Today is a super extra special day.
We have three major things going on today, all of which deserve a massive celebration of epic proportions:
- Father’s Day (hi, Dad!)
- The season finale of Game of Thrones
- My one-year blogiversary
It was quite a daunting task to think of a treat that would be worthy of not one, not two, but THREE celebrations. First of all, it had to have bacon. Not only because it’s Father’s Day (and dads have to love bacon, it’s practically the law), but also because I couldn’t imagine celebrating one year of blogging without a serious dose of bacon love. Second of all, it had to be incredibly decadent and special and over-the-top. This is not the occasion for a classy, restrained dessert. This is a day for something that’s big and bold and over the top and absolutely-freaking-amazing.
I’m just going to go ahead and say that this salted caramel bacon ice cream pie fit the bill justtttttt right.
I never have cake on my birthday – I am just not a cake girl. Don’t get me wrong, I can totally appreciate a good chocolate cake or carrot cake, but I would just never CHOOSE cake if there are other options. Fudgy brownies, super gooey chocolate chip cookies, rich and creamy cheesecake, literally any kind of pie – these are way more my jam. And possibly my NUMBER ONE all-time favorite dessert (and my dad’s, too!) is ice cream. Growing up, a trip to Coldstone Creamery was basically an assumed second step after any dinner out at a restaurant. We’d go crazy on the mix-ins and eat way too much, but it was the best and we were the happiest.
Now, Coldstone Creamery is great, but let me let you in on a little secret. You can do it up just as good at home, in literally no more time than it takes to run to the ice cream store. You can choose your own mix-ins (such as, ya know, BACON) and totally customize it to your own tastes. Then, if you’re me, you throw the whole shebang into a super decadent graham cracker crust and whip up a quick salted caramel sauce. And sprinkle it with more bacon, because it’s my blogiversary and I can do what I want.
This salted caramel bacon ice cream pie is perfect for a really special celebration. It’s the ultimate in sweet and salty goodness – chopped-up candy bars, pecans, and crisp bacon are folded into high-quality vanilla ice cream, spread into a buttery graham cracker crust, and topped with homemade salted caramel and more bacon. There’s flavor all over the place and the texture is amazing, with the creamy ice cream, the sweet and salty chocolate-y/caramel-y/peanut butter-y/bacon-y chunks, the lightly sweet and crunchy graham cracker crust, and the smooth salted caramel sauce. It starts out with just vanilla ice cream, but it’s jacked up so much with little homemade touches and bursts of flavor. It’s so simple, but feels incredibly special – the perfect dessert!
I know my dad would absolutely love this ice cream pie (someday, we’ll be in the same city for Father’s Day!) and I can’t imagine a better way to celebrate one incredible year of hundreds of hours of baking and cooking, slowly but surely learning how to use a camera, and writing about the subject I love most: FOOD! Oh, and bacon. Always bacon. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for reading and for supporting my blog throughout the past year, and I hope you’ll stick by my side as I continue my adventures in cooking as much as I possibly can and sharing my favorites with you.
Now go make some bacon ice cream pie for your pops! (Or your Game of Thrones finale-watching/emotions-feeling party.)
Xoxoxoxo!
- 18 graham cracker sheets
- 1/3 cup butter, melted
- 4 slices thick-cut bacon
- 2 pints good-quality vanilla ice cream (I used Ben & Jerry’s)
- ¼ cup chopped pecans
- 4 Reese’s peanut butter cups, roughly chopped
- 4 fun-sized Snickers bars, roughly chopped
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- ½ cup half-and-half
- 4 tbsp. butter
- Big pinch of kosher salt
- 1 tbsp. vanilla
- First, take the ice cream out of your freezer to soften slightly.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Crush the graham crackers in a food processor (or you can use a Ziploc bag, but make sure they are completely pulverized). Transfer the crumbs to a medium-sized bowl and stir in the melted butter. Press the mixture into a pie pan and bake for about 5 minutes, until set and lightly golden.
- While your crust is cooking, fry up your bacon and chop up the candy and pecans. After the bacon has cooked and cooled slightly, chop that up into little pieces too. Using a rubber spatula, transfer the softened vanilla ice cream into a large bowl. Stir in the candy, pecans, and half the bacon (reserve the other half for sprinkling on top). Once well-combined, pour the ice cream mixture into the graham cracker crust and cover lightly with aluminum foil. Freeze for at least an hour or two to allow the ice cream to harden again.
- Next, make the salted caramel sauce. Combine the brown sugar, half-and-half, butter, and kosher salt in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk to combine and cook for 5-7 minutes, whisking frequently, until the caramel is a bit thicker. Add the vanilla and cook for another minute. Allow the sauce to cool slightly, then pour into a container and put in the refrigerator until cold.
- Serve the pie in slices drizzled with caramel sauce and topped with the extra bacon chunks. YUM.
Looking for more sweet and salty decadence?
Maple Bacon Shortbread Cookies
Chocolate-Covered Matzah Toffee with Sea Salt
