Maple Pecan Smoked Ice Cream with Candied Bacon
On May 18, 2022 (Updated October 10, 2022)
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One of the very best sweet treats to make with your smoker is smoked ice cream, and this maple pecan smoked ice cream is sweet and savory with the most amazing BBQ kick.
Smoked Ice Cream
Smoked ice cream is a culinary treat! The added wood smoke in the ice cream batter adds the perfect amount of smoky goodness that will keep you coming back for more.
A lightly smoky ice cream base is paired with smoked pecans and candied bacon for a dessert that feels very sophisticated, but is super simple to make! All the flavors in the ice cream are made for each other: maple, pecan, bacon, brown sugar, and smoke. Consider this a match made in flavor heaven.
Ingredients for Ice Cream on the Smoker
When you’re ready to take on this delicious homemade smoked ice cream, you’ll need to snag a few things first.
Here’s what you’ll need for the ice cream mixture:
- 2 cups half and half
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon maple extract
- 1 cup pecans
For the candied bacon, you’ll need the following:
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 8 slices bacon
You will also need an ice cream maker to freeze the ice cream once the mixture has been smoked.
How to Make Smoked Ice Cream
Here’s how to make this recipe in your own backyard.
- Make the cream. Combine all ingredients (minus the pecans) for the cream mixture. Add it to a 9X13 glass baking dish. Pour the whole pecans into a grill basket.
- Smoke. Place the cream and the pecans on the grill grates of a smoker preheated to 225 degrees F. Smoke for 45 minutes or until the cream reaches 170 degrees F. Stir both the cream and pecans often while smoking.
- Make the candied bacon. Kick the heat up on the smoker to 350 degrees F. Place the bacon on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet and top with maple syrup and brown sugar. Smoke the bacon for 15 minutes or until the brown sugar has melted and become shiny. Remove the bacon from the grill and allow it to cool. Once cool, chop and set aside.
- Make the ice cream. Make the ice cream in an ice cream machine per the machine’s instructions. Add pecans when it reaches soft serve consistency. Place the ice cream in the freezer until it reaches your desired consistency or you are ready to serve.
- Enjoy. Sprinkle the chopped candied bacon over the top of the ice cream and dig in!
Tips for Making Smoked Ice Cream
Here are some tips when making this ice cream.
- Select the right wood. Use maple or pecan wood to tie the light smoke flavor into the rest of the ingredients.
- Freeze to your likeness. Your favorite ice cream machine is needed to churn the smoked ice cream to a soft serve consistency. After that, you can freeze as long as needed to reach your desired texture.
- Leave your pecans whole or chop them up. However you add them in, wait until after the ice cream has churned, but before you transfer to the freezer.
More BBQ Dessert Recipes
Now that you’ve made this killer sweet treat, whip up these other BBQ desserts and add a scoop on the side for the ultimate dessert.
Smoked Ice Cream Recipe
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Maple Pecan Smoked Ice Cream
Video
Ingredients
Maple Pecan Ice Cream
- 2 cups half and half
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ cup dark brown sugar
- ½ cup sugar
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon maple extract
- 1 cup pecans
Candied Bacon
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon maple syrup pure
- 8 slices bacon
Instructions
- Preheat. Preheat your smoker to 225 degrees F with a mild wood like pecan or maple.
- Make the cream. Combine all ingredients for your ice cream (except the pecans) in a bowl and whisk until the sugars have all dissolved. Pour the ice cream mixture into a 9x13 pan.
- Smoke. Pour the pecans into a grill basket. Set the pecans and the ice cream mixture into the smoker and close the lid. Smoke for about 45 minutes, or until the pecans are toasty and the ice cream mixture reaches 170 degrees F. You’ll need to check your ice cream temperature often to not exceed 170 degrees F. While you’re checking temperatures, stir the ice cream and pecans to keep everything cooking evenly.
- Cool. Once the cream mixture has reached 170 degrees F and your pecans are smoked and toasted, remove everything from the grill and allow it to cool completely in the refrigerator.
- Make the topping. While your ice cream base is cooling, prepare the candied bacon topping. Increase the heat on your grill to 350 degrees F. Arrange the bacon strips on a baking sheet lined with foil. Drizzle the bacon with maple syrup and sprinkle with brown sugar. Place the pan on the preheated grill and cook for about 15-20 minutes, or until bacon is rendered and the brown sugar has melted and becomes shiny. Remove from the grill, cool, and chop. Set aside.
- Freeze the ice cream. Prepare the ice cream by following the manufacturer’s instructions on your ice cream machine. When it reaches a soft serve consistency, transfer to a freezer-safe container and stir in your smoked pecans (you can shop these as fine as you like or leave them in larger pieces). Chill the ice cream in your freezer until it reaches your desired texture.
- Enjoy! Serve your smoked maple pecan ice cream topped with candied bacon and enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I’ve made this ice cream 4 times…3 for practice and the last time for a competition. We came in 1st in an Anything but Butts category. Everyone that has tasted it loves it. It is award winning!!
Thanks Susie! Recently got switched to a dairy/wheat free diet for health reasons so I made this with half coconut milk half coconut cream, and it might be one of my favourite ice creams, big relief to still have delicious ice cream available to me.
If you using a pellet grill; how would this be altered? Since you are using indirect heat? Thank you! It sounds amazing.