Butter pecan ice cream is easy to make at home without an ice cream machine. Rich and creamy vanilla ice cream is filled with homemade candied pecans.
Butter pecan is a classic ice cream flavor. Want to make your own at home? It's easier than you think!
This recipe is a no churn ice cream, which means there's no need for a fancy ice cream maker. All you'll need is a hand mixer and a few bowls to get started.
Have a scoop of butter pecan ice cream as an after-dinner treat. It's great any time of year and keeps for up to three months in the freezer.
Ingredients and substitutions
- Sweetened condensed milk - The base of your ice cream. Sweetened condensed milk adds sweetness and creaminess. Homemade or store bought sweetened condensed milk will work in this recipe.
- Heavy cream - Necessary to make no churn ice cream. Heavy cream, or heavy whipping cream, is whipped and folded with the other ice cream ingredients to make a fluffy, aerated base.
- Butter - Adds buttery flavor and melts with the brown sugar to coat the pecans.
- Brown sugar - Adds sweetness, caramel flavor, and creates a candy coating for the pecans.
- Cinnamon - Just a hint of cinnamon adds warmth to the candied pecans. Cinnamon can be omitted if desired, but I like the extra flavor it adds.
- Vanilla extract - Adds flavor to the ice cream base.
- Pecans - Pecan halves or pieces work just fine for this recipe. You could also use other nuts like walnuts, cashews, or peanuts if desired.
Tips and tricks
Making candied pecans - Butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and chopped pecans are added to a saucepan and cooked until the mixture thickens and pecans look sticky. This usually only takes about 2 to 3 minutes.
Making whipped cream - Use a hand mixer with a whisk attachment and mix your heavy cream on medium speed until stiff peaks are achieved. Once your cream begins to hold its shape in the bowl, turn the mixer off and lift the whisk out. If the tip of the whipped cream holds it shape without drooping, your whipped cream is ready.
Add pecans to sweetened condensed milk - Stir your pecans into the sweetened condensed milk mixture, then fold in the whipped cream.
Storage
In ideal conditions, your homemade ice cream will keep for up to three months in a tightly sealed, freezer safe container.
Frequently asked questions
No churn ice cream is ice cream that's made without the use of an ice cream maker or other specialized equipment. All you need is a hand mixer and a few simple ingredients. For this recipe, we're blending sweetened condensed milk together with homemade whipped cream. Whipped cream gives this homemade ice cream it's light and airy texture without the need for an ice cream maker.
A 9x5 loaf pan is the ideal size for this no churn ice cream recipe. However, any freezer safe container will work. Try using a large tupperware container with a tightly sealing container.
This depends on the temperature of your freezer. It takes my freezer about 4 to 5 hours to freeze ice cream, but it could take as long as 8 hours or overnight.
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📖 Recipe
Butter Pecan Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 16 ounces (454 g) heavy cream
- 14 ounces (397 g) sweetened condensed milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ¼ cup (53) brown sugar
- 1 cup (114 g) chopped pecans
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add heavy cream. Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, whip until stiff peaks are achieved, about 3 minutes.
- In a separate bowl, add sweetened condensed milk and vanilla extract. Stir to combine. Set aside.
- In a saucepan over medium heat, add butter and brown sugar. Once melted, add chopped pecans and cinnamon, stirring to coat. Cook for about 2-3 minutes, or until pecans begin to look sticky and mixture thickens slightly. Remove from heat and pour pecans into sweetened condensed milk mixture. Stir to combine.
- Gently fold whipped cream into sweetened condensed milk mixture until fully incorporated. The mixture should look fluffy.
- Pour mixture into a 9x5 loaf pan (or any container that will hold 6 cups). Cover and freeze immediately for about 4-5 hours or until firm.
Equipment Recommendations
Notes
- Depending on the temperature of your freezer, ice cream may need to be frozen overnight to freeze solid.
- Pecans can be substituted with any chopped nuts, like walnuts or hazelnuts.
- No churn ice cream will keep for up to 3 months in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator.
This ice cream is delicious! I believe there can never be too much mixed into my ice cream, so I doubled the pecan mixture. Pure heaven! Thank you!
Hi Bridget, I agree - I love extra mix-ins too!
Just curious… Have you ever tried using butter extract instead of vanilla for this particular ice cream flavor?
Hi Wendy, I haven't tested this recipe with butter extract. If you give it a try, let us know how it goes!