Caramelized Dates over Ice Cream with Olive Oil & Flaky Salt
3 colorSTHE WHY BEHIND THIS RECIPE
I’ve seen this combo floating around—on my Instagram feed, in the New York Times, and of course from Italians who’ve long known that a drizzle of olive oil over ice cream is delightful!!
I’ve made this numerous times in the last few months. It’s the perfect dessert when you are short on time but want to bring someone to a friend’s house, or when you are entertaining and want to do dessert but don’t have time to bake something. All you need is a pint of high quality ice cream, a few dates, olive oil, and maldon or flaky salt. Less than 10 minutes and one skillet later, you’ve got something that feels thoughtful and a little fancy, without any actual effort!
Use whatever ice cream you like—dairy-free options work too—but I recommend organic brands with minimal ingredients such as:
Straus (minimal ingredients, organic)
Alec’s (regenerative and uses A2 dairy, which many find easier to digest)
Ice Cream for Bears (also regenerative, and sweetened only with raw honey)
The dates in this dessert bring natural sweetness along with a little fiber and minerals. It’s obviously still a little treat - so I usually enjoy this after a balanced colorful meal of fat, fiber, and protein to help keep my blood sugar stable!
I didn’t expect olive oil on ice cream to be a permanent habit but I think it will be…let me know what you think!!
Yields: 1 serving (but easy to scale to how ever many servings you need)
Total time: 10 minutes
WHAT YOU NEED
TOOLS
INGREDIENTS
1/2 tbsp grass-fed butter, or 2 tsp olive oil (for caramelizing)
1 tsp of the nicest olive oil you have on hand, for topping
2 medjool dates, pitted and torn or chopped into 3-4 pieces - I like Joolies dates, and also I sincerely love the date man at my local farmers market
1 scoop vanilla ice cream - I recommend Straus, Alecs, or Ice Cream for Bears, but you can use any ice cream, or a dairy-free coconut ice cream!
HOW TO DO IT
In a small skillet, heat the butter or olive oil and date pieces over medium heat. Once sizzling, about 2-3 minutes, turn off the heat.
Scoop the ice cream into a bowl, then scrape the dates and all of the oil on top.
Add another dash of olive oil (about 1 or 1/2 tsp) and sprinkle with a pinch of flaky sea salt.
EAT RIGHT AWAY!!
SWAPS, TIPS & TRICKS
Swaps:
Ice cream: Try hazelnut, coffee, or strawberry ice cream for more flavor complexity. Coconut-based or cashew-based dairy-free ice creams also work great here!
Date swaps: Try any soft dried fruit like figs or apricots. Just chop and warm briefly to bring out the richness.
Butter vs. olive oil: Butter gives the dates a caramelized edge, olive oil leans more savory. You can also do half and half!
Add crunch: Toasted almonds, hazelnuts, or pistachios add texture and pair beautifully with the olive oil and dates.
Spice it up: Try a pinch of cinnamon or flaky chili (like Aleppo) over the top!
Salt matters: Use flaky sea salt (like maldon). Regular table salt won’t give you the same pop and might be too salty.
Tips:
Make-ahead tip: You can caramelize the dates a few hours ahead—just rewarm gently before serving.
Scaling for a crowd: Double or triple the date + oil mixture in a larger skillet and serve family-style over a few scoops per person.
Nutritional Info
Per serving, yields 1 serving
Calories: 273
Carbohydrates: 30g
Fiber: 2g
Net carbs: 28g
Protein: 2g
Fat: 17g
Sodium: 24mg
Sugar: 22g
