This fantastic Butter Pecan Ice Cream recipe will soon become your favorite! - No machine needed to make this rich, creamy, egg free, no churn ice cream. This ice cream is easy to make and has the wonderful butter pecan flavor we love.
Why This Recipe Works
- This rich and creamy butter pecan ice cream is made without an ice cream maker. The ingredients are mixed together in a bowl, poured into a freezer safe dish, and placed in the freezer for a few hours until the ice cream freezes. It's so much better than any store-bought butter pecan ice cream, and very easy to make.
- This is technically not a single serving ice cream recipe. It is a small batch ice cream recipe and will yield several servings. I use an 8-inch dish to store the ice cream. For best results, use a dish of similar size.
- If you are looking for a single scoop ice cream recipe, you might like to try either of these:
RELATED: 15 Easy Dessert Recipes For One
Ingredient Notes
See recipe box below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.
- Butter: I use salted butter.
- Pecans: Since this is a butter pecan ice cream recipe, you really do need to use pecans.
- Brown sugar: The brown sugar coats the pecans when they toast and makes them sweet and crunchy.
- Heavy cream and sweetened condensed milk: These ingredients are the key ingredients found in all of our no churn ice cream recipes.
- Vanilla extract: Adds great flavor.
See below for ways to use leftover ingredients.
How To Make This Recipe
It's easy to make homemade ice cream without a machine, just follow these easy steps to make the BEST butter pecan ice cream:
- Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.
- Add the pecans to the pan and toast them, stirring constantly so they don’t burn; about 2 to 3 minutes. Sprinkle brown sugar over the pecans and cook, stirring constantly until the sugar melts.
- Transfer the pecans and the sugar glaze onto a baking sheet and spread the pecans out in a single layer to cool.
- In a mixing bowl, whip heavy cream until stiff peaks form.
- Pour sweetened condensed milk into a separate large bowl and whisk in the vanilla.
- Transfer the whipped cream to the bowl of sweetened condensed milk. Gently fold until completely mixed.
Transfer half of the ice cream mixture into a freezer container.
Sprinkle pecans over the top.
Top with the remaining ice cream mixture.
Using a knife, gently swirl the pecans into the ice cream.
Cover container with plastic wrap and freeze the butter pecan ice cream for at least 6 hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
With this butter pecan ice cream recipe, you want to whip the cream to stiff peaks. This means that the peaks stand up straight when the beaters from an electric mixer are lifted.
Soft peaks barely hold their shape and will sink down immediately when you lift up the beaters.
Store the ice cream covered for up to 2 weeks in the freezer.
It takes about 10 minutes to mix the ingredients together and once the mixture is poured into the dish, it will take about 6 hours to freeze.
Expert Tips
- When toasting the pecans in a skillet, be sure to keep an eye on them. Don't walk away because pecans burn very easily.
- Whipping cream whips up faster if the bowl you are using is cold. I suggest putting the bowl in the freezer for about 5-10 minutes before you are about to whip the cream. Also, leave the cream in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it.
- To store the ice cream, cover the top of the dish tightly to avoid freezer burn.
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this butter pecan ice cream recipe, you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
- Pecans: Pecan Pie, Apple Cinnamon Scones, DoubleTree Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Heavy cream: Breakfast Bread Pudding, Two Ingredient Chocolate Mousse, Icebox Cake
- Sweetened condensed milk: Mini Tres Leches Cake, Microwave Fudge, Pistachio Ice Cream
RELATED: The Best Cookie Recipes For One
Other Small Batch Ice Cream Recipes
- Toasted Coconut Ice Cream
- Strawberry Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream
- Pistachio Ice Cream
- Key Lime Pie Ice Cream
If you would like additional information on the cooking and baking dishes I use in our “recipes for one”, please visit our FAQ page. For examples of the dishes used at One Dish Kitchen, please visit our Store page.
If you’ve tried this butter pecan ice cream or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
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Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 2 cups pecans , chopped
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 cups heavy cream cold
- 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a large skillet, toast pecans in melted butter over medium heat for 3-4 minutes. Stir in the brown sugar and continue stirring until sugar is melted. Remove pan from heat and transfer pecans to a baking sheet to cool.
- Pour the heavy cream into a mixing bowl and whip the cream until stiff peaks form, about 3 minutes. Set aside.
- Pour the sweetened condensed milk in a large bowl and whisk in the vanilla.
- Transfer the whipped cream to the bowl of condensed milk. Gently fold until completely mixed.
- Transfer half of the ice cream mixture into a freezer container.
- Sprinkle the toasted pecans over the top.
- Top with remaining ice cream mixture.
- Using a knife, gently swirl the pecans into the ice cream.
- Cover container with plastic wrap and freeze for at least 6 hours. The ice cream will become firmer the longer it is kept in the freezer.
Notes
- When toasting the pecans in a skillet, be sure to keep an eye on them. Don't walk away because pecans burn very easily.
- Whipping cream whips up faster if the bowl you are using is cold. I suggest putting the bowl in the freezer for about 5-10 minutes before you are about to whip the cream. Also, leave the cream in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it.
- To store the ice cream, cover the top of the dish tightly to avoid freezer burn.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Lynn says
Is it really a whole can of sweetened condensed milk for this small batch?
Joanie Zisk says
Yes. It is not a single serving recipe, the recipe yields a small batch of ice cream.