Pumpkin Ice Cream Bars

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This recipe has a couple steps, but is really easy to prepare. Don’t worry, for those of you who don’t have an ice cream maker (myself included) you’re not making homemade ice cream from scratch! The recipe starts with regular vanilla ice cream, and with the addition of pumpkin and pumpkin pie spices, this delicious new ice cream flavor is created. Crushed gingersnaps become the crust layer underneath, and chopped pecans sprinkled on top are the perfect nutty crunch in each bite of the cool, creamy ice cream. I love semi-homemade recipes like this that don’t take a ton of effort, but are so, so delicious and will make whoever you serve this to feel extra special.
from lovegrowswild.com

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Ingredients

  • 2 cups gingersnaps, crushed
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 quart vanilla ice cream, softened
  • 1 cup pecans, chopped

Preparation

Step 1

Add gingersnaps to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until fine crumbs form. Add the melted butter and continue pulsing until the butter is evenly distributed throughout the gingersnap crumbs. Note: You can also crush the gingersnaps in a sealed zipper storage bag. Once you have broken down the gingersnaps into fine crumbs, pour the melted butter in the bag and toss combine.

Pour the cookie crumbs into the bottom of an 8 x 8 baking dish and press down to create a crust. Place the dish in the freezer for 20 minutes to let the crust harden.

Meanwhile, combine the pumpkin puree, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and salt in a large bowl. Add the softened ice cream and stir until well combined. After 20 minutes, remove the dish from the freezer and pour the ice cream pumpkin mixture over the crust in an even layer. Sprinkle the chopped pecans over the top of the ice cream and freeze for at least four hours or overnight. Note: If the ice cream mixture is very soft and liquid when you pour it over the crust, place the dish in the freezer for another 20 minutes before sprinkling the pecans on top so they don’t sink down into the ice cream.

To serve, cut the ice cream into bars and enjoy immediately.

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