Pumpkin ice cream with bacon is a perfect fall treat

Personally, I don’t think there’s a better food combination than that of salty plus sweet. Sea salt and chocolate has long been my front-runner, but this pumpkin-bacon ice cream is now giving it a good run for its money.

Not only is it delicious, but there’s no custard egg base to this ice cream, making it a breeze to whip up. There’s even a drizzle of caramel sauce in there to really make it the ultimate fall dessert. When you get the perfect spoonful, there’s an overwhelming pumpkin pie sweetness but a hint of salty goodness at the same time from the bacon.

Lucky for me, my husband thinks salt has no place in the world of dessert, so this one’s all mine.

Pumpkin-bacon ice cream recipe

This fall spin on ice cream comes with a salty bite from chopped bacon.

Serves 8-10

Prep time: 5 minutes | Inactive time: 4 hours | Total time: 4 hours 5 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 cups whole milk
• 1-1/2 cups pumpkin puree
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 4 strips cooked bacon, chopped
• 1/4 cup prepared caramel

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, pumpkin, brown sugar, vanilla extract and spices until the sugar is dissolved. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
2. Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker, and freeze/churn according to the manufacturer’s directions.
3. Add the chopped bacon and drizzle in the caramel while churning during the last 2 minutes.
4. Transfer the ice cream to a freezer-proof container, and freeze for at least 2 hours to harden before serving.

More ice cream recipes

Cranberry cream cheese ice cream
Cinnamon pumpkin ice cream sandwiches
Vegan cherry chocolate ice cream