7 Fun and Different Ingredients for Dipping Ice Cream In
Ice cream is a versatile dessert because not only is it absolutely delicious on its own, but it becomes even more of a treat when you add things to it or accompany it with other desserts, such as classic combinations like cake and ice cream or milkshakes. Whether it’s plain vanilla, chocolate, or even something like cookies and cream, ice cream is a real crowd-pleaser, and it can please even more folks in this day and age with dairy-free options for those who can’t have milk products!
Now, imagine a sugar or waffle cone piled high with your favorite ice cream flavor(s), what could make it even better? Why, dipping it in some sort of toppings, of course! The trick to achieving the perfect dip is to pack the ice cream into and on top of the cone firmly, then stick the whole cone in the freezer for a few minutes to make sure it’s frozen together as much as possible. Or you can even go so far as to make your own ice cream bars on a stick to dip into your favorite toppings. You would pretty much make the ice cream bar just like you would a popsicle, either with a mold or with a cup and a popsicle stick just like we did when we were kids.
With each variety of ice cream, there are all kinds of different things to dip your cone in, so grab your favorite cone full and let’s check out seven fun, different ingredients to dip your ice cream in, plus a bonus homemade chocolate shell recipe that will take your ice cream dipping to a whole new level!
Marshmallow Dipped Ice Cream
Whether you choose to use cereal brand marshmallows or regular ones from plain to fruit flavored, dipping a vanilla ice cream cone into a bowl of sweet, sugary marshmallows is almost like having the ultimate bowl of cereal or just an amazingly fun sugar rush. Imagine if you will, the fluffy, sweet marshmallows combining with the creamy vanilla ice cream, and then the satisfying crunch of your favorite cone. Sounds like a winner to us!
Chocolate Dipped Ice Cream
For a quick, easy ice cream cone or bar at home, try dipping your own chocolate ice cream! You can either use magic shell or a dipping chocolate to achieve this tasty homemade dessert, and the best part is you can do this with just about any kind of ice cream you like! Doesn’t a strawberry ice cream cone dipped in magic chocolate sound just heavenly? Or perhaps raspberry is more of your go-to fruity ice cream flavor? Regardless of the flavor or method you choose, a chocolate-dipped shell makes everything more fun!
Sprinkles
It goes without saying that sprinkles are an awesome way to add some color and fun to any kind of ice cream, and what better way to incorporate some sprinkles onto your favorite ice cream treat than to dip it right into them? Whether you dip it in chocolate then sprinkles, or if you just decide to head straight for the sprinkles, you aren’t wrong! From Jimmies to nonpareils, sprinkles just make ice cream so much more cheerful and happy, no matter the flavor!
Candy
Take your ice cream dipping a step further and go for your favorite kind of candy as a fun topping! Your imagination is the limit when it comes to this level of experimentation, so if you want to try out a fudge ripple ice cream with Reese’s Pieces, a vanilla chocolate dipped cone with M&Ms, or even a sherbet ice cream bar on a stick dipped in gummy bears, go for it! These are especially fun for kids to make at sleepovers or summertime get-togethers, so be sure to have a variety of all kinds of goodies and ice creams on hand to try this one out with.
Caramel Dipped Ice Cream
Along with chocolate, caramel is another popular ice cream topping, so of course it makes sense for it to be an amazing dipping medium for ice cream cones and bars as well. Dunk your ice cream of choice into some caramel sauce and enjoy it as it is, or go nuts and dip into some candy or even some chocolate magic shell to top it off! Vanilla and fudge ripple are just a couple of flavors that would be amazing dipped in caramel sauce.
Nuts
If you love nuts, then dipping a vanilla cone into some of your favorite crushed nuts makes sense! It makes for a great balance because of the soft, sweet, creamy vanilla ice cream contrasting with the crunchy, salty crushed nuts. Take it a step further and dip your cone or bar into chocolate or vanilla first, then dip into your favorite crushed nuts for a fun flavor bomb that you can dip as much or as little as you like.
Potato Chips
Pairing potato chips with chocolate has become a pretty popular thing nowadays, especially dipping potato chips into chocolate to make a whole new kind of candy. But have you tried crushed potato chips on your ice cream? Perhaps it’s worth a try! Whether you dip your chosen flavor into a bowl of potato chips head-on, or if you dip your ice cream into some chocolate and then go for the chips, you’re going to achieve, a sweet and salty, crunchy and creamy flavor and mouth feel that’s hard to resist!
Bonus Homemade Chocolate Shell Recipe
If you don’t happen to have any magic shell dipping chocolate in your pantry at home, don’t worry because we’ve got you covered! What is magic shell, some of you may be asking? Well, this amazing little piece of dessert preparation is a chocolate sauce that hardens almost instantly when put on top of ice cream. The secret to making a homemade sauce that will turn into a shell? Coconut oil! This is because coconut oil melts when warm, but it instantly hardens when exposed to cold, thus making it a great base.
To create the dipping sauce, you need chopped milk or dark chocolate, plus the coconut oil, and it’s best to make and melt the sauce in a large glass or metal bowl that’s placed over a pot of simmering water, constantly stirring as the sauce melts together. Check out the full recipe here, and happy dipping!
Make Your Own Dipped Ice Cream!
We hope that our list of seven fun ways to dip ice cream has inspired you to try doing some ice cream dipping yourself. With summer coming, ice cream is a welcome treat to beat the heat, and making it fun by dipping it into these different toppings will make tasty memories that will last for years to come.