Get ready for the best butter pecan ice cream you’ve ever had! Butter-toasted pecans are added to a rich custard base flavored with brown butter and brown sugar, giving the every bite of this decadent ice cream a nutty flavor with notes of butterscotch.
Butter pecan has been my favorite ice cream favorite since I was a little kid. (I’ve always been a little bit of a grandma, as it turns out.)
When I as little, we lived in this tiny town where local ice cream stand was called Granny Two-Shoes. We’d walk there during the summer or stop by after special events (I have a clear memory of going there after my preschool graduation) and I would always get a scoop of butter pecan ice cream.
Now, 30-something years later, it’s still my favorite and my own kiddo loves it, too.
The best butter pecan ice cream recipe
I’ve had a lot of butter pecan ice cream in my life, both good and bad.
For me, the most disappointing thing is ordering butter pecan ice cream and simply getting a scoop of vanilla ice cream that has pecans in it.
(It’s as much of a bummer as ordering a slice of coconut cake and getting a piece of white cake with coconut stuck to the outside!)
In my opinion, the best butter pecan ice creams are rich and truly buttery. I want the custard base of the ice cream to be some shade of brown and not just look like vanilla bean ice cream. That’s when you get the best flavor.
That is what I had in mind when I was developing this recipe. I started with a custard base, browning butter for a nutty base flavor before adding dark brown sugar for a butterscotch note. Honestly, I could drink the custard with a straw and be perfectly happy.
As for the pecans, I did toast those in butter, but also added a little bit of brown sugar and finished them with a pinch of flaky sea salt. As you eat the ice cream, you occasionally get a bit of the salt, similar to eating one of my chocolate chipless cookies. It’s the perfect balance to the sweetness of the ice cream base.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Rich, buttery flavor. Plenty of brown butter in the custard base gives the ice cream a nutty, buttery flavor in every bite.
- Smooth, creamy texture. Unlike when we make my peach ice cream, using a custard does mean we have to cook the base on the stove. But it’s worth the extra effort because the churned ice cream ends up but the perfect texture and silky mouthfeel.
- Ice-cream-shop quality right at home. This butter pecan ice cream recipe tastes just like what I get at my local ice cream shop. Your friends will be amazed when they find out you made it yourself!
What you’ll need to make it
For full measurements and step-by-step instructions, scroll down to the printable recipe card.
The ingredients here are pretty straightforward. You’ll need:
- Egg yolks: Don’t throw out the egg whites! Save them to use in angel food cake or a strawberry pavlova later.
- Salted butter: I like to use a high-quality salted butter here. My favorite is the Kirkland Signature Grass-Fed Butter or Kerrygold. Trust me, it really will make a difference!
- Dark brown sugar: This helps give the ice cream a rich butterscotch note. If you don’t have dark brown sugar, use light brown sugar and add 1 tablespoon of molasses to the base.
- Heavy cream and whole milk: If you have half-and-half, you can use 3 cups of that. I do not recommend using reduced-fat milk here.
- Vanilla: You can use vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste. (Again, please use the good stuff!)
- Chopped pecans: I prefer to use roughly chopped pecans, as opposed to finely chopped.
- Flaky sea salt: For finishing the toasted pecans.
You do need an ice cream maker for this butter pecan ice cream recipe. Make sure it has at least a 2-quart capacity so that you don’t overflow the bowl as it churns.
I also keep an ice cream storage container on hand for storing my homemade ice creams. If you plan on gifting any of the ice cream, grab some disposable pint containers to pack it in.
How to make homemade butter pecan ice cream
Make the custard base
The ice cream base needs to chill for at least 8 hours before churning it, so that’s the first thing we’ll make.
Whisk the egg yolks in a bowl until smooth, then set those aside.
Add the butter to a medium pot over medium heat. Allow the butter to melt and then brown. As soon as the butter is dark amber in color and smells nutty, add the brown sugar. Whisk this and let it cook for 1 minute, then add the cream and the milk.
Let this mixture cook until it is very hot, just shy of simmering. Turn the heat to low to prevent the mixture from boiling.
Slowly stream about 1 1/2 cups of the hot cream mixture into the bowl with the egg yolks, whisking constantly so the yolks don’t scramble. Once that is combined and the yolks are now hot, pour that mixture back into the pot.
Stir constantly while cooking over low heat. The mixture will thicken—you want it to coat the back of a spoon.
Take the custard off the heat and stir in the vanilla, then transfer to a container. Let the base cool and then cover and chill it in the fridge for at least 8 hours, but overnight is even better.
Toast the pecans
At some point before churning the ice cream, you will want to toast the pecans.
Melt the butter in a nonstick skillet over medium heat, then add the brown sugar and pecans. Toast the pecans, stirring almost constantly so the sugar doesn’t burn, for about 5 minutes. The pecans should smell very nutty and fragrant.
Take the pan from the heat and add a pinch or two of flaky sea salt, then transfer the nuts to a bowl to cool. If needed, store in an airtight container at room temperature until it’s time to add them to the ice cream.
Churn the ice cream
Once the ice cream base has chilled for at least 8 hours, churn it in your ice cream maker, being sure to follow the manufacturer directions. For most at-home ice cream makers, churning usually takes around 25 minutes.
Just before turning off the machine, add the toasted pecans. Let the ice cream churn for about 30 more seconds, until the pecans are well incorporated.
At this point, the ice cream will have a soft-serve consistency. Transfer it to a freezer-safe container and let it harden for at least 4 hours in the freezer for a more scoopable consistency.
Tips for success
- Keep an eye on the brown butter: When browning the butter for the base, try not to walk away. Butter can go from perfectly browned to burned quickly, so have your other ingredients ready to go so you can add them the moment the butter is perfectly browned and nutty.
- Use good butter: After all, butter is one of the stars of the show in this butter pecan ice cream recipe! Using a high-quality butter will make a true difference in the flavor.
- Let the base age: This isn’t a quick dessert recipe, but the time is worth it. You need to let the custard base chill for at least 8 hours, but allowing it to “age” in the fridge overnight will give you an even better flavor.
- Freeze the bowl of your ice cream maker: Don’t forget to freeze the bowl of your ice cream maker before churning! During the summer, I keep mine in our deep freezer all of the time so I can more easily make this recipe or easy strawberry ice cream at the drop of a hat.
Frequently asked questions
Even though both flavors are made with similar ingredients, they taste quite different from each other.
Butter pecan ice cream is more buttery, often with a salty-sweet note, with butter-toasted pecans mixed into the base. Praline pecan ice cream is usually sweeter, with chunks of pecan praline candy mixed throughout.
If you only have unsalted butter, you can add 1/4 teaspoon of fine sea salt to the ice cream base when you add the brown sugar. You can also simply omit the salt, but keep in mind that you won’t get that salty-sweet balance in the final ice cream.
Sure! Just keep in mind that walnuts have a different flavor profile than pecans, so it’ll change the final flavor of the ice cream a bit.
Butter Pecan Ice Cream
Equipment
Ingredients
For the ice cream base:
- 6 large egg yolks
- 8 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream
- 1 ½ cups whole milk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
For the pecans:
- 1 tablespoon salted butter
- 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
- 1 ½ cups chopped pecans
- Flaky sea salt
Instructions
Make the ice cream base:
- In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks until smooth. Set aside.6 large egg yolks
- In a medium saucepot, melt the butter over medium heat. Once melted, allow to continue cooking over medium heat, stirring or swirling the pan occasionally, until the butter has browned and has a nutty aroma. During this process, the butter will first sputter quite a bit; once the sputtering has subsided, the butter will start to foam up. This is when you need to start watching it carefully, as it can go from perfectly browned to burned quite quickly.8 tablespoons salted butter
- As soon as the butter has reached a dark amber color and smells nutty, add the brown sugar. Whisk to combine and cook for about 1 more minute, then pour in the heavy cream, followed by the whole milk.1 cup packed dark brown sugar, 1 ½ cups heavy cream, 1 ½ cups whole milk
- Whisk to combine, then allow to cook, whisking occasionally, until the mixture is very hot. It should be just shy of simmering, with steam rising off the top. Reduce the heat to low.
- Slowly stream about 1 ½ cups of the hot cream mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly. Pour the heated yolk mixture into the pot, whisking to combine.
- Continue cooking over low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture has thickened and coats the back of a spoon—when you swipe a finger though the custard on the back of the spoon, it should leave a clean line.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Transfer to an airtight container. Allow to cool, then cover and chill for at least 8 hours, but preferably overnight for the best flavor.1 tablespoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
Toast the pecans:
- In a nonstick skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the brown sugar and pecans and cook, stirring almost constantly, for about 5 minutes or until the pecans are toasted and fragrant.1 tablespoon salted butter, 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar, 1 ½ cups chopped pecans
- Remove from the heat and add a pinch or two of flaky sea salt. Stir to combine.Flaky sea salt
- Transfer to a bowl and allow to cool completely. If making ahead of time, store in an airtight container at room temperature until ready to add to the ice cream.
Churn the ice cream:
- Once the ice cream base has chilled, churn according to your ice cream maker’s manufacturer instructions.
- At the end of the churning time, add the toasted pecans. Allow to churn for another 30 seconds to combine, then transfer to a freezer-safe storage container. Allow to harden for about 4 hours in the freezer before scooping and enjoying! (Ice cream will be a soft-serve consistency straight from the ice cream maker.)
Notes
Ingredients
- I highly recommend using a good quality butter, such as Kerrygold or Kirkland Signature Grass-Fed Butter for this recipe.
- If you do not have dark brown sugar, you can use an equal amount of light brown sugar in the ice cream base and add 1 tablespoon of molasses when you add the brown sugar to the browned butter.
Churning
- Make sure you freeze the bowl of your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer instructions prior to churning the ice cream.
- If you don’t wish to add all of the pecans to the ice cream, you can add as many as you’d like and save the rest to add to snack on or add to a salad.