Sundae

An ice cream dessert made of scoops of ice cream topped with sauce such as hot fudge or caramel, often finished with whipped cream, nuts and a cherry.

Sundae: A tall glass sundae of vanilla ice cream with hot fudge, whipped cream, chopped nuts and a cherry
  • Frozen desserts and sweet beverages
  • United States

Also called: ice cream sundae

The classic sundae is vanilla ice cream with hot fudge, whipped cream, chopped nuts and a maraschino cherry, served in a tall glass or dish. Other common toppings include strawberry sauce, butterscotch, marshmallow cream, sprinkles and crushed cookies.

Several American towns claim to have invented the sundae in the late 1800s. The banana split is a well-known variation, with ice cream and toppings set over a banana halved lengthwise.

Related entries

Sources

Written by VanillaGoods in our own words from these sources. Last reviewed October 15, 2026.

  1. Sundae (Q859553), Wikidata