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Maple Bacon Ice Cream

Imagine your favorite vegan vanilla ice cream, bedazzled with bits of smoky caramelized tempeh bacon and doused with a big spoonful of coconut milk caramel. Better yet, make it and you won’t have to imagine anything!

8 servings

what you’ll need:

1 package TofurkyⓇ Smoky Maple Bacon
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons brown sugar
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
2 pints vegan vanilla ice cream (We love Coconut Bliss & So Delicious)
½ cup pecans, chopped and toasted, optional

For vegan caramel (optional):
1 (14 oz) can coconut milk, plus more if needed
½ cup evaporated cane juice or other vegan sugar
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
½ vanilla bean, seeds scraped, pod reserved

how to make:

  1. Preheat oven to 400℉. Lightly oil a baking sheet or line with parchment.
  2. Lay bacon slices out on baking sheet and brush with maple syrup. In a small bowl, combine sugar and cayenne. Sprinkle sugar over bacon and bake until caramelized, about 15-20 minutes. Let cool completely, then roughly chop.
  3. Let ice cream soften briefly, and transfer to a medium bowl. Fold in bacon pieces and pecans. Transfer ice cream to a loaf pan, press a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the ice cream, and freeze until firm, at least 2 hours.
  4. For caramel, in a wide saucepan, combine coconut milk, sugar, salt, and vanilla bean seeds and pod. Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved, and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until sauce turns deep brown and thickens into a caramel-like consistency, about 30-40 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool completely. If caramel hardens after cooling, heat it gently, whisking frequently, and add more coconut milk until caramel reaches the desired consistency.