Dairy-Free Butter Pecan Ice Cream Recipe (2024)

Dairy-Free Butter Pecan Ice Cream Recipe (1)

Sometimes we do birthday cake at my house, and sometimes we do birthdaypecan pie. You see, it’s one of our family traditions that my kids can request whatever dessert their heart desires for their special day, and that has led to some pretty interesting requests.

This year my oldest son requested homemade pecan pie, and though his birthday is still months away he’s pretty set on his choice . . . or at least he was until I mixed up a batch of this cold, creamy, decadent butter pecan ice cream.

Decisions, decisions. 🙂

Ever since my first experience gathering pecans by the bucketful at my grandmother’s house, I’ve been smitten with the flavor that pecans bring to pies,cookies, and of course ice cream. Since I’m dairy-free right now as part of myhealing journey, ice cream made with traditional ingredients like heavy cream and whole milk is off the menu.

Dairy-Free Butter Pecan Ice Cream Recipe (2)

A few weeks ago, though, I finally figured out how to recreate the smooth, rich texture of real deal ice cream, and ever since I’ve been playing with all sorts of flavors –mint chocolate chip, vanilla chai, and this butter pecan.

Made with toasted pecans, maple syrup instead of brown sugar, and homemade dairy-free caramel sauce, it has the smooth, buttery flavor I grew up loving . . . just without the butter. (We have the caramel sauce to thank for that.)

A batch of this stuff never sticks around long in my kitchen . . . probably because I keep wandering into the kitchen a few extra times a day for a quick spoonful. Though I would have never guessed it would be possible since it’s dairy-free, I think it’s actually my favorite butter pecan ice cream recipe ever.

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4.88 from 8 votes

Dairy-Free Butter Pecan Ice Cream Recipe

Made with toasted pecans, maple syrup instead of brown sugar, and homemade dairy-free caramel sauce, this recipe has the smooth, buttery flavor I grew up loving . . . just without the butter. Makes approximately 3 cups.

Total Time 2 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Calories 590kcal

Author Heather Dessinger

Equipment

  • Ice Cream Machine

  • heat resistant bowl

  • small pot

  • measuring spoons

  • baking sheet

  • medium pot

Ingredients

Ice Cream Base

Toasted Pecans

Buttery Caramel

Instructions

  • Place cashews in a heat resistant bowl. Bring 3 cups of water to a boil and pour it over the cashews. Allow to soak for two hours before moving to step two. While the cashews are soaking, start toasting the pecans and preparing the buttery caramel.

To Toast The Pecans

  • Preheat your oven to 350°F.

  • Melt 1 tablespoon of coconut oil and pour it over the pecans. Add ⅛ teaspoon salt and toss until well-coated.

  • Spread the pecans out on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes, then remove from the oven and set aside.

To Make The Buttery Caramel

  • Place the coconut milk, sucanat/coconut sugar, maple syrup, vanilla, coconut oil and salt in a medium pot.

  • Bring to a boil, then reduce tomedium heatand allow to simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, whisking occasionally.

  • When the caramel has simmered for 15 minutes, reduce the heat to low and simmer for another 10 minutes. When the caramel is done simmering, remove it from heat and stir in the pecans. Set aside.

Putting It All Together

  • When the cashews have soaked for two hours, prepare your ice cream base by draining the them and placing them in a blender. Add all the remaining ice cream base ingredients (coconut milk, maple syrup and vanilla extract) to the container. If you're using a high-speed blender, blend on high for about 2 minutes. If you're using a regular blender, blend for 3-4 minutes to make sure it is smooth.

  • The ice creammixture will become warm during the blending process, so when you're finished place it in the fridge to chill for about 30-45 minutes. (I leave mine in the blender container.)

  • When the ice cream base has chilled, pour it into your ice cream maker and churn according to your manufacturer's instructions. Add the pecan mixture in during the last five minutes of churning. Make sure to spoon it in bit-by-bit so everything is well-distributed. If you dump it all in you'll get big clumps that are very delicious but more difficult to scoop evenly.

  • When the ice cream is ready it should have a soft serve consistency. You can devour it right away, or if you prefer a firmer consistency transfer it into an airtight container and place in the freezer for 2-4 hours. I like to use aglass loaf pan with a lid. If the ice cream becomes too firm, let it soften at room temperature for 5-15 minutes before scooping.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.5cup | Calories: 590kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 47g | Saturated Fat: 26g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Sodium: 116mg | Potassium: 512mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 29g | Vitamin A: 9IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 73mg | Iron: 5mg

Dairy-Free Butter Pecan Ice Cream Recipe (4)

More Dairy-Free Dessert Recipes

Coconut Custard– Light, wholesome, sweetened with maple syrup, and rich in healthy fats due to the egg yolks, this coconut custard recipe makes a delicious and easy anytime treat.

Gluten-Free Lemon Bars– Tart and sweet, these lemon bars are like little squares of sunshine on a plate. They’re made with a chewy, lemon-zest infused crust that’s topped with an extra-thick layer of melt-in-your-mouth creamy lemon filling.

Gluten-Free Brownies– These warm fudgy brownies are delicious with a scoop of ice cream.

Related Posts

  • Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker Review

  • Cherry Almond Ice Cream Recipe

  • Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Recipe (Dairy-Free, Egg-Free)

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Dairy-Free Butter Pecan Ice Cream Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the best non-dairy milk to make ice cream? ›

Kaminsky says that you'll get the best results from dairy-free counterparts that are higher in fat such as canned coconut milk. She typically uses almond milk as her base, but other non-dairy milks can work (steer clear of rice milk because it tends to be too watery).

Who makes dairy free butter pecan ice cream? ›

Veg O Licious Butter Pecan - Guernsey Farms Dairy. We put the same level of care in our non-dairy dessert offerings that we do in our dairy staples. It became clear that our customers needed a non-dairy dessert that actually tasted good.

Does butter pecan ice cream have milk? ›

Nutrition Facts

Ingredients: Cream, skim milk, water, sugar, corn syrup, pecans (pecans, cottonseed oil, butter, salt), high fructose corn syrup, sweetcream buttermilk, whey, contains less than 2% of guar gum, mono & diglycerides, cellulose gum, polysorbate 80, carrageenan, xanthan gum, natural flavor, annatto (color).

What is the base flavor of butter pecan ice cream? ›

Simply put, butter pecan is a flavor that merges the nutty notes of pecan with rich butter and a hint of sweet vanilla extract. The distinctive flavor of the pecan is hard to pinpoint – even for experts – but is perhaps best described as having sweet, fat, and roasted undertones.

How do you thicken non-dairy ice cream? ›

Plant-based fats are the best way to thicken vegan ice cream. Coconut cream, full-fat coconut milk and coconut oil will give the creamiest and thickest results. Cornstarch and tapioca starch can also be used to thicken but the end result will be a little more icy and a little less creamy.

What is the closest non-dairy milk that taste like milk? ›

Wondermilk. Out of the listed options, the So Delicious Dairy Free Wondermilk tops as the best brand that closely resembles actual milk in terms of consistency, creaminess and slightly sweet mild flavor. It contains coconut and oat milk, with hints of oat taste and full texture.

What's the difference between butter pecan ice cream and praline pecan ice cream? ›

Compared to butter pecan ice cream, praline ice cream is smoother in texture, owing to the fact that the nuts have already been transformed into pralines.

What is the difference between butter pecan and pecan praline ice cream? ›

Compared to butter pecan ice cream, praline ice cream is smoother in texture, owing to the fact that the nuts have already been transformed into pralines. Butter pecan ice cream keeps the actual pecan nuts intact, resulting in a crunchier texture.

Is butter pecan ice cream just vanilla? ›

Butter pecan ice cream is smooth vanilla ice cream with a slight buttery flavor, with pecans added. It is manufactured by many major ice cream brands. A variant of the recipe is butter almond, which replaces the pecans with almonds.

Who has the best butter pecan ice cream? ›

Top 50 Scanned: Butter Pecan Ice Cream beta
Popularity
#1Ice Cream, Extra Creamy, No Sugar Added, Butter Pecan Breyers130 Calories
#2Ice Cream, Butter Pecan Haagen-Dazs370 Calories
#3Sweet Freedom, Light Ice Cream, Butter Pecan Blue Bunny110 Calories
#4Butter Pecan Ice Cream Enlightened230 Calories
46 more rows

What milk is used in dairy free ice cream? ›

Dairy-free frozen desserts typically substitute regular milk with plant-based milk such as almond, soy, coconut, or cashew milk, although there are some amazing brands (*cough, cough, Eclipse*) that take it even further.

Does Turkey Hill make butter pecan ice cream? ›

Butter pecan with roasted pecan pieces. This product contains bioengineered ingredients.

Does Blue Bell make butter pecan ice cream? ›

Blue Bell Buttered Pecan is a rich, butter pecan ice cream with lightly salted, roasted pecan halves.

Does Breyers make butter pecan ice cream? ›

Our Breyers® Butter Pecan is made with 100% Grade A milk and cream that comes from cows not treated with artificial growth hormones*. We use flavors and colors from natural sources* and 100% sustainable vanilla.

What's the difference between butterscotch and butter pecan? ›

Butterscotch Involves Brown Sugar And Butter

This gives butterscotch a richness in common with butter pecan, but the flavor profile is totally different owing to a lack of nuts. Unlike butter pecan, we have a much clearer sense of where butterscotch came from: 19th century England, possibly as early as 1817.

What is the best milk for homemade ice cream? ›

This is usually due to either not freezing fast enough, or too much water forming large ice crystals. When making ice cream, you want to use whole milk and cream, rather than 2% or skim milk, because it has more fat contributing to smaller ice crystals and a better/creamier texture.

Is oat milk or almond milk better for ice cream? ›

Among plant-based milk options, oat milk is among the creamiest. This makes it a great choice for adding to coffee and, in our case, making ice cream. (We're working on an oat based coffee product by the way!)

What milk does Ben and Jerry's non dairy use? ›

Our Non-Dairy flavor creations are made with almond milk, 100% certified vegan, and boldly loaded with chunks and swirls. You'll get Ben & Jerry's euphoria in every bite. These flavors deliver everything… but the cow.

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