I was totally flabbergasted when my friend Ginny recently suggested that “only old people like butter pecan ice cream” after her husband Jason and I both declared how much we like the flavor. How dare she malign one of my favorite ice cream flavors of all time! Or was she taking a jab at my age? Lol. Maybe a timeless scoop of butter pecan isn’t as trendy and hip as some other ice cream flavors, but man alive it’s phenomenal stuff. Especially for anybody who loves nutty ice cream. So this one’s for you, Jason. And all my other butter pecan loving readers and friends. We are major ice cream fans at our house and I will always default to flavors with lots of nuts! Some of our other favorites are Toasted Almond Ice Cream, Maple Walnut Ice Cream, and of course, Burnt Almond Fudge Ice Cream!
What’s the difference between Butter Pecan and Pecan Praline Ice Cream?
If you have had both butter pecan and pecan praline (or pralines and cream) you might be interested to know that while similar there are slight differences between the two flavors. In my experience, butter pecan is less sweet and focused on the buttery, toasty flavor of the pecans than the much sweeter, brown sugar focused pecan praline which has caramel notes.
Recipe Ingredients
Heavy cream & milk: I use a combination of both heavy cream and whole milk for my ice cream base. If you only have skim milk, that works just fine too. You just need to increase the heavy cream a bit and decrease the milk a bit in that case. Brown sugar: The molasses in the brown sugar adds a wonderful depth of flavor to the ice cream base. Butter: I recommend using salted butter which helps season the pecans while they toast. Egg yolks: For the richest, creamiest, most scoopable ice cream with the best mouthfeel, I like to use fresh egg yolks. Pecans: Did you know that you can freeze nuts to extend their shelf life? I buy big bags of pecans and store them in the freezer so I always have some on hand. Vanilla & salt: These supporting players have a big role in rounding out and balancing the other flavors of the ice cream.
How to Make Butter Pecan Ice Cream
Pro Tip: I like to reserve a few of my buttered pecans for sprinkling over the ice cream before sticking it into the freezer. It’s something you see at gelaterias and even though it doesn’t affect the taste at all once you start scooping, it’s a fun presentation!
Recipe Tips
Storage: Unlike commercially produced store bought ice cream, homemade ice cream doesn’t have preservatives so it won’t last as long in the freezer. This ice cream is best within 2 weeks before ice crystals start to form. Chill all components thoroughly: Remember that when making ice cream it’s important that everything be completely cold before churning. This is especially true of the pecans which should be made at the same time as the ice cream base so they can cool completely. Make ice cream sandwiches: I HIGHLY recommend sandwiching a scoop of this butter pecan ice cream between two fresh cookies for the most delicious ice cream sandwiches! Molasses cookies, snickerdoodles, and classic chocolate chip cookies would be my top picks. Make a brownie sundae: Another excellent choice would be to top a fresh brownie or peanut butter blondie with a scoop of this ice cream. And hot fudge sauce. And whipped cream and a cherry.
Make it a double scoop!
When given the choice I will ALWAYS split my scoop. Or make it a double. Here are some other flavors that I would definitely pair with butter pecan.
Old-Fashioned Fresh Peach Ice Cream Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream Blackberry Swirl Ice Cream Apple Pie Ice Cream Pumpkin Ice Cream Southern Blackberry Cobbler Ice Cream Rhubarb Crumble Ice Cream
Let me know what you thought with a comment and rating below. You can also take a picture and tag me on Instagram @houseofnasheats or share it on the Pinterest pin so I can see.
