This Unexpected Pantry Ingredient Gives Ice Cream A Gourmet Upgrade

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There are seemingly endless ways to dress up your bowl of basic ice cream. You could go in the classic ice cream parlor direction of chocolate syrup and chopped nuts, or a unique garnish for the cold treat like olive oil. But for a low-effort topping that feels gourmet, you just need to open the pantry and grab the tahini.

Tahini, a thick paste made from ground white sesame seeds, is best associated with being a key ingredient in hummus and a rich addition to salad dressings. Given those often savory applications, adding it to ice cream is definitely an unexpected way to use tahini. However, this paste has its place in sweets, too. Tahini is the key ingredient in halva, for example. It's also featured in brownies and icings, and as a pie filling. The condiment has a nutty flavor and a slightly bitter edge, which helps to cut through sweetness. Like nut butters, tahini has a rich mouthfeel and is super creamy, but it tends to be thinner than the average peanut butter. 

If you add tahini to your ice cream, you're also increasing the nutrients of the dessert. The sesame paste is considered a healthy fat that is high in protein (3 grams of protein per tablespoon), which can help keep you full for longer. Additionally, tahini contains B vitamins, iron, and calcium. If you're wondering where to buy tahini, you can find it in Middle Eastern grocers, health food stores, some regular grocers, or online, like the Organic White Sesame Tahini Paste on Amazon. 

The easiest way to add tahini to ice cream is to simply drizzle it on top. If you're opening a fresh jar of it, be sure to first mix it thoroughly, as the contents can become separated like natural peanut butter. Start with a teaspoon (to make sure you like it on ice cream), and you can increase the amount to a tablespoon if you're a fan. When it comes to ice cream pairings, it's tasty with flavors like vanilla, chocolate, straciatella, or cardamom.

You can also incorporate tahini as an ingredient in your frozen dessert and even use it as the primary flavor if you have an ice cream maker or a no-churn recipe. Consider swirling it into the ice cream mixture like you might with caramel (which also pairs nicely with tahini). Those who enjoy making a vegan banana ice cream will appreciate the earthy, nutty balance that the rich condiment brings to the fruit-sweetened dessert. To transform it into a hard ice cream shell, you can mix tahini with melted coconut oil and white chocolate.

If you still notice the bitterness of tahini, a small drizzle of honey or pomegranate molasses (another ingredient from Middle Eastern cuisine). This ingredient is smooth, so adding toasted or caramelized nuts can bring a nice texture contrast to the dessert, as can chopped dates.