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Butter pecan crunch is a no-bake, icebox cake, and the perfect treat for a summer get-together. Its filling is a creamy mix of vanilla pudding and rich butter pecan ice cream sitting atop a crispy graham cracker crust. And it’s made even better with a generous sprinkle of crumbled Heath bars on top.
No-bake desserts, like this butter pecan crunch recipe, are so easy to make! Some of our popular no-bake recipes include No-Bake Eclair Cake, No-Bake Strawberry Jello Pie and No-Bake Peanut Butter Pie.
BUTTER PECAN CRUNCH INGREDIENTS
You will need:
For the crust
- 10 graham crackers
- 2 tablespoons of sugar
- 1 tablespoon of brown sugar
- 7 tablespoons of melted butter
For the filling
- 2 cups of milk
- 2 boxes of instant vanilla pudding
- 1 quart of butter pecan ice cream
- 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.
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 THIS BUTTER PECAN CRUNCH RECIPE
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 mix firmly into the bottom of the prepared 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 ONE: In a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed, mix milk and vanilla pudding together until it becomes thick.
STEP TWO: Add butter pecan ice cream and fold until even.
STEP THREE: Pour creamy filling into the pan on top of graham cracker crust and use an offset spatula to evenly spread it in the pan, then put in the freezer to chill for about 2 hours.
STEP FOUR: 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
Serve this delightful treat in a bowl and add a drizzle of chocolate sauce or caramel sauce to make this dessert extra sweet too! Or you can add whipped cream, which is honestly a go-to for any dessert. Serve with our iced tea, raspberry iced tea, sweet peach iced tea, or our southern strawberry sweet tea on the side.
STORAGE
IN THE FREEZER: Store any leftovers in the freezer for up to three months.
No-bake icebox cakes are some of my favorite desserts to make. When my attention is mostly focused on making a delicious, complicated entree, I know I can still give my guests a wonderful dessert. This butter crunch treat is a no-bake ice cream cake that combines the thick texture of the ice cream base with the crunchy texture of the crust and nuts for a satisfying texture profile.
FAQ
This is a fun recipe to experiment with. It is flexible enough that you could use any flavor of ice cream you’d like.
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.
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
For the crust:
- 10 graham crackers
- 2 tablespoons of sugar
- 1 tablespoon of brown sugar
- 7 tablespoons of melted butter
For the filling:
- 2 cups of milk
- 2 boxes of instant vanilla pudding
- 1 quart of Butter Pecan ice cream
- 1 small tub 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 pan and refrigerate for 10 minutes.
- Mix milk and vanilla pudding together, then add butter pecan ice cream.
- Pour on top of graham cracker crust, then put in freezer to chill.
- Before serving, top with Cool Whip and 2 chopped up Heath candy bars.
I could eat the entire pan myself it’s so yummy!
Delicious dessert! I ended up substituting the Heath candy bars for Skor bits and I certainly was not disappointed in the taste!
Looks and sounds so delicious!
Seriously the best dessert!!