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4.5 from 24 votes

Butter Pecan Ice Cream

This homemade Butter Pecan Ice Cream is rich and creamy, and full of luscious buttery caramel flavor. It's studded with salty, crunchy toasted pecans, a downright heavenly homemade ice cream!

Prep Time
40 mins
Cook Time
40 mins
Total Time
1 hr 10 mins
Servings: 1 .5 quarts
Calories: 453 kcal
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

  • 6 large egg yolks
  • 6 tablespoons butter
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup pecans
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter melted + 1/2 tsp. kosher salt for roasting the pecans

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. In a medium-sized heat-safe bowl, whisk together the egg yolks until well blended. Set aside.
  2. Fill a large bowl half-way with ice. Set a medium-sized metal bowl into the ice and pour the cream into it. Set a medium-mesh sieve on top. Set aside.
  3. In a medium thick-bottomed saucepan with high sides, melt the butter over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it just begins to brown. Add the brown sugar and salt. It will be very thick and sludge-like. Stir until the sugar completely melts, until it looks thick and silky.
  4. Very slowly add the milk, stirring to incorporate. It will spit and foam up initially. Heat until all the sugar is completely dissolved. Do not let mixture boil or it may curdle.
  5. Slowly pour half of the milk and sugar mixture into the eggs, whisking constantly to incorporate. Then add the warmed egg mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk sugar mixture.
  6. Stir the mixture constantly over medium heat with a wooden or heatproof rubber spatula, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula, about 5-7 minutes. Your kitchen should smell like a caramel factory now. :)
  7. Pour the custard through the sieve and stir it into the cream. Add vanilla and stir until cool over the ice bath. Chill the mixture very thoroughly in the refrigerator.
  8. While the mixture is chilling, preheat the oven to 350° F. In a medium bowl, combine melted butter and pecans, stirring to coat. Lay out the buttered pecans on a roasting pan in a single layer. Sprinkle with kosher salt. Bake for 6 minutes, until lightly toasted. Let cool. Once cool, roughly chop the pecans and set aside.
  9. Once the ice cream mixture is thoroughly chilled, freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
  10. Once the ice cream has chilled and formed in the ice cream maker, and while still fairly soft, fold in the chopped pecans.
  11. Transfer ice cream to a freezer-safe container with a lid, and place in the freezer for a few hours. If it has been frozen for more than a day, you may need to let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes to soften before serving.

Notes

  • Special equipment needed: ice cream maker.
  • Adapted from Simply Recipes.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1 Calories 453kcal (23%) Carbohydrates 23g (8%) Protein 8g (16%) Fat 38g (58%) Saturated Fat 19g (95%) Polyunsaturated Fat 17g Trans Fat 1g Cholesterol 210mg (70%) Sodium 321mg (13%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 22g (44%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 1.5 quarts

Amount Per Serving

Calories 453

% Daily Value*

Serving 1
Calories 453kcal 23%
Carbohydrates 23g 8%
Protein 8g 16%
Fat 38g 58%
Saturated Fat 19g 95%
Polyunsaturated Fat 17g 100%
Trans Fat 1g 50%
Cholesterol 210mg 70%
Sodium 321mg 13%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 22g 44%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.