An ice cream sundae is a layered dessert made with ice cream. In its original form, the classic sundae was a few scoops of vanilla ice cream topped with chocolate sauce, whipped cream, and a maraschino cherry. Modern-day versions are much more elaborate regarding the ingredients used and the dish’s presentation. At a minimum, today’s version of a sundae contains 4 components: ice cream, sauce or syrup, add-ins like fresh fruit, sprinkles or nuts, and a garnish. For this recipe, I used homemade vanilla bean ice cream, raspberry sauce, blueberry compote, and chocolate-covered strawberries. The final result is a layered dessert with a fresh, fruity flavor.

Why you’ll love this recipe

Perfect summer dessert - There’s nothing better than a chilled ice cream-based dessert to fight the summer heat. Delicious fruity flavor - While a traditional sundae with chocolate fudge is and always will be a favorite, the sauces made from seasonal summer berries in this recipe make a light and refreshing change. Make-ahead recipe - Everything in this recipe can be made beforehand, which is a huge time saver when entertaining. Great for a cookout—This dessert is great when hosting a cookout, especially on Memorial Day or July 4th.

Ingredient notes

Vanilla ice cream - I use my homemade vanilla bean ice cream linked above for this recipe. Blueberry sauce - The blueberry sauce is a simple homemade recipe that takes only 10 minutes to cook. Raspberry sauce - This is another quick and easy recipe linked above. It can be made a few days in advance. Chocolate strawberries - These are very easy to prepare at home using fresh strawberries and baker’s dipping chocolate.

Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the complete list of ingredients, measurements, and recipe instructions.

Substitutions & variations

Try different flavors - To create variations of this sundae, try using different flavored ice cream, sauces, and garnishes. A favorite version of mine uses lemon curd, coconut, almonds, and vanilla ice cream. Add some crunch - To enhance flavor and texture, add chopped nuts or crushed salted pretzels. Use store-bought ingredients - If you don’t have time to make your ice cream and sauces, use store-bought ones and assemble the sundae before serving it. Make a sundae bar - A fun way to serve an ice cream sundae is to set up a serving station with assorted flavors of ice cream, sauces, mix-ins, and garnishes and let your guests build their sundae.

Step-by-step instructions

Fifth step - Assemble the sundaes just before serving them. I like to start with ¼ cup of raspberry sauce, followed by a scoop of vanilla ice cream, then ¼ cup of blueberry sauce, and another scoop of ice cream. Garnish with some fresh blueberries and a chocolate-covered strawberry and serve.

Expert Tips

If you decide to try this recipe, Please don’t forget to leave a rating and comment below! If you take a picture, tag me on Instagram! Thank You!

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