Since Father’s Day is coming up (June 16th) we thought why not make one of our dad’s favorite desserts, Bourbon Pecan Ice Cream. This ice cream is creamy and packed with tons of pecans and just the right amount of bourbon and it is no-churn which means you don’t need an ice cream maker. It’s the perfect ice cream to make for Father’s Day or just for yourself.
Just like us, our dad has a huge sweet tooth and whenever we get ice cream this is his go-to flavor. So, we decided for this Father’s day we make him some homemade Bourbon Pecan Ice Cream. This is not like any old bourbon pecan ice cream. For this ice cream, we are going to be making brown butter roasted pecans to mix into the base.
You may have noticed we do a lot of no-churn ice cream recipes. That is because of two reasons: one we don’t have an ice cream maker (but maybe one day) and two no-churn ice cream are just as simple as easy as using an ice cream maker. Although ice cream maker ice cream does have a richer taste that is because it churns the ice cream. Don’t let that scare you no-churn ice cream flavor is just as good.
Does anyone remember in school when they taught you how to make ice cream in a Ziploc bag? You had to put the creams, sugar, ice cream salt, vanilla and a whole lot of ice. Then, you had to rock that bag back and forth until it started to thicken up and become ice cream. Well, no-churn recipes are so much easier, and you can have a lot of fun creating different flavors.
For this recipe like we mentioned we will be making Bourbon Pecan ice cream, but not just any bourbon pecan ice cream we will be using browned butter pecans in this ice cream. This will give the pecans a nice sweet flavor because we will be using honey and of course browned butter. This may sound complicated, but it’s easy. Let’s get started.
Roasting the Pecans
We are going to start by making the pecans. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (F). In a small frying pan melt the butter on medium heat until the butter starts to turn brown and it gives off a caramel/nutty aroma. Stir constantly. **Be sure to keep an eye on it as it will burn.** Once the butter has browned remove from heat.
Add the salt, vanilla extract, and honey to the melted butter, whisk until combined. Mix in the pecans into the butter until coated.
On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or silicone mat spread the pecans into an even single layer. Baked for 10 – 12 minutes. Let the pecans cool completely on the sheet, set aside.
Making the Ice Cream
Now onto the ice cream. In a small bowl add condensed milk, vanilla extract, and bourbon. This is what’s going to give our ice cream flavor. A quick note on the bourbon we added 3 1/2 tablespoons, but you can add more or less depending on how much bourbon flavor you want. Whisk together until combined, set aside.
Using a standing mixer, add the cold heavy cream and beat until stiff peaks begin to form. Pour the bourbon mixture into the heavy cream mixture. Use a spatula to fold the two mixtures together until combined. Next, fold in half of the pecans. Pour the ice cream mixture into a freezer safe container. Top with the other half of pecans. Cover with foil and freeze for 8 hours or preferably overnight.