Transform Bland Vanilla Ice Cream With One Spicy Syrup

Do you know what makes vanilla ice cream even better? Topping it with a bit of ginger syrup. Feel free to try our recommendations for the best store-bought brands of vanilla ice cream, or make your own. Then, drizzle up to three tablespoons of the syrup over a plain scoop to transform it into a crowd-pleasing sundae. Your guests will love the syrup's zesty, warm notes juxtaposed with the cold ice cream, while the ginger adds a savory, earthy dimension to the sweet vanilla.

While ginger and vanilla ice cream marry beautifully on their own, they also invite tasty playmates. Take your sundae up another level by sprinkling crumbled ginger snaps, candied ginger, and a dusting of fleur de sel — a fancy type of salt — on top. Or, add crushed salted almonds and Heath bar. On the flip side, you could mix in sugared strawberry slices and blueberries for a colorful treat, or half moons of crispy apples with cinnamon, a complementary warming spice. Banana coins with dark chocolate flakes is another yummy twist.

Now that we've established the power of ginger and vanilla ice cream, it's time to get crafty. Throw the two ingredients, alongside any toppings of your choice, into a blender with milk to make a milkshake. Or, sandwich a scoop of vanilla ice cream between two large ginger cookies, and roll the edges in chopped candied pecans for an elevated ice cream sandwich. In the mood for a float? Simply add a scoop of vanilla ice cream to ginger beer, and make it boozy with a shot of rum if that's your thing. To turn this combo into a cocktail, try this apple-ginger whiskey sour recipe, and top it with a few tablespoons of melted ice cream.

You don't need to limit yourself to vanilla ice cream, either. Try chocolate in the milkshakes, cinnamon in the floats, or coffee in the sundaes. The bitterness of chocolate or coffee lends an exciting richness to ginger, while cinnamon adds extra heat and spice. Have you ever tried rice gelato? Its familiar nutty rice flavor with a hint of jasmine, when combined with sweet ginger syrup, is so sublime that it will have you wondering why it's not on every shop's menu. Add toasty sesame seeds and blow your mind even more. If you'd prefer, feel free to use nondairy ice cream alternatives too.