Some of the most fun we ever had at a summer party was when friends capped a Sunday barbecue with a sundae bar. They only served one flavor of ice cream—premium vanilla—but they set out 2 dozen different toppings in assorted paper cups. These weren’t the usual M&M’s and jimmies, though. We helped ourselves to a bunch of surprising and even strange additions. It was a lot of fun, and everyone discovered a new favorite combo (crushed Pringles, anyone?).
If you’re looking for a unique party theme (kids or adults), a fresh idea for a summer dessert, or just a novel way to clean out your pantry and fridge, here’s a list of toppings that’ll make even vanilla taste less vanilla.
Sauces/Syrups
Reduced balsamic vinegar (bring to boil in a skillet and simmer)
Dark natural maple syrup
Warmed peanut butter
Barbecue sauce
Premium honey
Marshmallow Fluff
Soy sauce
Pie filling
Jellies and jams (melt and thin with juice)
Sprinkles
Crushed pretzels (plain or chocolate-covered)
Fresh buttered popcorn
Nestlé Nesquik or Ovaltine powder
Cereal (Cocoa Krispies, Corn Flakes, Fruit Loops…)
Crushed potato chips
Salted nuts, like pistachios
Minimarshmallows
Bread crumbs
Energy-bar pieces (for the fitness-conscious)
Finely ground espresso beans
Booze
Guinness stout
Liqueur (Kahlúa, Baileys, amaretto, schnapps, crème de menthe…)
Liquor (brandy, whiskey, sherry, rum…)
Bitters
Fruit
Mandarin oranges in syrup
Fresh pineapple with coconut
Overripe peaches or bananas
Shredded lemon or orange peel
Spices
Coarse sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Fresh herbs (mint, basil, rosemary…)
Fresh cinnamon, nutmeg, or ginger
Spicy
Red Hots
Chili powder
Tabasco
Chocolate-chili sauce
Pepperoni
Sweets
Toasted pound-cake cubes
Cheesecake cubes
Brownie cubes
Day-old doughnut pieces
Crumbled pie
Crumbled waffle cones
Pop Rocks candy
Crushed Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookies
Jell-O cubes
Combos
Dark maple syrup and Jack Daniel’s
Raspberries and reduced balsamic vinegar
Bourbon and honey
Pineapple soaked in dark rum
Bourbon-soaked dried apricots
Chocolate fudge and Zinfandel sauce
Adventuresome!
Crispy, crumbled bacon
Diced sweet pickles or sweet relish
Golden caviar
Edible gold leaf
Edible flowers
Shredded cheese
Chocolate-covered ants or insects (for those on a high-protein diet!)
Comments from Members
i dont think i'd top off any ice cream with hot sauce or vinger.sorry! guess im not that adventurous. me and my kids will crush up our favorite candy or fruits and mash it into the ice cream, then eat it that way.
i'm gain for icecream in any shape or form but, bread crumbs and ants, no thanks !
Don't sound good to me. Just give me carmel topping
I have heard EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil) and salt is good on ice cream (Food Network), but not sure I want to try it. I do like cereal on top....any kind, not just the sugary stuff listed above.
cheese? yuck.
some of these toppings are pretty daring my stomach would overturn at some of these concations
balsamic vinegar is not a sour vinegar. when reduced and turned to a syrup it becomes sweeter. try it as a topping on the ice cream with some fresh slices of strawberries and a sprinkling of powder sugar (with or without chocolate shavings or jimmies). i've tried various toppings on vanilla ice cream, i've even added mashed ripened avocado blended in for a very cooling milkshake (my friends and family loves it), but my problem is that i'm highly allergic to avocados so i have to avoid them. be adventuruous. i've never tried sweet relish pickles, but i've dried dilled pickles. i've even tried roasted garlic and it was delicious.
Ice Cream - yum!! I'm up for trying lots of different toppings, but I think I draw the line at insects!
wow, that's really interesting!
OOH i'm clipping this idea for the future ... i think this would be great for a birthday party that we have every summer to celebrate 5 family birthdays between june and early august.
there is no way I could get my family to try the majority of these things. And they're all adults.
Some of these do not sound appeaing!
Can remember as a kid I loved granola and Reese's peanut butter baking chips on vanilla or chocolate ice cream/frozen yogurt. Delish! Now I'm back to the purest hot fudge sundae.I'm just an ice cream-holic
alot of these sound really really good. Alot of them on the other hand don't seem to fit ice cream very well..... We love ice cream in this house and usually add toppings, Some of the toppings listed sound really different, but we aren't very adventurous to try the others.
I appreciate that this article goes beyond the obvious, typical mix-ins. Even though there are many I would never try, quite a few of these mix-ins look delicious and definitely worth a try. Some wonderful additions that I have tried and recommend include pie filling, jelles (apricot, blackberry, marionberry, etc.), Bailey's, Jack Daniels, basil, and cinnamon. Mmmmm! As a side note, my husband told me that they sell unique flavors of ice cream in Thailand, including a vanilla with cheese pieces.
THE CEREAL TASTED OK. NOT SOMEHTING I WOULD WANT TO EAT ALL THE TIME. ON THE OTHER HAND I LOVE THE FABRIC FOR THE DRYER. IT IS THE BEST THNG.
Very interesting items on the list. If you are daring maybe for some of them. So of it I would have never thought of it. Like Mom says do knock it til you try it, I guess.
i used to love french vanilla ice cream with buttered popcorn...mmm, sweet and salty!
I am an icecreamaholic but not if I had to add some of these things. Give me plain old fruit or chocolate for topping.Barb 8/25/09 l:39:48 PM
You'd have to be pregnant to try some of these on ice cream! Who else but a pregnant woman would think that diced pickles or sweet relish would taste good with ice cream? LOL
We're having a casual "back to school" ice cream gathering for my daughter and her friends as well as their families and siblings. I'll have to gie some of these a try. Thanks!!
Some of the spices sound really good, as well as the booze. Since most of the ice creams I like are plain flavors, I'll have to give it a try to use a little more imagination. Thanks for the ideas.
Great ideas! Thank you!
YUM. this list sounds fantastic! (well, maybe not the adventurous list)...;)
i love chocolate sauce on mine
