Butter Pecan Ice Cream is rich, creamy, and wonderful. This old fashioned ice cream flavor has the perfect balance of sweet and nutty.
Homemade ice cream is the perfect Frozen Treat for the summer. For more flavor options, try my Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream and Peach Ice Cream recipe.
Sabrina’s Butter Pecan Ice Cream Recipe
Butter Pecan Ice Cream is a favorite flavor of many, so I decided to make it myself. Now that I have, I don’t know what took so long! With summer around the corner, and kids being out of school, this is a perfect recipe to have everyone participate in. You can have fun adding your favorite toppings to finish this recipe, like drizzling Salted Caramel Sauce or Whipped Cream. Follow my tips below the recipe card to get the best results from your ice cream.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
- 1 cup pecans , chopped
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar , packed
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 large egg yolks
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Add pecans and butter to a saucepan on medium heat.
- Cook, stirring, until you can smell the pecans but don't let them brown too much.
- Add in brown sugar, milk, and vanilla extract stirring well, and bring to a simmer on medium low heat, do not boil.
- Turn off the heat.
- Whisk together egg yolks and ¼ cup sugar in a small bowl.
- Remove ½ cup of the custard and, in a very thin slow stream, whisk the mixture in with the egg yolks without stopping, do not let the eggs curdle.
- Add in the other ½ cup of the custard, again in a very thin slow stream until whisked together.
- Note: If you add custard too quickly your eggs will curdle, if this happens, start over, you don’t want curdled eggs in the ice cream.
- Carefully whisk the egg and custard mixture back into the saucepan in a slow thin stream while whisking quickly until well combined.
- Turn the heat back on to medium low and bring back to a simmer.
- Reduce to low heat, cook, stirring non-stop, until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- Refrigerate custard, covered, until chilled, at least 2 hours.
- Add heavy cream to a stand mixer or a bowl with a hand mixer and whip to soft peaks.
- Add whipped cream to the custard and stir gently until combined.
- Add to your ice cream maker and churn until firm.
- Move to a container, cover, and freeze until set.
Nutrition
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Chef’s Note
Homemade ice cream is easier than you might think, especially when following these tips. When it comes to this recipe specifically, make sure the pecans are nicely toasted. Secondly, patience is key when chilling the custard. You want to make sure it chills for at least 2 hours, up to overnight.
Table of contents
Can this be made ahead of time?
Absolutely. Make this recipe up to 1 or 1.5 weeks in advance since all it has to do is hang out in the freezer until you’re ready to eat it.
How to Store
- Serve: Wait until the ice cream is firm before scooping and serving.
- Store: Keep in an airtight container in the freezer. Be sure to use a freezer-safe container and seal the ice cream before storing it. The recipe can stay good for about 2 weeks. After that, large ice crystals start to form and the texture will change.
Variations
- Nuts: You can also prepare this recipe with other kinds of toasted nuts as mix-ins. Toasted almonds, walnuts, or cashews would all make delicious substitutions.
- Coffee: Delicious coffee flavor pairs beautifully with this recipe. You can mix in 2 tablespoons espresso powder with the custard base. Whisk until the coffee granules blend in, then add the heavy cream mixture.
- Cookie crumb: You can break ‘Nilla Wafers or Biscoff cookies into small pieces, then stir them into the mixture before freezing.
- More mix-ins: Mini marshmallows, chocolate chips, raisins, toffee bits, pretzel bits, or brownie bits would all taste wonderful.
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