Somebody asked me recently where I find my recipes for the newsletter. It depends. Some I’ve been making forever, while others are new discoveries I want to share. This one is a long time favorite. Pumpkin Ice Cream Dessert is something I make for Thanksgiving every so often, just to change things up. The nice thing about this is it has the flavors of the season without being heavy, like so many holiday desserts. I will often make the recipe to share with others before I make a final decision. When I brought this one into work for feedback, those that tried it responded very favorably. In fact, one coworker who doesn’t normally eat a lot of sweets was already talking about wanting to have a second piece! Hopefully that will encourage you to try this recipe.
- 36 gingersnap cookies, crushed
- ¼ cup butter or margarine, melted
- ½ gallon vanilla ice cream, softened
- 1 container (8 oz.) frozen whipped topping, thawed
- 2/3 cup toffee bits
- 1 cup pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
- 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice blend
- Combine cookie crumbs and melted butter, stirring well. Firmly press crumb mixture onto the bottom of a 10-inch springform pan or a 13×9-inch baking dish. Place in freezer to set while you prepare the layers.
- Scoop half the ice cream into a large bowl. Fold in 1 cup of the whipped topping and the toffee bits, just to combine. Spread evenly over the frozen crust. Put back into freezer while you prepare the next layer.
- In a large bowl (I use the same bowl as for the first layer), combine the pumpkin, brown sugar, and spice blend. Whisk to combine. Scoop in the remaining ice cream and mix until blended. Spread evenly over the ice cream layer. Return to freezer until firm, about 8 hours or overnight.
- When ready to serve, remove the dessert from the freezer 10-20 minutes before serving. Spread* remaining whipped topping over the top and let sit in the refrigerator to soften slightly before cutting.
Serves 16
*You can also pipe the whipped topping on each serving as a garnish, rather than spreading on top (if you’re into that sort of thing).