This Butter Pecan Ice Cream requires just 7 ingredients and 25 minutes! It’s rich, creamy, and loaded with brown sugar and vanilla flavor and toasty pecans!
Table of Contents
There’s something about the soft, buttery, nuttiness of pecans that just takes desserts to the next level. We’ve got Pumpkin Caramel Pecan Naked Cake, Brown Sugar Pecan Blondies, Brown Sugar Pecan Cookies, and of course this Homemade Butter Pecan Ice Cream!
This ice cream recipe could not be simpler to make and definitely could not be more delicious.
It’s made with a rich and creamy base flavored with brown sugar and vanilla extract, then finished with toasted pecans.
It’s buttery (of course), rich, creamy, and insanely delicious!
This recipe is based off of my homemade frozen custard recipe — it’s a good place to start if you want to make your own flavors!
Ingredients Needed:
- Heavy Whipping Cream and Whole Milk: makes up a rich and creamy base for our homemade butter pecan ice cream. The higher the fat content, the creamier the ice cream will be!
- Brown Sugar: adds a warm, buttery flavor to the ice cream.
- Egg Yolks: egg yolks stabilize the ice cream which gives it a creamier texture and helps it last longer in the freezer.
- Vanilla Extract: vanilla extract is what gives the ice cream its flavor!
- Salt: cuts the sweetness and brings out other flavors.
- Pecans: chopped and toasted!
How to Make Butter Pecan Ice Cream
- Cook the base: First, freeze the bowl of your ice cream maker according to instructions. In a large saucepan, whisk together cream, milk, sugar, and egg yolks. Place the pan onto the stove and cook over medium heat until thickened. Add in vanilla and salt.
- Refrigerate: Transfer the mixture to a glass bowl and cover with a piece of plastic wrap so it’s just touching the surface. Chill in the fridge until completely cold.
- Churn: Place the now chilled mixture into the cold bowl of your ice cream maker and churn for 20 minutes, adding pecans after 15 minutes or stirring in at the end.
- Freeze: Pour the mixture into a glass loaf pan and freeze until firm.
Homemade Butter Pecan Ice Cream FAQs
The ice cream flavor in Butter Pecan Ice Cream is actually classic vanilla! The “buttery” flavor in the ice cream comes from the toasted pecans and the brown sugar, it has almost a caramel-like flavor.
In theory, yes, but I highly recommend sticking with the heavy cream. It’s what makes the ice cream extra rich, smooth, and creamy. The higher the fat content, the better the ice cream!
Homemade Butter Pecan Ice Cream will last wrapped tightly in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to serve, set the container out on the counter for 5-10 minutes to soften.
Tips and Notes
- When you cover with plastic wrap, be sure that the wrap is just touching the surface of the cream mixture. This helps prevent a skin from forming.
- You can speed up the initial chilling process by placing the cream mixture into the freezer instead of the fridge. If you decide to freeze it instead, be sure to stir it every 10 minutes!
- For a richer ice cream, you can use 2 cups of cream and 1 cup of milk instead of equal parts of each.
- Toast the pecans! Toasting the nuts before adding them into the ice cream gives them a crunchier texture and brings out their buttery, nutty flavor.
- Let it sit before serving. I recommend setting the ice cream out on the counter for 5-10 minutes before scooping and serving it for a creamier texture.
More Ice Cream Recipes to Try
Butter Pecan Ice Cream
written by Ashley Fehr
Ingredients
- 1½ cups heavy whipping cream
- 1½ cups whole milk
- ¾-1 cup brown sugar use more or less according to your tastes
- 4 egg yolks
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup toasted, chopped pecans
Instructions
- Freeze ice cream maker bowl according to instructions.
- Whisk cream, milk, sugar, and egg yolks in a large saucepan until smooth.
- Place the pan on medium heat, and cook and whisk constantly until thickened. It will be noticeably thickened, but not thick like pudding.
- Stir in vanilla and salt.
- Pour into a large glass measuring cup or bowl and press a piece of plastic wrap to the surface to keep a skin from forming.
- Refrigerate until completely cold (you can speed this up by placing it in the freezer and stirring every 10 minutes).
- Place in the ice cream maker and churn for 20 minutes or until a soft serve consistency. Add pecans in the last 5 minutes of churning or stir in at the end.
- Pour into a glass loaf pan or baking dish and freeze until firm, about 4-6 hours.
- I recommend letting sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes before serving. Cover leftovers with plastic wrap and freeze up to 3 months.
Notes
- When you cover with plastic wrap, be sure that the wrap is just touching the surface of the cream mixture. This helps prevent a skin from forming.
- You can speed up the initial chilling process by placing the cream mixture into the freezer instead of the fridge. If you decide to freeze it instead, be sure to stir it every 10 minutes!
- For a richer ice cream, you can use 2 cups of cream and 1 cup of milk instead of equal parts of each.
- Toast the pecans! Toasting the nuts before adding them into the ice cream gives them a crunchier texture and brings out their buttery, nutty flavor.
- Let it sit before serving. I recommend setting the ice cream out on the counter for 5-10 minutes before scooping and serving it for a creamier texture.
Nutrition Information
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Cheryl says
I noticed that the eggs aren’t tempered. Do you strain base after cooking?
Gergana says
This looks amazing 🤩 I was wondering can this be done without ice cream machine? Thank you!
The Recipe Rebel says
Definitely! To make this homemade ice cream without an ice cream maker, simply pour the ice cream base into a freezer-safe bowl. Place the bowl into the freezer to chill. Every 30-60 minutes, remove the ice cream from the freezer and beat it with an electric mixer. This helps break up the ice crystals for an extra smooth and creamy ice cream.