. It seems so yummy!
OMG you did an amazing job there. This sounds heaven;y amd looks really yummy!!!! I need to find some pumkin spice.
Nnniiiiccceeeeee….I want a scoop of this good-looking stuff already! Never imagined before that pumpkin could be made into ice-cream!
OMG! What a delicious looking pumpkin ice cream! I’ve never tasted pumpkin ice cream but with the looks of it, I think this will be my new favorite.
You had me at pumpkin 😉 This sounds like crunchie gooey perfection, yum!
Holy moly this looks absolutely divine! I love anything pumpkin but have never tried it as an ice cream. Love all rhe flavours and textures going on here.
Wow I haven’t heard of this pumpkin ice cream before. I love caramel! I’m curious to taste this one. I’m excited to have this and my kids would definitely love this Caramel Crunch Pumpkin too! It’s so new, I’m lovin this ice cream.
Wow this looks so amazing. Pumpkin ice cream is one of my favorite treats.
I absolutely love toffee so I think I would really enjoy this caramel crunch pumpkin ice cream!
Caramel and pumkin ice cream yes please! This sounds absolutely incredible and a must for October.
Pumpkin ice cream is a fall favorite for sure! This one seems to be filled with extra deliciousness. Yum!
I’ve never had pumpkin in ice cream before, only in soups. But I suppose it can’t be bad 🙂
So yummy and delicious,feel like gulping it now. We love ice-creams at home, need to prepare your recommended recipe.
This is the best caramel crunch pumpkin ice cream recipe I have seen. I have an ice cream making machine and it looks like with this recipe, I can whip the ingredients together and make the perfect ice cream.
Yummy this pumpkin ice cream looks amazing and super easy to make. I love all things pumpkin.
This looks amazing! I love pumpkin and I love ice cream! I can’t wait to try this.
I’ve never even thought that caramel and pumpkin can go together but now it looks perfect together;
The color looks so great, I’m sure this flavor is so addictive.
I’ve never made homemade ice cream, but I’ve always wanted to try it and this sounds delicious. My kiddos love any and all ice cream, so we will have to try this.
Can’t get enough of all this pumpkin goodness! So delectable!
I have never even imagined using pumpkin to make ice cream but this sure looks so delicious. I will have to give this recipe a try soon.
Wow!This flavor sounds so nice! I will definitely try this sometimes. Thanks for sharing.
Hmmm yum! I super love ice cream and this Caramel Crunch Pumpkin Ice Cream looks absolutely delicious. Never tried a pumpkin ice cream before.
This is totally droolworthy!! My kids will surely love it!
Oh yeah, this one is a winner. That caramel and crunch just sent me over the pumpkin ice cream edge.
The combination of flavours sounds amazing! I love making homemade ice cream, and this one is next on my list.
I’ve always wanted to make ice cream but thought I needed fancy equipment. I can’t wait to try this! I think I might bring it to a friend’s house for a birthday party this weekend.
I can’t believe I’ve never tried pumpkin ice cream before. This looks amazing. I definitely want to try it out. I love that it has a crunch to it as well.
We are so alike. I love pumpkin and ice cream too. I want to make some right now. Bonus, I won’t have to share because I am the only one who is crazy over pumpkin. lol
Yum! This looks amazing. Cant wait to try this recipe. Thanks for sharing.
Printed this as soon as I read the title. OMG! Those are some of my favorite flavors in one ice cream. Can’t wait to try it.
I saw your caramel crunch pumpkin pie ice cream on Facebook and have been wondering WHEN I can make this because you know I just have to make this soon. Looks so yummy!
I love ice cream. This inspired fall pumpkin ice cream looks so yummy. Can wait to try this recipe.
I love the combination of the flavors. Looking forward to trying this recipe.
Pumpkin ice cream! OMG I would love to make this, it looks sooooooo good…Can’t wait.
You are kind in sharing your expertise in making caramel crunch pumpkin ice cream. It does look appetising.
Ooo yes please. I love pumpkin treats, so I cannot wait to give this a taste. I’m a huge fan of ice cream!
If that ice cream tastes half as good as your pictures of it then it is amazing. I never made ice cream but it seems like you have it down very well.
I’ve been wanting to make pumpkin ice cream for a while now. And this recipe is it! Looks delicious.
Om nom nom. I love pumpkin and I love ice cream. This is perfect for me. I love that added crunch, too.