Carrot Cake Ice Cream

Carrots in ice cream? It sounds a bit like sacrilege, but hear us out! Imagine the delicious flavors of carrot cake: earthiness and warmth from the spices, the natural sweetness from the carrots, and the rich, tangy creaminess from the cream cheese. Fold it all up in a creamy, smooth carrot cake ice cream, and you’ll be wanting vegetables for dessert forevermore!

This homemade ice cream tastes just like carrot cake in frozen form. Warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves give it that familiar cozy flavor, while optional pecans add a little crunch that mirrors the classic cake. Every scoop is creamy, spiced, and surprisingly nostalgic.

Carrots might seem unexpected in ice cream, but they work beautifully here. They’re gently cooked in butter and brown sugar, then blended with cream cheese, which gives the base that unmistakable cream-cheese-frosting vibe. Finished with cream, milk, and vanilla, the result is rich and smooth, with layers of warm spice and just enough sweetness to feel indulgent without being heavy. It’s playful, comforting, and exactly the kind of dessert that makes people do a double-take — in the best way.

Tap stars to rate!

5 stars (2 ratings)

Carrot Cake Ice Cream Recipe

Prep: 20 minutes mins

Chill Time: 6 hours hrs

Cook: 10 minutes mins

Total: 6 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Rate Recipe Print

• Pin

SaveSaved!

Add us as a preferred source

Carrots in ice cream? It sounds a bit like sacrilege, but hear us out! Imagine the delicious flavors of carrot cake: earthiness and warmth from the spices, the natural sweetness from the carrots, and the rich, tangy creaminess from the cream cheese. Fold it all up in a creamy, smooth carrot cake ice cream and you'll be wanting vegetables for dessert forever more!

10

Ingredients

• ▢ 2 cups grated carrots
• ▢ 2 tablespoons butter
• ▢ ½ cup chopped raw pecans (optional)
• ▢ 8 ounces cream cheese (softened )
• ▢ 1 cup light brown sugar
• ▢ 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon EACH: ground allspice, nutmeg, and cloves
• ▢ 2 cups heavy cream
• ▢ 1 cup whole milk
• ▢ 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions 

• Place the carrots into a cheesecloth or paper towel-lined strainer and squeeze out any excess moisture.
  2 cups grated carrots
  
• Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the drained carrots and pecans (if using) and saute them until the carrots are fork-tender– about 5 minutes. Remove the carrots and pecans from the heat and set them aside to cool to room temperature.
  2 tablespoons butter, ½ cup chopped raw pecans
  
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or a large bowl with an electric mixer), beat the cream cheese, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, allspice, nutmeg, and cloves until light and fluffy– about 1 minute.
  8 ounces cream cheese, 1 cup light brown sugar, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon EACH: ground allspice, nutmeg, and cloves
  
• With the mixer on low speed, very slowly drizzle in the heavy cream and whole milk. Then, add the vanilla extract. Mix until completely smooth– we don’t want any lumps of cream cheese in our ice cream! Add the sauteed carrots and stir to combine. Transfer the ice cream base to the fridge and chill for at least 30 minutes, or up to overnight.
  2 cups heavy cream, 1 cup whole milk, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  
• Churn the ice cream mixture in the bowl of your ice cream machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
  
• Transfer the ice cream to a loaf pan, press a piece of parchment paper directly on the surface of the ice cream, and freeze for at least 6 hours, or until set. Let the ice cream sit at room temperature for a few minutes before scooping. Enjoy.
  

Notes

Ice cream bowl: Make sure to chill your ice cream maker bowl according to the manufacturer’s instructions – usually for at least 24 hours.

No-churn ice cream: You can make this without an ice cream maker using the no-churn method. Just pour the chilled mixture into a shallow dish and freeze it. Stir thoroughly every thirty minutes, scraping the sides and breaking up ice crystals. Continue until it’s fully frozen. Then enjoy it right away or store it in a freezer-safe container for later. It may not be as creamy as machine-made ice cream, but it will still taste great! 

Nutrition

Serving: 1 = 1/10th of the recipe, Calories: 372kcal (19%), Carbohydrates: 29g (10%), Protein: 5g (10%), Fat: 27g (42%), Saturated Fat: 15g (94%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 8g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 75mg (25%), Sodium: 262mg (11%), Potassium: 271mg (8%), Fiber: 1g (4%), Sugar: 27g (30%), Vitamin A: 5215IU (104%), Vitamin C: 2mg (2%), Calcium: 128mg (13%), Iron: 0.5mg (3%)

© Author Kristen Stevens

We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.

More ice cream recipes

4 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Black Pepper Pistachio Ice Cream

10 minutes mins

Banana Bread Ice Cream

40 minutes mins

Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream

1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Matcha Ice Cream

All ice cream recipes