Anti-inflammatory, blood sugar reducing and microbiome restoring Olive oil salted caramel ice cream with pistachios and dark chocolate
If you went out and bought yourself some yoghurt, pistachios and dark chocolate for last week’s cherry ice cream recipe and have any left over - you’re in luck. Because today we’re using similar ingredients for a very different tasting ice cream.
This ice cream is inspired by the viral olive oil caramel that was sweeping Instagram and TikTok a while back, but in ice cream form, and with pistachios and chocolate thrown in, because - well, why wouldn’t you?
And just like our recipe last week, this ice cream is polyphenol and antioxidant packed - even more so, thanks to the powers of olive oil.
The flavour is luxurious and sophisticated, and reminds me of the more elaborate gelatos I’ve seen on my travels across the Mediterranean. And whilst it’s luxuriously rich either way, I’ve offered you two versions, one for ease and a bit more budget friendly, and the other I like to call my deluxe version, which is creamier and has stronger caramel notes (and some extra blood sugar benefits).
Have I tempted you enough yet?
Let’s get to it…
This Olive Oil Salted Caramel Ice Cream with Pistachios and Dark Chocolate is…
Supercharged with powerful antioxidants to help lower oxidative stress and inflammation.
Pistachios, dark chocolate, extra virgin olive oil, dates and vanilla are all significant sources of antioxidants.
Antioxidants are types of plant compounds that fight oxidative stress - in the simplest terms, oxidative stress is a chemical reaction in the body that when high, causes inflammation and significant damage. People with endo have been found to have lower levels and lower intake of certain antioxidants, with higher levels of circulating oxidative stress and oxidative stress markers in the peritoneal fluid (fluid in the pelvic area). In fact, oxidative stress is a key player in endometriosis development and progression, but the good news is, research has shown we can actually modulate these inflammatory markers and pathways through nutrition and food.
Rich in polyphenols from the olive oil to help heal the endo belly and reduce systemic inflammation.
Polyphenols are where extra virgin olive oil really shines. Whilst olive oil doesn’t rank as high on the ORAC chart for it’s antioxidants levels, in comparison to some of the either ingredients, it’s claim to fame is the potent polyphenols found in the oil.
Polyphenols are types of antioxidants found in certain plant foods that not only reduce inflammation levels and improve overall health, but they are also an absolute favourite food for our gut microbiome, which means that can support our good gut bugs to thrive.
Polyphenols can be found in various plant foods, and are in high amounts in cacao, dates, pistachios and vanilla bean, but olive oil is known particularly for its polyphenol benefits. In fact, dark chocolate and olive oil are amongst the top 100 highest polyphenol containing foods.
The anti-inflammatory effects of extra virgin olive oil, thanks to its polyphenol content, are far reaching. For example, research has shown that extra virgin olive oil can decrease C-Reactive Protein levels, a marker for inflammation.
Research is finding a strong correlation between microbiome disturbances and endometriosis development, such as reduced levels and variety of good gut bugs and higher levels of pathogenic (bad, infectious), opportunistic (in high numbers, can cause problems like inflammation) gut bugs, as well as gut bugs linked to elevated oestrogen levels. These microbiome differences have also been associated with higher IL-8 levels, a type of inflammatory cytokine shown to be involved in the development of endometriosis.
Polyphenols are like gut bug boosters - the more we provide to our good gut bugs, the more they grow and outnumber the bad guys. This helps to bring the gut back into harmony, which can improve gut symptoms and intestinal inflammation and whilst we need to do more research, could even help us fight endo.
A great source of probiotics to replenish good gut bugs.
The yoghurt in this recipe (providing you buy one with live cultures) offers probiotic benefits, even when frozen. Probiotic foods provide us with more beneficial bacteria, to help top up and diversify our own. Given the strong connection between endo and the microbiome, it’s important for us to introduce new and varied bacteria through various probiotic sources, so that we can build up our healthier bacteria, but also outcompete the pathogenic and opportunistic bacteria (such as e.coli and klebsiella).
Blood sugar balancing to keep inflammation, pain and PMS at bay.
High sugar foods and processed foods can potentially contribute to more PMS, menstrual pain and endo pain, so to make this recipe more blood sugar friendly, I have focused on the presence of healthy fats, fibre and protein, which have all been shown to help stabilise blood sugar levels and slow down the uptake of glucose from our food (chocolate and fruit, in this case) to our blood stream, preventing blood sugar spikes. The fibre comes from the pistachios, dates and cashew butter if using, the protein from the yoghurt and the pistachios, and the fat comes from the yoghurt, olive oil, pistachios and chocolate (though chocolate is a source of added sugar here, so don’t rely on that as your fat source!).
Nuts have also been shown to have a positive effect on blood sugar, showing improvement in blood sugar responses when paired with high glycemic/high sugar foods. This is especially true for pistachios. These green gems were shown to significantly improve the glucose to high carbohydrate foods including white bread, rice, pasta and potatoes! The studied added 28g, 56g and 84g and the glucose response to starchy foods improved in a dose dependent manner - meaning the more pistachios, the better the blood sugar response. That’s why I’ve aimed for 28g per serve in this recipe, as we know that its evidenced based to lower post-prandial (post-meal) blood sugar levels, and more than 28g would be quite a lot of nuts to eat in one sitting!
But the pistachios are not the only blood sugar super foods here. The olive oil plays a major role too. Research has shown that adding olive oil to meals reduces the post-prandial blood sugar levels (meaning it helps prevent blood sugar spikes from foods/meals), even in high glycemic meals (meaning meals/foods high in sugar or starch that can cause rapid blood sugar spikes).
I’ve also included yoghurt, not just for it’s creamy and probiotic benefits, but the additional fat and protein can help to make this recipe both blood sugar stabilising and satisfying, curbing those luteal phase cravings. Additionally, fermented dairy, like yoghurt, has been associated with lower rates of type 2 diabetes and insulin levels, as well as lower glucose and insulin levels.
Finally, in stark contrast to most ice creams, this recipe is sweetened only with dates, and uses a high percentage dark chocolate, which is low in sugar (I like to use 90%, which is about 7g sugar per 100g).
Dates have a low to moderate glycemic index, so they shouldn’t cause a dramatic or quick rise in blood sugar.
However, research has shown that individual blood sugar responses vary from person to person, and if you eat a lot of even a low glycemic index food, it may have a greater impact on your blood sugar levels because you’re eating more in one sitting.
Therefore, I’ve only used four dates in this recipe, as I found that it’s enough to give that caramel flavour.
Keeping blood sugar levels stable helps to prevent oxidative stress, which leads to more inflammation in the body and that may trigger further pain and symptoms. In fact, oxidative stress is higher in people with endo, and it’s a key driver of endo growth.
To add to that, constant blood sugar swings can take their toll on hormones, leading to issues like elevated androgens (think testosterone), which can affect ovulation and cycle length. Blood sugar swings may also cause oestrogen excess or dominance and low progesterone if ovulation is interrupted or stopped entirely.
Additionally, this ice cream can help us out with luteal phase cravings. When we’re in our luteal phase, we often experience more blood sugar swings because oestrogen, which dominates in our follicular phase, helps us to regulate our blood sugar response, but is lower in the luteal phase. As a result, we tend to get cravings for sweet foods or foods high in starch. The problem is, these foods keep us on a blood sugar rollercoaster, and raise inflammation levels, resulting in more of those inflammatory symptoms and pain that we’re trying to avoid. This lolly, being low in sugar and rich in fibre, can help us get our fix without the pain triggering spikes.
Finally, blood sugar swings are linked heavily with mood disorders such as depression and anxiety, so if you struggle with low moods in your luteal phase, supporting blood sugar can actually support your mental health!
Rich in hormone and endo supportive vitamins and minerals.
Amongst several other micronutrients (there are so many goodies in this!), this ice cream is high in vitamin E, calcium, B12, iron, folate, zinc and magnesium to name a few.
A recent meta-analysis of over 589 participants, concluded that vit E supplementation can reduce period pain, pain with sex, daily pelvic pain and even improve quality of life with endometriosis patients. And a systematic review and meta-analysis of eight studies and over 1000 people concluded that vitamin E significantly reduced period pain and could be used as a treatment for dysmennorhea. But it’s not just supplements that help - food helps too! One study found people with endo had a 40% reduced intake of vitamin E, but levels increased after following a high antioxidant diet, and oxidation levels reduced by 20%!
Low levels of calcium have been repeatedly associated with increased PMS symptoms and research has shown that treatment with calcium supplements can reduce the syndrome and even period pain because low levels of calcium can cause more contractions. Calcium may also be a supportive option for PMDD.
Research on the use of B12 for pain suggests that B12 can reduce chronic pain (and menstrual pain) through various methods. Firstly, B12 can inhibit the production of the inflammatory prostaglandins which are responsible for pain and inflammation, and are found to be especially high in people with endometriosis and dysmenorrhea (which is the medical term for period pain). Additionally, B12 plays a role in supporting nerve health and pain signally pathways, which can influence pain perception. If nerves or pain signalling pathways are comprised, this could increase pain levels.
Finally, folate is crucial to ovarian function and ovulation, and low folate levels can cause irritability, mood swings and fatigue, and fertility problems.
Low levels of zinc have been linked to endo, and research has shown it can significantly reduce period pain thanks to its anti-inflammatory benefits. It additionally supports follicle development and ovulation, while deficiency has been linked to infertility.
Research has shown magnesium to be an effective treatment in preventing dysmenorrhea (period pain) because it reduces inflammatory prostaglandins that are the drivers of both endo and period pain. One study showed that six months of magnesium treatment reduced prostaglandin F2a by over half! In fact, in recent research, magnesium is being explored as a dietary treatment for endo and a higher intake of magnesium rich foods was associated with a lower risk of endo. Additionally, magnesium helps to regulate our sex hormones, and as result, is a recognised treatment for preventing PMS.
Important notes to help you tailor this recipe to your own body and needs (and tastebuds!)
Want it extra creamy and with a stronger caramel flavour? Go Deluxe.
I wanted this ice cream to be considerate of budget as I know pistachios are expensive, so I didn’t want to throw extra expenses into the mix like nut butter. However, if you don’t have an ice cream maker, yoghurt can sometimes go icy in the freezer (though the olive oil really helps!). You can avoid this by swapping 150g of yoghurt for cashew butter (or sunflower seed butter if you’re allergic to nuts). This will also boost the caramel flavour!
P.S. I’ve made this recipe both in an ice cream machine and with the ice cube method. The ice cream machine (at least for me) avoided any iciness, but there was a little with the ice cube method (though most of it gets blended out at the end) but I enjoyed both types and tbh, was happy to save the money!
Making this dairy free
Research shows that about half of people with endo may experience improvements in pain and symptoms with the removal of dairy.
If this is you, look for a good quality Greek yoghurt alternative that has live cultures in it and minimal ingredients, as many dairy free alternatives are ultra processed or do not have beneficial bacteria in them, which doesn’t benefit gut health!
Good brands in the UK are Nush and Coyo, you could also look for lactose free options, which may be better tolerated.
Keep in mind if you opt for a coconut based, the protein levels will be lower. Additionally, the nut based yoghurts may be higher in FODMAPS (see below for low FODMAP versions).
Finally, you may find that you do better on A2 (sheep, goat, buffalo) sources of dairy over A1 (cow), which you can learn about here. If that’s the case, try sheep or goat yoghurt for this recipe.
Making this ice cream low FODMAP
Here’s the bad news. If you want to make this recipe low FODMAP, you really do need to cut down on the pistachios. A low FODMAP serving of pistachios is 5g per serve, unless you use activated pistachios (which means they’ve been soaked normally for around six hours, then dried in a dehydrator or in the oven on low, you can buy them or do it at home), in which case, a low FODMAP serve is 11g.
85% dark chocolate is low FODMAP at 20g, so again, you could use 40g in the full recipe and have a half the ice cream, which would be low FODMAP.
The yoghurt is tricky too. Lactose is high FODMAP, so as a result, Greek yoghurt is only low FODMAP at serves of 23g. You may do better with lactose free yogurt (170g is low FODMAP) or coconut yoghurt (149g).
If you want to add cashew butter, I’m afraid that cashews are high FODMAP, so this would be best to keep out.
Further resources
If you’re struggling with your endo nutrition or gut health, you might find my courses and one to one coaching helpful. You can find out more here. I’ve also got endless podcast episodes on gut health and blood sugar.
To understand more about the low FODMAP diet, start here.
olive oil salted caramel ice cream with pistachios and dark chocolate
Ingredients:
Regular version
400g full fat Greek yoghurt (ideally organic) or yoghurt of choice (high fat)
56g shelled, unsalted pistachios
50g 90% dark chocolate or cacao nibs
4 medjool dates
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (if this is too strong for you, go with half a tbsp)
1 tsp vanilla extract or 1 vanilla pod/pinch of vanilla powder
Deluxe version
250g full fat Greek yoghurt (ideally organic) or yoghurt of choice (high fat)
150 cashew butter
56g shelled, unsalted pistachios
50g 90% dark chocolate or cacao nibs
4 medjool dates
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (if this is too strong for you, go with half a tbsp)
1 tsp vanilla extract or 1 vanilla pod/pinch of vanilla powder
serves: 2
prep time: 15 minutes
chill time: 1 hour to overnight
Mix in time: 5 mins
Method:
Remove the stone from the dates and soften in hot water for 10 minutes.
In a food processor or blender, blend the yoghurt, olive oil, vanilla (scrape out the inside of the vanilla bean and add this if using) and dates until smooth. If you’re making the Deluxe version, add the cashew too. If you don’t have a very powerful machine, there may be some small flecks of dates left remaining, don’t worry - once it’s all combined, you won’t notice!
If you have an ice cream machine, pour the mix into your ice cream machine and follow the instructions. If you don’t have an ice cream machine, pour the mix into ice cube moulds (you’ll need at least two trays) and freeze for at least five hours until overnight. You can use the ice cream once it’s solid, but still leaves a finger print when pressed.
Whilst the ice cream is churning or once it’s frozen, chop the chocolate and pistachios. I like to have the chocolate quite fine, and the pistachios in small chunks, but play around with what works for you.
If using a machine, add the chocolate and pistachios according to the instructions (some machines tell you to add in the last 5 minutes, others recommend adding once the ice cream is ready).
If using ice cubes, remove from the freezer and allow to soften for at least 10 minutes if set overnight, if you’ve only frozen for five hours or so, you may be able to blend immediately. Pop the cubes into a food processor (or blender) and pulse until the mix turns to crumbs ‘crumbs’ and start blending until creamy. This can take some time, but if they really don’t seem to be breaking down, leave to soften for another 5-10 minutes. You can add a dash of milk (whatever type you tolerate, but avoid oat as it can spike blood sugar) to help get the ice cream moving.
When creamy, stir through the chocolate and pistachios.
Either serve as is (it’ll be like a soft serve), but if you want a firmer ice cream, spoon into a container and cover, freeze for 30 minutes.