Smoked Bourbon Cherry Ice Cream

Homemade ice cream flavored with farm fresh cherries and local cherry-smoked bourbon.  Aromatic with vanilla bean.  Subtly smoky, subtly sweet.

Smoked Bourbon Cherry Ice Cream is the perfect way to end a grown-up dinner on a summer’s evening.   With only three ingredients, you’ll have everything you need to make homemade ice cream.  Add in simmered cherries, smoked bourbon, and vanilla bean – and you’ll have the perfect combination for smoldering aromatics.

Picture a summer dinner outside, when the evening light still stretches far across the sky.  There’s a quaint table in the garden beneath carefully strung lights.  You’re headlining your best culinary skills with a seasonal appetizer and a succulent, locally-sourced dinner.  And just when everyone thinks you’ve outdone yourself, you indulge them with a homemade summery scoop of Smoked Bourbon Cherry Ice Cream for dessert.  Complete with a farm fresh, bourbon-infused, cherry drizzle on top… of course.  You are amazing.  Period.

A memorable treat, and it couldn’t be easier to create.

Show me on Instagram!

Scroll down and leave me a comment below, I’d love to hear from you!  If you give this dish a go, don’t forget to share it with me on Instagram, I’d love to see your creation!  Make sure to tag me @chasingtheseasons so that I don’t miss it! 

Disclosure:  As a way of supporting Chasing the Seasons, I may receive monetary compensation for my endorsement, recommendation, and/or link to any product(s).  That support allows me to continue to share my recipes with you.  I only recommend products that I love and/or personally use or are similar to the products I use – all at no additional cost to you.   I sincerely appreciate all the love that has been given to this little blog of mine.  Thank you. 

Smoked Bourbon Cherry Ice Cream

Smoked Bourbon Cherry Ice Cream is the perfect end to a grown-up dinner. Using seasonal cherries, vanilla bean and smoked bourbon for a memorable treat!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate Recipe

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Bourbon, Ice Cream

Servings: 0

Author: Chasing the Seasons

Equipment

• 1 Ice Cream Churning Machine

Ingredients

• 1 qt heavy cream
• 1/2 cup sugar, plus 1 tbsp (12 g), divided
• 2 cups Bing cherries, pitted, halved or lightly chopped
• 1 tbsp butter
• 3 tbsp wood smoked bourbon recommended brand Milk Street Distillery War Penny

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• In a large saucepan over low-medium heat, add the heavy cream, 1/2 cup (99 g) of sugar, and the seeds from half of the vanilla bean.  Cook, stirring frequently, until the sugar is fully dissolved (you’ll no longer feel the grainy bits at the bottom of the pan).  The cream should only ever warm through, do not let it scorch or come to a boil, lower the heat if necessary.
• Remove the pan from the heat and transfer the cream to a large bowl.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and foil, and chill well. Alternatively, place the bowl in the refrigerator overnight.
• In the meantime, in a medium saucepan over low-medium heat add the cherries, 1 tablespoon (12 g) sugar, the seeds from the remaining half of the vanilla bean, and butter.  Cook, until the sugar fully dissolves and the cherries are tender and render their juices, about 10 minutes.  Remove from the heat and add the bourbon.  Stir well, cover, and allow the flavors to come together, at least 30 minutes.
• In an ice cream maker, add the chilled cream and churn according to the manufacturer’s directions or until the cream is thickened but still unable to be scooped.  Remove from the ice cream maker and add the cream to a freezer-safe container.  Fold in half of the cherry mixture, gently mixing and reserving the rest of the cherries for serving, if desired.  Refrigerate any unused cherry mixture, if not planning to use the same day.
• Freeze the ice cream until it sets, at least 4 hours or overnight.  To serve, allow the ice cream to soften a bit, then scoop into individuals bowls and lightly drizzle with extra cherry mixture.*

Notes

*Note that any refrigerated cherry mixture will likely have tiny bits of hardened butter.  Simply mix well to help reconstitute, or plan to take it out of the fridge a little ahead of time.

PRO TIP  You can make the bourbon cherry mixture and spoon it over your favorite vanilla or chocolate store-bought ice cream for a quick treat.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

© chasingtheseasons.  All images & content are copyright and trademark protected.  Please do not use my photography without prior written permission.  If you would like to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words, or kindly link back to this post for the recipe.