Sweet Cow Ice Cream Recipe

Combine whole milk, heavy cream, and whole milk powder in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan.

Whisk in 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, liquid glucose (or corn syrup), and 1 teaspoon fine sea salt until mostly dissolved.

Warm the mixture over medium heat, stirring frequently, until it reaches a gentle simmer (small bubbles at the edges) and the milk powder is fully dissolved, about 6–8 minutes. Do not boil.

Temper yolks

If using the custard option for a richer, silkier ice cream: whisk the 5 egg yolks with 1 tablespoon sugar in a heatproof bowl until slightly thickened and pale.

Remove 1 cup of the warm milk mixture and slowly drizzle it into the yolks while whisking constantly to temper (this brings up the yolks' temperature without scrambling).

Return the tempered yolk mixture to the saucepan with the remaining milk mixture. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula, until the mixture thickens slightly and coats the back of the spoon (nappe), about 3–5 minutes. Do not let it boil.

Once thickened, remove from heat and pass the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl to remove any coagulated bits.

Stir in 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste (or extract) into the warm custard or the warmed milk-cream base if skipping custard.

Allow the mixture to cool slightly at room temperature for 10–15 minutes, then whisk in the caramel sauce (reserve about 1/3 cup if you want visible caramel ribbons). If you reserved caramel for ribbons, swirl it in later during freeze stage — do not overmix.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto the surface of the custard/base to prevent a skin. Chill thoroughly in the refrigerator until completely cold, at least 4 hours or overnight. Cooling fully improves texture and flavor.

Set up your ice cream maker according to manufacturer instructions and freeze the bowl if required.

Once the base is fully chilled, pour it into the ice cream maker and churn until it reaches a soft-serve consistency, typically 20–30 minutes depending on your machine.

In the last 3–5 minutes of churning, add the toasted chopped pecans so they are evenly distributed.

If you reserved caramel for ribbons: transfer about half of the churned ice cream into a freezer-safe container, drop spoonfuls of the reserved caramel over the layer, then add remaining ice cream and repeat with remaining caramel, using a knife to gently ripple but not fully mix the caramel.

Press a piece of parchment or plastic wrap onto the surface of the ice cream to minimize ice crystals, then seal the lid. Freeze until firm, at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.

When ready to serve, let the container sit at room temperature for 3–5 minutes to soften slightly for easier scooping. Serve scoops topped with a light sprinkle of flaky sea salt if desired.