The sundae recipe
for your table
Put the glass in the freezer half an hour beforehand and leave the ice cream there until the last moment. Chop the nuts and have them ready in a dry place. A sundae is assembled all at once and served immediately, so everything must be ready before the ice cream goes into the glass.
Warm the sauce until it’s warm but not hot. That’s the whole point of a sundae: the sauce should be just warm enough to run over the scoops and set on them, but not so hot that it burns its way through the ice cream. Around fifty degrees is right, so just too warm to drink as it is. With chocolate, there’s another consideration: above that temperature, it splits and becomes grainy.
Scoop the three scoops into the chilled glass and press them down lightly so they stack on top of each other in the narrow glass instead of sitting side by side. Pipe or spoon the softly whipped cream into a tall swirl on top, rising above the rim. In a sundae, that swirl isn’t a garnish but a layer covering the scoops.
Pour the warm sauce over it at the table, sprinkle the chopped nuts on top, and place the cocktail cherry in the center of the whipped cream. In that order, the nuts stay dry and you can see the sauce trickling down between the glass and the scoops.
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The story
There are various versions of how the sundae got its name, and they all revolve around the word Sunday. In one version, a fizzy drink could not be sold on Sundays, so the ice cream with sauce was left over; in the other, it was simply the Sunday version of what was served with soda water during the week. It cannot be established which version is correct, so consider it a story rather than an established fact. What is certain is what was served: ice cream without fizz, with sauce poured over it and everything else that goes with it, and that setup has never changed.
The right glass
A sundae belongs in a tall, tulip-shaped glass on a stem: narrow at the bottom and widening toward the top. That shape does two things. The scoops stack on top of one another instead of sitting side by side, so you can see the layers as stripes from the side, and the wide rim leaves room for a swirl of whipped cream rising above the glass. To be honest, the real American tulip glass is not part of our range. These two come closest. The 32 cl coupe is the largest we have and, according to the description, is intended for several scoops of ice cream with sauce and toppings; the same description also says that the glass can easily withstand the temperature difference between hot espresso and cold ice cream, which is exactly what a warm sauce poured over hard ice cream requires of a glass. The 42 cl bowl is the taller of the two and, according to the description, is just as suitable for a layered dessert as it is for a drink; its tall stem keeps your hand away from the bowl. More shapes can be found among the ice cream glasses.
Bormioli Rocco Fortuna Ice Cream Glass 32 cl (6 pieces)
RCR Timeless Sorbet Cocktail Glass 42 cl (6 pieces)
Both sets together € 102,90.
The right tool
For a sundae, besides the glass, you need a long bar spoon that reaches the bottom of the tall glass and a set of cocktail picks to secure the cherry. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; you can find everything in our bar tools & cocktail sets.
Glass set (our choice 01) + 2 bar tools together € 100,85.
What will you serve with it?
A sundae is alcohol-free by itself, and the drink most often served alongside it in America is whisky, in the form of bourbon. A tablespoon stirred into the warm chocolate sauce works just as well as a small glass on the side. If you prefer it sweeter, stick with Kahlúa. On each drink page, you can read the alcohol percentage, what it tastes like, which cocktails it goes with and which glass you need.
Variations & twists
The three best-known versions differ only in the sauce. The hot fudge sundae gets a thick, warm chocolate sauce that sets on the ice cream into a chewy layer. The strawberry sundae gets warm strawberry sauce and fresh strawberries, making it fresher and less heavy. The banana sundae has banana slices between the scoops and usually caramel instead of chocolate. Replace the chocolate sauce with espresso and you have an affogato. Looking for more inspiration? Browse more than 100 cocktail recipes.
Serving tip
Serve the sundae as soon as the sauce is added, because the whole appeal of hot over cold is gone within a few minutes. If necessary, put the sauce in a small jug on the table and let everyone pour their own; that way, the ice cream stays firm until the last moment. A long-handled spoon is no luxury, because the sauce sinks to the bottom of a tall glass.
Good to know
What distinguishes a sundae from a European ice-cream dish
With an ice-cream sundae dish, the emphasis is on the structure: a layer at the bottom, scoops, cream, something crunchy, all cold. A sundae revolves around two things a sundae dish usually does not have: a sauce poured warm over cold ice cream, and a generous layer of toppings on top, from chopped nuts to caramel and sprinkles. The shape also matters. A sundae dish is wide and low, while a sundae is tall and narrow, so the layers stack up and the whipped cream rises above the rim.
How warm can the sauce be?
Warm, but not hot. Aim for around fifty degrees: just too warm to drink straight away. Then the sauce is still liquid enough to run down the scoops, and it cools so quickly on the ice cream that it sets into a thin, chewy layer. That layer is exactly the point. Lukewarm sauce stays in a thick lump, while boiling sauce melts a hole in the scoops within a few seconds. Chocolate also has its own reason not to get too hot: above that temperature, it separates and the sauce becomes grainy.
Hot fudge, strawberry, and banana
The hot fudge sundae is the best-known: a thick, warm chocolate sauce over vanilla ice cream, with whipped cream and nuts. The strawberry sundae uses warm strawberry sauce and fresh strawberries, making it lighter; the fruit's acidity balances the cream. The banana sundae has banana slices between the scoops and usually caramel as the sauce. All three follow the same structure, with only the sauce and topping differing.
Why the cherry goes on top
The maraschino cherry is the standard finishing touch on a sundae, and it does three things at once. It adds a spot of red against the white whipped cream, marks the center so the whole thing looks complete, and shows that nothing else is being added. There are various explanations for why it is specifically a cherry; none can be substantiated, so treat them as anecdotes. Practically speaking, a cherry in syrup is firm enough to stay on the cream.
The story behind the name
It is generally accepted that the sundae owes its name to Sunday, but the story is told in several versions. In one version, a fizzy ice-cream drink could not be sold on Sundays, so the ice cream and sauce were left over. In the other, it was simply the Sunday version of what was served with soda water during the week. There is no way to establish which version is correct, and the different stories name different places. So it is an anecdote, not an established fact.
Why a tulip glass
A tulip glass is narrow at the bottom and widens toward the top. This makes the scoops sit on top of one another rather than side by side, so you can see each layer from the side as a stripe: the sauce sinking down between the glass and the ice cream, the cream above it, and the nuts on top. The wide rim leaves room for a dollop of whipped cream rising above the glass. In a wide bowl, that same portion falls apart and none of the layers remain visible.
Frequently asked questions
What is a sundae?
A sundae is an American ice cream dessert made with three scoops of vanilla ice cream topped with warm sauce, whipped cream, chopped nuts, and a maraschino cherry. It is built tall in a narrow glass and finished all at once. The best-known versions are the hot fudge sundae, the strawberry sundae, and the banana sundae.
What is the difference between a sundae and an ice cream coupe?
A European ice cream coupe is assembled cold and relies on the order of its layers. A sundae relies on warm sauce over cold ice cream and a generous layer of toppings on top. The shape also matters: a coupe is wide and low, while a sundae is tall and narrow, so the layers sit on top of one another and the whipped cream rises above the rim.
How warm should sundae sauce be?
Warm, but not hot, at around fifty degrees. The sauce will then still run over the scoops and set on the cold ice cream into a thin, chewy layer. Lukewarm sauce stays in a lump, while boiling sauce melts the ice cream immediately. Chocolate sauce also splits if it gets too hot.
Which glass do you serve a sundae in?
In a tall, tulip-shaped glass on a stem: narrow at the bottom and wide at the top. This lets the scoops sit on top of one another, so you can see the layers from the side, while leaving room at the rim for a dollop of whipped cream rising above the glass. A true American tulip glass is not part of our range; the tallest stemmed coupes and goblets come closest.
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