Homemade Butter Pecan Ice Cream Recipe
This homemade butter pecan ice cream recipe is easily one of my best homemade ice cream recipes! A velvety custard-based ice cream with pecans folded in (or left out if that's more your vibe) and layered with the same pecan butterscotch I use in my carrot layer cake!
If you're looking for a stunning dessert that you can serve year-round, this recipe for homemade butter pecan ice cream is a must-have in your repertoire! Plus, if you've already fallen in love with my salted maple custard ice cream, then trust me - this custard ice cream recipe is right up your alley. Serve it in a cone, on top of a warm slice of double chocolate cake, or straight from the freezer with a spoon - either way, it's gonna disappear fast!
Recipe Overview: Homemade Butter Pecan Ice Cream Recipe
✅ Recipe Name: Homemade Butter Pecan Ice Cream Recipe
🕒 Ready In: 7 hours, but only 25 minutes of active prep!
👪 Serves: 10-12 people
🍽 Calories: 548 calories (estimated)
🥣 Main Ingredients: pecans, heavy cream, milk, butter, brown sugar, egg yolks.
👌 Difficulty: Medium - the custard base should be made carefully.
SUMMARIZE AND SAVE THIS CONTENT ON
Why You'll Love This Ice Cream Recipe
- No artificial flavors are used in this recipe - not even vanilla extract, so no junk in your ice cream!
- It's a custard-based ice cream, so it has a more velvety texture and a richer flavor.
- No need to set it out before serving. The high butterfat content makes the ice cream soft and easily scoopable right out of the freezer!
Jump to:
Key Ingredients
Chopped pecans. Toasted with butter before making a butterscotch sauce for the flavor base of the ice cream.
Heavy cream. Contributes butterfat that gives this ice cream richness and helps to bring forward the nutty flavor of the pecans
Whole milk. Balances the high butterfat content of this recipe to give the ice cream a creamy texture and to avoid a greasy mouthfeel.
Egg yolks. Help to emulsify the fats to avoid an icy texture.
Brown sugar. Adds warmth to complement the flavors of this old-fashioned butter pecan ice cream.
Butter. Used in the butterscotch sauce. Opt for unsalted to control the salt level in the ice cream.
Flaked sea salt. Contrasts the sweetness and richness of the ice cream. Flaked sea salt is also less likely to dissolve completely in your butterscotch, resulting in tiny bursts of sea salt flavor when enjoying the ice cream!
How to Make Homemade Butter Pecan Ice Cream
- Step 1: Whip the egg yolks and some of the sugar until pale. Set aside.
- Step 2: Make the pecan butterscotch sauce.
- Step 3: Add the milk, then strain and reserve the pecans.
- Step 4: Temper the egg yolks with the butterscotch base and cook until thickened.
- Step 5: Add the strained pecans back in or leave them out if you prefer butter pecan ice cream without the pecans.
- Step 6: Refrigerate for at least 6 hours.
- Step 7: Churn the butter pecan ice cream with an ice cream maker, then layer with pecan butterscotch.
- Step 8: Scoop and serve your homemade butter pecan ice cream!
FAQs
I personally use this Whynter ice cream maker. It has a built-in compressor so you can immediately pour your custard base in and churn without any prep. A good pick if you make homemade ice cream often and/or tend to pump out batches back-to-back. Cons - it's expensive and takes up a fair amount of counter/storage space (it's about the size of a small microwave).
For a cheaper pick that gets the job done, choose this canister-style Cuisinart ice cream maker. It's about the same size as a blender, so it's more compact. Cons - you have to plan in advance since the bowl has to be frozen to properly churn your ice cream, and a warmer ambient temperature can throw a wrench in things. If you own a KitchenAid mixer, getting the KitchenAid ice cream maker bowl attachment might make storage easier.
I own and have used both the Whynter and the Cuisinart ice cream makers, so feel free to ask me any questions in the comment section below!
Pecans are needed, obviously, for flavor in this recipe for butter pecan ice cream, but you don't have to leave the chopped pecans in the ice cream. If you prefer, just toss the pecans after you've strained them from the milk base.
If your ice cream isn't thickening up as it churns, your base or the ambient temperature of the room may be too warm, or if you're using a freezer bowl-style ice cream maker, the bowl wasn't cold enough.
To avoid this, first be sure to refrigerate the base for at least 6 hours (or preferably overnight) before attempting to churn. Second, if your ice cream maker uses a freezer bowl, make sure it has sat in the back of your freezer for at least 12 hours.
Lastly, churn the ice cream in a cool spot. This could be hard since we tend to enjoy ice cream in hotter months, but a warm environment can work against your ice cream maker, so choose a cool, dark spot/corner away from any other running appliances and cover it with a clean towel until ready. I've churned ice cream on a stool under my dining table and even in my closet. Hot air rises, so getting closer to the floor may be your best bet.
Yes! Making the custard with a smooth base reduces the chance of the custard curdling since the egg proteins can cling to any mix-ins and prevent a proper emulsion.
Use a container with a snug-fitting lid and press a layer of plastic wrap to the surface to prevent ice crystals from forming on top and to avoid the ice cream absorbing aroma from other foods in the freezer.
Also, try to store the container in the main part of the freezer since the door is exposed to more heat through repeated opening and closing. For the same reason, storing the ice cream in multiple, smaller containers is best if you don't intend to serve the whole batch.
Ainseanlea's Top Ice Cream Tips
- Don't crush/chop the pecan pieces too finely. Finely crushed pecans can leave a texture that's perceived as grit instead of nutty chunks. To avoid this, after crushing the pecans, pass them through a sift to get rid of the "pecan dust."
- Don't let the custard bubble. Overheating the custard will cause the egg proteins to coagulate too quickly, resulting in a "scrambled eggs" texture that is unpalatable and unsuitable for churning. Use medium heat to slowly cook the custard.
- Churn the ice cream in the coolest spot in your kitchen (or home). This is especially important if using a canister-style ice cream maker, so that a warm environment doesn't work against your ice cream churning. You can also use an appliance cover or a clean towel as an extra layer of insulation.
- Don't store the ice cream next to uncovered foods or directly next to savory foods. Odors can penetrate easily due to the air circulation in the freezer.
More Warm & Cozy Dessert Recipes You'll Love!
Tried this recipe? Please leave a comment with a star rating. I love hearing your feedback, and it greatly helps me improve recipes for you!
Butter Pecan Ice Cream Recipe
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Whisk egg yolks in a small bowl until the yellow pales (this should only take 1-2 minutes). Set aside.5 large egg yolks
- Add the chopped pecans along with the unsalted butter to a large saucepan and allow the butter to melt over medium-high heat until frothy.95 grams chopped pecans, 226 grams unsalted butter
- Once the butter starts to get frothy, add the brown sugar and the heavy cream, then stir til completely incorporated. Turn the heat down to medium or low-medium and allow the butterscotch to reduce for 2 minutes.375 grams dark brown sugar, 355 milliliters heavy cream
- Add 1 teaspoon of the sea salt to the butterscotch and stir to incorporate.1½ teaspoon flaked sea salt
- Reserve 1 cup of the butterscotch in an airtight container. Once this has cooled add the remaining ½ teaspoon of sea salt & set aside to use later in layering the ice cream1½ teaspoon flaked sea salt
- Add the whole milk to the butterscotch in the saucepan and stir until completely incorporated.475 milliliters whole milk
- Strain the milk mixture, saving the strained pecans to reincorporate later (or toss them if you prefer not to have pecan chunks).
- While the butterscotch/milk mixture is still hot, temper the egg yolks by slowly pouring in a third of the butterscotch/milk mixture while simultaneously whisking the egg yolks. Whisk until completely incorporated.
- Add the rest of the milk mixture slowly to the tempered mixture. Be sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with the whisk to make sure all the egg yolks are incorporated.
- Give the saucepan a quick rinse and dry off excess water, then return the tempered custard mixture to the saucepan. Stir over medium to medium-high heat just until the hot mixture coats the back of a spoon (or until it reaches a temperature of 180°F)
- Transfer the custard to a heat-resistant bowl and reincorporate the strained pecans from earlier. Cover with plastic wrap or a lid and allow to chill in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours.
- After the custard base has been chilled, give it a stir to distribute the pecan chunks, then pour it into your ice cream machine and churn according to the manufacturer's instructions (about 35 minutes in my Whynter ice cream maker).
- In a freezer-safe & airtight container, layer some of the ice cream and then drizzle or dollop some of the reserved salted pecan butterscotch from earlier.
- Repeat these layers until all of the ice cream and butterscotch have been used, then use a skewer or a knife to further distribute the butterscotch throughout all the ice cream!
- Allow the finished ice cream to set in the freezer for at least 2 hours before serving.
Nutrition
Notes
- Don't chop the pecan pieces too finely. Tiny flecks can make the ice cream seem gritty instead of having nutty chunks. To avoid this, pass the pecans through a fine-meshed sieve to get rid of tiny pieces.
- Churn the ice cream in the coolest spot in your kitchen (or home). This is especially important if using a canister-style ice cream maker, so that a warm environment doesn't work against your ice cream churning. You can also use an appliance cover or a clean towel as an extra layer of insulation.
- You can also layer the ice cream in a bread/loaf pan lined with parchment paper and then seal the top with plastic wrap. However, I only recommend this if you will be serving all of the ice cream within 3-4 days, since it will be more prone to freezer burn and absorbing aromas from other foods in your freezer.
