Six Ways to Sundae, From a Banana Split to an Espresso-Soaked Tiramisu Sundae
Draped in homemade sauces and toppings, these six ice cream sundaes are the perfect easy summer treat.
Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Christine Keely
Once a standby at five-and-dime soda fountains along with egg creams and brown cows, ice cream sundaes have started stealing the spotlight on dessert menus at many of our favorite restaurants across the nation. Chefs are flexing their creativity with extravagant, artfully assembled newfangled sundaes, taking classic elements — a brownie or cookie base, a scoop of ice cream draped in sweet sauce, crunchy and colorful toppings, a pouf of whipped cream, and a cherry on top — and reinventing the frozen treat in unexpected new ways.
We’re embracing the spirit of the modern ice cream sundae here with six sundae recipes that use a mix of homemade and store-bought flourishes to take a simple scoop (or several) of ice cream over the top. A dollop of whipped cream is reimagined into a dark chocolate–flecked peanut butter stracciatella topping for a Miso Caramel Blondie Sundae, while Coconut-Candied Cashews provide a satisfying crunch in the tropical Coconut-Mango Kataifi Sundae. Is hot fudge where you find your bliss? Turn to our Neapolitan Sundae, which features a fast-fix Balsamic-Port Hot Fudge drizzled over a scoop of strawberry ice cream.
Related: The Best Ice Cream Scoops, According to Our Tests
These sundaes lean on store-bought ice cream in focused flavors such as vanilla, strawberry, chocolate, and coffee that let the toppings shine. You can go as mainstream or as artisanal as you choose with your ice creams: big-batch powerhouse or local craft creamery, smooth and silky or packed with mix-ins and swirls. Each sundae recipe is delicious as written, but feel free to customize them. The sauces and toppings can be mixed and matched freely: There’s no wrong choice as you go all in on these creamy creations.
Related: 18 Ice Cream Recipes We Can't Get Enough Of
How to build the ultimate ice cream sundae
Boost contrast with crunch
Crunchy toppings add contrasting texture to creamy ice cream. The Coconut-Candied Cashews or the Crispy Honey-Baked Kataifi from our Coconut-Mango Kataifi Sundae will add satisfying, sweet texture when scattered over the top of any sundae. The Homemade Vanilla Semolina Crumble in our Neapolitan Sundae, similar to the crunchy topping on a cobbler, is an easy make-ahead topping, and adds buttery, crisp, lightly sweet crumbles to a sundae. Crushed store-bought ladyfingers or other cookies can provide a rubble-like mound that slowly soaks up pools of melted ice cream while retaining a crackly bite. Or add some drama to your dessert by spooning melted homemade shell topping over ice cream and watching it harden into a shiny dome, ready to be cracked open with a spoon. (See our "Old Fashioned" Banana Split recipe for how to make orange, cherry, and chocolate magic shell at home.)
Get fruity with it
A classic cherry or a wheel of fresh fruit amps up a sundae’s appeal. Brûléed Banana takes our banana split to the next level, adding a bittersweet caramelized dimension to the nostalgic treat. In our Coconut-Mango Kataifi Sundae, slices of fresh mango and toasted coconut flakes play against a trio of tropical ice cream flavors. Not every sundae fits the bill for a fruity flourish: Skip the jammy berry compotes and chopped fruit when it comes to chocolate or cookie-focused sundaes, as the fruit’s natural sweetness will be overshadowed by the other flavors.
Sauce it like a pro
A sauce is a must on any sundae; it billows over scoops of ice cream like a glossy mudslide and provides gooey drips and drizzles in every bite. Keep store-bought items like sweetened condensed milk or melted Nutella on hand for a last-minute sundae sauce (they’re thick, sweet, and sticky, and they go well with many ice cream flavors), or opt for a serious upgrade with our Balsamic-Port Hot Fudge, a ruby port–flavored riff on hot fudge that pops against a scoop of strawberry ice cream in our Neapolitan Sundae. Or opt for Mango-Coconut Caramel, the fruit-forward twist on caramel sauce on our Coconut-Mango Kataifi Sundae; or Salted Honey-Scotch Sauce, the boozy spin on butterscotch in our Salted Chocolate Sundae.
Whip it good
The juxtaposition of cloudlike topping against denser frozen ice cream adds a delicate, satisfying layer to a sundae. Whipped to the point of aeration, these fluffy swoops bring a light, melt-in-your-mouth quality without adding too much additional sweetness. For satisfying complexity, try incorporating tangy, bitter, or tart elements into the fluff, such as by folding mascarpone or sour cream into whipped cream or by adding dark chocolate shavings — they’re speckled throughout the Peanut Butter Stracciatella Whipped Cream in our Miso Caramel Blondie Sundae — to keep the flavors of the sundae in balance.
Savory saves the day
A savory element has the ability to instantly elevate your sundae game, brightening the surrounding flavors while mellowing the dessert’s overall sweetness. Try adding a hint of umami to your sundae base with our Miso Caramel Blondies, or sprinkle on store-bought savory toppings like crushed potato chips or chocolate-covered pretzels to add a dose of crunch and salt. Another easy way to add a subtle, savory dimension: Finish with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt, which amp up the deep, earthy tones in our Salted Chocolate Sundae.
Level up with cake
Brownies, blondies, cakes, and cookies are where flourish meets function: A spongy or crumbly treat placed as a base layer soaks up melted ice cream. Cakey elements can also become a fun topper. Mel’s, in New York City, tops their stracciatella and mascarpone sundae with shaved Italian rainbow cookies (which inspired our Neapolitan Sundae) for a pop of tricolore and a wisp of almond flavor. Cakey elements can be time-consuming to make from scratch, so, if you like, lean on high-quality store-bought baked goods.
The recipes
Salted Chocolate Sundae
Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christina Daley
In this chocolate lover’s sundae, golden Scotch-infused caramel sauce mingles with layers of decadent dark chocolate ice cream and fudgy store-bought brownies. A sprinkle of flaky sea salt and a drizzle of olive oil add a slight savory edge.
Miso Caramel Blondie Sundae
Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christina Daley
The classic brownie sundae gets a make-over with a caramel-swirled blondie base, ribbons of store-bought hot fudge, and a nutty homemade whipped topping.
Neapolitan Sundae
Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christina Daley
The classic ice cream trio of strawberry, chocolate, and vanilla is reimagined in this elegant dessert adorned with wafer-thin slices of Italian rainbow cookie. Shave the cookie directly on top of the sundae to avoid having to transport the fragile wisps.
Tiramisu Sundae
Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christina Daley
The beloved coffee-soaked Italian dessert gets a frozen twist. Tangy mascarpone whipped cream is layered with coffee ice cream, store-bought ladyfingers, and a dusting of cocoa in this cool pick-me-up.
Coconut-Mango Kataifi Sundae
Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christina Daley
This serves-a-crowd sundae triples down on tropical flavors with mango and coconut in the ice cream, the toppings, and the gooey mango-caramel sauce. Crunchy flourishes of coconut-candied cashews and kataifi, baked shredded phyllo and pistachios, take it over the top. Serve this one on a large platter with a stack of spoons.
“Old-Fashioned” Banana Split
Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christina Daley
The classic whiskey cocktail informs the flavors in this frozen fruity dessert. Orange, cherry, and malted chocolate shell toppings shatter atop mounds of boozy whiskey ice cream. For a kid-friendly banana split, use chocolate or caramel ice cream instead.
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