Butter pecan ice cream (no churn) filled with glazed pecans is almost like pecan pie in ice cream form! Add a touch of brown butter in the ice cream base for another beguiling layer of nutty flavor your ice cream fans will devour.
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Ever since I started making no-churn ice cream my notes document with different flavor variations keeps growing. I can't post as fast as the flavors ideas flow. But since you, my loyal followers, told me you wanted a recipe for butter pecan ice cream, I just had to oblige.
Why you'll love this recipe
- No special equipment needed: Homemade ice cream without a machine? Yes it's true. No ice cream maker needed. No stand mixer? No problem - just use a hand-held one. If you're feeling strong, you could probably hand whisk it - but that's a method I have not tested!
- Quick to prepare: Yes, you do need to make the pecans but you can do that ahead of time. So when you're ready to whip the ice cream base, the pecans are ready to go. And the no churn ice cream base comes together so quickly. The only lengthy part is letting it freeze! Worth the wait!
- Easy: No eggs and no custard making. Just two basic ingredients for the no churn ice cream - heavy whipping cream and sweetened condensed milk.
- So Flavorful: Between the date syrup glazed pecans and the buttery ice cream, this no churn ice cream is one flavor-packed bite. It also tasted so good on top of a summer fruit crisp. And oh my, can you imagine it on a slice of pecan pie??!!!
Ingredients and substitutions
The pecans are where all the fun is in this no churn ice cream. I tried lots of ways to make them and lots of combinations of sweeteners. All of them had good results but the flavor of the date syrup was the winner in our house.
For the pecans:
- Date syrup: This sweetener, while less common, is one you absolutely should add to your repertoire. I recently wrote a whole substack article about it!. Date syrup is available at your local Middle Eastern market, sometimes in a regular grocer and always online. If this is a barrier to entry for this recipe, use maple syrup instead!
- Pecans: No need to toast them - you'll be doing that when you glaze them.
- Bourbon: It just goes great with pecans. What can I say. Any brand will do or leave it out if you prefer not.
For the ice cream:
- Sweetened condensed milk: Found at any grocer - I always keep a couple cans in my pantry. It has a long shelf life so keep some around so you're always ready to make ice cream. It is, by definition, very sweet. You'll see in the recipe that I remove 4 tablespoons of it to dial back the sweetness a bit.
- Heavy whipping cream: This is key to creating an ice cream consistency without the churning. Be sure the carton says "heavy" whipping cream. There is a non-dairy heavy whipping cream I'm testing and that could be an option too.
- Brown butter: Some people just keep this in their refrigerator. It's a nuttier version of regular butter. Cook up a batch and then you have it whenever you need it. It's super easy to make - just heat a stick of butter on medium, stay close by and watch it change color. I put a quick tutorial in the notes of the recipe.
Let's make butter pecan ice cream step-by-step
(Printable recipe card is at the end of the post with ingredients, measurements and step-by-step instructions. This section includes more and larger pictures and high level explanations of the process.)
Jump to RecipeHow to make the pecans:
1. Combine the date syrup, brown sugar, melted (and slightly cooled) butter, bourbon and salt in a bowl big enough to fit the pecans.
2. Whisk the ingredients until well combined then add the pecans and stir to coat the nuts.
3. On a parchment or silpat-lined baking sheet, spread the pecans into one layer. Bake for about 15 minutes.
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4. Remove from the oven and let them cool while you make the ice cream.
How to make the ice cream:
1. Place the heavy cream, sweetened condensed milk, brown butter (see notes in the recipe card for how to make brown butter), vanilla, and salt in the bowl of your stand mixer (or in a large bowl if using a hand mixer).
2. Whip on about medium speed for 2 - 3 minutes until the mixture is thick but nowhere near soft peaks. The whisk should leave tracks in your cream, and the cream should mound just a little in the bowl before sinking back in somewhat (#2 pic above).
3. Add the cooled pecans into the mixture and gently combine.
4. Pour the ice cream batter into a loaf pan or another ice cream-ready container. If it’s a loaf pan, cover with plastic wrap and freeze until firm – at least 6 hours or overnight.
Beth's expert tips and recipe FAQs
- When you make the pecans with date syrup, they don’t get super crispy BUT they are plenty crispy in the ice cream. And the flavor is so dang good, I’m willing to give up the super crunchy texture for the super delicious taste profile.
- Believe in the process! When the ice cream base is just starting to mound and reveal tracks in the mixing bowl, it's ready to go. Don't be tempted to whip it into soft or firm peaks!
- The pecans can be made ahead of time. Store them on the counter (covered), in the refrigerator or in the freezer. I froze several iterations of these pecans when I was testing them and forgot about them for a few months. They were every bit as good when I took them out! They also are crispier frozen which makes them just perfect in the ice cream!
Bonus Bite: My neighbor made my apricot no-churn ice cream and froze it in a loaf pan with parchment so she could pull out the whole block of ice cream and slice a piece off for serving. She said it worked really well!
I either use a loaf pan or some plastic made-for-ice cream containers I bought on sale at Sur La Table. Any container will work - the key is keeping it airtight and using something that doesn't get too brittle when it freezes. Cheap plastic containers with thin tops often crack easily when frozen. (meaning you should do as I say and not as I do!)
As long as you keep it stored properly, a few weeks, at least, BUT I promise it will not last that long!
I have not tested this recipe using both or either one. But I have used the non-dairy whipping cream and non-dairy sweetened condensed milk in other test batches of different flavors. If you cannot eat dairy by choice or for health reasons, I would definitely give it a try!
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Butter Pecan Ice Cream - No Churn!
Beth LeeIngredients
Butter Pecans
- 1 cup pecans
- 2 tablespoons date syrup or maple
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 2 tablespoons bourbon
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Ice Cream Base
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk MINUS 4 tablespoons
- 2 tablespoons brown butter in liquid state optional but recommended
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
Butter Pecans
- Preheat the oven to 325°F.
- Combine the date syrup, brown sugar, melted (and slightly cooled) butter, bourbon and salt in a bowl big enough to fit the pecans. Whisk the ingredients until well combined. Add the pecans and stir to coat the nuts.
- On a parchment or silpat-lined baking sheet, add the pecans and spread out into one layer. Place the baking sheet into the preheated oven for about 15 minutes. Check at 13 minutes - the glaze should be bubbling vigorously. I found the pecans were great whether cooked for 13, 15, or 17 minutes - the key is not to burn them (of course). Every oven is different so start looking at 13 minutes and stay close by if you leave them in longer. Remove from the oven and let them cool while you make the ice cream.
Ice Cream Base
- Place the heavy cream, sweetened condensed milk, brown butter, vanilla, and salt in the bowl of your stand mixer (or in a large bowl if using a hand mixer).
- Use your whisk attachment and whip on about medium speed for 2 - 3 minutes until the mixture is nice and thick but nowhere near soft peaks. The whisk should leave tracks in your cream, and the cream should mound just a little in the bowl before sinking back in somewhat. The visual cues are tracks and mounding.
- Add the cooled pecans into the mixture and gently combine.
- A couple notes about the pecans - you can briefly refrigerate or freeze the pecans to accelerate cooling. If they stick together - just pull them apart. Also, I added them to the ice cream batter as whole pieces but you could absolutely cut them into smaller pieces if you prefer.
- Pour the ice cream batter into a loaf pan or another ice cream-ready container. If it’s a loaf pan, cover with plastic wrap and freeze until firm – at least 6 hours or overnight.
Notes
-
- When you make the pecans with date syrup, they don’t get super crispy BUT they are plenty crispy in the ice cream. And the flavor is so dang good, I’m willing to give up the super crunchy texture for the super delicious taste profile.
- Believe in the process! When the ice cream base is just starting to mound and reveal tracks in the mixing bowl, it's ready to go. Don't be tempted to whip it into soft or firm peaks!
- The pecans can be made ahead of time. Store them on the counter (covered), in the refrigerator or in the freezer. I froze several iterations of these pecans when I was testing them and forgot about them for a few months. They were every bit as good when I took them out! They also are crispier frozen which makes them just perfect in the ice cream!
Nutrition
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Hi! I'm Beth
Cookbook author, cooking teacher, preserved lemon lover. My family is a mix of Jewish, Hawaiian and Korean heritage. My virtual multicultural kitchen is always open.
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