Vanilla ice cream may be a safe, if bland option, but all the magnificent ways you can dress it up are far from bland. This flavor is a canvas, and your pantry is your paintbrush. You may have plenty of stuff on hand at home to turn your boring bowl of ice cream into a cheffy masterpiece.
Here are 11 unexpected toppings for vanilla ice cream that work surprisingly well.
Olive Oil & Sea Salt
This is an Italian classic, and one of the easiest ways to understand the harmony that can exist between salty and sweet. Just give it a shot and wait to be converted.
Ground Espresso
Just a little bit, now. This gives your ice cream some nice texture and flavor (and my favorite ice cream company in the world does a flavor with ground up beans in it), but prepare to have these little morsels stuck in your teeth.
Red Wine
Known often as a red wine float, or even sometimes a red wine affogato, the combo of a vanilla ice cream and red wine is not unheard of.
Aged Balsamic
Maybe just a dash. Some say it tastes like chocolate cherries.
Chili Crisp
While this one may sound strange and might not be for all palates, many people swear by the savory-spicy-sweet combo of chili crisp and ice cream. The heat of the chiles, the numbing of the Sichuan peppercorns, and the crunch of the garlic (or onions) combine with the cooling sweetness of the ice cream for a roller coast of flavor. It’s a great way to use up a jar of chili crisp, too.
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Crushed Pretzels
If you like a little crunch in your ice cream, this is another salty-sweet winner. Bonus points if you can get both rods and twists in there.
Candied Bacon
This is the sweet and savory thing again, but since most of us lived through the early 2000s, we know that bacon works in a variety of situations, especially desserts. This is no different.
Soda
We know about root beer and Coke, but what about orange soda? Grape soda? Let your imagination run wild.
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Crunchy Cereal
This is a no-brainer if you’ve got some crumbs left at the bottom of your Cheerios or your Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Dump the remains and mix that goodness in.
Grand Marnier
The classic orange liqueur is a standby margarita ingredient, but at least one person on Reddit swears by it. As do their kids.
Chocolate Powder
A little bit of Nesquick, Ovaltine, or Milo really goes a long way. Vanilla ice cream is basically just milk, ya know?
Hot Coffee and Espresso
This may be the one you’re most familiar with. The affogato is a delicious treat, and potentially the only one on this list you can order at a restaurant.
