The Best Butter Pecan Ice Cream Recipe

This homemade butter pecan ice cream recipe delivers rich, creamy scoops loaded with buttery toasted pecans. Simple ingredients, restaurant-quality results!

What Makes This Butter Pecan Ice Cream Special?

This butter pecan ice cream recipe combines a silky custard base made with farm-fresh eggs, sweetened condensed milk, and pure vanilla extract with golden, sugar-kissed pecans toasted in real butter until they’re fragrant and caramelized, creating that iconic nutty crunch against impossibly creamy vanilla ice cream that tastes exactly like the premium parlor version you remember from childhood.

I’ve been making ice cream every summer since my grandmother handed me her old electric churn, and honestly? This butter pecan might be the recipe I come back to most often.

There’s something about those buttery, caramelized pecans against cold, sweet cream that just hits different on a hot afternoon. If you’re looking for another nostalgic flavor, you’ll want to try our French silk pie ice cream next—it’s like eating frozen dessert heaven.

Why You’ll Love This Homemade Butter Pecan Ice Cream

This old fashioned butter pecan ice cream brings the ice cream parlor straight to your kitchen, and here’s why it’s about to become your new summer obsession:

It’s genuinely easier than you think. No tempering eggs over a double boiler, no complicated French custard technique. Just beat, blend, churn, and you’re golden.

You control the fat content. Want ultra-rich and creamy? Use heavy cream. Watching calories but still want something delicious? Go with 2% milk. The recipe works beautifully either way.

Those buttered pecans are ridiculous. I learned this technique from a pastry chef who told me that toasting nuts in butter with a bit of sugar creates a flavor compound that straight-up doesn’t exist when you toast them dry.

According to King Arthur Baking’s explanation of the Maillard reaction, the combination of sugar, butter, and heat creates hundreds of new flavor molecules that make the nuts taste exponentially more complex and delicious.

The optional caramel swirl takes it over the top. Some nights I skip it. Some nights I add so much caramel that it’s basically butter pecan caramel ice cream. No judgment either way.

Nutritional Information Per Serving

Nutrient	Amount
Calories	285
Protein	6g
Carbohydrates	32g
Fat	15g

Based on 16 servings using whole milk. Values will vary with different milk choices.

What You’ll Need for Butter Pecan Ice Cream No Churn Magic

Making homemade butter pecan ice cream starts with ingredients you probably already have hanging around. Here’s what you’ll grab:

Amount	Ingredient
4	Large eggs, room temperature
1.5 cups	Granulated sugar
7 oz	Sweetened condensed milk (half of a 14 oz can)
1.5 tablespoons	Good quality vanilla extract (don’t skimp here!)
4 cups	Your choice: whole milk, 2% milk, half-and-half, or heavy cream
Optional	Caramel ice cream topping for swirling
3/4 cup	Pecans, roughly chopped
3 tablespoons	Unsalted butter
1 tablespoon	Sugar (for the pecans)

A quick note on that vanilla—I use the real stuff, not imitation. You can taste the difference in ice cream, I promise. For more insights on choosing quality baking ingredients, our Dubai chocolate ice cream recipe has some helpful tips in the ingredient notes.

Equipment You’ll Need

Essential tools:

• Ice cream maker (I use a basic electric one and it works perfectly)
• Large mixing bowl
• Electric mixer or whisk
• Large skillet or frying pan
• Spatula
• Freezer-safe container with lid

Nice to have:

• Ice cream scoop
• Offset spatula (for swirling caramel)

How to Make the Creamiest Butter Pecan Ice Cream

Let me walk you through this butter pecan ice cream recipe like we’re making it together in my kitchen. Put on some music, pour yourself something cold, and let’s do this.

1. Make the ice cream base. In your large mixing bowl, beat those 4 eggs for about a minute or two until they’re pale and slightly frothy.

Add the 1.5 cups sugar and keep mixing for another full minute—you want the eggs and sugar completely combined and the mixture should look smooth and creamy, almost like a loose mayonnaise. This beating incorporates air and helps the sugar dissolve completely.

2. Add your liquids. Pour in the vanilla extract, your chosen milk (all 4 cups), and that half can of sweetened condensed milk. Blend everything together until you see no streaks and the mixture looks completely uniform (if you notice any condensed milk clumps at the bottom, keep blending for another 30 seconds).

3. Start churning. Pour the mixture into your ice cream maker and follow whatever instructions came with your specific machine. Mine takes about 20-25 minutes to reach soft-serve consistency, but yours might be different.

4. Toast those pecans. While the ice cream churns, melt 3 tablespoons butter in a large pan over medium-high heat. Once it’s melted and starting to foam slightly, add that tablespoon of sugar and stir with your spatula until the sugar dissolves completely (about 30 seconds).

5. Add the pecans. Toss in your 3/4 cup chopped pecans, reduce the heat to medium, and gently stir them around, coating them in that buttery sugar mixture.

Keep them moving in the pan for about 5 minutes until they smell absolutely incredible and turn a shade darker (watch them closely during the last minute—they go from perfectly toasted to burned faster than you’d think). Transfer the pecans to a plate immediately to stop the cooking and let them cool completely.

6. Combine everything. A few minutes before your ice cream machine finishes, add the cooled pecans and let the machine mix them in evenly. You want them distributed throughout, not just sitting on top.

7. Choose your adventure. Eat it right away as soft serve (my preferred method on really hot days), or transfer it to your freezer-safe container and freeze for 2 to 4 hours until it’s scoopable but firm.

8. Optional caramel magic. If you’re doing the caramel swirl, transfer half the ice cream to your container, drizzle or squeeze a generous amount of caramel over that layer, add the rest of the ice cream, top with more caramel, then use a butter knife to gently swirl it around (don’t overmix or it’ll just blend into the ice cream—you want distinct ribbons). Freeze as directed.

Pro Tips for Perfect Ice Cream Every Time

Old fashioned butter pecan ice cream is forgiving, but these tricks make it even better:

Chill your ice cream base before churning. If you’ve got time, refrigerate the mixture for an hour before pouring it into your machine. Cold base churns faster and incorporates less ice crystals, giving you smoother ice cream.

According to Serious Eats’ comprehensive ice cream science guide, pre-chilling prevents the machine from working too hard to freeze the mixture, resulting in smaller ice crystals and a creamier texture.

Don’t skip the cooling step for the pecans. Hot nuts + cold ice cream = melty disaster. Let them come to room temperature completely, or you’ll end up with pecan-flavored ice soup.

Room temperature eggs make all the difference. They blend more easily with the sugar and create a more stable mixture that won’t separate. Just set them on your counter for 30 minutes before starting (or place them in a bowl of warm water for 5 minutes if you forgot to plan ahead).

Store ice cream properly to prevent ice crystals. Press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface before putting the lid on. This prevents freezer burn and keeps your ice cream tasting fresh for up to two weeks.

What If Something Goes Wrong?

Why isn’t my ice cream freezing in the machine? Your ice cream maker bowl might not be cold enough. Most machines need the bowl frozen solid for at least 24 hours before using. Pop it back in the freezer overnight and try again tomorrow.

My pecans burned. Can I still use them? Unfortunately, burned nuts taste bitter and will ruin your ice cream. It’s better to start over with a fresh batch (and maybe reduce your heat to medium-low this time).

The ice cream is icy instead of creamy. What happened? This usually means the mixture churned too long or the fat content was too low. Try using whole milk or half-and-half next time, and stop the machine as soon as it reaches soft-serve consistency.

Can I skip the eggs? The eggs add richness and body to the custard base, but if you need an egg-free version, you can try substituting with an additional half can of sweetened condensed milk, though the texture will be different.

Fun Ways to Mix It Up

This butter pecan ice cream recipe is delicious as-is, but sometimes you want to get creative:

Bourbon butter pecan. Add 2 tablespoons of good bourbon to the ice cream base before churning. The alcohol keeps it extra scoopable and adds a warm, complex flavor that plays beautifully with the toasted pecans.

Maple butter pecan. Replace half the granulated sugar with pure maple syrup for a subtle maple undertone. Don’t use pancake syrup—you need the real stuff.

Chocolate chip butter pecan. Add a cup of mini chocolate chips during the last few minutes of churning along with the pecans. It’s like a candy bar in ice cream form.

For more creative ice cream flavor combinations, explore our easy cookie monster ice cream guide for inspiration.

How to Serve, Store, and Enjoy

Serving: Let the ice cream sit at room temperature for about 5 minutes before scooping. This makes it easier to scoop and brings out the flavors. Serve it in chilled bowls for the full ice cream parlor experience.

Storage: Transfer to an airtight, freezer-safe container and press plastic wrap directly onto the surface before sealing. It’ll stay delicious for up to two weeks in the freezer, though honestly, it rarely lasts that long at my house.

Reheating: Obviously you’re not reheating ice cream (that would be weird), but if it gets too hard, just let it soften on the counter for 5-10 minutes rather than nuking it in the microwave.

Making Every Bit Count

Got leftover sweetened condensed milk? Don’t waste that other half of the can! Drizzle it over fresh fruit, stir it into coffee for an instant latte, or freeze it in ice cube trays for future smoothies.

Extra pecans? Toast them with a little cinnamon and sugar for the world’s best salad topping or oatmeal addition. They’ll keep in an airtight container for a week.

Leftover caramel sauce? Warm it up and drizzle over brownies, apple slices, or tomorrow morning’s pancakes.

Your Butter Pecan Questions Answered

Time to Dig In!

And there you have it—your new favorite butter pecan ice cream recipe that tastes just like you remember from the good ice cream shop, but made right in your own kitchen with ingredients you actually recognize. Those caramelized, buttery pecans against that cold, creamy vanilla base? Pure summer magic in a bowl.

I’d love to hear how yours turns out! Drop a comment below with your favorite add-ins or any genius tweaks you discovered. And definitely snap a photo before everyone devours it—though I completely understand if you’re too busy eating it to remember.

Baked with love by Rebeccah Ellene.