This post may contain Affiliate Links. Please see my Disclaimer for more details.
My Sweet Potato Ice Cream tastes like Thanksgiving with each bite. It is creamy and flavored with toasted pecans, roasted sweet potato, and warm spices. And you don't need an ice cream maker for this recipe.
If you're a fan of sweet potatoes like I am, here are some more delicious recipes you have to try: Sweet Potato Cornbread, Fried Sweet Potato Pies, Sweet Potato Pancakes, Sweet Potato Cinnamon Rolls, Sweet Potato Cheesecake, and Classic Sweet Potato Pie.
Latest Recipe Video:
Jump to:
I already have a fantastic butter pecan ice cream, so I pondered if adding sweet potatoes would be mind-blowing.
Well, mine and everybody else who tasted this ice cream highly approved of the pure deliciousness that's soon to be in your belly.
Remember, making homemade ice cream is not difficult, and you do not need an ice cream machine to produce great ice cream at home.
My sweet potato ice cream recipe does not require an ice cream maker. All you need is a whisk, a bowl, and something to put your ice cream in, like a loaf pan. Plus, we won't need to worry about tempering egg yolks and sugar in a hot cream mixture because we're using sweetened condensed milk.
It's bursting with sweet potato flavor because I used roasted sweet potatoes instead of a sweet potato puree from the can. The enhanced flavor comes from the brown sugar and cinnamon, giving it the essence of a sweet potato pie.
So, if you're looking for gluten-free ice cream, look no further. But if you're looking for one that's dairy-free and vegan, you've come to the wrong recipe.
However, if you're looking for a creamy and flavorful scoop of ice cream, I've got you covered!
Key Ingredients
To make this homemade no-churn ice cream, you will need the following key ingredients:
Sweet Potato
I always use freshly baked sweet potatoes for desserts. Roasting brings out the natural sugars and makes a huge difference in the final flavor of the dish.
Heavy Whipping Cream
Whipped heavy cream that has been put through a strainer to give it a smooth and fluffy texture. It's usually very thick for quality and flavor, so it won't break or curdle when mixed with other ingredients.
Sweetened Condensed Milk
Sweetened condensed milk will give the sweet potato ice cream a richer, sweeter, and creamy texture. It also eliminates the need for eggs, as in a traditional ice cream recipe. Finally, condensed milk provides stability by adding sugar, which prevents crystallization.
Kosher Salt
Kosher salt is perfect for adding to a sweet recipe like this because it enhances the flavor and sweetness.
Pecans
Pecans are the co-star of this dish, as they add texture and depth of flavor.
Butter
Butter will add a rich texture to your ice cream.
Vanilla Extract
Vanilla extract adds a distinct flavor to desserts, which can be described as buttery, sweet, and nutty, with a slight touch of woodiness.
Dark Brown Sugar
Dark brown sugar is raw cane sugar processed with molasses. It contains about 6.5% molasses, while light brown sugar has 3.5%. More molasses equals a deeper maple flavor that pairs well with pecans.
Ingredients For Sweet Potato Ice Cream
To make the best fall ice cream in the world, you need a recipe that has been tested and proven to be delicious. Here's how to make this magnificent sweet potato pecan ice cream.
- Chopped pecans
- Butter
- Dark brown sugar
- Heavy whipping cream
- Sweet condensed milk
- Sweet potatoes
- Cinnamon
- Nutmeg
- Salt
- Vanilla extract
How To Make Sweet Potato Ice Cream
These are the steps and techniques for making this brilliant sweet potato ice cream.
Step 1: Turn the heat to medium-high in a small skillet and toast the pecans for 2 minutes, constantly stirring until fragrant. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
Step 2: In a stand mixer or a bowl with a hand mixer, whip heavy cream until stiff peaks form, about 1 ½ minutes. Fold in condensed milk.
Step 3: In a small bowl, combine cooled melted butter, sweet potatoes, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and vanilla. Fold the sweet potato mix and pecans into the ice cream base. The pecans should be evenly distributed and covered in the ice cream base.
Step 4: Transfer to a loaf pan, cover with plastic wrap, and freeze overnight before enjoying. Set ice cream out for 2 minutes before serving. Serve two scoops with some pecans.
Storing Sweet Potato Ice Cream
You can bake your sweet potato two days in advance and toast your pecans three days in advance.
Ice cream will be good for one month in the freezer.
Sweet Potato Ice Cream Tips & Tricks
Here are some of my top tips, substitutions, and tricks to help you make this dessert:
- Never buy sweet potatoes with strings on them. This is a clear sign of an older potato. You want the freshest sweet potato possible.
- Here's my recipe for the perfect baked sweet potato.
- The secret to making excellent butter pecan ice cream is toasting your pecans. This will add a toasty depth of flavor while omitting this step will make it taste like vanilla ice cream with pecans.
- Condensed milk eliminates the need for eggs, like in a traditional ice cream recipe. Finally, it provides stability by adding sugar, which prevents crystallization.
- It's important to whip your whipped cream to stiff peaks. The very thick cream won't break or curdle when mixed with other ingredients. You can use sweetened coconut condensed milk as a substitute for sweetened condensed milk for vegan ice cream.
- You can substitute coarse sea salt for kosher salt by using sea salt or whatever salt you have at home.
- You can use light brown sugar as a swap for dark brown sugar.
- Feel free to use your peanuts, almonds, cashews, or any combination of your favorite nuts.
- You can use half the can of sweetened condensed milk to reduce the sweetness of the ice cream.
- You can easily swap pumpkin puree for sweet potatoes and make a pumpkin pie ice cream.
- If you find some ube sweet potatoes, also known as Japanese sweet potatoes, they'll make a beautiful purple sweet potato ice cream.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about making sweet potato pecan ice cream.
How to make a sweet potato ice cream vegan?
This is a great dessert to make for your vegan friends and family. Only a few swaps need to be made to make this sweet potato ice cream vegan. First, swap out the unsalted butter for vegan butter. I like to use Miyoko's vegan butter. Then, use sweetened condensed coconut milk instead of sweetened condensed milk. Also, use raw cane sugar instead of dark brown sugar. Raw cane sugar is not processed with bone char.
What is "no-churn"?
No churn means this recipe doesn't have eggs, unlike traditional ice creams. This makes it much easier to make at home because you don't need an industrial mixer or special equipment. You can substitute sweetened condensed coconut milk for sweetened condensed milk. You can also substitute raw cane sugar for dark brown sugar. Raw cane sugar is not processed with bone char.
How long does it take to make no-churn ice cream?
No-churning homemade butter pecan ice cream takes about 10 minutes depending on how much you're making. It's a similar process time as traditional recipes, but without the eggs, and making this ice cream recipe goes quickly!
More Ice Cream Recipes
If you're looking for more homemade ice cream recipes, give these a try.
- Blueberry Basil Ice Cream
- Apple Mint Julep Ice Cream
- Vanilla Ice Cream
- Peach Cobbler Ice Cream
- Affogato Ice Cream
- Fudge Brownie Ice Cream
Before You Begin
To begin, here are the steps I follow to get organized.
Step 1: Read the recipe once, then get all the ingredients on the counter.
Step 2: Measure all ingredients into separate bowls.
Step 3: Follow the recipe and prepare the best sweet potato ice cream ever!
I hope this recipe has shown you that making your own ice cream doesn't have to be complicated or time consuming. With a little bit of planning, you can whip up batches of sweet potato pecan ice cream for Thanksgiving and any other occasion! If it's been a while since you made homemade ice cream, come back and leave me a 5-star review so we can continue our conversation about all the joys of homemade desserts!
Click here to subscribe to MY Weekly Recipes for easy and free recipes right into your inbox!
To pin this recipe and save it for later, you can use the Pin button on the recipe card, the sharing buttons above or below this post, or any of the photos above.
Tag me @kennethtemple_ and use #LezEat on Instagram to share your remakes with me, and don't forget to leave a star rating and comment below.
📖 Recipe
Sweet Potato Ice Cream
Ingredients
- ½ cup chopped pecans
- 4 tablespoons butter 1 tablespoon cold, 3 tablespoons melted
- 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
- 2 cups cold heavy cream
- 14 oz. sweet condensed milk
- 1 cup mashed sweet potato
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Turn on the heat to medium-high in a fry small skillet toast pecans for 2 minutes, constantly stirring until pecans are fragrant. Remove from heat, add 1 tablespoon of butter and dark brown sugar, stir to combine and cool.
- In a stand mixer or a bowl with a hand mixer, whip heavy cream and kosher salt until stiff peaks form, about 1 ½ minutes. Fold in condensed milk.
- In a small bowl, combine cooled melted butter, sweet potato, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla. Fold sweet potato mix and pecans into the ice cream base. Pecans should be evenly distributed and covered in an ice cream base.
- Transfer to dish and cover and pop in the freezer overnight before enjoying. Set ice cream out for 2 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Never buy sweet potatoes with strings on them. This is a clear sign of an older potato. You want the freshest sweet potato possible.
- Here's my recipe for the perfect baked sweet potato.
- The secret to making an excellent butter pecan ice cream is toasting your pecans. It will add a toasty depth of flavor to the butter pecan ice cream. Omitting this step will make it taste like vanilla ice cream with pecans.
- The condensed milk eliminates the need for eggs like in a traditional ice cream recipe. Finally, condensed milk provides stability by adding sugar which prevents crystallization.
- It’s important to whip your whipped cream too stiff peaks. The very thick cream, won't break or curdle when mixed with other ingredients. You can use sweetened coconut condensed milk as a swamp for sweetened condensed milk for a vegan ice cream.
- You can use coarse sea salt, sea salt or whatever salt you have at home as a swap for kosher salt.
- You can use light brown sugar, honey or maple syrup as a swap for dark brown sugar.
- Feel free to use your peanuts, almonds, cashews or any combination of your favorite nuts.
- You can use half the can of sweetened condensed milk to reduce the sweetness of the ice cream.
Donna Montgomery says
My husband can't have sugar, could I sub. with maple syrup ?
Kenneth Temple says
Hi Donna! Yes, you can use honey or maple syrup as a sub.