Commercial ice cream is so widely available that it might seem pointless for a home cook to compete with the plethora of options at the store. At the end of the day, though, a store-bought pint can’t hold a candle to a homemade batch of ice cream made with real nuts, eggs and, of course, cream. Take our butter pecan ice cream, a recipe featuring everyday kitchen staples to make something truly decadent.
Homemade frozen desserts, like our butter pecan ice cream, often taste better than their purchased counterparts, and you often don’t need fancy equipment or tools to make them. Ice cream recipes are easiest to prepare with an ice cream maker, but it is possible to make it without one. You can even make ice cream in a bag!
This butter pecan ice cream is rich and nutty with a delightful crunch. And since nuts are available year-round, you can enjoy a freshly churned batch any time of year.
Ingredients for Butter Pecan Ice Cream
- Pecans: Since the nuts in this ice cream recipe are chopped, it’s fine to purchase less-expensive pecan halves or pieces instead of whole pecans.
- Butter: The recipe doesn’t specify salted or unsalted butter—but best practice is to use an unsalted butter brand.
- Cream: For just the right amount of richness, this recipe calls for both half-and-half and heavy whipping cream. When you’re at the grocery store, know that “heavy cream” and “heavy whipping cream” are pretty much the same thing and are interchangeable in recipes like this one.
- Brown sugar: Light or dark brown sugar will do when making butter pecan ice cream. Since dark brown sugar contains more molasses, it will add additional depth to the ice cream’s flavor. Choose your own adventure!
- Eggs: The usual Grade A large eggs are what you’re looking for when making ice cream. If you can get farm-fresh eggs, the dark orange of the yolks will bring some lovely color to your ice cream.
- Vanilla: Have you tried your hand at homemade vanilla extract? This would be a perfect use for it. If not, look for a premium vanilla extract brand for the best flavor.
Directions
Step 1: Toast the pecans
In a small skillet, toast the pecans in butter for five to six minutes or until lightly browned. Cool.
Step 2: Cook the custard
In a heavy saucepan, heat the half-and-half cream until it reaches 175°F. Add the brown sugar, and stir until it’s dissolved. Whisk a small amount of the hot cream mixture into the beaten eggs, and then pour the warmed eggs into the saucepan, whisking constantly. Cook and stir over low heat until the mixture reaches at least 160° and coats the back of a metal spoon. Do not allow the mixture to boil. Remove from heat immediately.
Editor’s Tip: Mixing something warm into beaten eggs is called “tempering” the eggs. Why do you do it? By slowly increasing the temperature of the eggs—rather than dumping room temperature eggs into a hot pan—you reduce the risk of the egg proteins curdling.
Step 3: Chill out
Quickly transfer the custard to a small bowl, and place the bowl into a big bowl of ice water. Stir the custard gently and occasionally for two minutes. Add the whipping cream and vanilla. Press plastic wrap onto the surface of the custard. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Stir in the toasted pecans.
Editor’s Tip: If any of the egg curdled despite your best efforts, simply pass the custard through a sieve when you’re making the transfer.
Step 4: Churn the ice cream
Fill the cylinder of your ice cream maker no more than two-thirds full, and freeze following the directions for your ice cream maker. Transfer the ice cream to freezer-safe containers, allowing headspace for expansion. Freeze until firm, two to four hours. If desired, serve with toppings of your choice.
Butter Pecan Ice Cream Variations
- Add more sugar and spice: For even more oomph, you can skip toasting the pecans in butter, and start with homemade candied pecans instead. These candied nuts include cinnamon, which will bring even more flavor to the mix. You could also add nutmeg, cloves or allspice if you’d like. Want to get even crazier? Mix in crushed pecan brittle.
- Don’t forget the salt: This recipe doesn’t call for salt, but a pinch or three of sea salt makes nearly every dessert recipe better. Why? It helps provide balance, and prevents the treat from having a cloyingly sweet flavor. Make sure you add little bits at a time, then stir and taste so that you get the amount just right.
- Make it peachy: Double down on southern flavors by adding chopped fresh or frozen peaches to the ice cream mixture prior to churning.
How to Store Butter Pecan Ice Cream
If you store your ice cream in well-sealed freezer containers, it should last for up to two months.
Butter Pecan Ice Cream Tips
What can you serve with butter pecan ice cream?
Butter pecan ice cream pairs beautifully with salted caramel sauce. If you’d like, you could add a splash of bourbon or rum to the sauce as well. Pecans and peaches are a lovely combination, so dolloping this ice cream on top of a piece of peach cobbler or peach pie would be heavenly.
Want to bring the flavor profile of this ice cream to other kinds of desserts? Try our other butter pecan desserts.
Can you make butter pecan ice cream without an ice cream maker?
Yes, it is possible to make ice cream without an ice cream maker—though an ice cream maker is a fun appliance to have at home if you have a sweet tooth! Simply freeze an empty shallow dish or bowl before preparing the custard. Instead of churning the ice cream in an ice cream maker, you can beat the ice cream using a hand mixer every 30 minutes or so in that frozen dish, popping it in the freezer in between mixes. After four or five mixes, you’ll have ice cream on your hands.
No matter how you churn it, making ice cream can seem intimidating, but it’s totally possible to make professional-quality ice cream at home. Just make sure you’ve got a good ice cream scoop!
