Buzz
I tend to yell quite a bit, and a significant amount of that yelling is ice cream-related. “Where did the ice cream scoop go?” (It’s in the drawer.) “Who put the ice cream in the fridge instead of the freezer?!” (It was me.) “Are we out of hot fudge?” (That’s pretty much always the case.)
If there’s one thing McDonald’s has shown me, it’s that a sauce—whether caramel, fruit, or fudge-based—turns a basic serving of ice cream into a sundae. And let’s face it, sundaes are just a bit more indulgent, purposeful, and absolutely delicious.
While you can buy ready-made sauces at the store, there are plenty of sundae toppings that can be whipped up with just a few ingredients right in your kitchen. Plus, if you’re sharing, serving up homemade sauces is a great way to earn a bit of bragging rights—if that’s your thing.
Simple Hot Fudge
Hot fudge is arguably the most iconic sundae topping, known for its rich, indulgent flavor. This recipe from Food52 requires only four ingredients, two of which are water and salt. The remaining ingredients are unsweetened chocolate and sweetened condensed milk, which blend together to create a thick, decadent sauce that's just sweet enough. Feel free to get creative by adding vanilla extract, instant espresso powder, chili powder, or any extract or powder you like, though I suggest trying it in its original form before experimenting with any changes.
Ingredients:
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup water
1/4-3/4 teaspoon salt, based on your preferred level of salty-sweetness
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate, broken into pieces
In a medium saucepan over low heat, combine the first three ingredients. Add the chocolate and stir constantly as it melts into a thick, glossy sauce. If the fudge is too thick for your taste, add small amounts of water to adjust the consistency. This recipe makes a generous batch of fudge, but don’t worry: you can reheat it either on the stove or in the microwave. Just heat it gently and stir often.
Simple Dulce de Leche (with a vegan alternative!)
Turning a can of sweetened condensed milk into a velvety, rich caramel sauce is one of my favorite kitchen tricks, and it’s a food hack I first learned from my grandmother on my mother’s side.
Take a can of sweetened condensed milk (or sweetened condensed coconut milk if you’re avoiding dairy or want your treat to taste like a Samoa Girl Scout cookie), and place it on a trivet inside your Instant Pot or another electric pressure cooker. Fill the pot with water to cover the can and cook on high pressure for 35 minutes (for dairy milk) or 45 minutes (for coconut milk). Let the pressure release naturally and allow the can to cool completely before opening it to reveal the luscious caramel inside. (If you don’t have a pressure cooker, a slow cooker works just as well, though it will take longer.)
Chocolate or Peanut Butter Magic Shell
There’s something truly magical about breaking through a sweet, crunchy candy shell. To make a chocolate shell, you’ll need seven ounces of roughly chopped chocolate—any variety will do—and two tablespoons of coconut oil. Melt the two together in a double boiler or over low heat in a saucepan, stir until smooth, then pour over your ice cream and enjoy the satisfying crack. For the peanut butter shell, mix half a cup of smooth peanut butter with a quarter cup of coconut oil, then microwave in 30-second bursts until smooth. (If you have leftovers, store them in the fridge and reheat as needed.)
Mashed Fruit with a Potato Masher
My stepmom transformed my perspective when she served me a bowl of vanilla ice cream topped with peaches. Instead of slicing or chopping the peaches, she sprinkled them with sugar and mashed them with a potato masher to create a chunky raw compote. The peach juices and pieces swirled through the ice cream, rather than sinking to the bottom of the bowl. It was a simple technique, but it made “ice cream and peaches” feel more like “fresh peach ice cream.” You can try this with any fruit, but peaches are a great place to start.
