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Brown Butter Pecan Ice Cream

Brown Butter Pecan Ice Cream is a no-churn frozen dessert made by browning butter and toasting pecans for deep caramelized flavor. Fold the toasted pecans into a rich whipped-cream base, then freeze until scoopable and golden.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 7 minutes
Freezing 6 hours
Total Time 6 hours 27 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Butter
  • 0.5 cup butter
Pecans
  • 1 cup pecans, chopped
Heavy cream
  • 2 cup heavy whipping cream
Sweetened condensed milk
  • 14 oz sweetened condensed milk
Vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
Salt
  • 0.25 tsp salt

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Brown the butter and toast pecans
  1. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat, swirling until it turns golden brown and smells nutty, about 5 minutes.
  2. Add the chopped pecans to the browned butter and toast for 2 minutes, then remove from heat and cool completely.
Make the ice cream base (no-churn)
  1. Whip the heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks form.
  2. Whisk together the sweetened condensed milk, vanilla extract, and salt until smooth.
  3. Fold the whipped cream into the condensed milk mixture until fully combined.
  4. Fold in the cooled brown butter pecans, reserving a few for topping.
Freeze and serve
  1. Pour into a loaf pan, top with reserved pecans, and freeze for at least 6 hours until firm.
  2. Scoop and serve straight from the freezer.

Notes

Cool the browned butter and toasted pecans completely before folding them in, or they can melt the base and muddy the texture. Store covered in the freezer for up to 2 weeks. Freezing yes; for easiest slicing and scooping, let the loaf sit at room temperature for 3–5 minutes before serving. For a dairy-light swap, use a thick coconut cream for part of the heavy cream, but note the firmness and flavor will change slightly.