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Brown Butter Pecan Ice Cream

Brown butter pecan ice cream with a silky vanilla custard base and nutty browned butter. Churned for a creamy scoop and finished with crunchy caramelized pecans, so every bite has buttery flavor plus texture.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 18 minutes
chill + freeze 5 hours 8 minutes
Total Time 5 hours 46 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 410
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Brown Butter Pecans
  • 0.5 lb unsalted butter Use unsalted butter for browning.
  • 1.5 cup pecan halves, roughly chopped Roughly chop so they caramelize evenly.
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar
  • 0.25 tsp sea salt
Ice Cream Base
  • 2 cup heavy cream
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 0.75 cup granulated sugar Split between the custard and yolks.
  • 5 egg yolks Large egg yolks.
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 0.25 tsp salt

Equipment

  • 1 medium saucepan
  • 1 ice cream maker

Method
 

Brown the pecans
  1. Melt the unsalted butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Continue cooking for 4–6 minutes until it turns deep golden brown and develops a nutty aroma.
  2. Stir in the pecan halves, brown sugar, and sea salt. Cook for 2–3 minutes until the pecans are lightly caramelized, then transfer to a plate and cool completely.
Make the vanilla custard
  1. Heat the heavy cream, whole milk, and half of the granulated sugar in a saucepan over medium heat until steaming but not boiling. Keep it hot while you prepare the yolks.
  2. Whisk the egg yolks with the remaining granulated sugar until pale and smooth. Scrape the sides so the mixture stays evenly blended.
  3. Slowly pour a small amount of the warm cream mixture into the egg yolks while whisking constantly to temper them. Keep whisking so the yolks don’t scramble.
  4. Return the tempered mixture to the saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat for 5–7 minutes, stirring constantly until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.
  5. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract and salt. Let the custard cool to warm before chilling.
Churn and finish
  1. Chill the custard for at least 4 hours or overnight until completely cold. Cover to prevent a skin from forming.
  2. Churn the chilled custard in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Churn until thickened to a soft-serve texture.
  3. Fold in the cooled brown butter pecans during the last 2 minutes of churning. Mix just enough to distribute the pecans evenly.
  4. Transfer the ice cream to a freezer-safe container and freeze for 3–4 hours before serving. Freeze until scoopable and firm.

Notes

For the smoothest custard, cook to the “coat the back of a spoon” stage and avoid boiling. Store in the freezer in an airtight container for up to 2–3 weeks; thaw 5–10 minutes for easier scooping. Freezing works well, but the pecan crunch may soften over time. For a lighter option, swap whole milk for low-fat milk (custard may be slightly less rich).