The Spicy Seasoning You Didn't Know Your Vanilla Ice Cream Needed

If you've lined cocktail glasses with rims of Tajín and have sprinkled the tangy powder on top of guacamole-filled dishes, you have experienced the easy boost of flavor that this chili and lime spice blend can provide. We're here to encourage you to think outside the box of savory and spicy recipes and start showing this mix a sweeter side of your kitchen: Bowls of ice cream.

Popsicles coated in Tajín offer a fresh, zesty treat on a hot summer's day, but even a simple dish of vanilla ice cream can be elevated with a quick dash of the seasoning. The light touch of heat and citrus will amplify the sweeter notes found in each cold bite while the salty waves of the mix will turn up all the dials of flavor in this quick and convenient dessert. Once you have transformed store-bought vanilla ice cream with the easy addition, you may be soon piling on additional ingredients to create sweet and savory food pairings that delightfully surprise contented guests seated at your dinner table.

While you may be inspired to add a spoonful of Tajín to the next batch of homemade avocado ice cream you make, you may also want to experiment with ingredient combinations like cubes of mango, toasted coconut flakes, and swirls of salted caramel to your Tajín-enhanced bowls of cold sweetness.

For those who appreciate sweets with a bit more kick, sprinkles of ancho chile powder or red pepper flakes can play well when perched upon a Tajín-dusted bowl of ice cream. Similarly, a decadent scoop of dark chocolate-tahini cottage cheese ice cream can come to life with such punchier additions. 

As with any heat and sweet food pairings, let your palate lead the way and don't be afraid to use a humble bowl of ice cream as the blank canvas for your culinary explorations. Regardless of whether you layer sauces, toppings, and shavings of dark chocolate on top of ice cream or tuck into a simply seasoned dish, your sweet treat will be anything but a cold, boring bowl.