Favorite Ice Cream Desserts

Check out some of our favorite ice cream desserts that are perfect for satisfying that sweet tooth on hot summer days.

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Crème Fraîche Ice Cream Sundaes

Photo: Erin Kunkel

Crème Fraîche Ice Cream Sundaes Recipe
Though the ice cream is fantastic on its own, chef and cookbook author John McReynolds of Stone Edge Farm Estate Vineyard and Winery in Sonoma, California, turns it into a sophisticated dessert with the addition of caramelized walnuts and a drizzle of saba--ripe wine-grape juice cooked down to a fruity syrup.

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Coffee Chocolate Crunch Fantasia Ice Cream Sundaes

Coffee Chocolate Crunch Fantasia Ice Cream Sundaes Recipe
Inspired by the artfully deconstructed ice cream creations of Food Network star Elizabeth Falkner.

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Churro Waffle Ice Cream Sandwiches

Photo: Thomas J. Story

Churro Waffle Ice Cream Sandwiches Recipe

Plug in your waffle iron for a sinful, sweet treat! Prepare yourself, these decadent ice cream sandwiches are next level. Mouth-watering, cinnamon-sugar churros (waffled) pair perfectly with large scoops of ice cream and a chocolaty drizzle.

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Strawberry Ice Cream Pie with Pretzel Crust

Photo: Emma Crist; Styling: Darcy Lenz

Strawberry Ice Cream Pie with Pretzel Crust Recipe

This summery pie is quick and easy, highlighting seasonal strawberries. Feel free to make your own or use your favorite brand of prepared strawberry ice cream.

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Mexican Hot Fudge Sundae Bowls

Photo: Greg Dupree; Styling: Claire Spollen

Mexican Hot Fudge Sundae Bowls Recipe

To prepare this decadent dessert, spoon frozen yogurt into homemade tortilla bowls and drizzle with chocolate sauce.

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Peach Cobbler Ice Cream

Photo: Squire Fox; Styling: Mary Clayton Carl

Peach Cobbler Ice Cream Recipe
Here's a delicious ice-cream recipe that has all the flavors of traditional peach cobbler and doesn't require an ice-cream maker: Just stir the ingredients together, and freeze. Fold the whipped topping in with as few strokes as possible while making sure everything is well blended.

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Hot Fudge Sundae Shake

Photo: William Dickey; Styling: Rose Nguyen

Hot Fudge Sundae Shake Recipe
Forget the drive-thru—there's no need to leave home when you can create a hot fudge sundae shake in your own kitchen in just 10 minutes. First, mix perfectly sweet vanilla ice cream in a blender until it's a thick, irresistible consistency. Then, layer in a glass with ooey-gooey hot fudge and caramel. Top with whipped cream and crumbled up brownies as an added treat.

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Brown Butter-Pecan-Bourbon Ice Cream

Brown Butter-Pecan-Bourbon Ice Cream Recipe
This rich, decadent, grown-ups-only ice cream is absolutely divine. Why? The custard features the usual suspects–cream, egg yolks, sugar, and milk–with rich, browned butter, nutty toasted pecans, and warm bourbon. There's no need for an old-fashioned ice cream churn, since this recipe can be prepared with the ice cream attachment on your trusty stand mixer.

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Ice Cream, Sorbet and Froyo Terrine

Photo: Tina Rupp

Ice Cream, Sorbet and Froyo Terrine Recipe
Jeni Britton Bauer of Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams in Columbus, Ohio, says the secret to a perfect layered terrine is the "clash of color and texture."

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Ice Cream Truffles

Photo: Anna Williams

Ice Cream Truffles Recipe
If you're searching for the perfect bite-sized ice cream treat–look no further. These little gems are super easy to make and combine the best of all worlds: candy bars, melted chocolate, and vanilla ice cream. Simply scoop vanilla ice cream to form 1-inch balls, then roll or dip each one in the topping of your choice, freeze again, and serve.

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Hot Date Ice Cream Sundaes

Hot Date Ice Cream Sundaes Recipe
This is our banana-enriched version of the Hot Date sundae, served at Poppy restaurant in Seattle. Add a shot of rum to make this even more provocative.

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Brownie Ice Cream Sundae Cake

Brownie Ice Cream Sundae Cake Recipe
This layered ice cream and brownie cake is drizzled with hot fudge and butterscotch sauce.

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Ice Cream Sundae Pie

Ice Cream Sundae Pie Recipe
Spread vanilla ice cream over graham cracker crust and drizzle with caramel and fudge sauce to prepare this pie.

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Pineapple and Basil Sundaes

Photo: Thomas J. Story; Styling: Karen Shinto

Pineapple and Basil Sundaes Recipe
Although basil is more commonly used in savory dishes, its sweet, aromatic flavors work beautifully with caramelized pineapple as a topping for frozen yogurt.

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Chocolate Turtle Brownie Sundaes

Oxmoor House

Chocolate Turtle Brownie Sundaes Recipe

Decadent, warm, and gooey turtle brownies meet creamy vanilla frozen yogurt drenched in a drool-worthy fudge sauce. Licking your screen yet? This dessert is perfect for any occasion and will always leave you begging for seconds.

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Double Chocolate-Raspberry Sundaes

Double Chocolate-Raspberry Sundaes Recipe
Get your chocolate fix with this chocolate ice cream sundae topped with chocolate shavings and sprinkled with toasted almonds.

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Frozen Yogurt Sundae with Bananas and Chocolate Sauce

Photo: Maria Robledo; Styling: Anna Last

Frozen Yogurt Sundae with Bananas and Chocolate Sauce Recipe
This intense sauce, which uses cocoa for its base, will make you forget the fattier store-bought variety. Opting for frozen yogurt over ice cream cuts even more fat.

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Bluebarb Pie Ice Cream Sundaes

Photo: Iain Bagwell; Styling: Karen Shinto

Bluebarb Pie Ice Cream Sundaes Recipe
No need to haul out the ice cream maker or pie plate for this ode to summer pies. Store-bought vanilla ice cream swirled with sweet-tart rhubarb compote, plus shortbread "crust" crumbles, gives new meaning to pie à la mode. Use other berries if you like.

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Banana Split Sundaes

Oxmoor House

Banana Split Sundaes Recipe
Believe it or not, banana splits are a great way for children to have a well-balanced sweet treat. My secret? Go heavy on the fruit!

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No-Bake Peanut Butter-Fudge Ice-Cream Pie

Photo: Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Tina Bell Stamos; Prop Styling: Christine Keely

No-Bake Peanut Butter-Fudge Ice-Cream Pie Recipe

With its creamy filling and crispy crust, this frozen peanut butter pie is made for summer cookouts. Nothing cools you down in the summertime like a slice of a creamy, frozen pie. A secret to keeping the pie neat is to use a hot knife for slicing each serving. Dip the blade in a glass of very hot water, then wipe it off before slicing into the pie. Repeat before cutting each new slice.

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Green Tea-Ginger Ice Cream

Green Tea-Ginger Ice Cream Recipe

Creating the coolest scoops is as easy as 1, 2, 3.

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Popcorn Ice Cream Sundae

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Popcorn Ice Cream Sundae Recipe

This decadent sundae delivers the best of salty, sweet, creamy, and crunchy all in one bowl.

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Marcona-Rosemary Ice Cream Sandwiches

Photo: Randy Mayor; Styling: Lindsey Lower

Marcona-Rosemary Ice Cream Sandwiches Recipe

Salt is essential in desserts; here it enhances all the herby-nutty flavors. If you can't find Marcona almonds, use toasted blanched almonds.

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Champagne Ice Cream Float

Photos by Zack Bent

Champagne Ice Cream Float Recipe
Berries, buttermilk, bubbles, bliss

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Waffle Cookie Ice Cream Tacos

Photo by Daniel Agee

Waffle Cookie Ice Cream Tacos Recipe
Don't chase the ice cream truck. Be the ice cream truck.

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Mango Ice-Cream Sandwiches

Mango Ice-Cream Sandwiches Recipe

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Hangover Ice Cream Sundae

photo by Katie Foster

Hangover Ice Cream Sundae Recipe
When every other hangover cure has failed you, try this hair of the franken-dog

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Ice Cream-Only Ice Cream Cake

Photo: Gina DeSimone; Prop Styling: Kashara Johnson; Food Styling: Deb Wise

Ice Cream-Only Ice Cream Cake Recipe

For some, a typical ice cream cake is a wonderful, frozen amalgamation of two of life’s great desserts: ice cream and cake (obviously). However, for others—those who truly prefer ice cream over cake—the fact that most ice cream cakes still contain layers of frozen cake is… a disappointment. And it is for these ice cream loving people that we created this “cake,” made purely of frozen dairy goodness. We use fresh whipped cream fortified with gelatin to “frost” the cake, holding the layered scoops together and coating the exterior, because a stabilized whipped cream holds its texture incredibly well (without becoming rock-hard) in the freezer. You can use any number and variety of flavors/colors to create your own take on this ice cream-only cake; we opted to go with a rainbow of colors to achieve a festive feel in every slice. Use any custom combination to create the perfect frozen cake for a birthday party, gender reveal party, college game day event, etc. You can even dress the concept up to create an adorable Ice Cream Princess Cake.

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Churros and Smoked Chocolate Ice Cream

Churros and Smoked Chocolate Ice Cream Recipe

Swap out your traditional summer desesrt for this fun show-stopper.

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Smoked Honey and Fig Tart With Pink Peppercorn Ice Cream

Meredith Food Studios

Smoked Honey and Fig Tart With Pink Peppercorn Ice Cream Recipe

This elegant dessert recipe comes from Chef Zach Meloy of Pulpit Suppersin Atlanta, Georgia.

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Coffee and Doughnuts Ice Cream Sandwiches

coffee and doughnuts ice cream sandwich video hero

Photo by Daniel Agee

Coffee and Doughnuts Ice Cream Sandwiches Recipe
You're welcome

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Pickle Ice Cream with Crunchy Peanut Butter Topping

Sara Tane

Pickle Ice Cream with Crunchy Peanut Butter Topping Recipe

As unconventional as it may sound, this unlikely flavor combination is one for the books. Tangy-sweet bread and butter pickle juice against a salty peanut butter topping makes for a an incredibly rich, balanced ice cream-eating experience.

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Chocolate-Black Cherry Soda Ice Cream Float

Photo: Stephen Devries; Food Styling: Erin Merhar

Chocolate-Black Cherry Soda Ice Cream Float Recipe

Chocolate Black Cherry Float image

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Oatmeal Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches

Oatmeal Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches Recipe

With all due respect to San Francisco's iconic It's-It, this version's light, crisp oatmeal cookies are even more addictive. That's why we've made sure you wind up with extra cookies here. If you want to use them all for ice cream sandwiches, just double the other ingredients.

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Funnel Cake Ice-Cream Sandwiches

Photo: Caitlin Bensel; Styling: Audrey Davis

Funnel Cake Ice-Cream Sandwiches Recipe

Make these for your next party and watch them disappear faster than you can say "funnel cake." The ice cream add-ins are suggestions, but you can use whatever you like--such as chopped candy bars, toasted and chopped nuts, or marshmallows. You can also roll the edges in toppings like sprinkles, graham cracker crumbs, or crushed Oreos. Keep in mind that hot oil is critical to a crispy funnel cake, so use a candy thermometer to monitor and maintain the oil's temperature.

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Candied Orange Walnut Ice Cream Pie

Photo: Romulo Yanes; Styling: Claire Spollen

Candied Orange Walnut Ice Cream Pie Recipe

Ice cream pies make ideal desserts for big holiday dinners, because you can make them days in advance and just haul them out of the freezer right before serving. Plus, they're easy to make.

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Red Velvet Ice-Cream Cake

Photo: Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Red Velvet Ice-Cream Cake Recipe

You are sure to set off the fireworks when you serve this eye-catching layer cake at the Fourth of July cookout. Don’t worry about the frosting wilting in the summer heat. We added a teaspoon of unflavored gelatin to the frosting recipe to help it stabilize, so it won’t melt down before you cut into the cake.

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Banana Split Ice-Cream Sandwiches

Photo: John Autry; Styling: Mindi Shapiro

Banana Split Ice-Cream Sandwiches Recipe

This, crisp vanilla cookies add a textural twist to conventional banana split ingredients in this delightful sweet treat.

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Sparkling Ice Cream Floats with Berries

Photo: Kelsey Hansen; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners

Sparkling Ice Cream Floats with Berries Recipe

Who knew the ultimate summer dessert would be the simplest you’ve ever made? These delightfully sweet and boozy floats take only a few ingredients and about two seconds to whip up, but trust us—they are always sure to impress. Rossini is a sparkling wine beverage, usually Prosecco-based, that is mixed with strawberries and raspberries. It is sweeter and fruitier than a rosé or other sparkling wine so it makes a delicious combination with rich vanilla ice cream (we especially love Häagen-Dazs brand here). We found a great one at Trader Joe’s for just about $6, but if you have a hard time finding rossini, you can definitely use your favorite rosé.

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Ice Cream Tacos

Ice Cream Tacos Recipe

Yes, these are a lot more work than unwrapping a store-bought Choco Taco, but every bite will make you want to dance with joy. You'll need a hardback book with a 1-in.-wide spine to shape the warm cookies into shells. The shells are best when the weather is dry (humidity softens them).

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Peach Melba Ice-Cream Pie

Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Peach Melba Ice-Cream Pie Recipe

This summer pie looks difficult, but thanks to store-bought ice cream and a press-in cookie crust, it's a cinch to assemble. All you need is enough time for it to freeze so the layers look nice and neat.

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Beignet Ice Cream Sandwiches

Photo: Hector Sanchez; Food Styling: Anna Hampton; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis

Beignet Ice Cream Sandwiches Recipe

Coffee and beignets belong together, so coffee ice cream and beignets...? Yeah, that's a no-brainer. This easy, but impressive, New Orleans-inspired dessert recipe is the perfect treat for your Mardi Gras celebrations. With only five ingredients, you'll be surprised by how easy these ice cream sandwiches are to whip up (especially if you go with store-bought beignet mix).

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