Delicate, indulgent, and undeniably luxurious, caviar is a decadent addition to any dish—even dessert. And increasingly, restaurants are using its salty, silken flavor profile to punctuate their sweet treats. “Umami is the go-to word,” says executive chef Bailey Campbell of 167 Raw in Charleston, S.C., which serves a sultry caviar apple fritter. “[It] brings salt and a fresh smack of the ocean for a perfect balance.”
Banana crème brûlée at Fancypants in Nashville.
Courtesy of Fancypants
But it’s also true that the once hard-to-find delicacy has never been in higher demand, thanks in part to all those caviar bumps you’ve seen on social media. Research indicates that in 2024, the global market for the briny eggs was worth about $450 million—a figure expected to more than double in the next 10 years. Adding it to the dessert menu “is definitely a fun new way to do a caviar service,” says Cody Chassar, chef de cuisine at Atlanta’s Gunshow. “The caviar can help complement a thoughtful dessert, but just throwing caviar on it does not automatically make it special.” To that end, he serves a dollop of Arrivato Kaluga-hybrid caviar atop horseradish-crème-fraîche ice cream with white-chocolate mousse and crispy potato skins. For the finishing touch, he pairs the complex dish with an ice-cold horseradish vodka.
Kathleen Fair, executive pastry chef of Nashville’s Fancypants, finds that guests tend to take their time with caviar-studded desserts, quite literally savoring every bite. There’s a spoonful of roe adorning her banana crème brûlée, which “lends the dish an essential nutty, buttery note.” Consider it salty and sweet, taken to the next level.