Ice Cream Sundae Recipes

To make the best ice cream, first, try to decide what kind of flavour you want! There are so many different kinds of flavours out there, but some of the most popular ones are vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, caramel, mint chip, cookies ‘n’ cream, espresso, peanut butter, banana split and honey nut.

We're going to assume for this step-by-step guide, you're not making your own ice cream, but going store-bought. 

In this complete how-to guide, we're going to walk you through each step of the way, helping you build your own ice cream sundae exactly how you like it! We'll look at  Toppings, sauces, glasses & more, so let's jump right in! 

Ice Cream Sundae Ideas

You're probably familiar with the classic combination of vanilla ice cream, chocolate syrup, hot fudge, nuts, whipped cream, cherries, and maraschino cherry topping. But did you know that there are actually several variations of the traditional ice cream sundae?

Here's a list to take if you want the perfect ice cream sundae every single time:

Chocolate Ice Cream Sundae

1. Add Vanilla Ice Cream

We'll start by getting your tall ice cream sundae glass - before filling, grab your Chocolate Sauce or Syrup and drizzle along the inside of the glass in a swirling motion.

2. Add Your Filling

Next, begin filling it with traditional vanilla ice cream, 3 scoops tend to be the perfect amount! If you're a chocaholic you may even want to add chocolate ganache ice cream or chocolate gelato, but we've kept it simple with subtle vanilla.

3. Top With Chocolate Syrup

More sauce! Top with an additional drizzle of chocolate syrup - for our classic chocolate sundae we've used our Chocaholic Chocolate Drops Syrup, which is completely sugar-free, low-calorie & vegan-friendly. 

3. Sprinkle On Nuts

Do yourself a favour and skip the peanuts and go straight for almonds. They have a stronger flavour and won't overpower the rest of the ingredients. We also really like chopped hazelnuts if you have them to hand!

4. Drizzle Hot Fudge Overtop

Hot fudge doesn't have to come out of a jar; you can easily make it at home using just a microwave oven and a small saucepan. Pour 2 cups of whole milk over 1 cup of white corn-starch and whisk until smooth. Heat milk mixture in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it starts to thicken. Remove from heat and stir in 4 large squares of unsweetened baking chocolate. Place pan back on heat and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until thick and glossy, about 5 minutes. Set aside.

5. Finish Off With Whipped Cream And Maraschino Cherries

Whipped cream is simply heavy cream that's been beaten with an electric mixer. To garnish your sundaes, buy store-bought whipped cream instead of making your own.

Maraschino cherries are candied cherries originally from Italy, they're the making of a classic vanilla ice cream dessert.

Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Sundae

Mint chocolate chip is kind of like pineapple on pizza or marmite, you either love it or you hate it. 

Here at Skinny Food Co, we LOVE mint chocolate chip, and our mint chocolate chip sundae is completely unique, paired with a delicious mint chocolate chip triple scoop, we use our latest Chocaholic Chocolate Mint Syrup, Cookie Bites & Chocolate shavings to build the perfect sweet treat that you'd expect to find at an ice cream parlor. 

Strawberry Ice Cream Sundae 

Made with fresh strawberries and a drizzle of your favourite chocolate or hot fudge sauce, our strawberry cream ice cream is heavenly. It's also one of the easiest ice cream recipes to make: 

1. Taking your strawberry sauce or strawberry syrup drizzle over your sundae glass

2. Add 3 strawberry ice cream scoops or two scoops of strawberry and one ice cream scoop of vanilla.

3. Add a layer of fresh strawberries

4. Add your chocolate layer (either fudge or chocolate syrup)

5. Add squirty cream & sprinkles

Caramel Ice Cream Sundae

This is the ultimate caramel ice cream recipe, it has everything you'll love from chocolate caramel sauce to caramelised bananas, toffee pieces and more. 

For this recipe, we like to take all of our favourite sweet sauces and combine them with 1 scoop of caramel ice cream (if no caramel is available a great substitute is a toffee - which is often easier to find), with two scoops of classic vanilla. We have an array of sauces that we think work really well with this recipe and our personal favourites include our Sugar-Free Maple Syrup, Caramel Syrup & Our Peanut Butter Syrup. 

It's completely up to you which one you want to include, but we always recommend using the Caramel & peanut as a duo, they add both sweet and salted flavours and pair incredibly well with crushed toffee honeycomb. 

To take this sundae from great to luxury you can also add crunchy cookies - we like using ginger snaps or Cadbury dairy milk caramel thin cookies to top. 

Healthy Ice Cream Recipes 

Ok, so you're looking to indulge in your favourite frozen dessert but you're watching your calorie intake? not a problem! We've got you covered! 

There are a wide variety of healthy alternatives to classic sundaes that we can help with, here's how you can make a few swaps so you can still enjoy your favourite frozen treats. 

• Use Dairy Free Ice Cream Alternatives 

Whether you prefer dairy-free ice cream or an alternative coconut ice cream you can choose to replace the traditional dairy aspect and cut down on fat & calories easily!

You can find these dairy-free alternatives in the 'free from' freezer section of your local supermarket, alternatively, there are a wide variety of flavours available online. 

• Use Skinny Syrups 

Swap out your classic chocolate sauce for healthier syrups, at The Skinny Food Co we have a range of syrup & sauces that are completely zero-calorie, fat-free, gluten-free, sugar-free & vegan friendly are the perfect substitute for all your ice cream needs. 

Here's just a quick look at our syrups that pair incredibly well on frozen desserts

• Classic Chocolate Drops 
• Chocolate Mint
• Chocolate Caramel 
• Chocolate Peanut
• Chocolate Coconut 
• Chocolate Hazelnut Sauce
• Chocolate Malt 
• Chocolate Orange Sauce
• Chocolate Honeycomb
• Turkish Delight 
• Cookies & Cream
• Bubblegum
• Cherry Syrup