I’ve always loved a Sundae…I mean, who doesn’t? What’s not to love about scoops of decadent ice cream piled high with the most fabulous ice cream toppings, like hot fudge, candy bars, nuts, and sprinkles. Sundaes are fun for kids, but you definitely don’t have to be a kid to enjoy one.

When I was growing up, there was a fantastic little ice cream parlor called Mayberry’s in Highland Park, Illinois. They had a dish called The Kitchen Sink, which was quite literally served in their sink. Besides the 15 scoops of ice cream and 10 toppings, there were cherries, nuts, and whipped cream…all in the actual sink. The idea was that if you could eat it all, they’d put your picture on the wall. It was like a badge of honor. Every member of my family was there to cheer me on. I wish I had that picture! It was so much fun, and the inspiration for this Sundae stems from the childhood glee I felt while eating The Kitchen Sink.

The Joy of Sharing a Sundae: A Recent Delight at Bavette’s

Recently, I took some friends to Bavette’s for Molly’s going away dinner, and we enjoyed an incredible group-sized hot fudge sundae. It had mix-ins and ice cream toppings galore. We devoured it! It was so much fun that I thought it would be a spectacular idea for the blog.

Celebrating with Sundaes: The Ultimate Dessert for Any Occasion

What a festive special occasion dessert! Get everybody involved, and they will have the most fun selecting ice cream toppings, building, and eating their sundaes.

Creating Your Own Sundae Bar: Endless Possibilities

So many ideas come to mind when I think about how to build a Sundae bar. You can offer a cookie and some licorice, or maybe a mixture of chocolate with a crunchy-salty component. The sky is the limit, and you are truly only limited by your imagination. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

  1. We set out nuts, cookies, licorice, and M&Ms as ice cream toppings for our Sundae bar, but tailor your ingredients for your favorite eaters.
  2. A berries and cream version would be heavenly—vanilla ice cream, raspberries, and pecans with caramel sauce.
  3. Or you could feature black and red raspberries and add gummies, slivers of red licorice, unicorn candy, and raspberry-filled candies.
  4. As a chocolate lover, I love the idea of Snickers Bars, chocolate-covered pretzels, caramel sauce, peanuts, and whipped cream.
chocolate sauce on ice cream

The Perfect Mondae Chocolate Sauce

Sometimes the simplest recipes are the most luscious and delicious of all. This “Mondae” chocolate sauce is perfect for an easy but indulgent snack. It’s six ingredients, some of which might be surprising. But you have to trust me on this one! You are going to fall in love with this gooey goodness.

Click here for this ice cream topping recipe.

Five-Minute Vegan Caramel Sauce

This plant-based vegan caramel sauce from my friend K.C. of G Free Foodie is truly delicious and comes together in a snap. The sauce is thick and full of richness, and no one will guess it’s dairy-free

Click here for this ice cream topping recipe.

A Fabulous Hot Fudge Sauce Recipe

This delightful dessert topping from Meg of This Mess is Ours is incredibly smooth and sultry, with less sugar than most. Thanks to one of our mutual favorite pantry staples, it’s also packed with nutrients and fiber.

Click here for this ice cream topping recipe.

Mastering the Art of Ice Cream Scooping: Tips from an Expert

You truly don’t need much of a recipe. You only need an appetite and some chopping skills. Scooping ice cream is an art of its own. We consulted our friend Jeni Britton from Jeni’s Ice Cream, and here are her tips for getting the perfect scoop every time:

  1. Use a clean, dry, room temperature scoop!
  2. Scoop evenly around the outer edge, leaving a flat surface on top of the container. (That way there is less surface to oxidize.)
  3. For sundaes, ice cream should be as cold as possible to avoid melting, because the toppings will be competitively warm (or even hot). Don’t use hot water to clean your scoop.

Teri’s top tip for making a fabulous Sundae

One of the most important tips I can give you for making a truly memorable Sundae is how to make an ice cream bain-marie. This will ensure that your scoops of ice cream stay nice and cold while you select your perfect blend of toppings, even if the topping themselves happen to be warm.

Nothing is worse than a completely melted Sundae before you even take the first bite! When creating your own Sundae bar it is important to leave the ice cream in the freezer until the very last minute.

When building the actual Sundae, you can create a simple ice cream bain-marie by filling a bowl with ice and then nestling your serving bowl on top. The ice will keep the scoops of ice cream chilled while you add the toppings.

That’s it, folks! Remember, Sundae-making is all about creativity and having fun. Enjoy!

If you host an Ice Cream Sundae party, leave a comment and let me know. If you’re looking for more inspiration, sign up for our Friday Favorites newsletter, and follow along on Pinterest, Instagram, and TikTok to join in all the fun!

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An ice cream sundae

How to Build a Sundae Bar

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.3 from 6 reviews
  • Author: Teri Turner
  • Prep Time: 15
  • Active time: 5
  • Total Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 4-6 servings
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Assembled
  • Cuisine: American
Print Recipe

Description

How to build a DIY Sundae Bar just like Teri with scoops of decadent ice cream piled high with ice cream toppings like hot fudge, candy bars, nuts, and sprinkles!

Ingredients

  •   1 cup assorted nuts
  •   2 cups assorted cookies
  •   6 assorted candy bars
  •   Assorted candies
  •   1 to 2 cups chocolate sauce
  •   Ice
  •   6 pints of assorted ice cream, 2 to 3 flavors
  •   Sprinkles
  •   Whipped cream can
  •   Maraschino cherries

Instructions

  1.   One by one, chop or sliver your nuts, cookies, candy bars, and candies into small pieces, keeping them in separate prep bowls.
  2.   In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, heat your chocolate sauce slightly to loosen it up. Once the chocolate sauce is warm and loose, remove it from the heat.
  3.   Add ice to one of your serving bowls and nestle the other one on top. If your serving bowls are not the same size, add ice to your larger serving bowl and place the smaller one on top.
  4.   Take one of your ice creams out of the freezer and begin to scoop the ice cream onto the serving bowl, moving swiftly. Repeat with your other ice cream flavors. You should have 3-5 scoops of each ice cream flavor.
  5.   Drizzle the chocolate sauce over the ice cream and sprinkle the assorted chopped toppings over the top and finally add the sprinkles. Add swirls of whipped cream in a few different areas and dot the whipped cream with maraschino cherries.

Notes

Teri’s Perfect Sundae:

chocolate ice cream sundae with chocolate and Oreo toppings

I am known to be a lover of all things chocolate and a chocolate peanut butter ice cream with chocolate toppings and a rich chocolate sauce is my idea of a perfect sundae! If you want to make my version you’ll need the following: 

  • good quality chocolate peanut butter ice cream
  • rich chocolate fudge sauce
  • small peanut butter cups, halved 
  • gluten-free Oreos, broken into smaller pieces
  • toasted pecans 
  • raspberries
  • whipped cream 
  • fresh cherries and/or maraschino cherries 

Scoop as much ice cream as you wish and drizzle with chocolate fudge sauce. Top with peanut butter cups, Oreos, pecans, raspberries, and whipped cream. Garnish with cherries and dig in! 

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Food is my love language, and this book is a guide to getting you in the kitchen with me, rolling up your sleeves, and reigniting your passion for everyday cooking. Woven throughout the book are my Teri’s Tips as well.

This cookbook is a love letter to my mother because it offers the recipe for a well-lived life.

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