Summertime Ice Cream Dessert Ideas

Summertime is here, meaning sweet treats galore and ice cream of all flavors. In any given two-week period, 40% of Americans will eat ice cream. Fun ice cream fact: this frozen dessert is a perfect summer treat because most ice cream in the U.S. is produced in June! Considering that summertime is the best time for get-togethers and parties, use this guide for what dessert to serve while socializing in the upcoming months. And if you're throwing a party, don't forget to stock up on colored ice cream spoons, custom printed ice cream cups, and fun straws.

All-American Classic: the Ice Cream Sundae Bar
Hosting a kid's birthday party? There is nothing more fun and exciting than making your own custom sundae as it is a welcome surprise to any party. It doesn't matter if the birthday girl or boy is turning 7 or 77, load up with as many dessert supplies as you can muster. Some fun ideas include:

• M&Ms
• Brownies
• Oreo cookies
• Sprinkles of all colors
• Whipped cream
• Peanut butter sauce
• Hot fudge
• Strawberries, blueberries, and other fresh fruit toppings
• Gummy worms
• Chopped nuts

And don't forget the colored spoons and disposable ice cream cups.

Make Your Own Milkshakes
These are fun if you want to make your ice cream portable. They're mess-free, and have a pretty easy clean up if you use paper cups. You can make them as fun and versatile as you'd like and get creative with the flavor pairings. Perfect for backyard pool parties as a cool-down snack, here are some ingredients and creative flavor ideas to inspire:

• Cookies
• Peanut butter
• Pretzels
• Caramel
• Fruit pieces
• Soda

Some flavor combinations:

• Rootbeer float: mix vanilla ice cream and soda in place of milk.
• Oreo cookie monster: mix chocolate cookies, fudge, and ice cream.
• Peanut butter and jelly: slices of strawberry, peanut butter, and peanut butter ice cream.
• Caramel fudge brownie: brownie pieces, fudge, caramel, and chocolate ice cream.
• Maple milkshake: maple syrup and vanilla ice cream.
• Salted caramel pretzel: caramel, pretzel pieces, and chocolate ice cream, topped with salt.
• For Adults: mix your favorite flavor of ice cream with a dark stout.

Just don't forget the ice cream spoons to grab all the crumbs at the end!

Gelato Bar

Having an international movie night or themed party? There is no better way to celebrate than to serve authentic Italian gelato. It's dense, as it contains only about 30% air, so your guests can pile many flavors on one cone without needing to worry about it toppling over.

Some classic Italian flavors to stock up on:

• Stracciatella: vanilla with chocolate shavings.
• Tiramisu: coffee and sweet vanilla.
• Hazelnut: great with chocolate as it tastes almost like Nutella.
• Lemon Ice: for the sophisticated of the bunch.

Feeling inspired? Go ahead and try everything listed here, there will be enough ice cream to go around!