Butter Pecan Protein Ice Cream
Butter Pecan Protein Ice Cream
Toasted pecans, a butter scoop, a tall glass – 15 minutes, one blender
This is blender ice cream, not a boxed pint. Cottage cheese, vanilla whey, and a little cream blend until silk. Fold in pecans toasted in butter so they stay whole, like the scoops in the photo. Fifteen minutes if you have a machine. No sugar.
Four servings. Chill the bowl first if you can.
Why you’ll love this scoop
- 9g protein per serving – dessert that is not empty
- Only 7g net carbs – allulose, no sugar
- About 15 minutes with a machine, one blender
- Butter cream, toasted pecan pieces, like the photo
- No boxed mix, no ice cream sugar
- It freezes for later scoops
Health notes
- Protein: Cottage cheese plus vanilla whey.
- Low carb: Powdered allulose or monk fruit, toasted pecans.
- Four servings: Macros are per scoop serving, not the whole batch.
- Regular ice cream sugar will raise carbs. Stay with allulose.
Key element – toast the pecans in butter, then fold them in by hand
Raw pecans taste dusty. A quick butter toast makes the gold pieces you see in the photo. Fold them in after the mix is smooth. Blending them turns the ice cream gray and sandy.
Ingredients
Ice cream (4 servings)
- 1 1/2 cups (340g) cottage cheese (2% or 4%)
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 scoop (30g) vanilla whey protein
- 1/4 cup powdered allulose or monk fruit
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp butter extract, or 1 Tbsp melted butter
- Pinch of salt
Pecan mix-in
- 1/2 cup pecan halves, roughly chopped
- 1 Tbsp butter
- Pinch of salt
- 1 tsp powdered allulose, optional, for a candy crust
Swaps
- Greek yogurt: Use 1 1/2 cups thick yogurt. Tangier, still high protein.
- No machine: Freeze the blended mix 2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes.
- Ninja Creami: Freeze the blended mix in a pint overnight, then spin. Fold pecans after the spin.
- Walnuts: Same toast method if you are out of pecans.
Instructions
| 1 | Toast. Melt 1 Tbsp butter in a small skillet. Add pecans, salt, and optional sweetener. Toast 3 to 4 minutes, stirring, until they smell nutty. Cool on a plate. |
| 2 | Blend. Add cottage, cream, whey, powdered sweetener, vanilla, butter extract, and salt to a blender. Blend 45 to 60 seconds until completely smooth. Scrape the sides once. |
| 3 | Churn. Pour into a chilled ice cream maker. Churn 10 to 15 minutes until it looks like soft scoop, like the photo. |
| 4 | Fold. Stir in the cooled pecans by hand so they stay whole and speckled, like the glasses in the photo. |
| 5 | Serve or freeze. Scoop now for a soft serve, or freeze 30 minutes for a firmer scoop. Four servings. |
Pro tips
- Blend until no cottage curds remain. Grainy mix freezes sandy.
- Cool the pecans before folding. Hot nuts melt the scoop.
- Chill the maker bowl. A warm bowl never thickens in 15 minutes.
- Powder the sweetener first. Crystals stay crunchy in the cream.
- If it freezes rock hard later, sit 5 minutes on the counter before you scoop.
Nutrition
| Nutrient | Per serving (1 of 4) |
|---|---|
| Calories | 310 |
| Protein | 9g |
| Net carbohydrates | 7g |
| Total carbohydrates | 10g |
| Fiber | 3g |
| Total fat | 24g |
| Sodium | 220mg |
Estimates with cottage cheese, vanilla whey, cream, and toasted pecans. Sugar will raise carbs.
Variations
Maple pecan
Add 1/2 tsp maple extract with the vanilla.
Salted
Finish each scoop with a tiny pinch of flaky salt.
Chocolate swirl
Fold in 2 Tbsp melted sugar-free chocolate with the pecans.
Sundae glass
Layer extra pecans in a tall glass as you scoop, like the photo on the left.
Storage
| Method | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Eat now | Soft scoop | Best right after you fold the pecans |
| Freezer | Up to 2 weeks | Press paper on the surface so it does not ice |
| Thaw to scoop | 5 minutes | Sit on the counter, then scoop |
FAQ
Test your knowledge
5 quick questions about this scoop
1. Protein per serving?
2. Net carbs per serving?
3. How many servings in a batch?
4. When do you add the pecans?
5. Why toast the pecans in butter?
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