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Pecan Praline and Cream Ice Cream

Pecan praline ice cream with a creamy vanilla custard base and crunchy, candy-coated praline pecan clusters. Cook the pralines to soft-ball stage for caramelized nuts that crack beautifully in every scoop.
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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: 690
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 saucepan
  • 1 ice cream maker

Method
 

Make praline pecans
  1. Combine brown sugar, heavy cream, and butter in a saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring, to 235F (soft ball stage). The mixture should look glossy and thicken as it reaches temperature.
  2. Stir in pecan halves, vanilla extract, and salt until all nuts are evenly coated. The coating should cling to the pecans and look caramelized.
  3. Spread the hot praline pecans on parchment to cool and harden. Let them sit until fully set, then break into chunks for folding into the ice cream later.
Make vanilla custard base
  1. Heat heavy cream, whole milk, and brown sugar in a saucepan until the sugar is dissolved, stirring to fully combine. The mixture should be smooth and steaming with no grainy sugar left.
  2. Slowly whisk the warm cream mixture into egg yolks to temper them. The yolks should turn loose and glossy without scrambling.
  3. Cook the custard, stirring constantly, until it reaches 175F. It will thicken enough to lightly coat the back of a spoon.
  4. Strain the custard into a clean container, then whisk in vanilla extract and salt. The texture should be silky with no bits of cooked egg.
  5. Cool the custard completely, then refrigerate for 4 hours. Chill until very cold for best churning results.
Churn and finish
  1. Churn the chilled custard in an ice cream maker until it reaches a soft-serve consistency. The base will look thicker and aerated.
  2. Fold in praline pecan chunks during the last 5 minutes of churning. The pecans should distribute throughout without crushing too much.
  3. Freeze the ice cream until firm. The surface will set and the texture becomes scoopable.

Notes

Pro tip: keep the praline at a true 235F soft-ball stage—under or overcooking can make the candy chewy instead of crisp. Store in the freezer in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks; thaw 5–10 minutes for easier scooping. Freezing is yes, but the praline crunch may soften slightly over time. For a dairy-light swap, replace heavy cream with a high-fat lactose-free cream and whole milk with lactose-free whole milk, keeping the same volumes for proper custard set.