High-Protein Butter Pecan Ice Cream

Blender ice cream with toasted buttered pecans — low carb, sugar-free, and ready in 10 minutes

This high-protein butter pecan ice cream blends cottage cheese and vanilla protein into a pale, scoopable cream. Toasted pecans cooked in butter fold through so every scoop looks like the sundae glass in the photo. Each serving has 12 g of protein and 4 g net carbs.

Low carb, sugar-free, and no ice cream machine required.

Prep10 min

Cook0 min

Servings4

Protein12g

Net Carbs4g

Calories280

Why you’ll love this ice cream

12g protein per serving
Only 4g net carbs
No ice cream machine
Ready in about 10 minutes
Buttered pecan pieces
Soft-serve or scoopable

Health notes

High protein: Cottage cheese and vanilla protein powder.
Low carb: Pecans instead of caramel sauce with sugar.
Sugar-free: Powdered keto sweetener only.
Blender method: Eat now or chill 10 minutes to mound it.

Key element — toast the pecans in butter

Raw pecans taste flat. A 2-minute butter toast gives the brown ribbons and nut flavor in the photo.

Ingredients

Ice cream base (4 servings)

2 cups low-fat cottage cheese
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
¼ cup powdered sugar-free sweetener
2 Tbsp heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp butter extract or extra vanilla
Pinch of salt

Butter pecans

½ cup pecan halves, roughly chopped
1 Tbsp butter
1 tsp powdered sugar-free sweetener
Pinch of salt

Swaps

Cream cheese: Use 8 oz cream cheese + ½ cup Greek yogurt instead of cottage cheese.
Walnuts: Use in place of pecans.
No protein powder: Add 1 extra Tbsp sweetener (protein drops).
Dairy-free: Use coconut yogurt and coconut oil for the nuts.

Instructions

Toast the pecans. Melt butter in a small skillet over medium. Add pecans, sweetener, and salt. Stir 2 minutes until fragrant. Cool.

Blend the base. Blend cottage cheese, protein powder, sweetener, cream, vanilla, butter extract, and salt until completely smooth.

Fold. Stir most of the buttered pecans into the cream by hand. Save a few for the top.

Serve. Spoon into glasses now, or freeze 10 minutes so it scoops into a mound like the photo. Top with remaining pecans.

Pro tips

Cool the pecans so they don’t melt the cream.
A high-speed blender hides the cottage cheese texture.
If the base is too thick, add 1 tablespoon of cream.
For a Ninja Creami, freeze the blended base overnight, spin, then fold pecans.
Macros include the buttered pecans.

Nutrition

Nutrient	Per serving
Calories	280
Protein	12g
Net carbohydrates	4g
Total carbohydrates	6g
Fiber	2g
Total fat	20g
Sodium	260mg

Estimates based on cottage cheese, vanilla protein, butter, and pecans, divided into 4 servings. Exact numbers vary with protein powder brand.

Variations

Maple pecan

Add ½ tsp sugar-free maple extract.

Chocolate pecan

Fold in 2 Tbsp sugar-free chocolate chips.

Cinnamon

Add ¼ tsp cinnamon to the pecans.

Hard scoop

Freeze 2 hours, then rest 5 minutes before scooping.

Storage

Method	Time	Notes
Freezer	Up to 1 month	Press parchment on the surface
Serve later	Thaw 5–10 minutes	Stirs back to scoopable
Refrigerator	Same day	Stays soft-serve texture

FAQ

Yes. There is no sugar caramel, so each serving stays around 4g net carbs.

Not if you blend until fully smooth. Butter extract and pecans cover the rest.

Yes. Add 1 extra tablespoon of sweetener. Protein per serving will drop.

No. A blender is enough for the 10-minute version.

Butter and heat give the brown pieces and flavor in the photo. Raw pecans taste flat.

Four servings match the per-serving macros on the card.

Test your knowledge

5 quick questions about this butter pecan ice cream

1. Protein per serving?

2. Net carbs per serving?

3. How should you treat the pecans?

4. About how long does this take?

5. What is the base of this ice cream?

High-Protein Butter Pecan Ice Cream