10 Things to Do With Vanilla Ice Cream

Vanilla ice cream is the perfect ice cream flavor to pair with other desserts! It’s plain, so it goes with so many things. Do you have leftover vanilla ice cream or need something for an event that everyone will like? I have this blog post for you that will tell you 10 things to do with vanilla ice cream! What makes these ideas good is that they are delicious, don’t require any rare ingredients, and are super fun to share with others for special occasions. Let’s dive into idea #1!

1. Ice Cream Sandwich

Ice cream sandwiches are my first thing to do with vanilla ice cream! This idea is fun because who doesn’t like ice cream sandwiches? They are easy to store, easy to make, and super easy to enjoy! Let me tell you how to make them.

1. First, make chocolate chip cookies or any other cookie flavor. Click here to see my favorite recipe for chocolate chip cookies! If you want to make cookie dough ice cream sandwiches (I did this once!), check out my strawberry s’mores cookie dough recipe! It was so good with ice cream!
2. As the cookies cool, let the ice cream defrost to make it easier to scoop, unless you get the really good brands that are easy to scoop. If you’re doing cookie dough, scoop pieces of it on parchment paper and flatten them out. Freeze them to make them sturdier.
3. When the cookies are cool, or the cookie dough is frozen, scoop a scoop of the vanilla ice cream in between two cookies or two pieces of cookie dough. Freeze again overnight or until the ice cream sandwich is firm.

2. Vanilla Milkshake

This recipe is a great idea for plain vanilla ice cream! Milkshakes are really easy and customizable, so you can just add whatever you have. They’re so much fun to serve at special events. Here’s how to make one!

1. Let the vanilla ice cream soften. Scoop four scoops of vanilla ice cream into a blender with 1/2 cup of milk. Blend until fully combined. Add 1/8 teaspoon of vanilla and 1/8 teaspoon of almond extract. Blend some more.
2. Add any toppings you want, like crushed cookies, strawberries, or cocoa powder. Pour into a glass, top with whipped cream, and enjoy! You can add a cherry or sprinkles too!

3. Ice Cream Fruit Bowl

Vanilla ice cream and fruit will always be one of my favorite combinations. The fresh fruit and vanilla ice cream go so great together! If you’ve never tried an ice cream fruit bowl, why not try one today? It’s simple and not fancy, but that actually makes it a good idea for a low-effort dessert.

1. Scoop ice cream into a bowl.
2. Combine chopped strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and any other fresh fruit you have in a bowl.
3. Spoon the fruit over the vanilla ice cream scoops and enjoy!

4. Ice Cream Sundaes

If you liked the previous idea, but also like chocolate, chopped nuts, whipped cream, and sprinkles, then an ice cream sundae is the perfect thing to make with vanilla ice cream! If you’re serving them for a party, set up a sundae bar! I’ve done that before, and it’s a lot of fun to add whatever toppings you want.

1. Scoop ice cream into a cup. Put whipped cream, chopped nuts, chocolate syrup, strawberries, sprinkles, and anything else you like on top.
2. If you’re doing it for a party, put each topping in a bowl with tongs or a scooper. Serve each person a bowl of ice cream, and let them add their toppings. Have fun!

5. Ice Cream Cake

An ice cream cake is an amazing thing to make with plain vanilla ice cream! It’s perfect for summer parties, weekend night desserts, and more! They may sound complicated, but they’re actually easy. Let me tell you how to make one!

1. Set out a tub of ice cream so it melts. While it melts, put one package of Oreo cookies (about 30) and a dash of milk in the food processor. It should form a cookie topping.
2. With a spatula, pour the melted ice cream into a greased 9×13 baking dish. Let this firm up in the freezer. While that’s firming up, set another tub of vanilla ice cream out so it melts.
3. When it’s firm, put the cookie topping over it with a spatula. Spread the other tub of ice cream over it. Let this firm up in the freezer overnight.
4. Make homemade whipped cream by putting heavy whipping cream in the stand mixer with the whisk attachment. Whip until stiff peaks, but don’t let it turn into butter! Fold in sugar and vanilla, depending on how much whipped cream you want. Taste to see if it needs more sugar or vanilla.
5. When the cake is done, spread the whipped cream over the cake. You can top it with nuts, chocolate syrup, more Oreos, strawberries, sprinkles, or anything else you like. Enjoy!

6. S’mores Vanilla Ice Cream Bars

Imagine s’mores and vanilla ice cream combined? Doesn’t that sound amazing! This is one of the 10 things to do with vanilla ice cream that is more complicated than the other ideas, but it’s super delicious. This s’mores vanilla ice cream bar recipe is an amazing way to use up vanilla ice cream! Here’s how to make it!

1. Set out a tub of vanilla ice cream so that it melts. Grease an 8×8 baking dish.
2. Put sheets of graham crackers at the bottom of the baking dish. You can break them to fit the whole thing if needed. You will need about 6 crackers in total. Pour melted chocolate over the graham crackers to prevent them from becoming soggy. Use enough to cover all of the graham crackers. Let this set up in the fridge or freezer.
3. Make the marshmallow layer by mixing Cool Whip, cream cheese, and marshmallow fluff with a handheld mixer. Spread this over the firm chocolate. Pour the melted vanilla ice cream over it. Put it into the freezer.
4. When it’s firm, pour more melted chocolate over it again to prevent the graham crackers from being soggy. Top with more graham crackers. Let this set in the freezer overnight. Slice and serve.

7. Ice Cream Brownies

Everyone knows that brownies and vanilla ice cream go so well together! That’s why the next vanilla ice cream idea is ice cream brownies! Doesn’t that sound good? And it’s actually pretty easy! All you have to do is:

1. Use a brownie mix or make homemade brownies in a circle pan. Let them cool completely. This is important because the brownies will be more sturdy.
2. While they cool, let a tub of ice cream melt so it’s spreadable.
3. When they are cool, spread the ice cream over the brownies. Top with any ice cream toppings you like, such as strawberries, chocolate, nuts, or sprinkles. Let this freeze overnight. Slice and enjoy!

8. Vanilla Ice Cream Dip

Dessert dips are really fun for parties! So why not replace the dip with ice cream? Let me tell you how to set up an ice cream dessert dip tray!

1. Choose an ice cream brand with a soft-serve consistency.
2. Scoop the vanilla ice cream into a bowl. Around the bowl on a tray, lay graham crackers, cookies, strawberries, pretzels, Ruffles, and chocolate bars. You can add anything else that sounds good with vanilla ice cream.
3. Dip the cookies and stuff into the ice cream. Make sure to eat it quickly and not leave it out too long. Then, it will melt!

9. Drumstick Ice Cream Cone

Drumsticks are so delicious! They are perfect for any occasion, super fun to make, and insanely delicious. These drumsticks are super customizable, so you can add as much chocolate at the bottom of the cone as you want! You can add fudge sauce, caramel, or both inside! This is how to make them:

1. Melt 2 tablespoons of coconut oil and 2/3 cup of chocolate chips on a double boiler. That means you boil water in a pot with a wider bowl on top. Melt the chocolate in the bigger pot. Make sure the water doesn’t get into the pot you melt chocolate in!
2. When the chocolate is melted, pour the chocolate into the bottom of some sugar cones. Let this cool in the freezer until fully firm. If your sugar cones have holes in the bottom and the chocolate leaks, don’t worry! Crush the chocolate cones, put them at the bottom of a bowl, and have a drumstick bowl instead.
3. Then, fill the cones (or bowl) with vanilla ice cream. Remember to add fudge sauce or caramel inside the vanilla ice cream!
4. Mix the remaining chocolate sauce you made earlier with chopped walnuts. Pour it over the ice cream cones. It should harden like a shell.
5. Add whatever extra toppings you want. Enjoy!!!

10. Favorite Ice Cream Flavor

This is the final idea of the 10 things to do with vanilla ice cream. I saved this one for last because this is my favorite idea. Favorite ice cream flavors are basically adding any toppings that sound good to vanilla ice cream. Create your new favorite ice cream flavor using anything you can find in your pantry! This may just sound like an ice cream sundae, but what makes this idea special is that you use toppings that aren’t traditional. Let me tell you exactly how to make it!

1. Scoop vanilla ice cream into a bowl.
2. Gather the toppings you can find in your house to create your new favorite ice cream flavor. Mine included cookie dough and fruit. What makes t
3. Mix the toppings with the vanilla ice cream and have fun!

Thank you so much for checking out my 10 ideas for things to do with plain vanilla ice cream! If you tried any of these, please comment below on how it went and if you’d try it again. Tell me any cool variations you tried. Also, feel free to share any more ideas. Thanks for reading. That’s all! Bye, girlies!

About Danya Grace