DIY Ice Cream Social

Honor the final dog days of summer with a DIY ice cream social. Ice cream is a crowd pleaser for children and adults alike. Listed are some new and old ways to host an ice cream party.

Old School Churn

Make homemade vanilla ice cream in an old school hand-churned ice cream maker. Or raid the local ice cream truck for fudge pops, drumsticks, Dreamsicles, and Good Humor bars. Suggest guests bring their favorite banana split toppings, and have a contest for the best topped dish. Buy a gallon of Neapolitan and serve it by the scoop on old-fashioned sugar cones.

Grown Up Treats

Serve adult ice cream treats in cocktail glasses. Replace the Ginger Ale in a sherbet parfait with champagne or sparkling white wine, and pour into tall chilled glasses. Mix coffee bean flavored ice cream with a hazelnut flavored liquor or Kahlua and Bailey’s Irish Cream.

Kids’ Table

Ice cream Sandwiches and cookies are perfect for small hands. Let the kids make their own ice cream s’mores with graham crackers, vanilla ice cream, peanuts, and chocolate sauce. Old school ice cream cakes can be found in the freezer section of grocery stores. Provide chopped nuts, fruit cocktail, banana slices, and Neapolitan ice cream for kids to make their own banana split bowls.

Ice Cream Combos

Break out the waffle maker and offer a variety of ice cream and toppers. Make a buffet with ice cream, fresh fruit, pie, honey, fruit syrups, pound cake, and nuts. Use the blender to make milk shakes, ice cream martinis, and ice cream based smoothies with frozen strawberries, and top with whipped cream.