How to Make an Ice Cream Sundae

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: June 4, 2021 Tested

Diving into a big ice cream sundae is a decadent way to treat yourself. The best part about the dessert – besides the fact that it’s made of ice cream – is how highly customizable it is. Between ice cream flavors, sauces, and toppings, there seems to be a combination out there to please everyone. Learn how to create your basic ice cream sundae, and then get creative making it your own!

Ingredients

Ice cream (any desired flavor)
Ice cream sauce (chocolate, caramel, whipped cream, etc.)
Toppings of choice (crushed nuts, candies, fruit, etc.)

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Choosing Your Utensils

1
Choose your serving bowl. While ice cream sundaes are delicious in any kind of container, choosing the proper bowl can certainly add to your experience. The traditional ice cream sundae vessel is the tulip sundae glass. However, you can also use boats, bowls, or cups. Use a bucket if you want – you can make your ice cream sundae as big as you want.
2
Select your spoon. This might seem like an easy task, but your spoon selection can change the sundae-eating experience. If you’re eating out of a tall sundae glass, you should select a long, thin spoon. This will allow you to get the ice cream from the very bottom without getting your hands messy. If you’re eating out of a simple bowl, you can use any spoon you like. Some people prefer big spoons for big bites, but beware of brain freeze!

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3
Warm up an ice cream scoop. In order to get the perfect balls of ice cream you see in picture perfect sundaes, you need to use a special ice cream scooper. To help them glide smoothly through the frozen ice cream, fill a glass with hot water. Place the scoop in it, and let it soak there until you’re ready to serve the ice cream.^{[1]
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Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Creating Your Sundae Base

1
Coat the bottom of your dish in sauce. You can use hot fudge, chocolate syrup, a fruit sauce, caramel sauce, or any other sauce your heart desires. This step is optional, but it can be helpful to ensure that your sundae has a good ice cream to sauce ratio. Often times, the bottom of layer is barren of any sauce and toppings. By putting sauce in the dish before you place any ice cream in it, you’ll ensure that your final bites of sundae have their fair share of sauce.^{[2]
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2
Scoop your ice cream into your dish. Using your warm ice cream scoop, place two to three generous scoops of your favorite ice cream on the bottom of the dish. Plain vanilla ice cream is the classic ice cream to use for a sundae, but don’t feel limited. You can use chocolate, strawberry, cookies and cream, cookie dough, or any other flavor your heart desires.
3
Heat your sauce in the microwave. It won't take long – just warm them up for a few seconds. The sauces will be much easier to drizzle onto your ice cream once they are a little bit heated.^{[3]
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Research source} This is especially useful if you want to top your sundae with something like peanut butter, which is obviously much thicker than normal sauce. Make sure to only microwave sauces that are in microwave-safe containers, or transfer the sauce to a small bowl or cup before heating.
4
Drizzle sauce on top of the ice cream. You can use the same sauce you coated the bottom of the dish with, or mix it up! Melted hot fudge is a classic ice cream sundae sauce, but there are a lot of other fun options in the grocery stores. Try caramel sauce, strawberry sauce, butterscotch, or marshmallow fluff.^{[4]
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Research source} Either use a spoon to scoop the sauce onto your sundae or use the sauces that come in a squeezable container.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Selecting Your Toppings

1
Add something with crunch. Texture is an important aspect of the sundae that can be overlooked. By adding something with a bit of a crunch, you’ll create a nice contrast to the smooth ice cream and sauce. There are lots of options for crunchy toppings.^{[5]
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- For a healthier option, add some chopped peanuts or almonds.
- Major sweets lovers can add something like M&M’s, crushed Oreos, or any chopped up candy bar. Sugary cereals, like Fruit Loops, can also be used on sundaes.
2
Choose something chewy. Some people love chewy sundae toppings, and some people hate it. If you add gummy bears or gummy worms to your sundae, they will harden a bit, making them more difficult to chew. You may or may not enjoy this. Easier to chew options include crumbled brownies, chunks of cookie dough, or mini Reeses.^{[6]
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3
Throw on something fruity. You can add a handful of strawberries or blueberries to make your ice cream sundae slightly healthier. Sliced banana is a classic addition! Shredded coconut can add some great flavor while adding a bit of texture as well. You can also add different fruit sauces and jams to your ice cream sundae to make it extra fruity. Even if you don’t want a lot of fruit on your sundae, consider topping it with a cherry – it’s tradition!^{[7]
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4
Finish your sundae. If you like, add a big dollop of whipped cream for the grand finale. Serve with your spoon of choice, and don't forget to grab a napkin – topping avalanches are real! Enjoy your delicious, customized sundae.

Community Q&A

Question

Are syrups for the sundae expensive?

Vivi F

Community Answer

Around $3 in supermarkets.
Question

Can I just have the sprinkles?

Community Answer

Yes, you can eat just sprinkles in a bowl, if that is all you want. Your sweet treat will be just a bowl of sprinkles, not ice cream sundae. Add in some ice cream and some sauce with your sprinkles and now you have an ice cream sundae.
Question

Do you have any recommendations on the toppings?

Community Answer

You could use hot fudge, caramel, nuts, sprinkles or anything else you want.