Why Smoked Vanilla Ice Cream Reigns Supreme For Rich Desserts

Vanilla may be a modern slang term for "boring" or "bland," but the best brands of vanilla ice cream are anything but. Pure vanilla flavor is actually a luxury originally derived from the pods of the Vanilla planifolia orchid indigenous to Mexico. These pods contain thousands of tiny, sticky black seeds full of delicious flavors and aromas. Sweet, floral, and just a touch buttery, true vanilla brings a lusciousness to ice cream that's not only delicious on its own, but also easily enhanced by sophisticated flavorings like earthy wood smoke.

While smoking your vanilla ice cream may seem like an odd thing to do, smoked desserts are becoming increasingly popular at food trucks and restaurants that already specialize in smoked meats. The woody astringence of the smoke keeps the dessert's sweetness from becoming cloying, while the sugars in the dessert curb any bitterness in the smoke. Each flavor enhances the other, creating a truly craveable treat.

When applied to velvety vanilla ice cream, smoke is softened even further, sinking into the creamy dairy to create a rich, wild flavor. To try smoking your vanilla ice cream at home, you can either infuse it over ice on the grill or pipe it into an enclosed container using a hand-held smoker. You can also add a hefty helping of homemade smoked nuts to your ice cream once it's reached the soft-serve stage in your ice cream maker. As everything continues to mix and freeze, the nuts will impart a surprising amount of smoky flavor to your ice cream.

Predictably, some of the best woods for smoking your vanilla ice cream are already a little sweet or fruity themselves. Think pecan, maple, and various fruit woods. Conversely, more intense woods — including oak and hickory — can impart an unpleasant bitterness and overwhelm the subtler aspects of vanilla rather than showcasing them. To more easily choose what wood you'd like to experiment with first, think about your favorite flavors to pair with vanilla ice cream.

For instance, if you habitually reach for caramel sauce, maple wood may be a good choice, as it'll infuse your ice cream with a warm, sugary smoke that's not too strong. If you always enjoy your pie a la mode, fruit woods like apple, peach, or cherry are the obvious picks. Each of these woods will give your ice cream a light flavor of the fruit they produce along with earthy smokiness, evoking the flavors of enjoying fruit crisp next to a campfire.

While this sophisticated dessert is certainly tasty enough to enjoy on its own, it's also the perfect base for a sundae. Pair your smoked vanilla ice cream with grilled bananas for an autumn-inspired banana split, or coat it in chocolate sauce, graham crackers, and toasted marshmallows for a s'mores flair. You could also lean into the savory aspects with crumbled smoked bacon or even a sprinkle of homemade Everything but the Bagel seasoning for a little crunch and sharp, garlicky flavor that's weirdly delicious with vanilla ice cream.