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Butter Pecan Crunch
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Butter pecan crunch is a seriously yummy no-bake dessert made with a delicious graham crust, creamy, buttery filling, and a generous topping of crumbled Heath bars. If you love the taste of butter pecan ice cream, with its sweet and salty flavors, then you’ll love this frozen dessert.
If you can’t get enough easy icebox cakes then you’ll also want to make Heaven on Earth Cake, Banana Split Cake, and Strawberry Shortcake Icebox Cake.
Butter Pecan Crunch Ingredients
You will need:
Crust
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 10 graham crackers, crushed
- 7 tablespoons melted butter
Filling
- 2 cups milk
- 3.4 ounces instant vanilla pudding
- 1-quart butter pecan ice cream
- 8 ounces Cool Whip
- 2 Heath candy bars
Substitutions and Additions
CANDY BARS: Crumbled-up Skor bars or toffee chips would be a yummy alternative to Heath candy bars if you can’t get your hands on them. You can also choose another type of milk or dark chocolate bar if you’d like.
TOPPINGS: Feel free to add any other of your favorite toppings onto your ice cream cake. Extra chopped nuts are a great choice.
ICE CREAM: This recipe isn’t just limited to butter pecan, either. I’ve tried it with other ice cream flavors, and they turn out just as amazing. Test out your favorite ice cream flavors, and let us know your top choices for this recipe. Chocolate ice cream and butterscotch ice cream are both great choices.
How to Make Butter Pecan Crunch
For the Graham Cracker Crust
STEP ONE: Line the bottom of a 9×13-inch pan with parchment paper.
STEP TWO: Combine the white and brown sugar with the graham cracker crumbs.
PRO TIP: Crush the graham crackers either by pulsing them in a food processor until they are crumbs or put the crackers in a Ziploc bag and crush them with a rolling pin.
STEP THREE: Melt butter and combine it with the mixture to make a crumbly paste.
STEP FOUR: Press the mixture firmly into the bottom of the prepared baking pan.
STEP FIVE: Set the crust by letting it refrigerate for about 10 to 20 minutes before putting in any fillings.
For the Filling
STEP SIX: In a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed, mix milk and vanilla pudding mixes together until it becomes thick.
STEP SEVEN: Add the butter pecan ice cream and fold until even.
STEP EIGHT: Pour the creamy filling into the pan on top of the graham cracker crust and use an offset spatula to evenly spread it in the prepared pan, then put it in the freezer to chill for about 2 hours.
STEP NINE: Before serving, top with Cool Whip and 2 chopped-up Heath candy bars.
PRO TIP: Put the Heath bars in the freezer while the dessert is chilling to make them easier to crumble.
How to Serve Butter Pecan Crunch
No-bake desserts, like this butter pecan crunch recipe, are so easy to make. Enjoy this icebox dessert when you’re creating something special for an upcoming event or just want to enjoy something sweet. You can serve your butter pecan crunch as is or add a drizzle of chocolate sauce or caramel sauce. You might also add a dollop of whipped cream to the top or a scoop of ice cream on the side.
Storage
IN THE FREEZER: Store any leftovers of this pecan butter crunch recipe in the freezer in an airtight container for up to three months.
Butter pecan crunch is the perfect combination of sweet and salty flavors and is bound to have everyone asking for more. This icebox cake combines the thick texture of the ice cream base with the crunchy texture of the crust. With its creamy texture, sweetness from the pecans, and a buttery finish, this frozen dessert is surprisingly simple to put together.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Can I use a different ice cream flavor in this recipe?
This is a fun recipe to experiment with. It is flexible enough that you could use any flavor of ice cream you’d like.
If I can’t find Heath bars, what would be a good substitute?
Skor bars are very similar to Heath bars, so they would work great if you can’t find Heath bars. Toffee bits would also be a great topping for this treat.
Can I use a different type of crushed cookie base rather than the graham crackers?
This creamy butter pecan crunch recipe would also work with vanilla sandwich cookies or a Nilla wafer crust.
MORE RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE
Butter Pecan Crunch
Ingredients
Crust
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 10 graham crackers crushed
- 7 tablespoons melted butter
Filling
- 2 cups milk
- 3.4 ounces instant vanilla pudding
- 1 quart butter pecan ice cream
- 8 ounces Cool Whip
- 2 Heath candy bars
Instructions
- Combine the graham crumbs and white and brown sugar together. Add the melted butter to make a crumbly paste.
- Press mixture into the bottom of a 9×13-inch pan and refrigerate for 10 minutes.
- Mix milk and vanilla pudding together, then add butter pecan ice cream.
- Pour on top of the graham cracker crust, then put in the freezer to chill.
- Before serving, top with Cool Whip and 2 chopped up Heath candy bars.
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