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This small batch butter pecan ice cream is rich and creamy, loaded with buttery, brown sugar-glazed pecans. It’s a no-churn, egg-free recipe made without an ice cream maker.
Featured Comment
“My family really enjoyed this ice cream. They said it was the best butter pecan ice cream ever.”
– Lashawn
Quick Look
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Freeze Time: 6 hours
- Total Time: 6 hours 20 minutes
- Equipment: skillet, electric hand mixer, and a freezer-safe dish
- Cook Method: Stovetop for toasting the pecans
- Servings: 6
- Difficulty: Easy
- Flavor Profile: The flavor is sweet and buttery, with deep, nutty pecans and a touch of caramel from the brown sugar.
This homemade butter pecan ice cream scoops up soft and smooth, with the pecans adding a crunch in every bite.
Why I Love This Butter Pecan Ice Cream
Butter pecan was always my dad’s favorite. He wasn’t much for sweets, but he could never turn down a bowl of it, and my mom kept a container in the freezer for him just about all the time. I understand completely, because it’s hard for me to resist too.
I make this small batch butter pecan ice cream without an ice cream maker and without any eggs. The base is just whipped cream and sweetened condensed milk, and I toast the pecans in butter and brown sugar myself, which gives them a deeper flavor than store-bought candied nuts.
What I love is the contrast in every scoop, soft and creamy ice cream with the nutty crunch of those pecans. It’s the ice cream my dad never turned down, and now I keep just enough on hand, no giant tub to work through.
If you want more, I’ve got a whole collection of no-churn ice cream recipes. A few I make often are no-churn vanilla ice cream, small batch pistachio ice cream, toasted coconut ice cream, and small batch strawberry ice cream.
Ingredient Notes
You can make this no churn butter pecan ice cream with six simple ingredients and no eggs. Here’s what each one does. If you have any ingredients leftover, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder for ways to use them up.
Salted butter: The pecans toast in the butter, which coats them and gives them their buttery flavor. Unsalted butter works too; just add a small pinch of salt with the pecans.
Pecans: These are the heart of the recipe. Toasting them brings out their nutty flavor, and chopping them keeps the pieces small enough to swirl through every scoop. Walnuts work if that’s what you have, though the flavor will change. Use leftover pecans in a small batch butter pecan granola or a mini pecan pie.
Brown sugar: Sprinkled over the warm pecans, it melts into a glaze that coats them and adds a caramel sweetness. Granulated sugar works in a pinch, but brown sugar gives a deeper, more caramel-like flavor.
Heavy cream: Whipped to stiff peaks, it traps air and gives the no-churn base its light, scoopable texture without a machine. Use heavy cream or heavy whipping cream with at least 36% milk fat, and keep it cold so it whips up. For a dairy-free version, use full-fat coconut milk. Leftover cream works in our single serving chocolate cake or vanilla pudding for one.
Sweetened condensed milk: This sweetens the ice cream and, because it’s thick with sugar, keeps it from freezing rock-hard, so you get a soft scoop instead of an icy block. Use a full 14-ounce can. For a dairy-free version, swap in sweetened condensed coconut milk. Use leftovers in our mini key lime pie or mini tres leches cake.
Vanilla extract: A teaspoon adds a warm vanilla flavor.
Recipe Variations
It’s easy to change up this butter pecan ice cream recipe with a few simple swaps:
Brown butter: Cook the butter a little longer, until it turns golden and smells nutty, before you toast the pecans in it. It deepens the buttery, nutty flavor.
Maple pecans: Use 2 tablespoons of maple syrup in place of the brown sugar to glaze the pecans for a maple butter pecan version.
Cinnamon: Whisk ½ teaspoon of cinnamon into the condensed milk for a warm, spiced flavor.
Salted butter pecan: Sprinkle a little flaky sea salt over each scoop before serving for a sweet-and-salty version.
How To Make Homemade Butter Pecan Ice Cream
For this easy butter pecan ice cream, you toast the pecans first, then fold them into a no-churn cream base, no ice cream maker needed. See the recipe card below for exact amounts.
- Melt the butter: In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter.
- Toast and glaze the pecans: Add the pecans and toast, stirring constantly, for 2 to 3 minutes. Sprinkle in the brown sugar and stir until it melts and turns glossy.
- Cool the pecans: Spread the glazed pecans on a baking sheet in a single layer and let them cool completely. Warm pecans will melt the ice cream.
- Whip the cream: In a chilled bowl, whip the cold heavy cream until stiff peaks form, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Make the base: In a separate large bowl, whisk together the sweetened condensed milk and vanilla.
- Fold together: Gently fold the whipped cream into the condensed milk mixture until no white streaks remain.
- Layer the ice cream: Pour half of the mixture into a freezer-safe dish.
- Add the pecans: Scatter the cooled pecans evenly over the top.
- Top with the rest: Pour the remaining ice cream mixture over the pecans.
- Swirl: Drag a knife through the layers to swirl the pecans throughout.
- Freeze: Cover with plastic wrap and freeze until firm, at least 6 hours or overnight.
Expert Tips
Pull the pecans the moment they smell toasty: They go from toasted to burnt in seconds, and they keep cooking from the pan’s heat even after you stop stirring, so take them off early rather than late.
Whip to stiff peaks, then stop: Once the cream holds its shape, quit. Keep going and it turns grainy and starts heading toward butter, which won’t fold in smoothly.
Use fresh pecans: Nuts go rancid, and stale pecans give the whole batch an off, bitter taste. Give them a smell before you toast them.
Press plastic wrap onto the surface before freezing: Lay it directly on the ice cream so no air touches it, then store the dish in the back of the freezer where the temperature stays steadiest. Both keep freezer burn and ice crystals away.
Troubleshooting
If your butter pecan ice cream isn’t turning out quite right, here’s how to fix common issues like ice cream that’s too hard to scoop, a batch that won’t freeze firm, or pecans that lose their crunch.
Why is my butter pecan ice cream too hard to scoop?
Let it sit at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes before scooping. No-churn ice cream freezes firm, and a short rest softens it just enough to scoop cleanly without melting it.
Why didn’t my ice cream freeze firm?
It most likely needs more time, at least 6 hours and ideally overnight. If it’s still soft after a full freeze, the cream probably wasn’t whipped to stiff peaks, so there wasn’t enough air to hold its shape.
Why are my pecans soft instead of crunchy?
They were most likely folded in before they fully cooled, or the ice cream has sat in the freezer a while. Cool the glazed pecans completely before adding them, and for the best crunch, enjoy the ice cream within a week or two before the nuts soften.
Can I refreeze butter pecan ice cream after it melts?
Yes, but it will be icier and less smooth than the first time. Melting and refreezing forms larger ice crystals, so only take out what you plan to eat.
Frequently Asked Questions
Butter pecan ice cream is a vanilla-style ice cream studded with pecans that have been toasted in butter and brown sugar. The buttery, glazed nuts are what set it apart from plain vanilla.
No. This is a no-churn recipe, so a bowl, an electric mixer, and a freezer are all you need. If you’d rather churn it, you can run the base through a machine.
No. It’s egg-free. The base is whipped cream and sweetened condensed milk, so there’s no custard and no raw eggs to worry about.
At least 6 hours. Overnight is better for a firm scoop, since the center takes the longest to set.
About 2 weeks for the best texture, though it keeps up to 2 months in an airtight container. After that it turns icy.
Yes, it’s worth it. Toasting them in butter and brown sugar is what gives butter pecan its flavor, and raw pecans taste flat by comparison.
RELATED: 15 Easy Dessert Recipes For One
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder or you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
If you make this small batch butter pecan ice cream, I’d love to hear how it turned out. Leave a rating and a comment below to let me know.
And if you take a photo, tag us on Instagram (@onedishkitchen). I love seeing what you make.
Small Batch Butter Pecan Ice Cream
Equipment
- 3qt Loaf Pan or similar size freezer safe pan
Ingredients
For the pecans
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 2 cups pecans – chopped
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar – packed
For the ice cream
- 2 cups heavy cream – cold
- 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter, then add the pecans and toast, stirring constantly, for 2 to 3 minutes. Sprinkle in the brown sugar and stir until it melts and turns glossy.
- Spread the glazed pecans on a baking sheet in a single layer and let them cool completely.
- In a chilled bowl, whip the cold heavy cream until stiff peaks form, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- In a separate large bowl, whisk together the sweetened condensed milk and vanilla, then gently fold in the whipped cream until no white streaks remain.
- Pour half of the mixture into a freezer-safe dish, scatter the cooled pecans evenly over the top, and pour the remaining mixture over them.
- Drag a knife through the layers to swirl the pecans throughout.
- Cover with plastic wrap and freeze until firm, at least 6 hours or overnight.
Notes
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.
Will it work okay with whole milk rather than cream?
Cream is essential for a rich and creamy texture in butter pecan ice cream. Whole milk alone won’t provide enough fat, which can lead to an icier consistency. The fat in cream helps create a smooth, scoopable ice cream.
I wonder if you can make this in the ninja creami
Terrific recipe.
I made vanilla ice cream, only I whipped the heavy cream and sweetened condensed milk together. I will try this.