This salted caramel pecan ice cream has a salted caramel custard based ice cream, swirled with more salted caramel and toasted pecans throughout. It’s rich, creamy, and so delicious.
I often share a lot of no churn ice cream recipes, or simple eggless ice cream recipes, but this salted caramel pecan ice cream starts with a custard base. The process is a little more complicated than some of our other ice cream favorites like our strawberry ice cream, or our no churn mint chocolate ice cream. But the results are well worth it.
I found this recipe for salted caramel ice cream with fudge and toasted coconut from my friend Deborah at Taste and Tell and just knew I had to try my own version. Instead of fudge and coconut, I just stuck with a salted caramel ice cream, swirled with more salted caramel sauce and with chunks of toasted pecans throughout. I added a little vanilla to the ice cream base, and stuck with my own salted caramel sauce recipe.
This may be my new favorite ice cream recipe ever, though I do say that a lot 😉 What can I say? I love homemade ice cream.
This ice cream is very caramely. The custard base ice cream itself has caramel mixed into it to make it rich, and caramel flavored. Then after removing if from the ice cream maker, you swirl in more salted caramel, and chunky crunchy toasted pecans through out.
How to make Salted Caramel Ice Cream?
You’ll want to start by making the salted caramel sauce first. It’s one of those recipes where you have to move fast, so measure each of the ingredients out so you have them ready to go when you need them.
Then add the granulated sugar to a medium sauce pan, and heat it over medium high heat. Stir it constantly. The sugar will first form into clumps, then eventually will turn into an amber colored liquid. Don’t stop stirring it.
Once the sugar is melted, and liquidy, add in the butter pieces, stir them in until they are completely melted. Then slowly pour in the heavy cream. Bring the sauce to a boil, if it’s not already, and let it boil for 1 minute, while you continue to stir it.
Remove it from the heat and add in the salt, and the vanilla extract. Pour the caramel into two separate bowls, and set half aside for the custard, and put half in the fridge for later.
Now onto the custard. Add the heavy cream, milk, sugar, salt, and vanilla extract to a large pan. Heat over medium high until the edges of the mixture just start to bubble. While that is heating, whisk up your egg yolks in a separate large bowl.
Once the mixture is slightly bubbling, pour 1/2 cup of the cream mixture into the egg yolks, while whisking it together vigorously. Pour another 1/2 cup, then another 1/2 cup stirring them into the mixture completely before adding the next. Pour the mixture back into the sauce pan with the remaining cream and continue to heat for about 5 minutes until the mixture thickens a bit (Enough to coat the back of a spoon).
Pour the mixture back into the bowl, and pour in half of your caramel sauce and stir it in completely.
Put the bowl over an ice bath, and let it sit to cool down slightly, stirring occasionally. For about 10 minutes. Cover the bowl and place it in the fridge for at least 2 hours, up to overnight.
Toast the pecans in a saute pan over medium heat, stirring the whole time until they are lightly toasted. Set them aside to cool.
Once the custard mixture is chilled, pour it into a running ice cream maker and let it run according to the manufactures directions (Mine is about 30 minutes). Add in the pecans and let the mixture run for another 3-5 minutes until they are mixed evenly throughout.
Pour about 1/3 of the custard into a 9×5 loaf pan, then drizzle some of the caramel sauce. Repeat with another 1/3 of the ice cream, more caramel, the last bit of ice cream and more caramel. (You might not need to use all of the remaining caramel sauce, you can save some for another time).
Cover the container and place it into a freezer for at least 6 hours to freeze solid. Though I like to freeze mine overnight to get it hard like store bought ice cream.
Tips for making Salted Caramel Ice Cream:
- Don’t forget to freeze the ice cream maker bowl at least 12 hours before you want to make the ice cream.
- This ice cream recipe takes several hours to make from start to finish, with a lot of inactive time, but just be aware. From cooking the custard, then chilling the custard, churning the ice cream in the machine, then freezing the ice cream to be scoopable, you have about 8-12 hours of chilling time, so be prepared.
- I recommend using high fat ingredients for the richest creamiest ice cream, but you can substitute half and half for the heavy cream, and a lower fat milk for the whole milk if desired.
- You might not need to use all the second half of the salted caramel sauce in the ice cream. The ice cream itself is very rich, so only drizzle what seems like a good amount to you as you are layering the ice cream in the pan.
- You can substitute walnuts instead of pecans, if desired.
- This ice cream is very rich, serve it in small servings if it’s too much for you 🙂
This salted caramel ice cream is so rich and creamy. It’s perfectly caramelly and bursting with a perfect salty caramel flavor, with lovely crunches from the pecans! I hope you love it as much as we do!
More ice cream recipes:
- Butter Pecan Ice Cream
- Peanut Butter Ice Cream
- Coconut Ice Cream
- Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream
- Cookies and Cream Ice Cream
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Salted Caramel Pecan Ice Cream
Ingredients
For the Salted Caramel Sauce:
- 1 cup white sugar
- 6 TBS butter (softened and cut into 6 pieces)
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla
For the Custard:
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 5 egg yolks
For the Pecans:
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
Equipment
- Large Mixing Bowl
Instructions
For the Salted Caramel Sauce:
- Measure out all the ingredients for your salted caramel sauce and set them aside. Add your white sugar to a medium sauce pan and heat over medium high heat.
- Stir constantly with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon. Sugar will form into little clumps and then eventually into an amber colored liquid. Keep stirring.
- Once the sugar is melted add in your butter pieces. Stir them into the caramel until they are completely melted.
- Slowly pour in your heavy cream. Allow the mixture to boil for 1 minute while stirring.
- Remove from heat and pour in your salt and vanilla.
- Divide your caramel into 2 and set half aside and put half in the fridge for later.
For the Custard:
- In a large sauce pan, combine your heavy cream, milk, sugar, salt and vanilla. Heat over medium high until your mixture starts to bubble.
- In a large bowl, whisk your egg yolks.
- Slowly pour 1/2 cup of your cream mixture into your egg yolks while whisking vigorously. Pour another 1 cup of your cream mixture, 1/2 cup at a time while whisking the whole time.
- Pour the egg mixture back into the sauce pan with the remaining cream mixture and continue to heat for about 5 minutes until the mixture is thickened a bit.
- Pour back into the bowl and pour your set aside half of the caramel into the mixture and stir in completely.
- Put bowl into an ice bath and allow to set for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Toast your pecans in a saute pan over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring the whole time.
- Cover bowl and place it in the fridge for about 2 hours, up to overnight.
- Once chilled, pour the mixture into your ice cream maker along with your pecans and allow to run according to manufactures instructions (about 30 minutes).
- Pour about 1/3 of your custard into a 9x5 loaf pan. Drizzle a third of your caramel sauce. Repeat with another third of the ice cream, a third of the caramel sauce and then the last ice cream and the remaining caramel.
- Cover and transfer to the freezer to freeze solid.
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Things you might need for this recipe:
And now for the giveaway!!
Micky says
This was easily the best tasting ice cream I’ve ever made. Only thing I would say is make sure you use a heat resistant spatula when making the caramel…mine melted.
Aimee says
Yay! I’m so glad you loved it. Good tip!
Jo says
It’s really good. I followed the recipe perfectly and although the ice cream is absolutely delicious I found it too sweet even though I used only half the caramel and reduced the sugar in the custard by 1/4 cup. I also used crème fraiche and ‘fleur de sel’ instead of heavy cream and regular salt. The next time I make it, I’ll increase the amount of toasted pecans, cut the caramel in half, and use only a 1/3 of a cup of sugar in the custard.
Aimee says
Sorry you thought it was too sweet!
Franchall Beverly says
Hi There!
Can you tell me how much this recipe makes?
Thanks!
Aimee says
It makes about 8 cups worth.
T says
Hi…I made this ice cream and I had a bit of a problem with my Carmel sauce I put in the fridge…it hardened like a rock….did I do something wrong?
Aimee says
Mine does get harder in the fridge, but not that much. Try microwaving it to warm it up and you can stir in another tablespoon or so of heavy cream and that should thin it out. It’s so thin in the icecream it shouldn’t get too hard in there.
Kiara James says
I completed this recipe. My ice cream did not turn out/look anything like the picture. I followed it to a T and read instructions early. Had all ingredients measured out properly and set out in stations. My ice cream looks like Talenti’s sea salt caramel ice cream. The mixture was so rich that I did not swirl it with the additional refrigerated caramel. The caramel recipe is tasty, but overpowered my custard 🙁
Aimee Berrett says
Sorry that the caramel flavor was too strong for you. That sounds delicious to me 😉
Edda says
Hi Ellen and Aimee, the recipe looks really good! 🙂 I was wondering what kind of vanilla you used for the recipe?
Kind regards
Edda
Aimee Berrett says
I usually get the pure vanilla extract from costco. Any vanilla extract should work, though I definitely think the pure extract is better than imitation 🙂
Sarah says
Is the butter salted or unsalted?
Aimee Berrett says
I use unsalted.
michellebialy says
One for me and one for my little sister!
Strength and Sunshine says
Favorite flavor is COFFEE! And I;d give the other to my mom! She is ice cream obsessed!
Andrea Christian says
I made the chocolate one, then drizzled a peanut butter sauce over it (her favorite combo). 🙂 I plan to make some of the other no churn options this summer, my husband is excited about the key lime one!
C says
I love mint chip! I’d share the other ice cream maker with my daughter.
Andrea Christian says
ooh! ooh! pick me please!! I’ve wanted an icecream maker for years now! your no churn icecream was amazing (I made it for my sister’s birthday, since she isn’t fond of cake), and I’d love to try this new recipe!
Aimee Berrett says
Thanks Andrea! Which no churn recipe did you try?
Amy C. says
My favorite ice cream flavor is java chip and I would love to gift this to my mother. Thanks for the awesome giveaway!
Lisa @ Whisk & Cleaver says
I am a huge fan of homemade ice cream! But haven’t yet tried a custard-based version. Yours looks so sweet and creamy – salted caramel is one of my favorite flavors.
Aimee Berrett says
Thank you Lisa! I love all the delicious flavor combos you can make with homemade ice cream!
Kim @ MomCanIHaveThat says
Wow! This looks so good. It has all of my favorite flavors in one great place! Thanks for sharing a great recipe!
Sheila jacobson says
Ice cream with lots of extras in it is my favorite. My daughters is chocolate. I would love to win the ice cream makers and would give on to my daughter. This ice cream recipe looks soooooo delicious!
Natalie says
I love Cookies and Cream ice cream. I’d share the other machine with a friend!
candycainlane says
I love all ice cream! I would give one to my daughter.
Lacey says
This has me wanting ice cream, at 9:30am! My favorite flavor is chocolate fudge brownie (Ben & Jerry’s ‘Chocolate Therapy’). I’d love to be able to make your salted caramel ice cream recipe, and I’d give the extra to my sweet friend Carly!
Aimee Berrett says
Ben and Jerry’s is just the best, isn’t it!
Cindy S says
The recipe does not list the egg yolks. How many does it require?
Aimee Berrett says
So sorry, thank you for catching that. 5. Egg yolks.
Cindy says
Great- thanks for the prompt response as I will be making this for our July 4th festivities!
Leslie says
I’m boring. I like homemade vanilla. I would like to win an ice cream maker for my son and daughter-in-law.
Karla G says
I love coffee ice cream, and so many others! I’d give the other one to my sister, as she is wanting one badly.
Heidi says
My favorite ice cream flavor is citrus and if I won I would give the other one to my mom!
Heidi says
This looks delicious!
Lindsay says
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough and I would give it to my best friend!!!
Aimee Berrett says
One of my favorites too! We have a no churn version on our site, be sure to check it out!
Kelly G says
I would love to win an ice cream maker! My husband is GF and DF, so this would be great for making sure he has some good homemade options!