Are you throwing together a birthday party or other event for a friend or family member? Have you ever considered doing a dessert party? Americans love ice cream: in any two-week period, the NPD Group estimates that 40% of the country will eat some ice cream. Most of us are eating it an average of nearly 29 times every year. We produce 1.5 billion gallons of ice cream and other similar frozen desserts every year. Here’s why an ice cream buffet makes a great party and, from colored spoons to gelato supplies, how to get ready for it.
- Ice cream is a great way to please everyone. Did you read those statistics above? Americans love ice cream and frozen dairy products. There’s literally something for everyone, which is why 90% of households in America are regularly whipping out some kind of sweet, frozen dessert. Ice cream is easily made gluten-free, as there are lots of flavors that don’t include cookies, brownies, or other wheat-filled add-ons. It’s also naturally vegetarian-friendly. You can even get vegan-friendly options made with coconut milk and other ingredients that will also be good for those with dairy-allergies.
- Ice cream buffets take the work out of the party for you, while still making you look great! Vanilla is still America’s most popular flavor, according to the International Ice Cream Association. If you’re making food for a party, you have to make a wide variety to keep everyone happy. If you’re throwing an ice cream buffet, it’s like buying the ingredients for 20 different cakes and then putting them out for the guests to make themselves! You could literally just buy a couple types of vanilla, get a bunch of delicious add-ins and pour-ons, provide colored spoons and ice cream cups, and then let everyone go nuts.
- Ok, so what do I do first? First you’ll need ice cream. Think about who’s coming. If this is a party for children, you might give them less control over their add-ons and get more types of interesting ice cream to start with. Kid favorites include ice creams with lots of colors and anything with candy, cookies, or brownies mixed in. If your party is mainly adults, serve classic flavors like vanilla and chocolate. Try adding one interesting flavor, such as ginger or coffee, and then providing plenty of other dessert supplies to scoop or drizzle on top.
- What do I do next? Get creative with what you put on and in the ice cream. Pretzels, potato chips, and crushed cookies make great toppings. So do all types of fruit. You can include sprinkles of different sorts, gummy candies, chopped up candy bars, and other kinds of candy. Whipped cream, hot fudge, salted caramel sauce, a warm berry sauce: these are all popular crowd favorites as well.
- What will make the party really stand out? In addition to your ice cream and things to put on and in it, don’t skimp on the ice cream party supplies. You’ll want colored spoons, paper ice cream cups for those who don’t want a cone, and containers of different sizes for different guests. Kids will love brightly colored spoons and custom ice cream cups. Adults may prefer more sophisticated plastic spoons and paraphernalia for their ice cream sundaes.
The ice cream party is a great way to give your party guests a great time while also decreasing your own stress. Let your guests make their party food for themselves. Load up on some great frozen desserts, some popular mix-ins, some party colored spoons and paper ice cream cups, and then sit back and listen to everyone rave.