11 Ways To Upgrade Plain Vanilla Ice Cream

Over the centuries since the advent of ice cream, the frozen treat's flavor range has expanded considerably and become full of creative ingredient combinations. But in spite of the rainbow of flavors available at grocery stores and ice cream parlors across the world, vanilla remains a classic for a reason.

"Vanilla is the true test of great ice cream," says Mark Cohen, ice cream maker and owner of the Maryland-based chain Always Ice Cream Company. "It should be rich, sweet, smooth, and slightly buttery."

When you pick up a pint of vanilla ice cream from the grocery store, your first few bites (or licks) will likely be nothing short of these delicious qualities. But in spite of all of these virtues, vanilla ice cream is characteristically mild — and, dare we say, plain. If you are looking to give your scoop some new flavor and texture dimensions, you've come to the right place. Check out this guide, featuring advice from multiple ice cream experts, to 11 ways to upgrade plain vanilla ice cream.

When selecting your vanilla ice cream base, not all pints are created equal. Maryland ice cream expert Bryan Soronson, who has tasted more than 1,000 scoops of ice cream across nearly 40 countries, says that the amount of toppings or mix-ins you add to your vanilla ice cream should depend on the ice cream's quality. "If you're going to put a lot of toppings on ... don't waste your money buying the expensive ice cream," he says. "You're not going to taste the nuances that the vanilla ice cream provides at the higher end." 

Soronson also advises paying attention to the type and quality of vanilla ice cream you're working with. For example, he says, Philadelphia-style ice cream is made without eggs for a cleaner vanilla flavor, while French-style ice cream is custardy from the addition of eggs. Similarly, Soronson adds that ice cream quality ranges from Economy, with the lowest amount of butterfat (or milkfat) and the highest overrun (or air volume), to Superpremium, which contains the highest amount of butterfat and the lowest overrun. 

Ice cream brands often disclose their ingredients and classifications online — so determine how rich you want your vanilla ice cream concoction to be, and choose your base accordingly. If you have a cheap pint of vanilla sitting in your freezer, fear not! According to Soronson, Economy vanilla ice cream is the perfect canvas for a variety of delicious and inventive toppings.

There is a reason you will see hot fudge sauce and caramel syrup at ice cream parlors across the country — they are a well-loved and nostalgic addition to any scoop, but especially to a mild vanilla canvas. Plus, the contrast between a warm candy sauce and cold, creamy ice cream is a winning combination.

One of Bryan Soronson's favorite ways to upgrade plain vanilla ice cream is with a small amount of high-quality chocolate or caramel sauce. Just as when choosing your vanilla ice cream, Soronson says it is important to use a discerning eye when selecting your syrup. 

"Read the ingredients on it," he says. "Use products like this that are very clean and authentic without extra distractions." Looking for some inspiration? Check out our guide to the best (and worst) store-bought hot fudge brands, or learn how to make the easiest caramel of your life at home.

For a sweet and tart kick to a rich vanilla ice cream base, experts love mixing fresh berries into their scoops. Mark Cohen is a fan of strawberries and blueberries, while Bryan Soronson also loves raspberries and blackberries. 

You might think it's redundant or inconvenient to buy vanilla ice cream and add in berries, rather than, say, just purchasing strawberry ice cream from the grocery store. But Soronson says that the experience of eating a clean or custardy vanilla with bursts of fresh berry flavor is a completely different (and worthwhile) experience. 

"Since you're eating it [right away], then you're not going to get the iciness in the fruit," he says. "In some strawberry ice creams with the strawberries in them, the fruit gets icy." While you can't go wrong with sprinkling fresh berries right on top of your vanilla ice cream, Soronson recommends mixing the ice cream and fruit together in your dish. "I almost like the mixing of [berries] better than the topping, because it becomes part of the fabric of the ice cream," he says.

Who says that all ice cream sauces have to be sweet? Bryan Soronson says that drizzling olive oil over your ice cream will make for an even richer and more complex bite. "It brings out the sweetness of the olive oil," he says. "If you have a good extra-virgin Spanish, or Italian, or Croatian olive oil, it really is nice."

If you are not ready to take the plunge into using straight olive oil on your vanilla ice cream, embrace a middle ground first by turning olive oil into caramel topping with the help of one extra ingredient. Or, for those who have already dabbled with olive oil and are looking for something more adventurous, try out this unexpected oil that pairs perfectly with ice cream. Whatever route you take, Soronson says he is a fan of finishing the oil-topped creation with a pinch of Himalayan pink salt.

It is no surprise that cookie crumbles have made the ingredient list for vanilla ice cream upgrades. After all, who isn't a fan of cookies-and-cream ice cream? 

Of course, there is nothing wrong with crushing up your favorite chocolate sandwich cookie on top of (or mixing it into) your dish of plain vanilla, but Mark Cohen has an alternative that might just be even sweeter: his go-to is shortbread cookies. "The shortbread softens into the ice cream, making the perfect texture in every bite," he says. 

Shortbread cookies are easy to find at the grocery store, but if you have a little more time on your hands, you can bake your own to snack on and crumble into ice cream — just be sure to avoid this rookie mistake for perfect shortbread. Although a classic shortbread imparts plenty of delicious, buttery flavor, you might also want to experiment with other shortbread cookie flavors that complement vanilla, such as lemon, chocolate, or coconut.

For some extra crunch, as well as some additional toasty (and, well, nutty) flavor, Bryan Soronson recommends mixing some finely chopped nuts into your plain ice cream. Not only are they a fun textural shake-up, but their flavor is harmonious with the subtle sweetness of vanilla.

Wondering where to start? Some of Soronson's favorite nuts to add to vanilla ice cream include almonds, pecans, and pistachios. You can try them raw, or you can go with roasted and salted nuts for a classic salty-sweet contrast. Just like with mixing in fresh fruit, adding nuts to plain vanilla ice cream will give you a completely different flavor profile than store-bought ice cream with the nuts already mixed into the pint. For example, "You're not making a pistachio ice cream by putting the pistachios in at the end," Soronson says. "You're getting the vanilla."

There is certainly no flavor combination more classic than chocolate and vanilla. Bryan Soronson swears by marrying the two flavors by mixing mini chocolate chips into your scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Why mini chocolate chips, as opposed to larger hunks of chocolate? Soronson says that smaller pieces will detract too much from the delicious vanilla ice cream base with which you started. With mini chocolate chips, you will be able to savor the creamy finish of your ice cream, but you will also enjoy some delightful, percussive pops and crunches when you sink your teeth into one of those chocolate morsels.

Soronson recommends using "small pieces of good-quality chocolate — not a lot, not M&M's, not ground-up Butterfingers. To me, that overwhelms the ice cream." That said, if you find yourself with a craving for a big-name candy bar, Soronson says he's not here to yuck your yum; however, he advises opting for a lower-end vanilla ice cream that will serve as more of a blank slate for your favorite candy mix-ins. 

For another drizzleable upgrade to vanilla ice cream, try out some honey. Experts agree that adding some of this liquid gold on top of your scoop is an underrated way to take vanilla flavor to the next level. "It adds the perfect touch of sweetness," says Mark Cohen about honey on vanilla ice cream. "You'll be hooked on it," he says.

Bryan Soronson is also a fan of finishing off your ice cream with a dash of honey; however, he would only use it sparingly. "I'm more of a minimalist," he says, but "a good honey has a very nice flavor."

Of course, you can go with a classic honey, but don't be afraid to spice things up (literally) with an infusion. For example, you can make your own hot honey at home (here's how long you should infuse it for the best flavor), or pick up a bottle of honey infused with anything from brandy to lavender.

It's no secret that our experts love the taste of fresh fruit in their vanilla ice cream, but to make a topping with an even more concentrated, jammy flavor, Bryan Soronson swears by cooking his fruit down into a compote. Better yet? It's only one ingredient. 

Although there are plenty of fruit compotes that you can buy in jars at your local grocery store, online retailer, or farmer's market, it is easy to make a one-ingredient compote for your vanilla ice cream at home. Soronson fills a saucepan with the fruit of his choice, and then simply cooks it down on the stove until it has reached his desired consistency. 

"I make a fruit compote without sugar. We just cook them up in a pot," he says. "That really brings the flavor profile out, especially in a better vanilla ice cream. I also like the seeds."

At Always Ice Cream Company, Mark Cohen says, "We've done some pretty crazy pairings with vanilla." Many of them have included savory flavors, including everything bagel seasoning and, in an homage to the chain's Maryland home, Old Bay. Those flavors, and many other seasoning blends typically used for savory cooking, are effortless complements to plain vanilla ice cream. "That's the beauty of vanilla," he says. "It's incredibly versatile and the perfect starting point for almost any flavor."

Bryan Soronson is a fan of Himalayan pink salt on plain ice cream, which he says brings out the understated flavors of a good-quality vanilla. Just as with his advice for honey, he adds that you should use these savory ingredients with a light hand for best results.

"Whenever you add something, start with a small amount and taste," he says. "Put a small amount of ice cream and a small amount of the extra item in, and then add as you feel that you would like to."

When it comes to upgrading vanilla ice cream, not all of your toppings and mix-ins have to be ultra-sophisticated or unconventional. In fact, one of Mark Cohen's favorite toppings has long been a mainstay at scoop shops across the country. "Classic rainbow sprinkles are hard to beat," he says. "They're nostalgic, and always a favorite!"

Of course, sprinkles, which are predominantly composed of sugar, lend an extra boost of sweetness to a plain scoop of vanilla ice cream, but that is far from their only perk. They also add some crunch to the creamy ice cream, as do many of the other ingredients on this list. 

However, unlike shortbread cookie crumbles, chopped nuts, or miniature chocolate chips, sprinkles add something truly singular: color! As the sprinkles sit on your vanilla ice cream, their colors will begin to bleed into the scoop itself, turning a plain white vanilla base into a kaleidoscope of cheerful colors. This nostalgic picture alone is enough of a reason to shake them on top of your dish.