An Ice Cream Bar is the ultimate treat to celebrate any occasion- here we’ve listed all the necessities.
When it comes to dessert, ice cream almost always tops the list in our house. No matter the season, we love to enjoy ice cream together for dessert.
Because everyone likes something a little different, we like to make sure we put out a decent spread and make an Ice Cream Sundae Bar so everyone can create their own masterpiece.
This post is in partnership with Acorn Influence and Dreyer’s Ice Cream with Oreo and Chips Ahoy! Toppings.
You see, we used to go to those build-your-own sundae shops. We had one around the corner from our old neighborhood and it was easy and convenient to just stroll over there after dinner.
Now we have moved and we don’t have stores and luxuries nearby. We still want that experience, so we decided to create our own sundae bar here at home.
ice cream sundae
Like I do each week, I shopped on my Walmart app and then headed on over to pick up my order. While browsing toppings and adding them to my cart for our ultimate sundaes I found these NEW OREO Dessert Topping and Chips Ahoy! Dessert Topping bags.
These made me super excited because we already love those cookies – so why wouldn’t you want to add them to a sundae? The fact that they are already perfectly crushed makes it so easy and keeps your fingers from getting covered in crumbs too.
ice cream sundae toppings
I also made sure to also add Edy’s/Dreyer’s ice cream. The “must-have” flavors for us are Slow Churned® Classic Vanilla and The Original Rocky Road.
But while I was shopping I also found some new flavors that are sure to become family favorites – Cookie Cobblestone (in-stores only) and Brownie Brick Road.
Don’t those sound incredible? I can tell you – THEY ARE!
You can’t go wrong with those Edy’s/Dreyer’s flavors – they make everyone happy. Plus we added a few more because if you are offering a variety of toppings, I think you should also have a variety of flavors too.
By the way, if you live west of the Rockies, or in Texas, you will see Dreyer’s on the shelf, but if you’re to the East, it will be Edy’s!
Here are some frequently asked questions
What are the best ice cream sundae toppings?
When it comes to things to add to your ice cream, the sky is the limit. It’s all about making it your own and getting creative.
I like to go over the top and add everything I’m craving, while others stick to just one topping. It is really up to you to make YOUR perfect sundae. Here is a list of some of our favorite toppings to include.
Crumbly Toppings
- OREO Dessert Topping
- Chips Ahoy! Dessert Topping
- crushed cookies
- toffee bits
Sauces
- chocolate sauce
- caramel sauce
- strawberry sauce
- marshmallow sauce
- whipped cream
- browned butter salted caramel sauce
Candies & Sprinkles
- mini chocolate chips
- rainbow sprinkles
- chocolate sprinkles
- chopped nuts
- crushed pretzels
- candy-coated chocolates
- gummi bears
- mini marshmallows
- shredded coconut
Fresh or Refrigerated Toppings
- fresh fruit
- cherries
How to serve your sundae
- waffle bowls
- ice cream cones
- on top of Pumpkin Waffles
- churro waffles
- classic waffles
ice cream bar ideas
How to make an ice cream sundae bar
- Start with the room-temperature ingredients first then work to the refrigerated toppings and then the frozen ingredients.
- Make sure to offer both regular bowls along with waffle bowls and cones for variety and place them at the head of the table so people can grab those first.
- Place all of the toppings into individual bowls and make sure they all have their own spoon for serving so you don’t cross-contaminate them.
- Place any cold ingredients (ice cream, whipped cream, sauces) in a tub, bowl or on a tray of ice to keep them as cold as possible for as long as possible.
- Assemble the sundae bar based on the space you have available. If you have the room to place the table in the center where people can walk around it on both sides – then place the ice cream in the center and then surround it with the toppings. If your space requires the table to be against a wall – assemble the taller items in the back and the shorter, smaller bowls in the front so everything can be reached easily.
- Don’t forget spoons and napkins. Those go at the end of the buffet so people can grab them once they are done assembling. If you place them at the beginning, then they just have more to hold while they put their sundae together and it can be frustrating. Best to leave their hands as free as possible for creating.
- Make sure to leave enough space on the table for people to set their bowl down while they are adding toppings. You don’t want the table to be so full of goodies that there isn’t any space for creating.
Can the ice cream be pre-scooped?
Depending on the event, we love to pre-scoop the ice cream and keep it in a large bowl on ice. This makes it easy for all the scoops to be the same size and people can build their dessert faster – leaving less time for melting.
When pre-scooping make sure to place all the scoops on a baking sheet in a single layer. Then place them back in the freezer (use a chest freezer rather than a kitchen refrigerator freezer if possible for a deeper freeze) and keep frozen up until you are ready to serve.
This helps each scoop to stay frozen longer, rather than the ice cream being softer for scooping at the time of serving.
Cookie recipes to add to your ice cream bar!
Why choose Dreyer’s Ice Cream?
The short answer – Edy’s/Dreyer’s gives the indulgence the whole family can enjoy!
Longer answer – we love Edy’s/Dreyer’s not only because of their vast variety of flavors but because the quality and the overall flavor and texture are unmatched.
Try these Brownies and Bars too
FUN FACT: Did you know that The Original Rocky Road was created in 1929 by William Dreyer and Joseph Edy? They changed the ice cream world as we know it and created one of the first-ever ice creams with mix-ins: Rocky Road.
Edy’s/Dreyer’s Slow Churned® light ice cream has 1/3 fewer calories and 1/2 the fat but with all of the creaminess and goodness of regular ice cream. We start with fresh milk and cream, then mix our ice cream slowly, resulting in Slow Churned perfection!
Head to Walmart and be sure to pick up Edy’s/Dreyer’s Ice Cream along with OREO & Chips Ahoy! Dessert Toppings. You can find them either in-store @ Walmart & via the Walmart shopping app.
If you love this post for how to create an ice cream bar, you’re going to love these recipes here for some of your favorite treats too. Please click each link below to find the easy, printable recipe!
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Ice Cream Sundae Bar
Ingredients
- Dreyer’s Slow Churned Classic Vanilla Light Ice Cream
- Dreyer’s Rocky Road Ice Cream
- ice cream flavors of your choice
- OREO Dessert Topping
- Chips Ahoy! Dessert Topping
- hot fudge
- chocolate sauce
- caramel sauce
- strawberry sauce
- marshmallow sauce
- chopped nuts
- mini chocolate chips
- crushed cookies
- rainbow sprinkles
- chocolate sprinkles
- fresh fruit
- crushed pretzels
- candy-coated chocolates
- gummi bears
- mini marshmallows
- shredded coconut
- toffee bits
- whipped cream
- cherries
- waffle bowls
- ice cream cones
Instructions
- Start with the room-temperature ingredients first then work to the refrigerated toppings and then the frozen ingredients.
- Make sure to offer both regular bowls along with waffle bowls and cones for variety and place them at the head of the table so people can grab those first.
- Place all of the toppings into individual bowls and make sure they all have their own spoon for serving so you don’t cross-contaminate them.
- Place any cold ingredients (ice cream, whipped cream, sauces) in a tub, bowl or on a tray of ice to keep them as cold as possible for as long as possible.
- Assemble the sundae bar based on the space you have available. If you have the room to place the table in the center where people can walk around it on both sides – then place the ice cream in the center and then surround it with the toppings. If your space requires the table to be against a wall – assemble the taller items in the back and the shorter, smaller bowls in the front so everything can be reached easily.
- Don’t forget spoons and napkins. Those go at the end of the buffet so people can grab them once they are done assembling. If you place them at the beginning, then they just have more to hold while they put their sundae together and it can be frustrating. Best to leave their hands as free as possible for creating.
- Make sure to leave enough space on the table for people to set their bowl down while they are adding toppings. You don’t want the table to be so full of goodies that there isn’t any space for creating.
Nutritional information for the recipe is provided as a courtesy and is approximate. Please double-check with your own dietary calculator for the best accuracy. We at Yummi Haus cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site.
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