Increase your profits by upselling ice cream toppings that enhance and contrast with the creamy, cool base flavor. Whether you operate a frozen yogurt shop and are assembling your toppings station or are looking for ice cream sundae ideas, we've rounded up the most popular ice cream toppings so you can start building a solid foundation. Turn a profit at your new ice cream shop by stocking up on these time-tested toppings.
Shop All Ice Cream Toppings1. Sprinkles
Bright, cheerful, and reminiscent of your childhood birthday cake, sprinkles transform a scoop of ice cream into a party. Not only are they visually appealing, but they also add toothsome texture to the ice cream and increase its sweetness. Sprinkles come in a variety of colors, from white to black and everything in between. While the tiny rod-shaped jimmies are the most well-known shape, sprinkles come in other forms, including sequins, nonpareils, confetti, pearls, sanding sugar, and seasonally shaped sprinkles like hearts and Christmas trees.
Sprinkles traditionally have a neutral, sweet flavor. However, chocolate- and vanilla-flavored sprinkles are also popular. Some specialty sprinkles brands offer unique flavors like mint chocolate. Thanks to their neutral flavors, sprinkles can pair well with any ice cream flavor. However, using them as a topping for light-colored frozen treats creates greater visual contrast and helps their colors shine. Vanilla, strawberry, and birthday cake are all well-suited for sprinkle toppings.
- Sprinkles Tasting Notes: Most are sweet and neutral, chocolate and vanilla flavors are also popular
- Sprinkles Texture: Firm and hard but yield easily when bitten into
- Ice Cream Flavors that Complement Sprinkles: Any ice cream flavor, but light-colored ice creams will help the sprinkles stand out
2. Chocolate Syrup/Fudge
Whether drizzled generously over a scoop of vanilla ice cream or layered between scoops in a sundae, chocolate syrup or fudge is a classic topping that never fails to please customers. The taste of chocolate syrup or fudge is decadent and sweet, with a deep cocoa flavor that complements the creamy sweetness of ice cream. Chocolate fudge is often served hot, adding greater contrast, and is ideal for old-school ice cream parlors. Chocolate syrup is faster and easier to pour, making it more suitable for busy ice cream trucks with limited counter space.
While both chocolate syrup and fudge offer a decadent chocolate experience, there are distinct differences between them that cater to varying preferences. Chocolate syrup is a smooth and pourable liquid that can be drizzled generously over ice cream scoops, adding a glossy finish. Its thin consistency allows it to easily blend with the ice cream, offering a consistent chocolate flavor in every bite. On the other hand, chocolate fudge is a thick and creamy sauce that provides a more intense chocolate experience. This dense and rich topping must be spread over ice cream or used as a dip. Chocolate fudge adds a luscious layer of chocolate that contrasts with the frozen dessert, creating a satisfying combination of textures.
- Chocolate Syrup/Fudge Tasting Notes: Cocoa, cream, butter, sweet
- Chocolate Syrup/Fudge Texture: Chocolate syrup is smooth and pourable; chocolate fudge is thick and spreadable
- Ice Cream Flavors that Complement Chocolate Syrup/Fudge: Vanilla, chocolate, cookies and cream, and peanut butter
3. Whipped Cream
Whipped cream is a popular choice among ice cream lovers for its creamy taste and texture that complements the ice cream's richness. It offers a subtle sweetness that enhances the flavors of the ice cream it accompanies without overpowering them. It's an affordable ice cream topping option, making it a cost-effective choice for businesses looking to offer a high-quality topping without breaking the bank. For operators who want to add a homemade taste and touch, whipped cream is easy to make from scratch.
Whipped cream is a versatile topping that complements a wide range of ice cream treats. It pairs perfectly with traditional sundaes, adding a creamy richness to the combination of ice cream, sauces, and toppings. Additionally, whipped cream is a popular choice for topping milkshakes, floats, or Italian cream soda, enhancing the overall indulgence of these classic treats. Whether drizzled with chocolate syrup, sprinkled with nuts, or garnished with a cherry, whipped cream adds a touch of elegance and decadence to any ice cream creation.
- Whipped Cream Tasting Notes: Rich, delicately sweet, creamy
- Whipped Cream Texture: Light, fluffy, airy
- Ice Cream Flavors that Complement Whipped Cream: Whipped cream can pair well with any ice cream treat but is especially complementary to rich sundaes and milkshakes because it provides a light, creamy contrast to the other mix-ins and toppings
4. Caramel Sauce
The smooth and buttery taste of caramel provides a perfect balance of sweetness and depth, making it a favorite topping among ice cream lovers. Consistency-wise, caramel sauce is typically thick and gooey, allowing it to drizzle beautifully over frozen desserts and create a delicious swirl effect. Its viscosity makes it easy to control the amount you want to pour, ensuring a perfect presentation every time.
Caramel sauce is usually cost-effective and has a long-lasting shelf life, especially when stored properly in a cool, dry place. This makes it a convenient and practical choice for businesses looking to stock up on affordable toppings. Create a decadent turtle sundae by layering caramel sauce and hot fudge over butter pecan ice cream and sprinkling additional pecan pieces on top.
- Caramel Sauce Tasting Notes: Caramelized sugar, buttery, nutty notes
- Caramel Sauce Texture: Thick, sticky
- Ice Cream Flavors that Complement Caramel Sauce: Vanilla, chocolate, coffee, rocky road, and butter pecan
5. Candy
Candy toppings add a touch of sweetness and crunch to your ice cream creations. Crushed candies are often the best option for adding texture to your ice cream while still easily mixing into the dessert. Whether you prefer chocolate candies for richness, fruity candies for freshness, or sour candies for brightness, there are a variety of options to suit different tastes.
Candy toppings are generally affordable and can be purchased in bulk, making them a budget-friendly choice for commercial ice cream parlors. Additionally, candy toppings and chocolates have a long shelf life, allowing you to stock up on a variety of options without worrying about them going bad quickly. Plain vanilla or chocolate-flavored ice cream allows the candy's flavor to shine without the rich topping competing with the ice cream's base flavor. However, any ice cream can be enhanced with candies. Other simple base flavor options include strawberry, coffee, and salted caramel.
- Best Chocolate Candy Ice Cream Toppings: Crushed peanut butter cups, chopped SNICKERS®, chopped KIT KAT®, HEATH Bits, REESE'S PIECES
- Best Fruity/Sour Candy Ice Cream Toppings: Gummy worms, Sour Patch Kids, SKITTLES®, Gummy Bears, Mike and Ike®
- Ice Cream Flavors that Complement Candy Toppings: The best ice creams to pair with candy toppings are those that don't include mix-ins such as vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, coffee, and salted caramel
6. Strawberry Syrup
Strawberry dessert topping adds a burst of fruity flavor to any ice cream sundae. Its vibrant red color and sweet taste make it a favorite among customers of all ages. It typically has a smooth and liquid consistency, although some varieties may contain chunks of real strawberries for added texture and authenticity. If you purchase a thin and pourable variety rather than a thick and spoonable variety, you can always add fresh strawberries for texture and visual appeal. Most commercially produced strawberry syrups have a shelf life of several months when stored properly in a cool, dry place.
With its affordable price tag, strawberry syrup offers a high return on investment and can be used in a variety of ways to create delicious and visually appealing desserts. Some of the best ice cream flavors to pair with strawberry syrup include vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry. The strawberry syrup's sweet and tangy flavor complements these traditional ice cream flavors beautifully, creating a delicious and satisfying treat for customers. Try pairing strawberry syrup with pistachio ice cream, dark chocolate shavings, and kataifi for a Dubai chocolate strawberry sundae.
- Strawberry Syrup Tasting Notes: Ripe strawberries, slightly tangy, sharp sweetness, concentrated fruit flavor
- Strawberry Syrup Texture: Smooth, typically pourable
- Ice Cream Flavors that Complement Strawberry Syrup: Vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, and pistachio
7. Maraschino Cherries
We've all heard the term "the cherry on top," signifying the extra touch that makes an already sweet situation even better, and it's inspired by adding a maraschino cherry atop ice cream. Known for their sweet and slightly tangy flavor, they're typically made from sweet cherries preserved in a sugar syrup, giving them a unique taste and bright red color that adds visual appeal. Maraschino cherries are firm and slightly chewy, adding a delightful contrast to the smooth and creamy texture of ice cream.
Maraschino cherries have a relatively long shelf life compared to fresh fruits. When stored properly in a cool, dry place, unopened jars of maraschino cherries can last for up to 2 years, making them a convenient and cost-effective option for commercial kitchens. Whether you are running a small concession stand or a large-scale ice cream parlor, maraschino cherries offer an affordable way to add a touch of sweetness to your menu. They pair well with classic ice cream flavors like vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry, or with cherry ice creams like Cherry Garcia or black cherry.
- Maraschino Cherries Tasting Notes: Candied cherry, subtle almond essences
- Maraschino Cherries Texture: Firm, chewy
- Ice Cream Flavors that Complement Maraschino Cherries: Vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, Cherry Garcia, and black cherry
8. Crushed Cookies
When it comes to adding a delightful crunch and a burst of flavor to your ice cream, crushed cookies are a top choice for commercial establishments. The best crushed cookies to use as ice cream toppings are those with a rich and buttery flavor profile, such as chocolate chip cookies, OREO Cookies, Biscoff® Cookies, Stroopwafels, or shortbread cookies. These cookies not only provide a satisfying texture but also enhance the overall taste of the ice cream. The ideal consistency of crushed cookie toppings is a balance between fine crumbs and larger chunks, offering a mix of textures that complement the smoothness of the ice cream. This combination adds a playful element to each bite, creating a sensory experience that customers will enjoy.
Crushed cookies are readily available in bulk quantities, making them a budget-friendly choice for businesses looking to enhance their ice cream offerings. The versatility of crushed cookies facilitates creative presentations that can attract customers and increase sales. Pairing crushed cookies with the right ice cream flavors is key to creating a harmonious and delicious dessert. Chocolate chip cookies are a classic choice that pairs well with vanilla or chocolate ice cream, while Oreo cookies complement cookies and cream or mint chocolate chip ice cream. Biscoff or shortbread cookies are versatile options that can be paired with a variety of flavors, such as strawberry, caramel, or coffee ice cream, offering endless possibilities for creating unique and enticing desserts.
- Best Crushed Cookies to Use as Ice Cream Toppings: Chocolate chip cookies, Oreo Cookies, Biscoff® Cookies, Stroopwafels, or shortbread cookies
- Crushed Cookies Texture: Crunchy, toothsome
- Ice Cream Flavors that Complement Crushed Cookies: Depends on the type of cookie used, but popular options include vanilla, chocolate, cookies and cream, milk chocolate chip, strawberry, caramel, and coffee
9. Fruit
Fresh, pureed, dried, or converted into a sauce, fruit toppings are a popular choice among customers. Fresh fruit toppings can add a burst of natural sweetness and vibrant colors to your dessert creations. Whether it's strawberries, blueberries, bananas, or mangoes, fresh fruit toppings are a versatile option that can complement a wide range of ice cream flavors. Dried fruit toppings, such as raisins, cranberries, apricots, and figs, offer a concentrated burst of flavor and a chewy texture that can add a unique twist to your ice cream creations. Shredded coconut is a popular topping choice that adds a sweet, nutty flavor and a satisfying crunch. When considering fruit toppings for your ice cream, it's important to keep in mind the shelf life of the fruits you choose. Fresh fruit toppings have a shorter shelf life compared to dried fruit toppings, so it's essential to use them quickly to maintain their freshness and quality.
In terms of price point, fresh fruit toppings may be more expensive than dried, pureed, or sauced fruit toppings due to their perishable nature and seasonal availability. Dried fruit toppings and shredded coconut are often more cost-effective options that can still deliver a burst of flavor to your ice cream creations. The texture of fruit toppings can vary depending on whether they are fresh or dried. Fresh fruit toppings offer a juicy and crisp texture, while dried fruit toppings provide a chewy and concentrated consistency that can add a unique mouthfeel to your ice cream. The fruit and ice cream pairing options are endless. Fresh berries like strawberries and blueberries are classic choices that pair well with vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry. Tropical fruits like mangoes and pineapples can complement coconut or fruity sorbet flavors. Dried fruit toppings like raisins and cranberries add a rich and sweet contrast to nutty or caramel ice cream flavors.
- Best Fresh Fruit Ice Cream Toppings: Strawberry slices, blueberries, kiwi slices, banana slices, cubed mango, blackberries, raspberries
- Best Dried Fruit Ice Cream Toppings: Raisins, cranberries, cherries, blueberries, shredded coconut, candied mango, banana chips
- Ice Cream Flavors that Complement Fruit Toppings: Sorbets, vanilla, strawberry, chocolate, orange creamsicle soft serve, coconut
10. Peanut Butter Sauce
Peanut butter sauce adds a rich and nutty flavor to ice cream. Unlike traditional peanut butter, which is dense and requires spooning, peanut butter sauce is pourable, so you or customers can drizzle it directly over the ice cream, making it a popular choice for ice cream sundae stations at catered events. Properly stored, this sauce can maintain its quality and flavor for an extended period, allowing businesses to minimize waste and maximize efficiency.
From a price point perspective, peanut butter sauce is generally affordable, offering a cost-effective way to enhance the appeal of your ice cream offerings. It complements a variety of ice cream flavors, including classic options like vanilla, chocolate, or strawberry, as well as more adventurous choices such as salted caramel, cookie dough, or banana. Create a Reese-inspired sundae by pouring peanut butter sauce over chocolate ice cream and topping it with crushed peanut butter cups. Consider drizzling peanut butter sauce over strawberry ice cream and adding vanilla cookie pieces for a PB&J-inspired sundae.
- Peanut Butter Sauce Tasting Notes: Nutty, rich, creamy, sweet
- Peanut Butter Sauce Texture: Smooth, pourable
- Ice Cream Flavors that Complement Peanut Butter Sauce: Vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, caramel, cookie dough, and banana
Ice Cream Toppings Brands
Whether you are in the early stages of starting an ice cream truck or seeking better quality brands than those you have previously used, it is essential to be informed about the top ice cream topping brands available to operators. These brands have received high ratings from our customers and offer competitively priced products.
Adourne
Known for its high-quality toppings, Adourne Expressions offers a range of sprinkles and sanding sugars perfect for adding a pop of color and texture to your ice cream creations. Dedicated to crafting better products at the best price for your business, Adourne Expressions ensures that you can elevate your desserts and increase profits. Its eye-catching colors and innovative sprinkle designs make it a favorite among chefs and foodservice professionals looking to impress their customers with visually stunning treats.
- Average Price Point: .15 cents per ounce
- Toppings: Sprinkles, nonpareils, and sanding sugars
See what our customers are saying about Adourne Expressions here!
Capora
Capora is a reputable brand that offers a wide range of high-quality ice cream toppings to enhance the dessert experience for customers. Specializing in sundae sauces, syrups, fruit toppings, and economical flavoring syrups, Capora caters to a variety of establishments across the foodservice industry. Its products are designed to elevate the taste and presentation of ice cream desserts, making it a popular choice among ice cream shop owners seeking premium toppings for their menu offerings.
- Average Price Point: .20 cents per ounce
- Toppings: Sundae sauces, syrups, fruit toppings
See what our customers are saying about Capora here!
Creamery Ave.
Creamery Ave. is a top choice for ice cream toppings, offering a range of products including fruit toppings, sundae sauces, marshmallow fluff, and hot fudge. The brand's commitment to excellence is evident in its delicious flavors, achieved by using high-quality ingredients. Creamery Ave. is a trusted brand for elevating any ice cream dessert. Every scoop of ice cream topped with Creamery Ave. products is a truly indulgent experience for customers.
- Average Price Point: .31 cents per ounce
- Toppings: Fruit toppings, sundae sauces, marshmallow fluff
See what our customers are saying about Creamery Ave. here!
Joy Cone Co.
Joy Cone Co. provides a variety of toppings ideal for gourmet ice cream topping bars. As the leading ice cream cone manufacturer worldwide, producing an impressive 1.5 billion cones each year, the Joy Cone Company has been a reputable presence in the industry for nearly 100 years. Leveraging their extensive experience in crafting top-notch products, the brand offers a range of ice cream toppings that enrich the flavor and texture of your sundaes.
- Average Price Point: .28 cents per ounce
- Toppings: Crushed cookies and cream, ground cookie topping, waffle cone pieces
See what our customers are saying about Joy Cone Co. here!
Disclaimer: The average price point is determined at the time of publication. Check product pages for current prices.
As a proprietor of an ice cream shop, you can upsell your products by coming up with a specialty sundae menu. Mix and match the most popular ice cream toppings listed in this piece, pairing them together to create signature sweets that customers will pay a premium to purchase. Frozen yogurt shops and caterers can assemble a self-serve ice cream topping bar to facilitate an interactive experience for their customers.
