Life
11 Homemade Sundae Toppings To Take Your Ice Cream to the Next Level
Ice cream is easy. It doesn’t ask for much — maybe a little churning here and there. Or maybe not, if you’re feeling like semifreddo. It will be there for you on your longest days. It will wait patiently in your freezer until you need it most. And when you do, it won’t mind if you eat it right out of the carton, with only a spoon and a few tears for company. Ice cream understands. In return, it just wants you to treat it right.
And this summer, we will treat it like a king. We’ll drizzle it in homemade fudge, in caramelized white chocolate and lemon curd. We’ll crown it with drunken cherries, with brittle, with every last sugary thing we can think of. So put down the syrup bottle — our ice cream deserves only the very best.
Image: Oh, Ladycakes
Hot Fudge
Ice cream and fudge are like Jay-Z and Beyonce — great on their own, mindblowingly awesome together. Katie at the Kitchen Door has a simple, 30-second recipe to get you on your way to the perfect sundae.
Image: Katie at the Kitchen Door
Caramel
The other syrup of choice? Caramel, hands down. Our friends at Half Baked Harvest give theirs a dangerous twist with Irish cream.
Image: Half Baked Harvest
Caramelized White Chocolate
Think of this as the lesser-known yet trendier sibling of ice cream syrups. With just a little patience, you’ll coax out the complex flavors of white chocolate for your most epic sundae yet. Will Cook for Friends shows us how.
Image: Will Cook for Friends
Brownie Bits
So you over-baked your brownies — never fear! Just throw them on top of your ice cream, call them brownie bits, and no one will be the wiser. We keep a bag of baking failures in the freezer for this express purpose. Thanks, Oh, Ladycakes!
Image: Oh, Ladycakes
Cookie Crumbles
Ditto for chocolate chip cookies. Not that you can ever really go wrong with butter and chocolate — but when all else fails, mix it with ice cream. Tucker’s classic recipe is a good place to start.
Image: Tucker
Roasted Strawberries
Feeling fruity? Make the most of strawberry season by roasting your berries with a few drops of vinegar to eke out their flavor. Five and Spice breaks it down.
Image: Five and Spice
Drunken Cherries
When you inevitably end up with more cherries than you know what to do with, get them drunk, bottle them up, and you’ll have a taste of summer all year long. Thanks, Local Kitchen!
Image: Local Kitchen
Lemon Curd
Add a dollop of lemon curd for a bright, zesty counterpoint to your decadent ice cream. My Baking Addiction has the recipe.
Image: My Baking Addiction
Marshmallows
Sure, you could do the puffy marshmallows from a storebought bag — but that would just be sad. The good news? Homemade marshmallows are easier than you think. Brave Tart shows us how.
Image: Brave Tart
Caramel Corn
Popcorn’s not just for movie night anymore. Brown Eyed Baker whips up a decadent version with bourbon, bacon, and cashews. Throw it on your ice cream for an added crunch.
Image: Brown Eyed Baker
Peanut Brittle
And now, the crowning glory on your ice cream sundae: the perfect, nutty brittle. Take a cue from Lady and Pups and kick yours up a notch with peppercorns — it’ll be the ultimate spicy-meets-icy treat.
Image: Lady and Pups
