My first taste of pralines and cream was Baskin-Robbins Pralines ‘n Cream. I loved how rich and sweet it was, and the caramel is what stuck with me most.
I could taste the pecans, but I wanted more of that buttery, candied pecan flavor to come through. That was my goal when I started working on this Ninja Creami pralines and cream ice cream.
The tricky part is the butter. I love that buttery flavor, but too much actual butter in ice cream can leave a slightly waxy texture once it freezes.
So the butter goes into the praline pecans instead of the base. The result is a caramel-forward pint that spins up smooth, with plenty of crunchy candied pecans so they don’t get lost in all that sweetness.
Jump to:
- Why You’ll Love These Pralines and Cream Ice Cream
- What Is Pralines and Cream Ice Cream
- Ingredients You’ll Need
- How to Make the Praline Pecans
- How to Make Ninja Creami Pralines and Cream Ice Cream
- Rose's Tips
- Storing Leftovers
- Tools You’ll Need
- Recipe FAQs
- More Ninja Creami Recipes
- Did you try this recipe?
- Ninja Creami Pralines and Cream Ice Cream
Why You’ll Love These Pralines and Cream Ice Cream
- Caramel in every layer. The caramel flavor comes from three places: LorAnn Pralines & Cream flavor in the base, brown sugar cooked onto the pecans, and caramel sauce drizzled on top. Each one adds a little, so the caramel isn’t sitting in just one spot.
- Pecans that stay crunchy. The pecans are candied on the stovetop, cooled, chopped, and added with the Mix-In program after the pint spins. Adding them last keeps them in real pieces instead of getting ground into the base.
- Buttery flavor without a waxy texture. The butter only goes on the pecans, not into the base. You still get that buttery praline taste, and the ice cream spins up smooth.
- Straight from the freezer. No thawing needed. The pint goes right into Ice Cream mode, with a respin only if it looks crumbly.
- No pudding mix. A little cream cheese gives the base body, so you don’t need pudding mix or gums to get a scoopable texture.
- One easy shortcut. The caramel sauce is store-bought, so the only stovetop step is the pecans.
What Is Pralines and Cream Ice Cream
Pralines and cream ice cream is vanilla ice cream mixed with praline-coated pecans and swirled with caramel. The pecans are cooked in butter and brown sugar, which gives them a crunchy, candied coating.
It’s a classic scoop shop flavor, and Baskin-Robbins Pralines ‘n Cream is one of the most familiar versions.
My Ninja Creami version keeps the same flavors but changes where they go. The base gets LorAnn Pralines & Cream flavor along with a little vanilla, the candied pecans go in with the Mix-In program after spinning, and the caramel goes on top as a drizzle instead of a ribbon through the pint.
Ingredients You’ll Need
For the ice cream base
- Whole milk: This is most of the liquid in the base. Lower-fat milk has more water, which tends to freeze icier.
- Heavy cream: A small amount adds richness. I keep it to half the amount of milk, because too much cream in a Creami base can turn waxy and butter-like when it spins.
- Granulated sugar: Sugar sweetens the base and also keeps it from freezing rock hard, so it spins smoother.
- Cream cheese: This gives the base body without pudding mix or gums. Soften it first so it blends in smooth; cold cream cheese leaves small lumps that freeze into the pint.
- LorAnn Pralines & Cream flavor: This is where the buttery praline flavor in the base comes from, so there’s no need to add butter to the base itself. It’s a concentrated flavoring, so a small amount goes a long way. I buy mine on Amazon.
- Vanilla extract: Rounds out the praline flavor so it doesn’t taste one-note.
- Salt: A pinch balances the sweetness and makes the caramel notes stand out.
For the praline pecans
- Pecans: Halves or large pieces work best, since you chop them after they’re candied and cooled. No need to toast them first, since they cook in the skillet with the butter and sugar.
- Brown sugar: The molasses in brown sugar is what gives the coating its caramel flavor.
- Butter: This is the only butter in the recipe. Keeping it on the pecans gives you that buttery praline taste without affecting the texture of the base.
- Heavy cream: A small splash loosens the melted sugar so it coats the pecans evenly instead of clumping.
- Salt: A tiny pinch keeps the candied pecans from tasting flat.
For topping
- Caramel sauce: Store-bought is all you need here. A drizzle on top adds one more layer of caramel to every scoop.
You’ll find the exact amounts in the recipe card below.
How to Make the Praline Pecans
- Watch the sugar, not the clock. The pecans are ready when the sugar coats them in a glossy layer and smells toasty. If it starts to darken past amber, take the pan off the heat, since brown sugar turns bitter quickly once it scorches.
- Spread them out right away. Get the pecans onto parchment while the coating is still loose. If they sit in the pan, the sugar sets and they harden into one clump.
- Make them ahead. Once fully cooled, the pecans keep in an airtight container at room temperature for a few days. An airtight container matters because humidity softens the coating and makes them sticky again.
- Make a little extra. A few extra candied pecans on top of each scoop add crunch you can see, along with the caramel drizzle.
How to Make Ninja Creami Pralines and Cream Ice Cream
- Make the praline pecans. Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium-low heat, then stir in the brown sugar, heavy cream, and salt until bubbling. Add the pecans and stir constantly for 2 to 3 minutes until coated, since low heat and steady stirring keep the sugar from scorching. Spread on parchment, cool completely, and chop into small pieces so they don’t clump in the pint.
- Blend and pour the base. Blend the cream cheese, sugar, LorAnn flavor, vanilla, salt, whole milk, and heavy cream until smooth, which breaks down the cream cheese and dissolves the sugar so nothing grainy freezes in. Pour into the Ninja Creami pint up to the max fill line, since overfilling can keep the blade from spinning properly.
- Freeze for 24 hours. Set the pint on a level surface in the freezer. A level pint freezes flat, so the blade spins through it evenly.
- Spin on Ice Cream mode. No thawing needed: take the pint straight from the freezer and run the Ice Cream program.
- Respin if needed. If the ice cream looks crumbly or powdery, run Respin once.
- Add the pecans. Make a hole down the center of the ice cream, add the praline pecans, and run the Mix-In program. Adding them last keeps them in crunchy pieces.
- Scoop and serve with caramel sauce. Drizzle store-bought caramel sauce over each serving.
Rose's Tips
- Measure the LorAnn flavor. It’s a concentrated flavoring, so a small amount carries the whole pint. Measure it instead of pouring from the bottle, since a little extra goes a long way.
- Go light on the heavy cream. I use half as much cream as milk. Too much heavy cream in a Creami base can turn waxy and butter-like when it spins, and the milk keeps the texture smooth.
- Keep the butter on the pecans. Real butter in the base can leave a slightly waxy texture once it freezes. Putting it on the pecans gives you the buttery praline flavor without touching the base, and the LorAnn flavor covers the rest.
- Use a blender for the base. It breaks the cream cheese down completely and dissolves the sugar in seconds, which is harder to get by whisking.
- Let the pecans cool all the way. Warm candied pecans are soft and sticky. They need to harden before you chop them, or they’ll clump in the pint instead of spreading through it.
- Save the pecans for the Mix-In program. If they go into the base before freezing, the spin breaks them down. Adding them after the Ice Cream cycle keeps them in crunchy pieces.
Storing Leftovers
Smooth the top of any leftover ice cream flat, put the lid on the pint, and return it to the freezer.
I don’t recommend respinning this one. The blade breaks the candied pecans down, and you lose the crunch that makes this flavor worth it.
Leftovers freeze hard, so they won’t scoop straight from the freezer. If your microwave has a soften or melt ice cream setting, put the whole pint in, lid off, for about 35 seconds. That’s enough to make it scoopable again.
Tools You’ll Need
- Ninja Creami: Any model with Ice Cream, Respin, and Mix-In programs works for this recipe.
- Ninja Creami pint: The base freezes and spins in the same container, so you only need one.
- Blender: Blends the cream cheese and dissolves the sugar completely, so the base freezes smooth.
- Small skillet: A small pan keeps the little bit of butter and sugar together. In a large skillet it spreads too thin and can scorch.
- Parchment paper: The candied pecans cool on it without sticking, so they lift off easily when it’s time to chop.
- Knife and cutting board: For chopping the cooled pecans into small pieces that spread evenly through the pint.
Recipe FAQs
You can, but it won’t taste like pralines and cream. The LorAnn flavor carries the buttery praline taste in the base, so without it you’ll have vanilla ice cream with candied pecans. I buy mine on Amazon.
No. Butter pecan ice cream usually has a buttery base with toasted pecans. Pralines and cream uses candied pecans coated in brown sugar, plus caramel.
I don’t recommend it. The Creami blade breaks the candied pecans down, so they lose their crunch. Add them with the Mix-In program after the pint spins.
Yes. After the Ice Cream cycle, fold the cooled pecans in with a spoon. This also works if you want bigger pecan pieces.
Too much heavy cream in a Creami base can turn waxy and butter-like when it spins. Keeping it to half the amount of milk gives you richness while the texture stays smooth.
More Ninja Creami Recipes
- Ninja Creami Salted Caramel Ice Cream
- Ninja Creami Maple Walnut Ice Cream
- Ninja Creami Rocky Road Ice Cream
- Ninja Creami Pumpkin Cheesecake Ice Cream
- Ninja Creami Apple Cinnamon Pie Ice Cream
Did you try this recipe?
Share how it turned out in the comments below, and if you loved it, share it on Facebook, Pinterest & Instagram.
Thank you! - Rose
Ninja Creami Pralines and Cream Ice Cream
Equipment
- ninja Creami
- Ninja Creami Pint
- Blender
- Small skillet
- Parchment paper
- Knife and cutting board
Ingredients
Ice cream base
- 1 cup whole milk
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons cream cheese softened
- ¼ teaspoon LorAnn Pralines & Cream flavor
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Praline pecans
- ¼ cup chopped pecans
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- ½ tablespoon butter
- ½ tablespoon heavy cream
- Tiny pinch of salt
Topping
- Store-bought caramel sauce for drizzling
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Stir in the brown sugar, heavy cream, and salt until the sugar melts and the mixture starts to bubble. Add the pecans and stir constantly for 2 to 3 minutes, until well coated.1 tablespoon brown sugar, ½ tablespoon butter, ½ tablespoon heavy cream, Tiny pinch of salt, ¼ cup chopped pecans
- Spread the pecans on parchment paper in a single layer. Let them cool completely, then break or chop them into small pieces.
- Add the cream cheese, sugar, LorAnn flavor, vanilla, salt, whole milk, and heavy cream to a blender. Blend until smooth.1 cup whole milk, ⅓ cup granulated sugar, 3 tablespoons cream cheese, ¼ teaspoon LorAnn Pralines & Cream flavor, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, Pinch of salt, ½ cup heavy cream
- Pour the base into the Ninja Creami pint, up to the max fill line.
- Freeze on a level surface for 24 hours.
- Take the pint straight from the freezer, no thawing needed, and spin on Ice Cream mode.
- If the ice cream looks crumbly or powdery, run Respin once.
- Make a hole down the center of the ice cream, add the praline pecans, and run the Mix-In program.
- Scoop and serve with a drizzle of caramel sauce.Store-bought caramel sauce
Notes
- Add the pecans after spinning. The blade breaks candied pecans down, so they go in with the Mix-In program, not into the base before freezing.
- Stirring by hand works too. After the Ice Cream cycle, fold the cooled pecans in with a spoon instead of running Mix-In.
- Measure the LorAnn flavor. It’s concentrated, so a little extra can take over the pint.
- Don’t respin leftovers. Respinning breaks the pecans down. To soften a frozen pint, microwave the whole pint, lid off, on the soften or melt ice cream setting for about 35 seconds.
Leave a Reply