This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Introducing my Melon Dessert with Vanilla Ice Cream and Olive Oil – gluten and dairy-free (with one substitution) – and absolutely divine! 🍨 This Melon fruit dessert recipe just screams summer freshness and it’s so easy to make. The combination of these flavors is truly spectacular. The olive oil… just trust me on that one. To sum up, if you haven’t tried it on ice cream, you will LOVE it.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love Melon Dessert
This dessert is light, easy and refreshing! The melon and ice cream is the perfect dessert recipe for a hot summer day. I know some of you might be skeptical to the olive oil, BUT don’t knock it until you try it. Trust me… you’ll be addicted. It adds the best flavor.
How To Prepare
Prep Your Fruit – Cut your melon for this dessert into bite-sized chunks. Make sure you zest one of your oranges before cutting and juicing them.
Mix Your Melon Marinade – In a large bowl, gently mix together your melon, sugar, grand marnier, zest of 1 orange, juice of 2 oranges, vanilla bean paste and olive oil.
Chill And Let Marinate – Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, but no more than 24 hours. This allows your melon to soak up all the wonderful goodness.
Assemble and Serve – When you are ready to serve, evenly divide the marinated melon up into 4 serving bowls. Add a spoonful of the leftover marinade to each bowl and then top with a scoop of ice cream, lots of olive oil, flaky salt and mint. Enjoy!
♥️ And that is it, subscribe for more!
Substitutions
- You can use cointreau instead of grand marnier.
- You can use any melon of your choice in this dessert except watermelon.
- For a dairy-free option, use a lactose free ice cream instead of regular.
🔥Chef Nadia’s Tip🔥
Use good vanilla ice cream – for example, I used Nancy’s Fancy Bourbon Vanilla Ice Cream.
Recipes That Pair
We are going to start this one with a frozen Bahamian Sky Juice cocktail. It’s light and refreshing and works great with the Melon Dessert. For an appetizer, Stuffed Dates will be a great starter. As your mains, the Crispiest Dill Chicken you have ever had with a lovely Butter Lettuce Fennel Salad. Then you will end your night with this simple but gorgeous Melon Dessert ♥️
Melon Dessert: Questions Answered
You can use Cointreau instead.
I used cantaloupe but you can use any melon of your choice. Honeydew melon is another great choice. Just don’t use watermelon, it won’t work well.
For this recipe, I used Nancy’s Fancy Bourbon Vanilla Ice Cream. Any good quality ice cream will do.
I use Maldon Sea Salt Flakes.
Melon Dessert
Equipment
- 1 large bowl
- 4 servings bowls
Ingredients
- 6 cups melon, very ripe, cut into chunks
- 2 blood oranges, zest of 1 and juice of 2
- 3 shots Grand Marnier
- 2 ½ tbsp olive oil , + more for drizzling the ice cream
- ½ tbsp vanilla bean paste
- ⅓ cup cane sugar
- vanilla ice cream, make sure to get lactose free ice cream for dairy-free!
- Flaky salt, for topping
- Mint sprigs, for topping
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add the melon, sugar, grand marnier, zest of 1 orange, juice of 2 oranges, vanilla bean paste and 2 ½ tbsp olive oil. Mix it well.
- Cover and let marinate in the fridge up to 24 hours. I usually do 6-8 hours.
- When ready to serve, place your marinated melon into your serving bowls. Add a scoop of the marinade and add it to the top of the melon. Top with ice cream, lots of olive oil, flaky salt, mint and that’s it!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
