Photograph by Hailey Bollinger
Nearly every national ice cream brand makes a version of butter pecan ice cream today, but this wide availability masks origins rooted in resourcefulness. Ask Black elders about their favorite ice cream flavor, and a significant chunk of them will say “butter pecan.” Why? Internet lore that gained traction in recent years says it’s because African Americans across various swaths of the South during the Jim Crow era weren’t allowed to buy vanilla ice cream. While the unwillingness of whites to serve Black customers in ice cream parlors was very real in that time period, the popularity of butter pecan isn’t tied to it.
Folded into a concoction of brown butter and sweet cream churned and chilled to a velvety smooth finish, the rich, hearty nut became the focal point of flavor, thanks to an enslaved gardener named Antoine. In the 1840s, he grafted more than 100 pecan trees at a Louisiana plantation, making it possible for farmers across the South to copy his method and kicking off commercial production of the nut. Over time, the pecan became a favorite of African Americans in the region, added to a number of dishes, including the frozen dessert we know today. Locally, you’ll find butter pecan ice cream at Miss Mary’s Homemade Ice Cream or you can pick up a pint of Creamalicious’s Thick As Thieves Pecan Pie at your neighborhood Target, Walmart, or Meijer.
- Miss Mary’s, (513) 599-9106
- Creamalicious
