Olive Oil and Ice Cream Is a Thing, and We’re Intrigued

Okay, stay with us for a minute here: Vanilla ice cream with a healthy drizzle of high-quality olive oil and a sprinkle of sea salt.

It sounds crazy but think about it for a second. Olive oil and cheese? Sure. Salted sweets? Definitely. So why not?

And hey, they do it in Italy, so consider us sold.

The trick is to use the highest quality ingredients you can get your hands on. Skip the tub of Peter’s and go straight for the vanilla Haagen Dazs, or a local artisanal brand—Bodalla Dairy if you can get it. For the salt, we like Tasman Sea Salt, or Mount Zero Pink Lake Salt.

Then—and this is important—you need a fresh, delicious olive oil.

You may not know this, but most olive oils you can buy in the supermarket are already rancid. Most of the time, that’s fine (not great, but fine) for cooking with, but if you’re wanting to use your olive oil for dressing a simple salad, dipping fresh bread into or drizzling onto your ice cream, you want something better.

One option you could try is the Grampian Olive Co.’s Olio Nuovo Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil. New oil is unfiltered oil cold-pressed from the first olives harvested in the season, within twelve hours of being picked. It’ll give you a medium flavour, grassy notes with a pepper finish—a gorgeous contrast to your vanilla ice cream.

Another good oil is Ladi Biosas Organic Ultra Premium First Harvest Extra Virgin Olive Oil. This family-owned olive grove has been producing olive oil in Peloponnese, Greece, since 1892, and it’s known around the world. The tasting notes include tomato leaves, eucalyptus, herbs, fresh grass and pepper.

Or go for Kangaroo Island Olives’ Extra Virgin Olive Oil. This first cold press extra virgin olive oil from South Australia has a fresh, grassy aroma, with a medium-body flavour, and a hint of tomato leaf zest.

Now, if you’ll excuse us, it’s time for dessert.

Scroll on to shop the ingredients and discover your new favourite “foodie” topping.