salted caramel potato chip ice cream

the last time i made ice cream was in my seventh grade science class. we put milk and sugar in a ziploc bag, stuffed that bag into another bag filled with ice and salt, and shook it until our hands felt like they were gonna freeze off. the experiment illustrated how sodium chloride lowers water’s freezing point, but of course all we cared about was eating the end product.

the method i use for this salted caramel potato chip ice cream is definitely less physically demanding, though it’s still not the “conventional” way of making ice cream. i don’t own an ice cream maker, so i used the pioneer woman’s no-churn recipe, which uses sweetened condensed milk and whipped cream. this no-churn method is so incredibly easy, tastes amazing, and accommodates all the mix-ins you could ever want! it was hard for me not to go overboard — i originally wanted to add nutella, peanut butter, white chocolate chips, and m&ms — but i settled on a classic sweet and salty flavor combination, caramel and potato chips.

ingredients

salted caramel

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp water
• 2 tbsp light corn syrup
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tbsp bourbon (optional)

ice cream

• 1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
• 2 cup heavy cream, chilled
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• a few handfuls of crinkle-cut potato chips

assembly

• sugar cones

make the salted caramel first. combine the sugar, water, and corn syrup in a saucepan and set over medium heat. when the mixture starts to bubble, use a pastry brush to brush water around the inside of the pan (this prevents the caramel from crystallizing). let the mixture cook, without stirring, until it turns light golden, then remove it from the heat. whisk in the heavy cream slowly, then add the butter, vanilla, and salt. stir in the bourbon, if desired. whisk until smooth. transfer to a jar and let cool.

for the ice cream, empty the can of sweetened condensed milk into a large bowl. stir in the vanilla and the potato chips (break them into little bits as you add them). stir in 2 tablespoons of the salted caramel. with a mixer or by hand, whip the cream until it has stiff peaks, then fold it into the condensed milk mixture. scoop a bit of ice cream into a pint container, loaf pan, or medium casserole dish. drizzle with some caramel and top with a few crushed potato chips. repeat these layers until you run out of ice cream (this ensures that the caramel and potato chips are evenly distributed throughout the container). freeze for 4 to 5 hours.

heat the rest of the salted caramel in the microwave for a few seconds and stir. dip the tops of the cones into the caramel. top with a scoop of ice cream, more caramel, and a few pieces of potato chips!