Start your week off with something sweet with an Ice Cream Sundaes on Sunday get-together.
Whether it’s a bottle of wine at the dinner party or a six-pack of beer for Sunday Night Football, sometimes it feels like every get-together revolves around alcohol. And, we’re especially reminded of this during Dry January when people are trying to drink less. So, how do we get together with friends in a fun way without alcohol? (Seems like a crazy but simple question, right?)
Cue the ice cream sundae bar for Sundaes on Sunday. Instead of filling your bar car with booze, create a bar with sweet treats for your friends to design their own ice cream sundaes. The best part is you won’t wake up hungover the next morning.
Ice Cream
So, how much ice cream do you need to buy?
A typical ice cream scoop from a local shop is ½ cup of 4 ounces. So, if you plan for two scoops per guest, you can assume that one cup of ice cream per guest is enough. We can safely say a 1.5 quart of ice cream (the standard size for larger cartons) will feed six guests.
In reality, most of your guests won’t serve themselves a full two scoops of ice cream because they’ll be focused on piling on the toppings. Either way, it’s better to have ice cream left over than to run out and be short.
For a party of 12 people, buy two 1.5 quarts or six pints of ice cream. Buying pints can offer you more variety and flavors from smaller artisanal shops. Quarts are the standard size for brands like Breyer’s, Tillamook, and Edy’s. To save on cost while still adding variety, buy a Neapolitan ice cream quart because it comes with your basic flavors: vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry.
To keep your ice cream cold, you can put it on ice or in a cooler on the table. It won’t melt too quickly if you want to take it out for serving and put it right back in the freezer instead.
Waffle and Sugar Cones
At an ice cream shop, you can choose between a cup, sugar cone, or waffle cone. Your ice cream sundae bar should have the same options. You can buy waffle cones, waffle cups, and sugar cones at any grocery store. It’s usually in a display by the ice cream.
Toppings
Buy an array of toppings to choose from. Here are some ideas to get you started:
- Marshmallows
- Chocolate Chips
- Sprinkles
- Fruity Pebbles (or other cereal)
- Oreos, chopped or crumbled
- Wafer cookies
- Maria cookies
- Maraschino cherries
- Chocolate sauce
- Whipped cream
- Marshmallow fluff
Serving
For serving, arrange your sundae bar with the ice cream first followed by toppings in bowls with serving spoons. Place the finishing touches like chocolate sauce and cherries at the end. Your guests can go down the line like a buffet bar while they create their sundae creations.
You can pass around bowls for people to make their sundaes in or be fancy with cocktail coupe glasses. You could even do mugs to add some personality.
Beyond Sunday
An ice cream bar is a great addition to any event. I set up an ice cream bar at my 2024 Goal Setting Party where we worked on our vision boards for the upcoming year. You can host Sundaes on Sundays for events like a game night or movie night. It’s a creative way to get together with friends without alcohol.
Looking for more hosting ideas? Check out more on the blog.
Reply