Balsamic Vinegar Is The Unlikely Topping This Sweet Treat Needs

Balsamic vinegar makes us think of pulling lettuce, tomatoes, and other salad fixings out of the fridge and grabbing some extra virgin olive oil to make a fresh salad with a tasty vinaigrette. But the multi-layered vinegar can elevate sweet treats as well as savory foods. Balsamic vinegar can be an unlikely and delicious ice cream topping for those who want to look beyond hot fudge, caramel, and strawberry sauce.

Drizzling a little of the dark brown vinegar on ice cream is the simplest of desserts to make, but it creates a complex flavor. The sweetness, tang, and acidity of the vinegar, whose "balsamic" name dates back to ancient Rome, complements a variety of ice cream flavors. This confection isn't unusual in Italy, balsamic vinegar's birthplace, where they usually pair it with vanilla gelato. The clean, focused flavor of vanilla ice cream is perfect for a balsamic topping, letting the taste of the two ingredients shine without too many distractions. 

The flavor balance that makes balsamic vinegar drizzled on sweet fresh strawberries so mouth-watering is why it would work well with strawberry ice cream too, as well as some other fruity flavors like black cherry, peach, raspberry, or cherry vanilla. There are also lots of flavored balsamic vinegars that can be matched with different ice creams, like fig, strawberry, cinnamon pear, cherry, pomegranate, and even dark chocolate or coffee.

There's a wide range of balsamic vinegars, from crazy expensive top-of-the-line to low-cost ones that are mostly wine vinegar. Balsamic-topped ice cream has just two ingredients, so you want good quality, like a top brand from our vanilla ice cream ranking, and the best balsamic your wallet will allow. Price is key, since certified traditional balsamic can cost up to $200 an ounce.

Traditional "DOP" balsamics are made by concentrating grape must, the freshly-pressed juice, including skin, seeds, and stems, and aging it in barrels made of various woods from 12 to 25 years. This creates a thick, tangy, and lightly sweet vinegar with flavor notes from the different woods. These syrupy balsamics maintain their body when drizzled on ice cream for more concentrated flavor in each creamy spoonful. Lower-grade balsamics are thinner and would immediately soak in and disperse, diluting their taste. DOP balsamic also has more depth to play off sweet ice cream than flatter-tasting cheaper grades.

Mid-range "IGP" balsamics are blended with wine vinegar and require just 60 days of aging, and lowest-priced commercial ones have no guidelines and can be largely wine vinegar with additives. However, the best IGPs, which top out around $50, are thick and sweet, so they could also go well with ice cream. Lower-cost IGPs and commercial balsamics can be reduced over low heat with brown sugar to make a balsamic glaze for ice cream that mimics the thick texture and sweet taste of traditional balsamic.