Pralines and Cream Ice Cream is our favourite homemade frozen dessert to scoop when a craving for pecans hits.
The popular flavour was originally invented by the founders of Baskin Robbins. Our homemade copycat recipe is quick and easy to make using an Ice Cream & Gelato Maker.
This quick & easy recipe features a creamy vanilla flavoured ice cream base, sweet praline-coated pecan pieces and a rich caramel sauce ribbon.
Enjoy as a cool scoop on a hot day or serve as a special dessert like an ice cream sundae, ice cream sandwich or ice cream cake!
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What Is Pralines and Cream Ice Cream?
Ice cream is a sweetened frozen food typically eaten as a snack or dessert. It may be made from dairy milk or cream and is flavoured with sweetener such as sugar, and flavourings such as cocoa or vanilla.
The mixture is stirred to incorporate air and is cooled below the freezing point of water to prevent undesirable ice crystals from forming. The result is a smooth, semi-solid foam that is stored at very low temperatures.
The meaning of the name “ice cream” varies from one country to another. Terms such as frozen custard, frozen yogurt, sorbet and gelato are used to distinguish different varieties and styles.
Ice cream may also be served in dishes, for eating with a spoon, or licked from edible cones. Ice cream may be served with other desserts, such as pie, or as an ingredient in ice cream floats, sundaes, milkshakes, ice cream cakes and eye-popping Baked Alaska.
Pralines and Cream Ice Cream is one of the world’s most famous ice cream flavours, invented by the founders of Baskin Robbins.
Following a trip to New Orleans, Irv Robbins, and his wife Irma, were snacking on souvenir pralines at home when culinary inspiration hit. They rushed into the kitchen, pulled a tub of vanilla ice cream out of the freezer, tossed in chopped pralines and added a caramel ribbon. Pralines ‘n Cream was born!
Originally available in 1970 as a Flavour of the Month, this new ice cream flavour was such a success, it caused an uproar across America when stores quickly ran out.
With franchise locations running out of the new flavour fast, Baskin Robbins started receiving pleas and petitions from ice cream lovers begging for more Pralines n Cream Ice Cream. Dear Abby’s famous advice column in the national newspaper even joined in, begging for more! Students at UC Santa Barbara even staged a sit-in to bring the popular new flavour back. In the end, Baskin Robbins made a special production run to give fans what they wanted, and the flavour has been a favourite ever since.
History Of Ice Cream
The origins of frozen desserts are unknown, though there are several often repeated legends dated as early as the 3rd millenium in ancient China. According to one legendary origin myth, the Roman Emperor Nero had ice collected from the Apennine Mountains to produce the first sorbet mixed with honey and wine. Other legends say ice cream originated in the Mongolian empire and first spread to China during its expansion.
Its spread throughout Europe is sometimes attributed to Arab traders, but more often to Marco Polo. Though it’s not mentioned in any of his writings, Polo is often credited with introducing sorbet-style desserts to Italy after learning of it during his travels to China.
The Italian duchess Catherine de’ Medici is said to have introduced flavoured sorbet ices to France when she brought some Italian chefs with her to France upon marrying the Duke of Orléans in 1533. One hundred years later, Charles I of England was reportedly so impressed by the “frozen snow” that he offered his own ice cream maker a lifetime pension in return for keeping the formula secret, so that ice cream could be a royals only treat.
Snow was used to cool drinks in Greece around 500 BC and Hippocrates is known to have criticized chilled drinks for causing “fluxes of the stomach”. Snow collected from the lower slopes of mountains was unsanitary and iced drinks were believed to cause convulsions, colic and a host of other ailments. Seneca criticized the extravagant costs associated with iced desserts in an era without refrigeration.
Ice cream was made possible only by the discovery of the endothermic effect. Prior to this, cream could only be chilled but not frozen. It was the addition of salt, that lowered the melting point of ice, which had the effect of drawing heat from the cream and allowing it to freeze. The first known record of this comes from the Indian poem Pancatantra, dating to the 4th century AD.
My Family Loves Pralines and Cream Ice Cream
What family doesn’t love ice cream?
I spent months researching Toronto’s best ice cream & gelato. In search of the city’s most drool-worthy frozen desserts, I found endless inspiring flavour combinations.
As a kid my parents used to take me to local ice cream parlours all the time in Toronto, Markham, Oakville and Muskoka.
Over the years each family member has developed a penchant for a particular Baskin Robbins ice cream flavour. I love Chocolate Peanut Butter, Dad hearts Jamoca Almond Fudge, Mom adores Mint Chocolate Chip and my sister raves for Pralines and Cream Ice Cream.
It’s funny as my sister and I never knew what pralines were when we were kids. We just understood that Pralines n Cream Ice Cream featured a creamy vanilla ice cream, thick caramel sauce and crunchy nuts.
It wasn’t until I visited Savannah and Louisiana as a food writer that I came to fully appreciate the sweet Southern staple. Pralines are popular confection that resemble fudge and contain nuts (usually almonds, pecans or hazelnuts), sugar and cream.
Many North American ice cream shops sell Praline Ice Cream and due to Baskin Robbins global success it can be enjoyed around the world, from Korea to Switzerland and Egypt!
Other Homemade Ice Cream Recipes…
- Tropical Coconut Mango Ice Cream Sundae
- Espresso Coffee Java Chip Ice Cream
- Maple Black Walnut Ice Cream
- Blueberry Cream Cheese Earl Grey Ice Cream
- Buttered Popcorn Ice Cream with Caramel
- Chocolate Chip Caramel Banana Nut Ice Cream
Join Dobbernationloves founder Andrew Dobson in the kitchen by signing up for a fun virtual cooking class! Classes begin with a cocktail that you can sip while preparing 2-3 recipes that are curated around a unique culinary theme. Check out our current Cooking Class Schedule!
Best Ice Cream Makers
Looking for the best ice cream maker to make homemade gelato, granita, sorbet and sherbet?
You don’t have to own a gelato shop or ice cream parlour to enjoy decadent gourmet ice cream scoops or soft serve at home.
Affordable ice cream makers typically sell for under $100 dollars and include a main base with on/off switch, frozen bowl, paddle attachment and lid. The box usually includes instructions on how to use the ice cream maker and a few easy recipes to get you started.
- Hamilton Beach Ice Cream Maker: 1.5 quart ice cream maker is fully automatic and features a compact bowl that freezes in less than 4 hours. Available in white and red.
- Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker: 2 quart ice cream maker features brushed stainless steel exterior and handy spout for adding mixins.
- Whynter Ice Cream Maker: splurge on this premium professional quality product that has a capacity of 2.1 quarts.
Homemade Ice Cream Recipe Tips
If it’s your first time making homemade Pralines and Cream Ice Cream we suggest reading our step by step recipe from top to bottom. Familiarize yourself with each step before you start cooking in the kitchen.
Here are some helpful tips and tricks for first time ice cream makers:
- Use organic whole milk and whipping cream if you can find it.
- Purchase high quality candied pecan pralines and caramel sauce.
- Don’t rush the recipe. Ensure the ice cream base is fully cooled before adding it to your ice cream maker to churn or it will not thicken properly.
- Serve your homemade ice cream immediately out of the machine for soft serve texture, or store in the freezer and scoop for a harder more authentic ice cream parlour experience.
- You can serve Praline Ice Cream simply on a cone or as a fun sundae with your favourite nuts, muffins, cookies or Fall fruit like sliced pears and apples.
Serving Suggestions
If you’re an ice cream traditionalist you’ll likely want to lick our Pralines and Cream Ice Cream off a cone or scoop out of a bowl all on its own.
If you’re celebrating a special occasion, or simply live your life with the mantra YOLO, dress up your homemade ice cream by serving it as a sundae or between two homemade cookies as a gourmet ice cream sandwich.
We love serving this ice cream recipe smushed between Oat Flour Cookies, Dark Chocolate Lindt Lindor Cookies and Oatmeal Chocolate Toffee Walnut Cookies.
You can also scoop homemade ice cream over muffins, cupcakes, pancakes and more!
Try pairing a scoop or two with Banana Muffins, Sticky Toffee Banana and Date Muffins, Banana Carrot Muffins, Banana Oat Chocolate Chip Muffins, Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Muffins, Banana Oat Flour Pancakes, Apple Fritter Muffins or Baileys French Toast.
Storage Tips
Once you’ve mixed the freshly churned vanilla ice cream base with chopped pralines and caramel sauce store it in the freezer overnight to harden so you can scoop it easily.
If you’re making ice cream sandwiches, form them when the ice cream is soft then immediately store them upright in the freezer in a container or freezer bag.
Our homemade Pralines n Cream Ice Cream can be stored in the freezer for up to a month. But, I really doubt it will last much longer than a few days!
You May Also Enjoy These Dessert Recipes…
- Gianduja Lindt Lindor Chocolate Cake
- Fresh Fig Frangipane Pistachio Tartlets
- Caribbean Coconut Rum Banana Bread Bundt Cake
- Sweet Lebanese Sesame Tahini Rolls
- Swedish Ricotta Oatmeal Rhubarb Bars
- Baileys Banoffee Cake
- Flaky Swedish Rhubarb Cherry Pie
- Skittles Sugar Cookies
- Lemon Lavender Shortbread Cookies
- Toffee Cadbury Mini Egg Cookie Bars
- Turmeric Pumpkin Spice Indian Cake
- Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies
- Gevulde Speculaas Dutch Cherry Almond Spice Cookies
How To Make Homemade Pralines and Cream Ice Cream
Pralines and Cream Ice Cream
Equipment
- Ice cream maker
- French knife
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- Small Pot
- whisk
- mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 2 cups Whipping Cream
- 1 cup Whole Milk
- 2/3 cup White Sugar
- 1/8 tsp Salt
- 6 Egg Yolks
- 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1/4 cup Caramel Sauce
- 1 1/2 cups Candied Pecans choppped
Instructions
- In a small pot, simmer cream, milk, sugar and salt until sugar is dissolved, about 5 minutes. Remove pot from heat.
- In a separate bowl, whisk yolks and vanilla extract. Whisking constantly, slowly whisk 1/3 of the hot cream into the yolks, then, whisk the yolk mixture back into the pot with the cream. Return pot to medium-low heat. Cook until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- Cool mixture at room temperature. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Churn cooled base in ice cream machine according to manufacturer's directions.
- Scoop finished churned ice cream into a large mixing bowl and add caramel sauce and chopped candied praline pecans. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to incorporate the caramel and pralines into the ice cream base.
- Serve Praline Ice Cream directly from the bowl as soft serve, or store in the freezer until ready to eat.
Nutrition
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