Pecan Pralines and Ice Cream

A festive and decadent holiday dessert, luscious Pecan Pralines, and Ice Cream will make a sweet ending to any meal! Sometimes it’s called Pralines and Cream Ice Cream, or even simply Praline Ice Cream, but no matter what you call it, the combination of pralines and cream is the perfect balance of richness and sweetness. 

Pecan Pralines and Cream Ice Cream is a rich, smooth, vanilla ice cream full of crunchy bits of homemade pralines. The flavor is reminiscent of butterscotch, caramel sauce, and roasted pecans wrapped up in a tasty, creamy, sugary package. It’s an elegant make-ahead dessert that is impossible to resist, and it will make any meal memorable.

Here’s what you will need:

• Half-and-half: is half whole milk and half heavy cream. It is thicker and richer than regular milk. 
• Heavy cream: is thick and rich and contains at least 36% milkfat. Heavy whipping cream is basically the same thing and can also be used in this recipe. 
• Eggs: specifically, eight egg yolks give this dessert a deep richness and help thicken it. 
• Granulated sugar: combined with the pralines, gives just the right amount of sweetness to this recipe.
• Vanilla paste or vanilla extract: enhances all the other flavors in the recipe and gives this frozen confection a delicious vanilla flavor. 
• Pecan pralines: the classic flavor of pecan pralines is what this dessert is all about.  

Here’s how to make this recipe:

1. Place a medium-size saucepan over medium heat and add the half-and-half and the heavy cream. Bring the mixture just to a simmer, stirring occasionally, and remove from the heat. Set aside.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk or use an electric mixer to beat the egg yolks until they thicken and turn a pale lemon yellow color. Gradually add the sugar and whisk or mix to combine.
3. Temper the eggs by gradually adding small amounts of the hot cream mixture (about a tablespoon at a time) to the egg mixture, stirring to combine after each addition, until about half of the mixture has been added.
4. Pour in the remainder of the cream mixture, stir to combine, and return the entire mixture to the saucepan.  Place over low heat.
5. Stir the mixture slowly but constantly, scraping the bottom and sides of the pot. Keep cooking until the custard has thickened enough to coat the back of the spoon without running off and registers 170°F with a candy thermometer.
6. Pour the custard ice cream base into a container and allow to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Stir in the vanilla paste or extract. Place the custard into the refrigerator, and once it is cool enough not to form condensation on the lid, cover and store for four to eight hours or until the temperature reaches 40 degrees F or below.
7. Pour the custard ice cream base into an ice cream maker and process according to the manufacturer’s directions. This should take approximately 25 to 35 minutes.
8. About 5 minutes before the mixture reaches soft-serve consistency, slowly add the pecan praline pieces, ensuring that the praline pieces are evenly distributed throughout. Stir in the pecans if necessary.
9. Remove the mixture from the ice cream maker and place in an airtight container. Place in the freezer for 3-4 hours to allow it to firm up, and then serve.
10. If desired, garnish with crumbled pralines or roasted pecans.

What are pralines?

Pralines are a sweet, melt-in-your-mouth, southern candy that originated in New Orleans.  After just one taste, you will be hooked. So break out your ice cream maker and turn these delicious ingredients into a divine dessert for your Christmas dinner or any other special occasion. It’s a must-try, and I know you will love it as much as we do!

Sharon’s Tips:

• If your ice cream maker has a bowl that needs to be frozen before churning, be sure to place it in the freezer at least 24 hours before you plan to make this recipe.
• Want to make homemade pralines? Check out this easy recipe for Old-Fashioned Pecan Pralines. If you would like to purchase them, I have seen them online, and they often can be found at specialty stores. 
• In a pinch, you can substitute praline-coated pecans for the pralines. I have found them at Trader Joe’s, and especially around the holidays, depending on where you live, they should be relatively easy to find.
• The vanilla custard base in this recipe is delicious by itself or as a base for any number of add-ins! Instead of pralines, you could add fruit, chocolate chips, chocolate syrup, caramel, crumbled Oreos, etc. The sky is the limit!

Related recipes:

If you like pecans and pralines as much as I do, you might also like these delicious sweet treats: Southern Pecan Praline Cheesecake and Southern Pecan Praline Cake.

If you want more menu inspiration, check out my roundup post, 30+ Best Christmas Dessert Recipes, or you can browse all of my Christmas recipes at this link, or all of my dessert recipes here. 

★ If you make this dish, please leave a comment and give this recipe a star rating. I would love to know how you liked it!

Thanks so much for visiting Grits and Pinecones!

 

**This recipe was originally published on December 5, 2018. It was republished on December 1, 2020, with new photos, and expanded tips and directions. There is no change to the original recipe.