This decadent Homemade Sweet Potato Ice Cream will be your new favorite dessert for the fall season! It's perfectly spiced, sweet and swirled with toasted marshmallow, brown sugar, cinnamon and pecans.
Preheat the oven to 400°F then line a sheet tray with parchment paper
Roast the sweet potatoes until they're soft with a brown syrupy sauce oozing out of them, 60-90 minutes. Let them cool slightly then peel them
Puree the sweet potatoes in the food processor until smooth then set aside
Making Sweet Potato Ice Cream
Add the egg yolks to a heat proof bowl then set aside until needed
Whisk the heavy cream, milk, brown sugar and granulated sugar together in a medium sauce pot. Bring it to a simmer over medium-low heat. DO NOT BOIL. The temperature will read around 195°F if you check it with a thermometer
Remove the cream mixture from the heat as soon as it starts to simmer. Add ¼ cup of the hot cream mixture to the bowl of egg yolks while whisking continuously and vigorously
Repeat 4-5 times to temper the egg yolks
Pour the egg mixture back into the hot pan of cream while whisking. Heat the pan over low-medium heat while whisking constantly until it comes to a simmer again, about 195°F
Remove from heat immediately and stir in the vanilla and salt
Strain through a fine mesh strainer into a medium sized mixing bowl
Whisk in the sweet potatoes until smooth
Fill a large mixing bowl with ice and a little water. Set the medium sized bowl inside the large bowl to chill the ice cream mixture. Whisk the mixture every 10 minutes until cooled. Alternatively you can just place the ice cream mixture in the fridge to cool but this will take longer
Once the mixture is fully cooled, add it to your ice cream machine and churn according to manufacturer's instructions. About 20 minutes for my machine.
Add toasted marshmallow mixture in one tablespoon at a time until all of it is added
Pour the ice cream mixture into a loaf pan then freeze for 6-8 hours
Remove the ice cream from the freezer 5-10 minutes before scooping to serve
Toasting the Marshmallow
While the ice cream is churning, turn the broiler in your oven on high
Liberally spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray then spread the marshmallow fluff evenly onto it. About ½ inch thick
Mix the pecans, brown sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl then sprinkle it over the top of the fluff
Toast the fluff for 1-2 minutes in the broiler. Watch carefully, it can burn quickly and easily. Check every 15 seconds or so. You're just looking for it to be lightly toasted
Remove it from the broiler and add it at the very end of churning the ice cream
Notes
Weight on sweet potatoes is after being roasted and peeled.
Make sure your ice cream maker bowl is frozen for at least 24 hours ahead of time! If it's not cold enough it won't work properly.
Don't skip tempering your eggs. It's an easy process that will save you from having to start your ice cream over.
Never bring your ice cream mixture to a boil. You will bring it to around 195°F or a low simmer. Boiling it could cause it to break or burn.
The marshmallow fluff browns QUICKLY under the broiler. It's also easy to burn the pecans and sugar. You just need a quick minute until the fluff starts to toast. Don't be afraid to open the oven and check every 15 seconds or so.
If you like soft serve texture ice cream then feel free to eat the Sweet Potato Ice Cream straight out of the ice cream machine. Otherwise you'll need to freeze it for 6-8 hours in a separate pan or container.
DO NOT begin churning your ice cream before it is FULLY chilled. It will not turn out.