Combine the pecans, crumbs, sugar and butter. Press into the bottom of a 9-inch pie pan. Bake 5 to 7 minutes. Let cool.
ADD THE FILLING:
In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the pumpkin, brown sugar, salt and spices for several minutes. Stir in the softened ice cream. Pour into the crust- even out the top; freeze overnight.
Remove the pie from the freezer about 15 minutes before serving. Top with whipped cream, if desired.
Notes
If you are preparing this recipe as gluten-free, just be sure to use GF Gingersnaps, and use a brand of vanilla ice cream that is known to be GF
To get finely ground crust ingredients, a food processor works best.