Maple Bacon Ice Cream is made with the creamiest ice cream base, infused with the sweetness of maple syrup and the crunch of candied bacon. It's naturally sweet, slightly salty and so incredibly delicious! The best part is, it's no-churn, so you don't even need an ice cream maker to make it!
Add the bacon to a large zipper bag, or bowl. Add the maple syrup and toss to coat, then add the brown sugar and toss until the bacon is fully covered.
Arrange the bacon strips in a single layer on a wire rack, on top of a foil-lined baking sheet.
Place in the oven to bake for 15-20 minutes.
Remove the bacon from the oven, transfer it to a cutting board to cool, then chop the bacon into small pieces.
Ice Cream
Whisk together the condensed milk, maple syrup, vanilla extract and sea salt in a large bowl, set aside.
Whip the heavy cream with a stand mixer, or electric hand mixer, on medium-high speed until firm peaks form, about 4-5 minutes.
Fold the condensed milk mixture into the whipped cream with a rubber spatula until combined.
Gently fold in most of the cooled maple bacon pieces, reserving a few pieces to top the ice cream.
Pour the ice cream into a 2 quart container, preferably metal, as it will freeze the ice cream quicker.
Top with the remaining pieces of candied bacon.
Cover with plastic wrap and place in the freezer.
Freeze for at least 5 hours, or overnight.
Notes
Freezing the ice cream in a metal container will make it freeze faster. If you want your maple bacon ice cream ASAP, pour the ice cream into a metal container to freeze. I like to use a metal loaf pan.
Place the ice cream as far back in the freezer as you can for a quicker freeze. You never want to store ice cream in the door, as it is the warmest place in the freezer. But I have also found for homemade ice cream, the further back in the freezer you place it, the quicker it will freeze.
This recipe makes approximately 1/2 gallon of ice cream, which equals 4 pints, or 12 scoops of ice cream.
This ice cream will stay good in the freezer for 6 months. Always seal the ice cream in an airtight container to avoid freezer burn. I like to use these glass containers to store the ice cream. This recipe will perfectly fit into two of these containers.
To make this maple bacon ice cream recipe vegetarian, either omit the bacon, or replace it with candied walnuts or pecans. The nuts will give you a similar delicious, salty crunch as the bacon. To make candied nuts, in a skillet, combine 2 tablespoons butter with 2 tablespoons maple syrup and 1 1/4 cups chopped walnuts or pecans. Toast the nuts over medium heat for 4-5 minutes, then transfer them to a parchment-lined baking sheet to cool. Once cool, mix them into the ice cream base.
Do NOT make substitutions to the ice cream base. This recipe works perfectly with the simple combination of heavy cream and sweetened condensed milk. Substituting either of these ingredients can vary the final result of the ice cream taste and texture.
Use a wet ice cream scoop to scoop out the ice cream after it’s frozen. I actually learned this trick at my first job, working at a frozen custard shop. A wet ice cream scoop means the ice cream will come out of the scoop and into your bowl much easier!