Sundae

What is Sundae?

A sundae is a cold sweet dish centered on scoops of ice cream doused in thick syrup or sauce. Vanilla is the customary base, though any flavor works. Cooked or bottled syrups like chocolate, strawberry, or raspberry run down the sides of the scoops. Soft whipped cream sits on top, usually finished with a bright red maraschino cherry. Beyond that classic formula, makers often add crunchy or chewy textures. Peanuts, sprinkles, marshmallows, and chocolate chips are common additions, along with chunks of brownies, broken cookies, or sliced fresh fruit. The dessert delivers a mix of icy dairy, smooth cream, and sticky sweetness in every spoonful.

Where does Sundae come from?

The treat arose in late nineteenth-century America, closely tied to the soda fountain boom. Several towns claim to be its true birthplace. In Two Rivers, Wisconsin, local lore credits soda shop owner Edward Berners with drizzling chocolate syrup onto ice cream in 1881. Meanwhile, Ithaca, New York, holds the earliest documented record: an April 1892 newspaper advertisement by Chester Platt, who sold a cherry-topped ice cream bowl after church on Sunday. Other origin stories come from Plainfield and Evanston in Illinois. Evanston banned Sunday soda water sales under local blue laws, leading shopkeepers to serve syrup over plain ice cream instead. Religious objections to using the Sabbath name may have prompted the change from Sunday to sundae.

How is Sundae made?

Making a sundae begins with scooping firm, chilled ice cream into a dish or footed glass. The maker ladles sweet syrup directly over the scoops so it pools around the base and coats the surface. Sauces range from hot fudge and warm caramel to fruit reductions made from cherries, strawberries, or pineapple. Once the syrup is poured, garnishes follow. A mound of whipped cream is piped or spooned onto the peak. Crushed nuts, candy bits, or baked treats like brownie pieces are scattered over the dairy. Finally, a single maraschino cherry is set firmly on top.

How and when is Sundae eaten?

Sundaes are eaten chilled with a long dessert spoon, allowing diners to reach the syrup resting at the bottom. Soda fountains initially promoted them as special weekend treats, but they are now eaten anytime as an afternoon snack or evening dessert. They are typically served in a distinctive, footed tulip glass known as a sundae dish, which showcases the colorful layers. Eaters dig through the whipped cream and sauces to balance each bite with cold ice cream. Sundaes are common orders in ice cream parlors, casual diners, and home kitchens.

Kinds of Sundae

Countless adaptations have emerged since the early 1900s. The banana split uses a lengthwise split banana cradling three scoops of different ice creams with matching syrups, whipped cream, and cherries. A parfait layers ice cream or yogurt with fruit, granola, or syrup in a slender glass. In Britain, the knickerbocker glory stacks ice cream with fruit, jelly, cream, and nuts. Nebraska introduced the tin roof sundae, built with vanilla and chocolate scoops, chocolate sauce, marshmallow sauce, and red-skinned Spanish peanuts. Warm brownie sundaes add dense baked fudge cake beneath melting vanilla scoops.

What Sundae means

The sundae holds a fond place in American soda fountain history, sparking lasting community pride and friendly civic disputes. Ithaca, New York, and Two Rivers, Wisconsin, have waged a long-running public rivalry over which city can claim its birth, exchanging humorous postcards and official proclamations. In Nebraska, state lawmakers have debated bills to designate the tin roof version as their official state sundae. The dish also left an enduring mark on tableware design, creating the tall, tulip-shaped sundae glass that remains standard worldwide.

Questions people ask about Sundae

Good reading and sources

• CBBC Newsround | ICE-CREAM | The origin of ice-creamBBC, Article

• Sundae on WikipediaEncyclopedia
• More photos on Wikimedia CommonsPhotos
• Wikidata recordOpen data