Salted Desserts and Himalayan Sea Salt

Written by Becky

The combination of sweet and salty foods has been around for forever. From my childhood I can remember enjoying homemade chex mix at friends houses, which combines the saltiness of nuts and the sweet touch of M&Ms. But I do think that it wasn’t until recently that the culinary world has just completely diverged the two, creating a whole new dessert category.  Some of the most decadent and rich desserts are now topped with a few salt crystals or a pinch or two of chopped salted nuts.

Fruit tarts are being topped with pistachios, strawberries are drizzled with balsamic vinegar, chocolates are infused with sea salt, and ice cream combined with salted caramels.

In efforts to keep in step with the food world, I have been trying several salted dessert recipes lately and picking more unusual desserts when we dine out.  I tried salted caramel ice cream, during our trip to Breckenridge this summer, and I instantly fell in love.  We’ve made two batches of it this summer from this recipe, and believe me, it won’t stay in your freezer long!  I made Salted Fudge Brownies this past weekend and also loved them.

While we were traveling this summer I’ve been reading Gourmet Traveler on my iPad and have learned a lot about current food trends.  I read about the popularity of a fruits like quince and yuzu, which you’ll be seeing more and more frequently on menus and used in pastries.  I also read about some popular sea salts to use in dishes.  I particularly like the texture and the natural stunning color of Himalayan Sea Salt.  It is pink in color and adds a perfect touch to the top of a brownie or ice cream. I couldn’t resist picking some up at The Spice Merchant in Breckenridge Colorado.

Here are some great Salted Dessert Recipes to get you started in this fun food trend:

Salted Caramel Ice Cream from Epicurious
Salted Fudge Brownies from Food and Wine
Salted Caramel Sauce from Food and Wine
Peanut Butter & Pretzel Truffles from Eating Well
Chocolate Covered Toffee with Pumpkin Seeds and Sea Salt from New York Magazine

I would love to know what Sea Salt desserts you’re trying and if you have any good recipes!  What have you tried lately? And please leave links to your Sea Salt Dessert recipes!!

Comments (6)

  1. Nothing beats salt and chocolate! I always give my chocolate chip cookies a sprinkle of sea salt when they come out of the oven….mmmm!

  2. I love sweet and salty (I've been known to dip fries in chocolate ice cream) I don't have the recipe, but the best cookie I have eaten lately was a huge salted chocolate chip cookie that my daughter made with her dad and stepmom for baking day at "school".

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