Bacon ice cream is very simply ice cream that has bacon in it. The combination of sweet foods with bacon has been recognized as desirable by many people, although the beginnings of bacon ice cream as a popular dish are relatively recent compared to the long history of bacon. Typically, the ice cream itself is not flavored like bacon, but rather contains bits of bacon broken up and swirled into the dessert. The flavor of the ice cream itself is variable, but maple syrup and vanilla are popular options. Given the relative rarity of this dish, many people elect to make this type of ice cream at home, either with pre-made ice cream or making the entire dessert from scratch.
Many people are familiar with the combination of bacon and maple syrup as an element of breakfast, likely related to the common pairing of pancakes with a side dish of bacon. Bacon ice cream takes this basic concept and turns it into a dessert of its own, attempting to replicate the desirable combination of flavors present in that dish. Pairing sweet and salty foods seems strange to some people, but it is relatively common across the world.
Bacon ice cream is usually made with candied bacon. Meat can be candied in a variety of ways, but for this purpose, coating the bacon with brown sugar or reduced maple syrup and baking it until it reaches the desired consistency is the best strategy. To make bacon ice cream, one typically uses an ice cream machine for the most professional results. If one does not have an ice cream machine, it is usually better to fold the bacon into the flavored ice cream as a final step. Ideally, one would use a machine or make the ice cream by hand because this allows the flavors to mingle better.
Which flavor of ice cream is most appropriate depends on one's personal tastes, but most people find that maple syrup, cinnamon, and coffee are the best flavors. Generally, this is because these flavors remind them of breakfast. Chocolate ice cream and other unexpected flavors can also be appealing for this purpose.
Other similar combinations include bacon sundaes that top ice cream with bacon and syrup, bacon covered in chocolate, and bacon used as a topping for cake. This meat substance has a minor cult following and is extremely popular, making innovations using bacon more common than they once were. Bacon can be incorporated in many different desserts, and by experimenting with the basic recipe, bacon ice cream can become a gourmet substance.