Sweet Potato Ice Cream Recipe

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 07/28/22
Tested by
Noah Velush-Rogers
Noah Velush-Rogers
Tested by Noah Velush-Rogers
Noah Velush-Rogers works on food prep for several area caterers. He has worked with a team of prep chefs for a private school group. He was an assistant cooking teacher for children and teen group cooking classes. Noah was hired as an intern and was then trained as a recipe tester for Fine Cooking Magazine. 
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
sweet potato ice cream served in bowls

The Spruce/Madhumita Sathishkumar
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 10 mins
Refrigerate/Freezing: 4 hrs
Total: 4 hrs 20 mins
Servings: 5 servings
Yield: 1 quart
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
658 Calories
50g Fat
42g Carbs
13g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 5
Amount per serving
Calories 658
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 50g 64%
Saturated Fat 30g 151%
Cholesterol 362mg 121%
Sodium 148mg 6%
Total Carbohydrate 42g 15%
Dietary Fiber 2g 6%
Total Sugars 35g
Protein 13g
Vitamin C 9mg 43%
Calcium 208mg 16%
Iron 2mg 9%
Potassium 479mg 10%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

If you can have pumpkin pie ice cream, you can most certainly have sweet potato pie in a scoop of ice cream, right? Yes, please!

This recipe requires sweet potato puree which you can buy premade in a can, or you can make yourself by cooking the sweet potatoes in boiling water and then pureeing them in a blender.

Serve sweet potato ice cream with this delicious brown sugar pecan praline sauce or with dulce de leche. Butterscotch sauce would be excellent as well, or simply sprinkle toasted pecans or toasted coconut over the ice cream.

“I had my own doubts about this one but I ended up really enjoying it even as a sweet potato skeptic! If you feel like going the extra step you can make your own sweet potato puree but I found it’s still delicious even with a canned one. Definitely try this out before summer’s over!” —Noah Velush-Rogers

Sweet Potato Ice Cream/Tester Image
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cups heavy cream

  • 1 cup whole milk

  • 3/4 cup dark brown sugar

  • 5 large egg yolks

  • 1 cup sweet potato puree

  • 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    ingredients to make sweet potato ice cream

    The Spruce/Madhumita Sathishkumar

  2. Heat cream, milk, and brown sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally until sugar is dissolved and mixture begins to boil.

    cream, milk, and brown sugar in a medium saucepan

    The Spruce/Madhumita Sathishkumar

  3. In a small bowl, whisk egg yolks briefly; slowly pour about 1 cup of the hot cream mixture into egg yolks, whisking briskly as you pour.

    adding warm cream mixture to whipped eggs

    The Spruce/Madhumita Sathishkumar

  4. Pour egg yolk-cream mixture back into the saucepan, whisking constantly. Continue cooking over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon, or to about 175 F. Do not boil.

    whisking sweet potato ice cream base mixture

    The Spruce/Madhumita Sathishkumar

  5. Strain mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Whisk in the sweet potato puree, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 3 hours.

    sweet potato ice cream mixture in a covered bowl

    The Spruce/Madhumita Sathishkumar

  6. Churn in an ice-cream maker following manufacturer's directions. Transfer to a container. Cover, and freeze until firm, at least 1 hour.

    sweet potato ice cream in a ice cream maker

    The Spruce/Madhumita Sathishkumar

Raw Egg Warning

Consuming raw and lightly cooked eggs poses a risk of foodborne illness.

Tip

  • Dip a spoon in the egg and milk mixture and run a finger across the back of the spoon. If the path your finger makes is clear and the film on the spoon is not at all runny, the custard is done.