Helado de mantequilla y nuez pecana vegano
Este helado de mantequilla y nuez pecana vegano está hecho con una base de vainilla cremosa salpicada de nueces pecanas tostadas e infundida con sabor de azúcar moreno mantecoso. Es rico, de nuez y lleno de sabor clásico de mantequilla y nuez pecana en cada cucharada.
- 2 tazas de leche vegetal sin sabor ni azúcar (fría)
- 3 cucharadas de maicena
- 5 cucharadas de mantequilla vegana, divididas
- 1 1/4 tazas de nueces pecanas peladas y picadas
- 2 cucharadas de azúcar moreno orgánico
- 1/2 cucharadita de sal
- 2 latas (de 397 gramos cada una) de crema de coco
- 3/4 taza de azúcar granulada orgánica
- 1/4 taza de jarabe de maíz
- 1 1/2 cucharadas de ron (u otro licor (opcional, ayuda a que el helado sea más fácil de servir)).
- 1 cucharada de extracto de vainilla
- En un recipiente pequeño, bate la leche vegetal fría con la maicena. Reserva.
- Derrite una cucharada de mantequilla vegana en una olla mediana a fuego medio y agrega las nueces pecanas. Tuesta las nueces en la mantequilla durante 3 o 4 minutos, revolviendo con frecuencia para evitar que se quemen, hasta que se oscurezcan ligeramente y desprendan un aroma a nuez. Retira las nueces de la olla y colócalas en un plato.
- Agrega las 4 cucharadas restantes de mantequilla vegana a la olla, junto con el azúcar moreno y la sal. Revuelve y calienta la mantequilla y el azúcar moreno hasta que se derritan y luego dejen que hierva a fuego lento. Baja el fuego y deja que la mezcla hierva a fuego lento durante 3 minutos, revolviendo constantemente.
- Incorpora la crema de coco, el azúcar y el jarabe de maíz a la olla con la mezcla de azúcar moreno. Remueve brevemente la mezcla de maicena para distribuir la maicena que se haya asentado y agrégala también a la olla. Sube el fuego y deja que la mezcla hierva a fuego lento, batiendo con frecuencia. Es posible que veas algunos trocitos de azúcar moreno caramelizado en la mezcla; se disolverán con el tiempo.
- Una vez que la mezcla empiece a hervir a fuego lento, déjela cocinar durante un minuto más, hasta que espese ligeramente. Retire la olla del fuego y añada la vainilla batiendo con un batidor de varillas.
- Deje enfriar la mezcla por completo, revolviéndola ocasionalmente para evitar que se forme una capa (Nota 1).
- Incorpora el ron batiendo, luego vierte la mezcla en tu heladera y bate según las instrucciones del fabricante hasta que esté cremosa y parcialmente congelada, pero aún no sólida, aproximadamente 25 minutos. La consistencia debe ser similar a la de un helado suave.
- Agregue las nueces pecanas tostadas y bata durante unos 3 minutos más, hasta que estén distribuidas uniformemente.
- Transfiera el helado a recipientes y congélelo hasta que esté completamente cuajado.
- Deje reposar el helado de 10 a 15 minutos antes de servirlo, o caliéntelo durante unos segundos en el microondas (Nota 2).
This vegan butter pecan ice cream is made with a creamy vanilla base studded with toasted pecans and infused with buttery brown sugar flavor. It's rich, nutty, and packed with classic butter pecan flavor in every scoop.
What was your favorite ice cream flavor growing up? Based on my highly scientific research conducted on my Facebook page, there's a good chance it was butter pecan. Now, I'm going to be totally honest: it wasn't mine. Not because it's not good! I was just a sucker for chocolate as a kid (hang in there if you were too). But I dutifully got to work with my ice cream maker, and now I get what all the fuss is about. This vegan butter pecan ice cream is scrumptious!
I don't know why I ever doubted it. After all, I'm already a big fan of pecan desserts like vegan pecan pie and vegan pecan shortbread. But this ice cream might be the ultimate pecan treat, with its rich vanilla base, buttery flavor, toasted pecans, and hint of brown sugar. Consider me officially on team butter pecan.
You will need an ice cream maker for this one, so gear up and get ready to swoon!
Non-dairy milk. Use a variety of milk you'd normally use for drinking. Almond, soy, and cashew are all great options. My guide to dairy-free milk can help if you need some guidance.
Cornstarch. Butter pecan ice cream is often made custard style, meaning with eggs. Cornstarch is one of my favorite vegan egg substitutes for baking, and it just happens to work great in custard-style ice creams as well, just like this one!
Vegan butter. Look for brands like Earth Balance and Miyoko's in the refrigerated section, near the regular butter.
Pecans.
Brown sugar. Use organic brown sugar, since conventional brown sugar is often processed using animal bone char.
Coconut cream. This is sold in cans, near the coconut milk at the store.
Sugar. This also should be organic.
Corn syrup. This helps not only sweeten your vegan ice cream, but also prevents it from getting too hard in the freezer.
Rum. Or another liquor. This is optional, but it's another element that keeps the ice cream scoopable and not rock solid.
Vanilla extract.
How It's Made
Step 1: Make the cornstarch slurry. Start by stirring your cornstarch into your chilled non-dairy milk until the cornstarch fully dissolves. This is your thickener. Set it aside for now.
Step 2: Toast the pecans. Melt a bit of vegan butter in a pot, then add chopped pecans. Toast them for a few minutes, stirring frequently, until they start to darken and give off a nutty aroma. Take them out of the pot and move them to a plate.
Step 3: Cook the brown sugar and butter. Add some more vegan butter to the pot, as well as your brown sugar and salt. Cook the mixture at a low simmer for a few minutes.
Steps 4 & 5: Cook the base. Whisk in your coconut cream, sugar, and corn syrup, followed by the cornstarch slurry. Heat the mixture to a simmer while whisking frequently, then let it cook for about a minute more. It'll thicken just a bit.
Step 6: Let it cool. Your ice cream base needs to cool completely before churning. I like to place the pot in a cool water bath, but this is optional. Either way, make sure to give it a whisk occasionally to prevent it from forming a skin.
Steps 7 & 8: Churn. Once your vegan ice cream base is cool, whisk in the rum (if using), then transfer the mixture to your ice cream maker and churn it according to the manufacturer's directions. It'll take about 25 minutes to reach a consistency similar to soft-serve. At this point, you can add the pecans and churn for 3 more minutes to mix them in.
Steps 9 & 10: Pack, freeze, and serve. Transfer the ice cream to storage containers and freeze it until fully frozen. You'll then want to let it sit out for a few minutes before scooping, homemade vegan ice cream can freeze a bit firmer than conventional stuff and needs some time to soften.
Is this recipe gluten-free?
Yes! The recipe includes no gluten-containing ingredients.
Can I use the ice cream base to create other flavors?
Absolutely! You can omit the pecans, and even omit the brown sugar butter mix for a great basic vanilla ice cream. Enjoy it on its own, or mix in nuts, vegan marshmallows, chocolate chips, peanut butter, or whatever you love in your ice cream.
Can I eat this straight from the ice cream maker?
Yup! It'll be much softer, but if you're a fan of soft serve ice cream, then go for it!
How long will my vegan butter pecan ice cream keep in the freezer?
For the best flavor and texture, I recommend enjoying it within two to three weeks of churning.