Sichuan Chile Crisp Sundae With Peanut Streusel

By J. Kenji López-Alt

Sichuan Chile Crisp Sundae With Peanut Streusel
Andrew Purcell for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Carrie Purcell.
Total Time
45 minutes
Rating
4(264)
Notes
Read community notes

This sundae is based on the soft serve and chile oil combination that started showing up in Chengdu and Chongqing in 2018. The combination doesn’t sound like it should work, but it does, especially paired with a Sichuan snack-inspired spicy peanut streusel. You can use store-bought chile oil or chile crisp, such as Lao Gan Ma, in place of homemade Sichuan Chile Oil. You can also omit the peanut streusel or replace it with crushed peanuts.

Featured in: Chile Crisp Is Even Good With Ice Cream

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Ingredients

Yield:2 sundaes, plus more chile crisp and peanut streusel

    For the Sichuan Peanut Streusel

    • 2teaspoons whole Sichuan peppercorns
    • 2teaspoons Sichuan or Korean chile flakes
    • 1whole star anise pod
    • ½teaspoon whole cumin seeds
    • ½teaspoon whole fennel seeds
    • 1cup plus 1 tablespoon/170 grams blanched, skinless peanuts
    • ⅓packed cup/85 grams light brown sugar
    • ½teaspoon kosher salt
    • ⅓cup plus 2 tablespoons/55 grams all-purpose flour
    • 6tablespoons/85 grams softened unsalted butter

    For the Sundae

    • 4scoops vanilla ice cream
    • 4tablespoons Sichuan Chile Oil, with its debris
    • ½cup Sichuan Peanut Streusel
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (2 servings)

2082 calories; 163 grams fat; 38 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 76 grams monounsaturated fat; 40 grams polyunsaturated fat; 122 grams carbohydrates; 20 grams dietary fiber; 58 grams sugars; 58 grams protein; 553 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Prepare the peanut streusel: Adjust oven rack to center position and heat to 350 degrees. (If your oven has a convection setting, make sure it is off.)

  2. Step 2

    Using a spice grinder or mortar and pestle, grind Sichuan peppercorns, chile flakes, star anise, cumin and fennel together into a fine powder.

  3. Step 3

    Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Pulse until peanuts are roughly chopped and a coarse meal-like texture is formed. (Alternatively, mix together with your fingers, lithely crushing the peanuts in a mortar and pestle or under a skillet before adding to other ingredients.)

  4. Step 4

    Spread mixture over a parchment-lined sheet tray in little crumbles. Bake until deep golden brown, rotating the pan halfway through cooking, about 16 to 20 minutes. (The mixture will spread and flatten as it bakes.) As soon as the streusel is cool enough to handle, break it up into small chunks — it’s OK if they are a little uneven — then cool completely. Do not let the streusel cool completely before trying to break it! Once cooled, streusel can be stored at room temperature in a sealed container for up to two weeks. This recipe makes about 3 cups.

  5. Step 5

    To serve, scoop ice cream into 2 bowls. Top with chile oil and streusel.

Ratings

4 out of 5
264 user ratings
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Cooking Notes

Laura Thielen

Green peppercorns have more of the numbing buzz. Red peppercorns have a bit more heat. The combination of the two gives that famous “ma-la” or hot tingly Sichuan taste.

Sofi

The streusel is fantastic and came together very easily. Flattened it onto the baking sheet in chunks and it spread further; then let it cool for about 8 minutes, it was just solid enough to break it into chunks. Could eat this with anything.

Captain Wendy

A gustatory vacation! We did a side by side comparison of the homemade Sichuan Chile Oil versus the store-bought Chile Crisp and we thought the home made Oil was much tastier and also spicier. The combination with the peanut Streusel on ice cream was fantastic. We will also be trying the Sichuan Chile oil on lots of other things!

veg.cook

Yummy and totally unique. Streusel was quite crumbly with a mild heat and rich peanut flavor with lingering citrus. Would use it on anything, even with hot fudge. Definitely not too spicy. Spicy chili crisp had a bit more kick but very manageable with a tsp drizzled. Cool vanilla with lingering heat and peanut was marvelous. Rave reviews from COViD- family. Also got chili crisp from local grocery and Szechuan peppercorns from Asian market (just “peppercorns”) - small reddish dry berries.

samra

Red, the green would be specified in a recipe--they are "young" and have a milder flavor and less resonating heat.

Jennifer T

There is a wonderful source for Sichuan peppercorns (both red and green) through The Mala Marketplace online. This is a winning recipe!

Chef Katie

Excellent blend of salty, sweat heat. I don’t have anything more to say.

Sophia Ikura

This dessert is so bananas. No one eats dessert anymore. My ultra keto, never pollute-my-body-with-carbs/my-body-is-a-temple friend returned to the trough for this dessert three times. AND THEN he took the bag of peanut crack home. I'd call that a win. Keep on keepin' on Kenji. You're a genius.

Sofi

The streusel is fantastic and came together very easily. Flattened it onto the baking sheet in chunks and it spread further; then let it cool for about 8 minutes, it was just solid enough to break it into chunks. Could eat this with anything.

Captain Wendy

A gustatory vacation! We did a side by side comparison of the homemade Sichuan Chile Oil versus the store-bought Chile Crisp and we thought the home made Oil was much tastier and also spicier. The combination with the peanut Streusel on ice cream was fantastic. We will also be trying the Sichuan Chile oil on lots of other things!

veg.cook

Yummy and totally unique. Streusel was quite crumbly with a mild heat and rich peanut flavor with lingering citrus. Would use it on anything, even with hot fudge. Definitely not too spicy. Spicy chili crisp had a bit more kick but very manageable with a tsp drizzled. Cool vanilla with lingering heat and peanut was marvelous. Rave reviews from COViD- family. Also got chili crisp from local grocery and Szechuan peppercorns from Asian market (just “peppercorns”) - small reddish dry berries.

Marcy P

Followed the recipe to the letter except for cumin seeds. My peanut streusel never really flattened and spread -- it stayed dolloped and turned out more more spicy peanut butter cookies. Not bad but didn't have the crunch I hoped for.

Laura Thielen

Green peppercorns have more of the numbing buzz. Red peppercorns have a bit more heat. The combination of the two gives that famous “ma-la” or hot tingly Sichuan taste.

Jennifer T

There is a wonderful source for Sichuan peppercorns (both red and green) through The Mala Marketplace online. This is a winning recipe!

PMP

I am very interesting in trying this recipe. Many years ago at Mesa Grill, Wayne Harley Brachman, Bobby Flay's pastry chef had a recipe for vanilla ice cream with black peppercorns. It was delicious and way ahead of its time.

Keith

Red or green Sichuan peppercorns?

Elle

There's only one color, reddish brownish.

Tom F

No, there are indeed green Sichuan peppercorns, but they're hard to find.

samra

Red, the green would be specified in a recipe--they are "young" and have a milder flavor and less resonating heat.

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