Start Adding One Savory Snack To Your Ice Cream For A More Unique Bite

Here's another winner for fans of a sweet and salty treat — your ice cream needs cheesy crackers. Now, before you discount this combination as something only suited for late-night dorm room desperation, give this unconventional ice cream sundae topping a chance. Cheesy crackers — like Cheez-Its, classic Goldfish, and cheese straws — are salty and sweetly buttery in a way that is not actually overwhelmingly savory. They add intrigue and craveable crunchy texture in the same way that Ritz crackers, potato chips, saltines, and pretzels do in all kinds of barks, crumbles, and dessert treats. The added benefit is that the cheese brings a really interesting nutty flavor to the party.

When pairing cheesy crackers with ice cream, stick to products where the crackers themselves are flavored rather than sandwiching a cheese spread. Make your own with the viral four-ingredient Cheez-It dupe, or go for your favorite store-bought brand, like cheddar-flavored Blue Diamond Almonds Nut Thins. Just avoid crackers that also have strong garlic or onion flavors, as they can lean a bit too savory for an ice cream topping.

If you really want to get the full effect of cheesy crackers as an ice cream topping, stick to simple vanilla ice cream. It is relatively neutral, delightfully sweet, and the perfect canvas for this bold topping. You can even blitz the crackers, ice cream, and a bit of milk together in the blender for a creative, salty-sweet milkshake.

When thinking of what other ice cream flavors pair well with cheesy crackers, take inspiration from desserts that are enhanced by a finish of flaky sea salt — chocolate truffles, chewy cookies, toffee candies, and more. Try cheesy crackers on top of dark chocolate, s'mores, peanut butter, salted caramel, and butter pecan ice creams. They also fit right in with ice creams loaded with textural fillings like Blue Bell's Moo-llennium Crunch — which has chocolate and caramel chunks, and roasted pecans, walnuts, and almonds — or Ben & Jerry's Chubby Hubby (malted vanilla ice cream with chocolate covered pretzels and peanut butter swirls).

Finish milk chocolate ice cream with peanut butter cups and cheesy crackers, or top off caramel apple ice cream with this salty snack in an homage to the classic apple pie with a cheddar lattice crust. Or, take a gourmet page from the chefs at Besame in Austin, Texas. They transform Cheez-Its into a crumble that gets layered in an orange blossom ice cream sundae with honeycomb candy and a hot honey caramel drizzle for a truly unforgettable sweet and salty bite.