Paleo Pumpkin Ginger Snap Ice Cream

Paleo Pumpkin Ginger Snap Ice Cream

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Introduction

Happy September, friends! For some of you, September is still considered summer. For others, like me, it’s the Fall kickoff month. Also known as the first BER month. Followed by OctoBER, NovemBER, and DecemBER.

Leaves are starting to turn bright, beautiful shades of reds, oranges, and yellow. The mornings are dewy, the days are hot, and the evening air is crisp. It’s the special time of year where dressing in layers of all 4 seasons is a must.

With the outside temps still feeling like summer, but the calendar saying it’s fall, I wanted to create a recipe that tastes like BOTH IN ONE. What better way to do that than with an autumn flavored ice cream? YUM!

Pumpkin Ginger Snap Ice Cream

The Inspiration

The idea for this mashup actually came from one of my favorite memories. Right up the street from my daughter’s doctor’s office was, was a coffee and ice cream shop. We used to go there after every appointment. It was just one of those special things we used to do to turn something not-so-fun into something memorable…until the shop closed down. Sad day!

Anyways, my daughter would get the “superman” flavor while I always had my eyes peeled for the seasonal “pumpkin ginger snap.” It. Was. HEAVENLY! So, while I was brainstorming the idea for which flavor to use for this summer-fall mashup, this combo came to mind.

However, if you’ve been following along on the Messy Masterpiece Blog’s Facebook page, you’ve probably noticed that it’s Reset September and today is the first day of dairy-free week. Not great news for an ice cream recipe…

Fortunately, I was already on it! This recipe is completely paleo. Which means it’s dairy free, grain free (which was week 1 of Reset September), and also refined sugar free. The pumpkin ice cream base was inspired by Real Food With Jessica and the ginger snap add-ins were from What Great Grandma Ate.

The Ginger Snaps

When looking at the original cookie recipe, I knew I had three edits to make. The first one was the almond meal. Almond meal has a slightly more gritty texture, so I prefer finely sifted Blue Diamond Almond Flour. It’s an easy 1:1 substitute that makes a big difference.

The second substitution is the coconut oil. I’m not a big fan of coconut taste in things that aren’t supposed to be coconut flavored. The refined coconut oil options that aren’t as flavored are much more expensive. So, I simply substitute my favorite dairy free butter, Country Crock Plant Based. This ratio is also 1:1.

The third, and final, edit is the freshly grated ginger. I would actually prefer fresh, but unfortunately I did not have any on hand. So, ground ginger spice it is! The ratio for this is NOT 1:1. For every tablespoon of fresh ginger called for, 1/4 tsp of ground ginger can be substituted in it’s place. That means that for this recipe, you will need 1/2 tsp of ground ginger spice.

The Pumpkin Ice Cream

This original recipe is great! The only edit that I made was increasing the maple syrup. I like my treats to be sweet, and 1/2 cup just wasn’t cutting it. Especially, since grass fed, sugar free gelatin can cancel out sweetness. If you want to learn how I discovered that, check out my post STEM To Stem Glass.

The only other change in the original recipe was in my process. I do not own an ice cream maker. After this recipe, it might just have to go on my Christmas list. Instead, I just poured the mix into a glass dish and froze it.

In doing this, the texture was a little less creamy and a little more icy than if I had used a machine. I didn’t hate it, it just require some microwave thawing before it was scoop-able. Once it was thawed, it tasted great! My takeaway is that if you have an ice cream machine…use it! If not, you can still make this treat. It will just require an extra step.

The Mash Up

After making the edits in each component, I started the process of creating that final product. The first step was to make the ginger snaps.

I followed the recipe (with my edits) to make the dough. Once the dough was made, I scooped out tablespoon sized scoops and rolled them into balls. Once all the dough was rolled out, I used a fork to gently smash a grid pattern into each cookie.

The grid process took some patience. The dough is very sticky and if I didn’t wipe the fork off after each smash, the cookie would get stuck. If your cookies get stuck, it’s not the end of the world. Just gently pull them off and reshape them if need be.

Once the cookies were in the oven, I started the ice cream base. I followed the original recipe (with extra maple added) and poured it into my glass container to chill. Then, I popped it into the freezer to thicken up before adding the cookies.

At this point, the cookies were cooling, the ice cream was chilling, and I was napping. LOL! About an hour later, the ice cream was thick enough to hold the cookies without sinking to the bottom.

I crushed up 75% of the cookies and mixed in into the ice cream base. Then, I crushed up a little more to make the top pretty. I reserved a few cookies for sundae garnishing later. I’m all about pretty food!

For a visual guide for this recipe, check out the video I made while crafting my Paleo Pumpkin Ginger Snap Ice Cream! For more fun videos and recipes, be sure to follow the Messy Masterpiece Blog Instagram page.

Conclusion

This is certainly an awkward time of the year. September’s warm temps mixed with autumn yearning make for a time of transition. This Paleo Pumpkin Ginger Snap Ice Cream is the perfect way to usher in the new season without completely derailing your Reset September!

I hope you enjoy this healthy (ish) treat this autumn season as much as I did! I’d love to hear your thoughts and edits via my Contact page. Your input helps Messy Masterpiece Blog serve you better. Your input is valuable!

‘Til next time…Happy Fall Ya’ll!!!

Paleo Pumpkin Ginger Snap Ice Cream

Recipe by Messy MasterpieceCourse: DessertDifficulty: Medium
Prep time

45

minutes
Cooking time

20

minutes

Ingredients

  • Ginger Snap Cookies
  • 2 cups almond flour (I use this one)

  • 1/2 tsp baking powder

  • 1/2 tsp salt

  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon

  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger

  • 2 tbsp molasses

  • 2 tbsp dairy free butter, melted (I use this one)

  • 2 tbsp 100% maple syrup

  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

  • Pumpkin Ice Cream
  • 15oz can pumpkin (NOT pie mix)

  • 2 cans full fat coconut milk

  • 3/4 – 1 cup 100% maple syrup (to taste)

  • 2 tsp grass fed gelatin (I use this one)

  • 1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Directions

  • Ginger Snaps
  • To make the cookies, preheat your oven to 350. Then combine the first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl.
  • In a separate bowl, combine the remaining 4 wet ingredients. Then pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture to form the dough.
  • In tablespoon sized amounts, scoop dough into your hand and roll into a ball. Once all the dough is in ball form, use a fork to make a grid pattern. Be careful to clean of fork after each press so the dough doesn’t stick to it.
  • Bake cookies for 20 mins. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
  • Reserve a handful of cookies for sundae garnishing, then crush up the rest. Set aside.
  • Pumpkin Ice Cream WITHOUT MACHINE
  • To make the ice cream WITHOUT an ice cream maker, combine the first 3 ingredients in a saucepan. Heat until thoroughly combined. Turn off the heart and sprinkle gelatin on top. Let sit for 5 minutes before stirring to combine. Add in the remaining ingredients.
  • Pour the ice cream mixture into a container. Then, put the container in the freezer to chill for 1 hr.
  • When the mixture has thickened a little, mix in the crushed up, ginger snap cookies.
  • Cover container with a airtight lid and allow to freeze completely.
  • Before serving, allow to thaw at room temperature for an hour, or pop it in the microwave to soften.
  • Scoop ice cream into a dish and top with dairy free whipped cream, an extra dash of pumpkin pie spice, and a ginger snap cookie. ENJOY!
  • Pumpkin Ice Cream WITH AN ICE CREAM MACHINE
  • To make recipe WITH an ice cream maker, follow Step 1 and 2 above. Instead of freezing, place mixture into the refrigerator over night.
  • Once chilled, pour the mixture into your ice cream machine and follow the machine’s directions.
  • Keep finished product in an airtight container in the freezer. Allow to thaw a little each time before scooping.

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