The Salty, Crunchy Topping That Just Works With Vanilla Ice Cream
Many discover the perfect harmony between salty and sweet flavors as a child upon dipping their french fries into ice cream for the first time and realizing that it may be one of the best hidden tricks in the book. Like Pandora's Box, however, this event opens a person up to the world of possibilities of strange food pairings. This year, McDonald's fanatics have even discovered the joy of a hash brown McFlurry, so finding the perfect balance between the two delicious flavors is still a work in progress.
One lesser known option for the salty part of the duo is the potato chip. While yes, chocolate-covered potato chips or potato chip chocolate chip cookies are already very loved on their own, potato chips have never really had their time in the limelight when it comes to pairing up with one of the best sweet treats of them all: ice cream! One of the only times the two reached the shelf together is when Ben & Jerry's released a limited "Chip Happens" flavor in 2021 in partnership with the Netflix series "Nailed It!," which was a pint of chocolate ice cream with fudge chips and potato chips.
Why the pair works
However, the potato chip's soulmate in ice cream form is absolutely vanilla, not chocolate. While vanilla is a delicious flavor on its own, it provides a mild taste that allows the salty crunch of a potato chip to truly shine when put together. The two flavors won't overpower the other, creating a perfect harmony in your mouth.
The key ingredient? Salt. Salt is already incorporated into many recipes in order to enhance its flavor, and putting it on top of an already powerful flavor (like sweetness) can only make a dish even more delicious. While Ben & Jerry's proved that potato chips can be paired up with chocolate ice cream and still receive rave reviews, vanilla ice cream is the perfect base for a salty topping. In fact, Lay's — which is known for its incredibly famous potato chips — even has a recipe on its website for a Classic Potato Chip Sundae that includes vanilla ice cream topped with Lay's Classic Potato Chips.