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Pecan Praline and Cream Ice Cream

Pecan praline ice cream with a silky vanilla custard base and crunchy candy-coated praline pecans. This Southern-style pralines and cream ice cream churns smooth, then freezes firm with visible caramelized nut clusters.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
chilling + freezing 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 45 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 620
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the praline pecans
  • 1.5 cup pecan halves
  • 0.5 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 3 tbsp heavy cream
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 0.25 tsp vanilla extract
  • 0.25 tsp salt
For the ice cream base
  • 2 cup heavy cream
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 0.75 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 5 egg yolks
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 0.25 tsp salt

Equipment

  • 1 ice cream maker
  • 1 saucepan
  • 1 parchment

Method
 

Make the praline pecans
  1. Combine brown sugar, heavy cream, and butter in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring until smooth. Cook to 235F (soft ball stage), then stir in pecan halves, vanilla extract, and salt.
  2. Spread the hot praline mixture on parchment to cool and harden. Once firm, break into chunky praline pecan pieces.
Cook and chill the custard
  1. Heat heavy cream, whole milk, and brown sugar in a saucepan until the brown sugar dissolves. Slowly whisk this mixture into the egg yolks to temper.
  2. Cook the custard to 175F, stirring constantly for thickening. Strain it, then whisk in vanilla extract and salt, cool completely, and refrigerate 4 hours.
Churn and freeze
  1. Churn the chilled custard in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Fold in the praline pecan chunks in the last 5 minutes so they stay crunchy.
  2. Transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze until firm. Let it sit for a few minutes before serving for easier scooping.

Notes

Pro tip: use a thermometer and cook the pralines to exactly 235F for the right soft-ball set and crisp crunch. Store covered in the freezer up to 2 weeks; keep in mind ice crystals can increase over time. Freezing is yes—best texture is within 1 week. For a dairy-light swap, you can use part-reduced-fat milk and cream, but the custard will be less rich and may churn softer.