Sweet Potato Ice Cream
intro
Silky, warmly spiced roasted sweet potato ice cream is a cozy twist on classic fall flavors, ideal for serving alongside holiday pies or as a standalone cold treat.
Ingredients
Steps
Roast the sweet potato
Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F). Prick the scrubbed 250g sweet potato 5-6 times with a fork, place directly on the middle oven rack, and roast for 40-45 minutes until flesh is completely tender when pierced with a paring knife. Remove from oven and let cool for 15 minutes at room temperature until safe to handle.
Make sweet potato puree
Slice the cooled roasted sweet potato in half lengthwise, scoop out all soft flesh (discard the tough skin) into a high-speed blender or food processor. Blend on high for 30-45 seconds until completely smooth with no remaining lumps. Measure out exactly 200g (about 3/4 cup) of the puree, set aside, and reserve any excess puree for other uses.
Cook custard base
In a small heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the 120ml whole milk, 50g (1/4 cup) of the granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, and 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt. Stir constantly for 3-4 minutes until the mixture reaches 70°C (160°F) and sugar is fully dissolved; do not bring to a boil. In a separate heatproof glass bowl, whisk the 3 egg yolks with the remaining 50g (1/4 cup) sugar until pale lemon yellow, about 1 minute. Slowly pour 1/3 of the warm milk mixture into the egg yolks while whisking nonstop to temper the eggs and prevent curdling, then pour the tempered egg mixture back into the saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a silicone spatula, for 4-5 minutes until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of the spatula (reaches 82°C/180°F); do not boil.
Chill the ice cream base
Remove the thickened custard from heat immediately, stir in the measured 200g sweet potato puree, 360ml heavy cream, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract until fully combined and a uniform warm orange color. Pour the base through a fine-mesh sieve into a shallow airtight glass container to remove any lumps or tiny curdled egg bits. Press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the base to prevent a skin from forming, then refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours (or up to 24 hours for deeper flavor) until completely chilled to 4°C (40°F) or colder.
Churn the ice cream
Remove the fully chilled base from the refrigerator, peel off the plastic wrap, and pour the base into a pre-frozen ice cream maker canister. Churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions, typically 20-25 minutes, until the ice cream reaches a thick, billowy soft-serve consistency that holds its shape when lifted with a spoon.
Harden the ice cream
Transfer the churned soft ice cream into a 1L freezer-safe airtight container, smoothing the top evenly with a spatula. Seal the lid tightly, and freeze for 2 hours until the ice cream is firm enough to scoop into clean rounds but still retains a creamy, smooth texture. If freezing for longer than 4 hours, let the container sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes before scooping to soften slightly for easier serving.
Tips
2.Never boil sweet potato instead of roasting it: boiling adds excess water that makes finished ice cream icy and grainy, while roasting caramelizes the sweet potato’s natural sugars for a deeper, richer flavor.
3.For a festive Thanksgiving serving, top scoops with 1 tablespoon of toasted chopped pecans, a 1 teaspoon drizzle of maple syrup, or a light sprinkle of cinnamon sugar to complement the warm spiced flavor.
OMG this creamy roasted sweet potato ice cream is such a game changer! I brought it to my neighborhood potluck last weekend and everyone was begging for the recipe. I added a tiny pinch of extra cinnamon on top and it was chef’s kiss. Only thing is I was worried my ice cream maker was too small at first, but it worked out!
My kids were so skeptical when I said we were making sweet potato ice cream for our Sunday family dinner dessert, but they devoured every single scoop! The roasted sweet potato flavor comes through so nicely without being weirdly veggie-tasting. The cook time is long for sure, but most of it is just waiting for it to chill so it’s not that bad.
Wait, has anyone tried making this dairy free? I’m thinking of swapping the heavy cream for full fat coconut cream but I’m worried it’ll mess with the texture. Roasted sweet potato in ice cream sounds too good to pass up for my monthly meal prep dessert rotation!
I made this for our Thanksgiving pre-game dinner last week and it was SO good! I paired it with a pecan crumble topping and it tasted just like sweet potato casserole but in ice cream form. My only tiny complaint is I wish the recipe noted how long to roast the sweet potatoes for? I think I underdid mine a little because the flavor wasn’t as deep as I wanted.
Just pulled my first batch out of the ice cream maker and it’s so creamy I could cry! I was worried medium difficulty meant I’d mess it up, but the instructions are super straightforward. I added a little bourbon swirl to half the batch for my partner and it’s insane. 10/10 will make again.
Whoa, sweet potato ice cream? I was fully expecting this to be a weird health food gimmick but it’s actually decadent as hell. The creamy texture is way better than store bought ice cream I’ve paid $8 a pint for. Worth every minute of wait time.
This is such a perfect gluten free dessert option for my kid’s birthday party! I was struggling to find something that wasn’t just chocolate or vanilla that all the kids would eat, and this was a total hit. I served it in little waffle cones (gluten free, obviously) and no one even guessed there was sweet potato in it.
I messed up the first batch because I forgot to let the custard cool all the way before churning, oops. Ended up with a weird soupy mess, but I tried again yesterday and followed the steps exactly and it came out perfect. Don’t rush the chill time, folks!
Y’all, I served this alongside my famous pecan pie at our family cookout and people were going back for seconds of the ice cream more than the pie! I added a sprinkle of toasted marshmallow bits on top for that sweet potato casserole vibe and it was chef’s kiss.
I love that this stays creamy in the freezer for a whole week! Most homemade ice cream gets rock solid and impossible to scoop after a couple days, but this scoops perfectly straight out of the freezer. It’s my new go-to Sunday meal prep dessert for busy weeknights.
Wait, is it possible to make this without an ice cream maker? I’m in a dorm and don’t have space for one, but this looks so good I’d try the no-churn method if anyone has tips.
I thought the medium difficulty rating was overblown until I realized I had to make a custard base, lmao. I’ve never made a custard before so I was paranoid about scrambling the eggs, but I took it slow and it turned out perfectly. Don’t let the medium tag scare you if you’re a beginner!
I added a pinch of cayenne pepper to my batch and it was insane! The little hint of heat pairs so well with the sweet, creamy sweet potato and cinnamon. It tastes like fall in a scoop, I’m obsessed.
Okay I’ll be real, I saw 7 and a half hours total time and almost clicked away, but my roommate begged me to make it with her. Turns out 6.5 hours of that is just waiting for it to chill and freeze, the actual work is super easy. 10/10 would make again, even for my lazy self.
I’ve been making sweet potato pie for 50 years and never thought to turn it into ice cream! This tastes just like my famous pie filling but cold and creamy. My grandkids went crazy for it when they visited last weekend. What a fun, creative recipe.
I made this for a post-hike hangout with my friends last weekend and everyone was raving. It’s sweet but not too heavy, so it didn’t make us feel sluggish after being out on the trail all morning. I’ll definitely be adding this to my regular adventure snack rotation.
Okay so I definitely over-roasted my sweet potatoes a little so they had a tiny burnt edge, but I just cut those parts off and it still turned out amazing! Even my mistakes couldn’t ruin this recipe, that’s how good it is. Will definitely be more careful with the roast time next batch though.
Made this for my anniversary dinner with my girlfriend last night and she thought I ordered it from a fancy artisanal ice cream shop! Little does she know it was way easier to make than it sounds, I’ll be taking full credit for being a master chef for the next month lmao.
I swapped the regular brown sugar for maple sugar in my batch and it gave it the coziest, woodsy fall flavor that pairs so perfectly with the roasted sweet potato. I topped each scoop with a candied pecan and it was literally the best dessert I’ve made all fall. SO good!