Fall is only a week away, and I'm already stocking up on canned pumpkin, pulling out all of the apple, pumpkin, and cinnamon-scented candles, and planning pumpkin patch trips. While I love summer, I've had my fill of sweaty 80°F+ days and am looking forward to fall air, apple cider, hanging out under blankets, and autumnal attire—boots, dark skinny jeans, and fall colors like burgundy, burnt orange, plum, and jewel tones. Summer weather is here to stay for the next week or two, so I'm embracing fall flavors in alternative forms during this transitional period and making pumpkin spice latte ice cream.
The infamous Starbucks pumpkin spice latte is unfortunately not vegan in the US as it contains milk, so when I get a vegan pumpkin spice latte, Peet's is my go to (though I'm still mad that they no longer offer coconut whipped cream). Sometimes your local coffee shop will have a PSL on the menu so you can ask what they use as their base, and if it would be dairy free with almond, soy, or oat milk.
If your vegan pumpkin spice latte search comes up fruitless, fortunately there are many recipes that you can make at home to indulge in the pumpkin spice coffee flavor combination, like this pumpkin spice latte ice cream! The creamy base is made of coconut milk, coconut cream, and pumpkin puree, and flavored with coffee and a homemade pumpkin spice blend. It tastes just like the drink in frozen form, which is of course, the ultimate goal. You could turn it into a milkshake (maybe with more coffee?), dress it up with pecans and whipped cream, a la mode your pie, or just eat it out of a bowl or cone.
Homemade ice cream troubleshooting
I had to make this recipe twice because there were some textural issues going on with the first version. I used freshly ground coffee beans and even after straining the mixture before freezing it, the texture was a bit too gritty for my liking and the coffee flavor was overwhelming. I've used this method before with success (like in this mocha ice cream recipe). However, it wasn't right for this recipe since making a pumpkin spice latte requires a delicate balance of flavors. I opted to use instant coffee for the final recipe since I wanted it to stay as smooth as possible while still delivering the coffee flavor. I know, instant coffee, ugh, right? Just trust me on this one.
Also, don't be tempted to add too much pumpkin to the recipe. Pumpkin puree can give the ice cream a pulpy texture, and it has a high water content that will throw off the liquid to fat ratio and make your pumpkin spice ice cream more ice than cream. The key is to add enough pumpkin for the pumpkin flavor, but not too much that it affects the texture. Just a kiss of pumpkin, if you will.
Get the recipe:
📖 Recipe
Vegan Pumpkin Spice Latte Ice Cream
This pumpkin spice latte ice cream tastes just like the autumnal coffee drink! The coconut milk and cream give this ice cream an extremely creamy texture, and lend a bit of coconut flavor.
Ingredients
- 1 15-ounce can coconut milk, full-fat
- ⅓ cup coconut cream
- 1 tablespoon instant coffee
- ¼ cup sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup non-dairy milk
- ½ cup pumpkin
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- ¾ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon powdered ginger
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon allspice
- 1 pinch ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Combine the coconut milk and coconut cream in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil.
- Decrease the heat to a simmer and stir in the instant coffee until dissolved.
- Add the sugar, brown sugar, non-dairy milk, and pumpkin, then stir until the sugar is dissolved completely.
- Add the coconut oil, all of the spices, and salt, then stir until combined. Continue cooking for 3-4 minutes.
- Remove from heat and add the vanilla extract, then let cool completely.
- Freeze in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions.
- Transfer to a container and place in the freezer to firm up for several hours to overnight, depending on how firm you'd like your ice cream.
Notes
Coconut cream is the solid cream in a can of coconut milk. You can separate the cream from the liquid by leaving a can of coconut milk undisturbed at room temperature for 48 hours, then chilling it overnight so you can easily scoop it out of the can. If you don't have time to do this, you can buy coconut cream in a can (Trader Joe's and the brand Thai Kitchen make this). Make sure you're buying plain coconut cream, and not the drink mixer used for piña coladas, which contains sugar and other ingredients.
This is a soft ice cream, so it may take several hours to overnight to firm up completely in the freezer.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: ½ cupAmount Per Serving: Calories: 240Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 85mgCarbohydrates: 27gFiber: 0gSugar: 24gProtein: 2g
All nutritional information presented within this site are intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information on seitanbeatsyourmeat.com should only be used as a general guideline. This information is provided as a courtesy and there is no guarantee that the information will be completely accurate. Even though I try to provide accurate nutritional information to the best of my ability, these figures should still be considered estimates.
I picked a pumpkin-adjacent nail polish color for this photo, but didn't realize how spot on it would be for the ice cream. If you're curious, the color is KL Polish in Peanut Butter, which is a cruelty-free, vegan brand. Go forth and match your manicure to your pumpkin spice latte!
Brian Duda
Yummy!!!!
Norma
Outstanding story there. What occurred after? Good luck!
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