How to Make a Sundae

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: January 7, 2021 References

A typical sundae is made from ice cream, but did you know that there are other types of sundaes as well? There are milkshake sundaes, cupcake sundaes, and even yogurt sundaes! They all have some of the basic similarities: sauce, crushed nuts or sprinkles, and whipped cream. Whichever sundae you choose to make, you are certain to end up with something delicious!

Ingredients

Classic Ice Cream Sundae^{[1]
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3 scoops ice cream
¾ cup (180 milliliters) sauce or syrup
Chopped nuts or sprinkles
Whipped cream
Maraschino cherry

Makes 1 serving

Ice Cream Sundae Milkshake^{[2]
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2 cups (288 grams) vanilla ice cream
1 cup (240 milliliters) whole milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 maraschino cherry
1 teaspoon sprinkles or chopped walnuts
Whipped cream (to taste)
Chocolate sauce (to taste)

Makes 1 to 2 servings

Hot Fudge Sundae Cupcakes^{[4]
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1 package chocolate cake mix or 24 pre-baked chocolate cupcakes
1 12-ounce (340 grams) jar hot fudge ice cream topping
1 16-ounce (453 grams) tub buttercream or cake frosting
½ cup (90 grams) semisweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon shortening
Sprinkles or chopped walnuts
24 maraschino cherries

Makes 24 servings

Knickerbocker Glory Sundae^{[5]
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1 pound (450 grams) fresh raspberries
2 tablespoons confectioners'/icing sugar
1 ripe mango, peeled, pitted, and diced
5½ ounces (150 grams) fresh blueberries
12 scoops vanilla ice cream
1 ounce (25 grams) pistachios, coarsely chopped

Makes 6 servings

Yogurt and Fruit Sundae^{[6]
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1 cup (250 grams) plain yogurt
½ to 1 cup (61 to 122 grams) granola
2 tablespoons honey
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
2 ripe bananas, diced
1 cup (200 grams) washed and diced strawberries
¼ cup (75 grams) chocolate syrup or strawberry syrup
Whipped cream (optional, for garnish)

Makes 2 servings

Method 1

Method 1 of 5:

Making a Classic Ice Cream Sundae

1
Pour 2 ounces (60 milliliters) of sauce or syrup into the bottom of your dish. Chocolate syrup is a popular choice, but you can use other sauces or syrups too, such as: caramel, butterscotch, or strawberry. If you are using a non-fruit sauce (such as caramel), heat it in the microwave for a few seconds to get it nice and hot.^{[7]
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- For best results, use a sundae dish. A regular dessert bowl will also work, however.
2
Add 2 scoops of ice cream. The traditional ice cream sundae uses vanilla ice cream, but you can use other flavors as well, such as cookies-and-cream or even strawberry.

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3
Drizzle 2 ounces (60 milliliters) of sauce or syrup over the ice cream. You can use the same flavor of sauce or syrup as before, or experiment with a different flavor. Keep in mind that some flavors work better together than others. A classic combination is chocolate and caramel, for example.
4
Add the final scoop of ice cream, the rest of your sauce, and any desired toppings. Chopped walnuts or sprinkles are classic ice cream sundae toppings, but you can also add more creative ones as well! Here are some tasty ideas to get you started:
- Crushed cookies
- Crushed candies
- Candy, such as mini M&Ms, gummi bears, chocolate chips, etc.
- Mini marshmallows
- Other chopped nut, such as peanuts, pecans, hazelnuts, cashews, etc.
5
Swirl on some whipped cream. You can use homemade whipped cream and a piping bag, or you can use the kind that comes in a can with a nozzle.
6
Top it off with a maraschino cherry. For a fancier touch, you can also add in a wafer triangle or wafer straw. If you don't have any maraschino cherries on hand, you can use a small strawberry instead; it will give you a similar look!
7
Serve the sundae immediately. Enjoy it before it melts!

Method 2

Method 2 of 5:

Making an Ice Cream Sundae Milkshake

1
Add the ice cream, milk, and vanilla extract into the blender. To make this into a smoothie, use ½ cup (125 grams) of plain yogurt instead.^{[8]
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Blend the milkshake until it is smooth. If the milkshake is too thick for you, add some more milk. If it is too thin, add some more ice cream. Be sure to blend the milkshake well after each addition.
3
Pour a few tablespoons of chocolate sauce into the bottom of a tall glass.^{[9]
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4
Pour the milkshake into a tall glass. If this is too much for you, you can divide this between two glasses and share it with a friend.
5
Add a swirl of whipped cream on top. You can use the store bought kind that comes in a can, of you can make your own whipped cream and pipe it on with a piping bag.
6
Sprinkle with jimmies or chopped walnuts. You can also use other toppings as well, such as crushed candy or crumbled cookies.
7
Top with a maraschino cherry and serve. Add a straw to the milkshake, and enjoy it before it melts. It might be a good idea to serve it with a long spoon as well to scoop up any goodies that won't fit through the straw.

Method 3

Method 3 of 5:

Making Hot Fudge Sundae Cupcakes

1
Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°). Line two cupcake pans with cupcake liners. Try to use pans that have 2½-inch (6.35 centimeters) wide wells.
2
Prepare the cake batter according to the instructions on the package. You will most likely have to add some yet ingredients, such as milk or water, oil, and eggs. If you are using pre-made cupcakes, click here to learn how to assemble your sundae cupcakes.
3
Fill the cupcake lines two-thirds of the way with the prepared batter. Make sure that each cupcake liner has the same amount of batter, then use the back of a spoon to smooth the batter flat.^{[10]
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Add a tablespoon of hot fudge ice cream topping on top of each cupcake. You do not need to heat the fudge, but it should be at room temperature.
5
Bake the cupcakes for 16 to 20 minutes. The cupcakes are ready when the domes spring back when you touch them lightly.
6
Let the cupcakes cool for 5 minutes, then peel away the liners and let them finish cooling completely. You do not need to let pre-made cupcakes cool but you should peel the cupcake liners away from them.
- The cupcakes need to be completely cool before you add the frosting, or the frosting will melt.
7
Swirl some frosting on top of each cupcake. You can do this with a spatula. For a fancier touch, put the frosting in a decorator's bag fitted with a star-shaped tip, and pipe it onto the cupcakes.
8
Melt the chocolate chips and shortening in a saucepan over low heat. Put the chocolate chips and shortening into a small saucepan, and heat them over low heat. Stir them together with a rubber spatula as they melt until they are evenly combined. This will make your hot fudge topping.
9
Drizzle the hot fudge over the top of the whipped cream. You can do this with a small spoon, or you can put it into a bottle with a pointed tip.
10
Sprinkle the fudge with chopped nuts or sprinkles. You can also try other toppings as well, such as crushed candy or crushed cookies. Keep the size of the cupcakes in mind. They are much smaller than the typical sundae, so some of the larger toppings, such as mini marshmallows, will be too big.
11
Add a dot of frosting on top of each cupcake, then top with a maraschino cherry. It might be a good idea to drain the cherries first, and let them sit in a strainer so they aren't too soggy by the time you add them to the cupcakes.
12
Serve the cupcakes. You can serve them on a plate, or take it a step further, and serve them in fancy dessert bowls or even waffle bowls. If you don't plan on eating them right away, store them in the fridge.

Method 4

Method 4 of 5:

Making a Knickerbocker Glory Sundae

1
Prepare the raspberry purée. Put 9 ounces (250 grams) of fresh raspberries into a food processor and add 2 tablespoons of confectioners'/icing sugar. Blend until completely smooth. Save the rest of the raspberries for later.
- If you don't have a food processor, you can use a blender instead.
- If you don't have a lot of time to make this, you can use store bought strawberry syrup instead.^{[11]
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2
Pour the raspberry purée through a sieve into a bowl or cup. Scrape the pulp against the mesh with a metal spoon so that you don't waste any purée. Set the purée aside and discard the seeds caught in the sieve.
3
Distribute the diced mango between six tall glasses. If you have not already, peel the mango, then cut it in half and remove the pit. Chop it up into small cubes, and distribute the cubes amongst six tall glasses.
- Use sundae glasses for that final, special touch.
4
Layer half of the blueberries, ice cream, raspberry purée, and whole raspberries into each cup. Repeat these layers one more time until you have used up all of the ingredients.^{[12]
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- If you can't find any blueberries or raspberries, you can also use fresh, chopped strawberries instead.^{[13]
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5
Top the knickerbocker glory with chopped pistachios. Another take on this traditional dish is to top it off with a swirl of whipped cream, sprinkles, and a triangle ice cream wafer.^{[14]
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Method 5

Method 5 of 5:

Making a Yogurt and Fruit Sundae

1
Whisk together the yogurt, honey, and vanilla in a small bowl. Keep whisking until the yogurt is light and fluffy, and the honey and vanilla are mixed evenly throughout.
2
Mix together your fruit in a separate bowl. Although the recipe calls for bananas and strawberries, you can use other types of fruit as well, including blackberries, raspberries, mango, and kiwi.
3
Distribute one-fourth of the yogurt between two small bowls or tall glasses. Save the rest of the yogurt for the later layers.
4
Layer one fourth of the syrup, granola, and fruit. Continue layering the yogurt, syrup, granola, and fruit until you have nothing left. Finish off with a thin layer of granola on top.
5
Garnish the sundae with whipped cream and more syrup, if desired. For that final sundae touch, you could even add some chopped nuts or sprinkles. Top it off with a small strawberry on top.
6
Serve the yogurt sundae. If you won't be eating it right away, you can cover it and refrigerate it for up to 3 hours.

Community Q&A

Question

Where can I find the different toppings for my sundae?

Community Answer

Check the baking section of the grocery story; you will find lots of sprinkles and chocolate chips there. You can also check the ice cream section of a grocery store for things like sauces, syrups, and maraschino cherries. Lastly, an arts and crafts store will also carry lots of different toppings in the baking department.
Question

Can I sprinkle chocolate syrup on top of bananas?

Community Answer

Certainly! You can add bananas to either side of your sundae and make it a banana split, or you can use bananas instead of ice cream. Bananas and chocolate are a classic combo!
Question

Can I use chocolate custard?

Community Answer

Yes, of course! What a delicious idea! Consider putting it at the bottom of your bowl or glass, and then layering the ice cream on top.