Praline Pecan Ice Cream
Summer is the perfect time to enjoy Praline Pecan Ice Cream. Sweet and crunchy pieces of pecans stirred into a delicious and simple vanilla ice cream.
Servings: 6
Calories: 843kcal
Ingredients
Praline Pecans
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 cups pecans halved or chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Vanilla Ice Cream
- 2 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
Toppings
- 1 cup caramel sauce
- 1 1/2 cups whipped cream
- praline pecans
Instructions
Make the Praline Pecans
- Gather the ingredients to make the candied pecans, so that you have everything close at hand on the counter or table.
- Combine the brown sugar, heavy whipping cream, and butter in a medium saucepan and heat over medium heat. Bring mixture to a boil and cook for 3-4 minutes until the sugar begins to caramelize, stirring occasionally.
- Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the chopped pecans until fully coated.
- Transfer pecans to a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Spread pecans to the edges of the pan. Allow to cool. When the pecans have cooled, store in a tightly covered container for up to a month.
Prepare the Ice Cream
- Gather the ingredients to make the ice cream.
- Combine the heavy whipping cream, whole milk, granulated sugar, and a pinch of salt in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Whisk until the sugar has dissolved.
- Stir in the vanilla extract. Transfer mixture to a large jar and cover. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Freeze the Ice Cream
- When ready to churn, stir the mixture (or shake the covered jar) to ensure everything is mixed well.
- Press the ICE CREAM setting on the ice maker and then START the machine. Pour the mixture into the churning bucket. Cover with the cap. Allow to mix until thickened and the machine is about 2 minutes from being done.
- At that time, add the praline pecans and allow the freezer to mix the pecans into the ice cream.
- Once the ice cream finishes freezing, quickly transfer to a cold container. At this point, you may go ahead and serve the ice cream, which will be soft and creamy, or you may cover the container and freeze for about two hours for a harder consistency. If the dessert becomes too hard to scoop, allow it to set out for 5-7 minutes before serving.
- When ready to serve, scoop ice cream into a pretty bowl. Drizzle with your favorite caramel sauce, and if desired a dollop of whipped topping and a sprinkling of praline pecans for garnish. (Be warned, however, that this ice cream is already very sweet.)
- This recipe will make approximately 7 cups and will serve 4-6 people.
Notes
Notes on Freezing Ice Cream
If using an electric ice cream maker, you’ll want to have your equipment ready to use. For instance, with my Cuisinart machine, I keep my churning bucket in our big deep freezer, as it must be thoroughly frozen before using. Instructions say to freeze for 24 hours before use. When I’ve finished a batch of ice cream, and after I’ve cleaned the bucket, I return it to our deep freezer so it’s always ready for use.
Another tip that might be useful, is to have your ice cream machine set up and ready to run as soon as you bring your frozen bucket from the freezer. After all, you don’t want it to thaw out. I also place the container that will hold my ice cream in the freezer so it’s really cold when I scoop the freshly made icy dessert into it.
Nutrition
Calories: 843kcal | Carbohydrates: 83g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 56g | Saturated Fat: 29g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 18g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 140mg | Sodium: 250mg | Potassium: 333mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 81g | Vitamin A: 1819IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 205mg | Iron: 1mg
