Olive Oil Pretzel Gelato (for Ninja Creami)

 

Olive oil and pretzels create a mysterious yet addictive flavor that’s greater than the sum of its parts.

This flavor combination is one of my favorites so far. Olive oil and pretzels aren’t strangers when it comes to desserts—think orange olive oil cake and chocolate-covered pretzels—but these star-crossed lovers aren’t often paired together for some reason. This ends now.

Olive oil and pretzels create a mysterious yet addictive flavor that’s greater than the sum of its parts. It tastes a little like both ingredients, but the combination of the two also tastes like some secret third thing that’s been difficult for me to pinpoint. Whatever it is, I’m really, really into it. I’ve already made this flavor a few times now because of how fantastic it is.

I had two other people try it and guess the flavor, and their guesses were nothing short of strange: white bean, onion, possibly toast, and a few others I can’t recall.

The taste testers knew what weirdness I’m capable of. I actually have made unusual flavors in the past, like roasted garlic ice cream, Cuban oregano gelato, and more.

Olive oil pretzel gelato, however, is only a little on the unusual side. I think even non-adventurous eaters will enjoy it. It’s rich from the olive oil, and it tastes a bit like a white chocolate-covered pretzel. Olive oil also lightens up the darker, malted pretzel flavor, giving it complexity.

I have only tried this recipe with extra virgin olive oil, so I cannot vouch for any other kind. You don’t need to use anything ridiculously fancy as long as you like the flavor of the olive oil you choose.

The gelato’s hue is rather beige, and it doesn’t give away any hints about its flavor. To let people know what’s in it, drizzle some olive oil and sprinkle some crushed pretzels on top. This also helps add textural variation. You’ll be glad you did!

Olive Oil Pretzel Gelato Recipe

Ingredients

·       Scant 1 ⅔ cups (400 g) milk

·       2 tablespoons (30 g) extra virgin olive oil

·       ⅓ cup and 4 teaspoons (90 g) sugar

·       1 teaspoon (4.93 g) vanilla extract

·       ¼ cup (50 g) salted pretzel sticks (or any shape of crunchy pretzel)*

Directions

1.       Blend pretzels and sugar together until there are no more large pieces of pretzel. Add in the rest of the ingredients and blend again.

2.       Pour into an empty, clean Creami pint and freeze overnight.

3.       Churn in the Ninja Creami on the Ice Cream setting, respinning as needed to get a creamy texture. Enjoy!

Notes

*The ice cream calculator I used said that 50 grams of pretzels is equal to about ¼ cup, but I’m pretty sure I used much more than that. I highly recommend using a kitchen scale to measure your pretzels by weight, but if you don’t own one, please use your own discretion in deciding the appropriate amount to add.

Q and A

Q: Is this ice cream savory?

A: Nope! This is a sweet recipe through and through. Olive oil adds complexity and depth, but I wouldn’t call this savory by any means.

Q: Can I make this without a Ninja Creami?

A: I have not tried churning this in a normal ice cream machine, but if you would like to try it, I recommend making the following alterations: double the recipe, add 2 tablespoons (around 29 g) of vodka or another flavorless alcohol, strain after blending, and churn according to your machine’s instructions.

Q: What is the difference between ice cream and gelato?

A: I should hopefully be making a post all about this in the next month, but the main difference is in the butterfat content (meaning the fat from dairy products, such as cream) and temperature. Gelato has less fat and a higher temperature than ice cream. Ice cream is colder and has higher butterfat.