The combination of extra virgin olive oil and ice cream, while unexpected, has swiftly become my preferred pairing when I’m craving something cool to beat the heat. A sweet, creamy treat bathed in earthy, viscous olive oil feels like a grown-up alternative to chocolate syrup and provides an entirely different world of texture, flavor, and health benefits. Rich in monounsaturated fats, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory properties, extra virgin olive oil is a smarter topping choice than virtually anything else you’ll find at an ice cream parlor, and then there’s the spectrum of fruitiness, grassiness, and spiciness, which complement a wide array of base flavors (pistachio being my personal favorite). The addition of a nice, coarse Sicilian or Maldon salt kicks everything up a notch, making you wonder why you ever settled for waxy sprinkles.
Pistachio ice cream, panna, Sicilian olive oil, sea salt at Caffè Panna.
Fat on fat may seem excessively indulgent, but the use of double fat is a key to many traditional Italian dishes and confections, including favorites such as mozzarella Caprese, risotto, and sfogliatelle. Still skeptical? We’ve rounded up some of the best places in New York City to sample this interesting combination that may just convert you into an olive-oil-on-ice-cream fan too!
Leo, Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Come for the naturally fermented pizzas and natural wines, stay for the soft serve. Leo's seasonally driven ice cream creations are the perfect post-carbohydrate punctuation. Dip in and try one of their rotating flavors, like melon sorbet topped with Sicilian olive oil. Made in-house every two days, their flavors change every two months. Owner Joey Scalabrino shares, “We first start with a fruit that’s in season for the sorbet and then figure out a milk-based ice cream flavor that would work well with the fruit. We use olive oil from Mt. Etna, and love the extra fat and flavor on the ice cream. A little bit of sea salt brings out the flavor of the fruit and intensifies the milk flavor in the ice cream. It’s just very simple and delicious.” Leo’s soft serve is available daily from 12 p.m. until close.
Melon sorbet, Sicilian olive oil at Leo in Brooklyn.
Lilia, Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Some ice cream jobs are best left to the chef, and Missy Robbins shows us why at Lilia. Her sundae, coined the “Italian Job,” gets it done and then some. Vanilla soft-serve gelato is enrobed in extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkling of sea salt and fennel pollen. For a seasonal sundae supplement, guests can go for a luxurious truffle finish, shaved tableside. Available at the restaurant as well as next-door at Caffè Lilia for take-out daily (sans truffles).
Caffè Panna, Manhattan
Hallie Meyer’s creativity is as fluid as her impossibly smooth ice cream. Caffè Panna mashes up classic American flavors with traditional Italian ones, leaving guests with the option to lean in either direction and be delighted. Using some of the best Italian ingredients via Italian importer Gustiamo since opening in 2019, She finishes specialty sundaes with Sicilian extra virgin olive oil and offers it as a topping for guest’s personal creations. “It goes really well with sea salt and vanilla because the vanilla is like a canvas with just a little more complexity to let the spiciness of the olive oil come out. In general, olive oil goes well on ice cream because it is a totally different kind of fat – the creamy, cold, dairy contrasting against something plant-y, green, and spicy!” Meyer notes. Check out Caffè Panna’s Instagram page for daily menu drops including what scoops, pints and affogati they are offering.
Vanilla ice cream, Sicilian olive oil at Caffè Panna.
L’industrie, Williamsburg
L'Industrie's recent expansion not only meant more pizza and seating, but the addition of a soft-serve machine that owners Massimo Leveglia and Nick Baglivo use to crank out rotating flavors of gelato and sorbetto daily. Especially refreshing for the summer is their lemon sorbetto with sea salt and spicy Chilean olive oil. Keep an eye on their Instagram page, where they share their daily flavors.
Basil and strawberry swirl gelato, extra virgin olive oil at L'industrie.