Glossary · Ice cream & treats
Sundae
Definition
A sundae is ice cream served in a dish or tub and topped with sauce, plus extras such as nuts, sprinkles or a wafer. It is eaten with a spoon.
A sundae is the spoon-eaten cousin of the cone: ice cream in a dish, topped with sauce and whatever else the menu offers. Several American towns claim to have invented it in the late nineteenth century, and the argument has never been settled. One popular story links the name to Sunday, but that is no more proven than the rest.
The appeal at an event is practical as much as anything. Guests can sit down with a sundae, carry it back to a table, or share one. It also gives you more room for toppings than a cone does. Our Sundaes & Tubs section includes the Choc Nut, with chocolate sauce and toasted nuts, and the Boat Sundae, two scoops of soft serve with two sauces in a sharing size. The Boat Sundae is often picked for weddings.
Related terms
- Knickerbocker GloryA Knickerbocker Glory is a tall layered sundae of ice cream, sauce and toppings, served in a tall glass and eaten with a long spoon.
- Banana splitA banana split is a banana cut lengthways with ice cream between the halves, finished with sauces, cream, nuts and often a cherry.
- Chopped nutsChopped nuts are a classic sundae topping of small pieces of roasted nuts. They add crunch, but nuts are major allergens and need careful handling.
- ScoopA scoop is a rounded portion of hard ice cream, and also the spring-loaded tool used to serve it. Scooped ice cream is kept colder than soft serve.
- The full glossary54 terms, from soft serve to street trading licences.
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