Pralines and Cream Ice Cream (No Churn!)

Pralines are one of my most favorite desserts ever! They have a place in my heart because my Mama often made them when I was growing up and they're a staple in southern desserts - especially if you're anywhere near New Orleans.

So taking pralines and adding ice cream? Well, this might be one of the best combo desserts ever - a mix of no churn, homemade vanilla ice cream with homemade pralines.

Some of you may be familiar with the flavor from Baskin Robbins Pralines and Cream, but trust me, homemade is the best... just like this Cookie Monster Ice Cream.

Video

Loaf pan filled with pralines and cream ice cream with a caramel drizzle on top

Why you'll love Pralines and Cream Ice Cream

Praline Ice Cream is a delicious combination of the creamy base of vanilla ice cream plus the flavor and texture of crunchy, buttery, pralines and rich caramel sauce.

The short version is... this nutty treat is sweet and a little salty. It's just so dang good.

Additionally, this Praline Pecan Ice Cream can be made at home and is much better bang for your buck than buying it at the store. And this is a no-churn recipe so it doesn't require any special tools or equipment (such as an ice cream maker) - that's always a win-win in my book!

Dipping a scoop of Pralines and Cream Ice Cream out of a loaf pan.

Did I mention it's easy and very fast to put together? The longest step is actually freezing the ice cream so if you know you want to have it for a particular day or occasion, it's best to make it the day before.

For those with allergens or sensitivities, this Caramel Praline Ice Cream is gluten-free and egg-free.

Ingredients

For the Candied Pralines

Brown sugar - I prefer light brown sugar for this recipe and I think it yields the best flavor. However, you can use dark brown sugar if that's what you have on hand - just know that the molasses flavor in the sugar will be a stronger!

Heavy whipping cream - heavy whipping cream is also called just "heavy cream" and sometimes called "sweet cream." Regardless of what you call it, it's essential to this recipe. Do not use half and half here - you must get the good stuff with high fat content.

Salted butter - unsalted butter can be used, but you'll want to add a pinch of salt if you go that route. Salt helps bright out the flavors.

Vanilla extract - a high quality store-bought vanilla works great or you can use homemade vanilla.

Powdered sugar - also called "confectioners sugar", makes the pralines so smooth and creamy. You cannot use granulated sugar here.

Pecans, chopped - you want the nuts chopped pretty small for pralines that are going into ice cream so that it adds the crunchy texture without the bulkiness of whole pecans in the pecan praline pieces.

For the Ice Cream

Heavy cream - for the pecans and pralines ice cream, you want the heavy cream to be really, really cold. Do not set it out on the counter before you start - leave it chilling in the fridge for as long as possible.

Sweetened condensed milk - do not use the low-fat version of condensed milk. You want all the fat for extra creamy ice cream.

Vanilla extract

Pinch of salt - again, the salt really enhances the other flavors in the ice cream, especially the sweetness.

Caramel ice cream topping or homemade caramel sauce - I like to make my own caramel sauce, but any good, thick caramel sauce from the store will work great for the caramel ribbon in the ice cream.

A loaf pan of Pralines and Cream Ice Cream drizzled with caramel sauce and candied praline pecans.

Substitutions

Pecans are the traditional and most common nut used in praline candy and praline cream ice cream but if you want (or must), you can substitute chopped walnuts, almonds, or hazelnuts.

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Brown Sugar

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How to make Homemade Pralines & Cream Ice Cream

Before you start, chill your loaf pan in the freezer so it'll be ice cold when you pour the ingredients in!

How to Make Southern Pralines

To make the praline recipe with heavy cream, combine the brown sugar, whipping cream, and butter in a medium saucepan.
Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Start a timer and boil for 1 minute, then promptly remove it from the heat.

heavy cream, brown sugar, whipping cream, and butter in a sauce pan

Immediately whisk in the powdered sugar, then gently stir in the pecans and vanilla extract.
Working quickly, stir until the pecans are completely covered in candy.
Allow to cool for 8-10 minutes.
Then move the candied pralines onto parchment paper.
Crumble up any large pieces of the caramel praline topping.

adding powdered sugar to praline candy mix in saucepan

praline crunch topping on parchment paper on a cookie sheet

How to Make the Creamy Vanilla Ice Cream

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk, add the whipping cream, sweetened condensed milk, vanilla and a pinch of salt.
Whip on high for 2 minutes until the mixture is thick and soft peaks form.

adding whipping cream, condensed milk, vanilla and salt to a mixer

mixing whipping cream, condensed milk, vanilla and salt to a mixer

How to Make the Pecan and Praline Ice Cream

Set aside ½ cup of the praline crunch topping and crumble the remaining praline pecans into the mixture.
Stir until evenly distributed.
Pour half of the cream mixture into a chilled 9-by-5-by-3-inch metal loaf pan.
Drizzle with half the caramel sauce.

add candied pralines to ice cream mixture

drizzle caramel onto ice cream in loaf pan

Cover with the remaining ice cream and top with more homemade pecan pralines and caramel drizzle.
Freeze until set (3+ hours).

loaf pan of completed pralines and cream ice cream topped with praline pieces and caramel

Pro tips for Pecan Praline Ice Cream

Make this a day ahead of when you need it so that it's frozen through when you're ready to enjoy it!
Pralines can be finicky but because they will be crumbled up in this recipe, don't stress if they don't come out just right. Even if they're still soft, the crumbled pralines can be still be mixed into the ice cream.
While I cringe a little saying this 😉 - you can use store-bought pralines instead of making them homemade from scratch (if you must). Seriously though, if you live in the South, you can likely buy some amazing pralines to use in this recipe and save that step!
Don't skip the high-fat products - no half & half instead of heavy cream. No low-fat condensed milk or butter. The texture of your Pecan and Praline Ice Cream will not be as rich and creamy if you go with lower fat products.

Recipe Variations

Try drizzling chocolate syrup in place of, or along with the caramel syrup to give the pralines and cream some extra richness
You could also mix in chopped up cookies, extra nuts or mini chocolate chips for more textures and flavors.

Serving suggestions

Because homemade no churn ice cream doesn't have the preservatives of store-bought ice cream to keep it soft, it will freeze very hard. To overcome this, let it sit out at room-temp for a few minutes before scooping so it can soften up a bit!
Enjoy this ice cream any time of year as dessert for your family or a special treat for holidays or summer break.
Drizzle with more caramel, caramel bits, extra pecans, etc. when serving!
Serve in ice cream cones, waffle cones, or of course, bowls!

Can you make this Praline and Cream Ice Cream in an ice cream maker?

Yes, absolutely! Make the candied pralines as instructed and set them aside. For the ice cream, mix the ingredients as instructed and process in your ice cream maker according to the machine's instructions.

Just before the ice cream is frozen, stir in the pralines and a drizzle of caramel. Transfer the ice cream to a freezer safe container and add more pralines on top along with more caramel sauce. Freeze for at least 2 hours.

Storage directions

If it's not all eaten in one sitting, store in a freezer-safe container covered with a lid or a couple of layers of plastic wrap or foil to prevent freezer burn.

No churn ice cream will keep in the freezer for up to two months.

FAQ

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

Butter Pecan ice cream is vanilla ice cream with added butter flavoring and pecans added for texture. Pralines and Cream ice cream is sweeter with the added caramel sauce and candied pralines.

Does pralines and cream have caramel in it?

Yes, traditionally there will be ribbons of caramel in praline pecan ice cream along with more added as a topping.

Is there alcohol in pralines and cream ice cream?

The only ingredient in this pralines and cream recipe that would have alcohol content is the vanilla extract. However, there are options for alcohol free vanilla flavoring if you'd like to use that as a substitute.

Is heavy cream the same as heavy whipping cream?

Yes, that is two different names for the exact same ingredient.

Tools & Equipment You'll Need

A medium to large saucepan
Large Spoon
Parchment Paper
Stand Mixer (or a hand mixer will work if you don't have a stand mixer)
Loaf Pan (a shallow pan of any shape will work but loaf pans are most common)

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