What do you do when providing dessert for a “Bacon-Themed” Dinner? You make homemade Candied Bacon Ice Cream, of course! And, oh boy… was it ever good!
Last summer a small group of friends enjoyed another Themed Dinner. This time our theme was BACON. Everything, from beverages, appetizers, main courses, to desserts, including this ice cream and Chocolate-Covered Bacon and Maple Bacon Pecan Truffles and Bacon Pecan Pralines, had to include some form of bacon.

Oh my goodness. It was amazing! Look at some of the food we enjoyed, in this photo!

I am usually in charge of bringing several desserts to our themed dinner parties, so I scoured the internet to find some good choices utilizing BACON. This homemade bacon ice cream recipe was one of them, from celebrated author David Lebovitz… and let me tell you… it was FANTASTIC! Who knew bacon ice cream could taste so good? Here’s how you make this decadent dessert treat:

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Make The Candied Bacon

First thing I did was to “candy” some thick cut bacon. The instructions are in the recipe that follows, but if you want more in-depth pics, etc. see my previous post for How To Make Candied Bacon.

Short version… bacon is coated with brown sugar and baked. Then it is cut into small pieces and cooled to room temp.

Make The Ice Cream Base

Combine the half and half and the whipping cream. Measure out 1 ½ cups of this mixture into a medium bowl, which is set over another larger bowl that is filled with ice and water (ice bath). Put a mesh strainer over the top of the cream mixture. Set aside.

Next thing to do is make the ice cream “custard base”. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan, then remove it from the heat. Let it cool down a bit (you want it warm, not HOT). Stir in the brown sugar, and then add the remaining half and half/cream mixture (the amount NOT over the water bath). Stir to combine; set aside.

In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks.

Temper The Eggs

Remove ½ cup of the (warm, not hot) butter/brown sugar/half and half/ whipping cream mixture from the saucepan. Pour it slowly into the egg yolks, whisking constantly while it is being added. This helps to “temper” the eggs, so they won’t scramble when adding them to saucepan. I know we’re adding bacon to ice cream, but bacon AND scrambled eggs? I don’t think so!

The “tempered” egg yolks are then poured slowly back into the saucepan with the butter/brown sugar/ half and half mixture, whisking while adding.

Cook The Ice Cream Base

The ice cream base is then cooked on low-medium heat until the liquid thickens enough to coat a spatula. Stir constantly while this is cooking, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pan (so the liquid won’t stick and burn on bottom).

Remove the ice cream base from the heat, and let cool slightly (you don’t want it HOT). Once it has cooled down some, pour the ice cream base through the strainer into the half and half/whipping cream in the bowl over the ice bath, stirring as you pour.

Add the liquor, vanilla extract and cinnamon to the ice cream base. Stir to combine. Refrigerate ice cream liquid for 2-3 hours until completely chilled.

Time To Freeze The Candied Bacon Ice Cream

Once totally cold, pour mixture into ice cream maker, and freeze according to manufacturer’s directions. During the last couple minutes the ice cream is churning, add the chopped candied bacon pieces.

Once ice cream is done, remove ice cream to a covered container. Place in freezer for several hours until nice and firm. You MIGHT want to sneak a little bitty bite before freezing it, just so you can see how GOOD this stuff is (*QUALITY CONTROL). Just sayin’.

When ready to serve, remove ice cream from freezer, and dish up a big scoop of this decadent, rich and creamy, frozen treat. I served each scoop with one of my Bacon Pecan Pralines. It was a BACON-THEMED dinner party, and EVERYTHING is better with bacon, after all! Right? EVEN bacon ice cream!!

I love to make homemade ice cream and enjoy trying new flavors each summer. Some recipes I like, some I love. This bacon ice cream sure was a unique recipe, but I gotta be honest… it was absolutely DELICIOUS and we loved it!!!

Hope you’ll consider making this on a hot summer’s night (or any night, for that matter!). Think you’re gonna be surprised how good this really is!

Looking For More ICE CREAM Recipes?

You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, which is located at the top of the page. I have LOTS of decadent ice cream recipes, including:

• Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream
• Cookies n’ Cream Ice Cream
• Blueberry Cheesecake Ice Cream
• “Perfectly Peachy” Ice Cream

Interested In More Recipes?

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Recipe Source: www.davidlebovitz.com/2008/03/candied-bacon-i-1/

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Candied Bacon Ice Cream

Prep Time

1 hr 30 mins

Cook Time

0 mins

Total Time

1 hr 30 mins

 

Bacon makes everything better, including desserts, with this amazing, delicious homemade ice cream flavored with Candied Bacon, cinnamon, rum, and brown sugar!

Category: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: candied bacon ice cream

Servings: 16 1/2 cup servings (2 qts. total)

Calories Per Serving: 204 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

For The Candied Bacon:

• 5 strips thick cut bacon
• 8 teaspoons brown sugar (I used dark, but light is great, as well)

For The Ice Cream Base:

• 3 Tablespoons salted butter
• 3/4 cup brown sugar (packed-I used dark, but can use either kind)
• 2 cups Half and Half (may substitute 2 c. whole milk if you don't have Half and Half)
• 1 cup Heavy whipping cream
• 5 large egg yolks
• 2 teaspoons dark rum or whiskey
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon (this is optional, but USE IT!)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Make candied bacon before beginning ice cream base.

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Put bacon strips onto baking sheet lined with foil or silicone mat. Leave space between each strip. Sprinkle each piece with approx. 1½ teaspoons brown sugar. Bake at 400 degrees for 12-16 minutes. Halfway through baking time, turn bacon over, dragging pieces through syrup on foil. Bake until bacon is dark brown and cooked through. Remove from oven; let bacon cool on wire rack. Once cool, cut into very small pieces!)

Make Ice Cream Base:

1. Combine the half and half and whipping cream in a bowl, and stir, to combine. In a medium saucepan, melt butter. Stir in ¾ cup brown sugar. Measure out ONE CUP of the half and half/whipping cream mixture and add it to the pan. Set aside.

2. Pour the remaining half and half/whipping cream mixture into a medium bowl. Set this bowl on top of a larger bowl that has been filled with ice cubes and water (ice bath). Place a mesh strainer over the top of the bowl containing the half and half. Set aside.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk together egg yolks. Slowly pour some (not all) of the warm brown sugar mixture (in the saucepan) into the whisked eggs, whisking constantly while you pour. Once mixed, pour this mixture back into the saucepan with the butter/brown sugar/half and half mixture. Cook on low heat, stirring constantly until it thickens enough to coat a spatula. Keep bottom of the pan stirred and scraped, so it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan.

4. Once thickened, slowly pour this mixture through the mesh strainer, into the half and half in the bowl over the ice bath. Continue to stir the ice cream base over the ice bath, until the mixture has cooled completely. Remove bowl with ice cream base from the ice bath bowl.

5. Add liquor, vanilla and cinnamon to the ice cream base, and stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate. Once completely cold, freeze in your ice cream maker, per manufacturer's directions. A couple minutes before ice cream is "done", pour the candied bacon pieces into the ice cream (or stir them in to finished ice cream, if desired).

6. Place ice cream in a covered container, and freeze for at least 2-3 hours to firm up. Once firm, scoop, serve... and enjoy this delicious ice cream!

Recipe Notes

Prep time includes everything (including refrigeration time prior to freezing ice cream). Additional non-active prep time is 2-3 hours AFTER ice cream is done, to firm it up in the freezer.

Nutrition Facts

Candied Bacon Ice Cream

Amount Per Serving (0.5 cups)

Calories 204 Calories from Fat 135

% Daily Value*

Fat 15g23%

Saturated Fat 8g50%

Cholesterol 102mg34%

Sodium 88mg4%

Potassium 86mg2%

Carbohydrates 14g5%

Sugar 12g13%

Protein 2g4%

Vitamin A 470IU9%

Vitamin C 0.3mg0%

Calcium 60mg6%

Iron 0.3mg2%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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