The 2 Best Ways To Incorporate Bacon Into Ice Cream

For fans of sweet and salty flavors, bacon ice cream is the crème de la crème, but this unconventional combo is often left to ice cream pros. To help you recreate this treat at home, Food Republic got some advice from Tyler Malek, Co-founder and Head Chef at ice cream company Salt & Straw. Malek has created flavors like turkey stuffing and cranberry sauce; pear and blue cheese; and Parker House rolls with salted buttercream, so he is definitely familiar with taking ice cream in a delightfully savory direction. 

When it comes to bringing bacon to the party, "My two favorite ways are to either infuse the bacon into heavy cream, or to candy the bacon into a toffee candy," Malek said. "The cream infusion is best for pulling out the smoky flavors of the bacon, and can become an incredible base for a caramel sauce or even the base cream for your ice cream." He prefers thick slices that have been smoked with woods such as apple or cherry.

To try this, simply cut the bacon into pieces, brown it in a pan, and drain off the rendered fat. Be careful not to burn the meat, as that will impart an acrid flavor. Combine the cooked bacon with cream in a saucepan, bring it to a boil, turn off the heat, and let it steep for about 30 minutes. Now you have a savory, smoky, caramelized cream that is ready for all your creative dessert projects.

Another great way to add big bacon flavor to ice cream is by candying it. "The bacon toffee is great because the candy coating keeps the deliciously crunchy texture of the bacon," Tyler Malek says. Toffee bacon can be added to your finished frozen dessert or used as an unconventional topping for your next ice cream sundae.

You can also make candied bacon by baking it with a generous sprinkle of brown sugar; dunking it into a candy coating; dipping it into chocolate; or transforming it into a bacon peanut brittle. As for what kind of bacon to buy, Malek says, "If using for candying, I switch to a more modest thickness and typically a bacon that is a bit saltier rather than smoky."

When pairing bacon with different ice creams, Malek said to look toward "warming and roasted flavors." He recommends "bacon infused into a cinnamon spiced crumble, bacon caramel with chocolate, or maple syrup (of course)." Bourbon, butter pecan, salted caramel, and caramel apple are all flavors that pair well with bacon, too. Try peanut butter and banana ice cream with candied bacon on top in a nod to the sandwich Elvis Presley loved so much, or top smoky bacon and walnut ice cream with a warm peach sauce. There's also the Salt & Straw classic of a malty brown ale ice cream with bacon brittle.