5 Ice Cream Dessert Hacks
Making up for lost time this summer? From celebrating birthdays and holidays, backyard barbecues, and trips to the beach, life is back on! And, we couldn’t be happier! Spend time doing what really matters – enjoying time with those you love, and skip laboring in the kitchen.
With these 5 Ice Cream Dessert Hacks, you’ll have treats for a crew and rave reviews with minimal effort. Stock up on Private Selection Ice Creams on your next Harris Teeter visit to recreate these genius desserts at home.
Tricked Out Cones
Make dipped ice cream cones at home – and get creative with custom ice cream & cone pairings. Crushed cookies, pretzels, pistachios, and sprinkles are just a few of the mix & match combos you could create!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 minute
- Total Time: 6 minutes
- Yield: 12 cones
Ingredients:
- 1 cup Harris Teeter Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
- 12 Harris Teeter Sugar Cones
- Assorted Toppings – crushed cereal, cookies, pretzels, nuts, potato chips, or sprinkles
Directions:
- Prepare your toppings and place them in small bowls with mouths wide enough to fit your cone into, and filled to a level that you want your cones to be coated.
- Lay out a piece of wax paper for drying.
- Melt chocolate in 30 second intervals using your microwave. Don’t overcook! Stir between each 30 seconds. It’s done when it stirs into a smooth consistency.
- Hold the cone at the tip and submerge the cone 1 inch or so into the melted chocolate.
- Allow the excess to drip off, then immediately roll the cone in the toppings. Place the cones standing up on the wax paper to try.
- Once set, fill with your favorite ice cream flavor and enjoy!
- Favorite Pairings include: Private Selection Churro Ice Cream with Harris Teeter Cinnamon Crunch Cereal Cones and Private Selection Cookies & Cream with crumbled Harris Teeter Twist Tops Cones.
Tricked Out Cones
Make dipped ice cream cones at home – and get creative with custom ice cream & cone pairings. Crushed cookies, pretzels, pistachios, and sprinkles are just a few of the mix & match combos you could create!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 minute
- Total Time: 6 minutes
- Yield: 12 cones
Ingredients:
- 1 cup Harris Teeter Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
- 12 Harris Teeter Sugar Cones
- Assorted Toppings – crushed cereal, cookies, pretzels, nuts, potato chips, or sprinkles
Directions:
- Prepare your toppings and place them in small bowls with mouths wide enough to fit your cone into, and filled to a level that you want your cones to be coated.
- Lay out a piece of wax paper for drying.
- Melt chocolate in 30 second intervals using your microwave. Don’t overcook! Stir between each 30 seconds. It’s done when it stirs into a smooth consistency.
- Hold the cone at the tip and submerge the cone 1 inch or so into the melted chocolate.
- Allow the excess to drip off, then immediately roll the cone in the toppings. Place the cones standing up on the wax paper to try.
- Once set, fill with your favorite ice cream flavor and enjoy!
- Favorite Pairings include: Private Selection Churro Ice Cream with Harris Teeter Cinnamon Crunch Cereal Cones and Private Selection Cookies & Cream with crumbled Harris Teeter Twist Tops Cones.
Ice Cream Cupcake Toppers
Icing on top of cupcakes is so… typical! Bring the unexpected to the party with these delightful ice cream topped cupcakes! Mix and match cake flavors and ice cream flavors for delicious combinations. Scoop ice cream in balls and freeze until ready to serve for convenience!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 12 cupcakes
Ingredients:
- 12 baked and cooled cupcakes
- 2 pints of Private Selection Ice Cream
- Optional Garnish: Sprinkles, chocolate sauce and maraschino cherries
Directions:
- Scoop 12 balls of ice cream and freeze until ready to serve.
- Using a knife, level the top of each cupcake – feel free to eat the crumbs! Scrape out a small indentation in the center of each cupcake using a spoon.
- Gently place the ice cream ball in the center of each cupcake and garnish as desired.
Ice Cream Cupcake Toppers
Icing on top of cupcakes is so… typical! Bring the unexpected to the party with these delightful ice cream topped cupcakes! Mix and match cake flavors and ice cream flavors for delicious combinations. Scoop ice cream in balls and freeze until ready to serve for convenience!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 12 cupcakes
Ingredients:
- 12 baked and cooled cupcakes
- 2 pints of Private Selection Ice Cream
- Optional Garnish: Sprinkles, chocolate sauce and maraschino cherries
Directions:
- Scoop 12 balls of ice cream and freeze until ready to serve.
- Using a knife, level the top of each cupcake – feel free to eat the crumbs! Scrape out a small indentation in the center of each cupcake using a spoon.
- Gently place the ice cream ball in the center of each cupcake and garnish as desired.
Affogato
Just because it sounds fancy, doesn’t mean it has to be complicated! A traditional affogato is generally hot espresso poured over ice cream, but mix it up with cocoa, liqueurs, or champagne for a twist on the classic.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 serving
Ingredients:
- 2 scoops of Private Selection Ice Cream (try the Sea Salt Caramel Truffle for this recipe!)
- 2 oz. HT Traders Espresso Roast
Directions:
- Add two scoops of ice cream to a glass or bowl.
- Pour hot espresso over top and serve right away!
Affogato
Just because it sounds fancy, doesn’t mean it has to be complicated! A traditional affogato is generally hot espresso poured over ice cream, but mix it up with cocoa, liqueurs, or champagne for a twist on the classic.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 serving
Ingredients:
- 2 scoops of Private Selection Ice Cream (try the Sea Salt Caramel Truffle for this recipe!)
- 2 oz. HT Traders Espresso Roast
Directions:
- Add two scoops of ice cream to a glass or bowl.
- Pour hot espresso over top and serve right away!
Last Little Bit Ice Cream Treats
Hate throwing away the last little bit of peanut butter or hazelnut spread because you can’t get enough out of the jar for your sandwich? Waste not! Scoop your favorite Private Selection Ice Cream into the almost-done jar for an extra-special, hassle-free treat.
- Prep Time: 3 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 3 minutes
- Yield: 1 serving
Ingredients:
- 1 almost empty jar of peanut butter, hazelnut spread, or jelly
- 1-2 scoops of your favorite Private Selection Ice Cream (try the Denali Extreme Moose Tracks for this recipe!)
- Garnishes: Sprinkles, whipped cream, cherries
Directions:
- Scoop your ice cream into the almost empty jar
- Top with sprinkles, whipped cream and anything else you'd like to add for the perfect sundae!
Last Little Bit Ice Cream Treats
Hate throwing away the last little bit of peanut butter or hazelnut spread because you can’t get enough out of the jar for your sandwich? Waste not! Scoop your favorite Private Selection Ice Cream into the almost-done jar for an extra-special, hassle-free treat.
- Prep Time: 3 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 3 minutes
- Yield: 1 serving
Ingredients:
- 1 almost empty jar of peanut butter, hazelnut spread, or jelly
- 1-2 scoops of your favorite Private Selection Ice Cream (try the Denali Extreme Moose Tracks for this recipe!)
- Garnishes: Sprinkles, whipped cream, cherries
Directions:
- Scoop your ice cream into the almost empty jar
- Top with sprinkles, whipped cream and anything else you'd like to add for the perfect sundae!
Slice ‘O Ice Cream Cookies
A day outside in the heat deserves to be capped off with an ice cream sandwich. Even better, when that ice cream is sandwiched between delicious cookies! With this ice cream carton hack, this treat just takes minutes to make!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 6 sandwiches
Ingredients:
- 2 pints of Private Selection Ice Cream
- 1 dozen assorted Harris Teeter Bakery cookies
- Optional: your favorite ice cream toppings
Directions:
- Cut off the bottom rim of each carton. Using a sharp knife, cut through the pint of ice cream creating discs. Peel off the outer paper from each slice and immediately sandwich the ice cream between two cookies. Repeat with the remaining cookies.
- Add toppings to the edges, if desired and freeze until ready to enjoy.
Slice ‘O Ice Cream Cookies
A day outside in the heat deserves to be capped off with an ice cream sandwich. Even better, when that ice cream is sandwiched between delicious cookies! With this ice cream carton hack, this treat just takes minutes to make!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 6 sandwiches
Ingredients:
- 2 pints of Private Selection Ice Cream
- 1 dozen assorted Harris Teeter Bakery cookies
- Optional: your favorite ice cream toppings
Directions:
- Cut off the bottom rim of each carton. Using a sharp knife, cut through the pint of ice cream creating discs. Peel off the outer paper from each slice and immediately sandwich the ice cream between two cookies. Repeat with the remaining cookies.
- Add toppings to the edges, if desired and freeze until ready to enjoy.
Katie Harding is the publisher of Forks and Folly (Opens in a new tab or window) . A self-taught cook and die-hard foodie, Katie lives in Charlotte with her husband and three boys. Besides cooking and eating, she loves craft beers, running, and napping.