The Best Ice-Cream Sundae You'll Ever Have (With Bourbon Caramel Sauce)

A scoop of creamy ice-cream is the loveliest way to end a long day, don't you think? So when Dana of Minimalist Baker sent over her recipe for a killer ice-cream sundae you can make in less than 15 minutes, I nearly fell off my chair. Here’s how to whip one up...
The Best Ice Cream Sundae You'll Ever Have
By Dana, author of Minimalist Baker and co-author of the new Charity Water E-Cookbook

There's a lot I could say about ice cream, but let's start with this: it's my favorite. When I thought about sharing my ultimate sundae on Cup of Jo, all kinds of ideas swirled around my head—think over-the-top ingredients like homemade peanut butter cups, fudge ripples and banana-infused whipped cream. But when it came down to it, I stuck to the flavors that I know and love best.

My "ultimate sundae" features chocolate and vanilla ice cream from a local dairy here in Kansas, crushed salted peanuts, dark chocolate syrup, sliced banana, homemade whipped cream, and to top it all off, a homemade caramel bourbon sauce that's probably the best condiment I've ever put in my mouth.

If you make this sundae, you simply mustn't go without this sauce. It requires just a handful of simple ingredients and comes together in about 15 minutes. Who knew such a small commitment could yield such a grand prize? Bottom line: the main focus here is quality ingredients. Source local ingredients where you can and keep it as fresh, simple and decadent as possible. After all, what would an ultimate sundae be without that?

Recipe: Ultimate Ice Cream Sundae with Caramel Bourbon Sauce
Makes 1 serving

You'll need:

For the sundae:
1 scoop quality chocolate ice cream
1 scoop quality vanilla ice cream
1 tbsp. dark chocolate sauce
1 tbsp. crushed salted peanuts
1/4 banana, sliced
1/4 cup homemade bourbon caramel sauce (recipe below)
Homemade whipped cream, for topping

For the 15-minute bourbon caramel sauce:
1 cup sugar
½ cup heavy cream
1 tbsp. bourbon (we used Evan Williams Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey)
Pinch of salt (optional)

Scoop ice cream into a sundae dish, bowl or wine glass, and go wild with toppings. This is the ultimate sundae: go big or go home.

For the caramel sauce: Simmer sugar and ¼ cup water on medium heat, swirling pan (NOT stirring) for about 15 minutes, or until a deep amber color is reached. Then turn off burner, remove from heat and slowly add cream while stirring. Add pinch of salt and bourbon and place back on still-warm burner for another minute while stirring. Transfer to a heat-safe dish or bottle and let cool. Store covered in the refrigerator, and bring to room temperature or heat in a warm water bath before serving.
How delicious does this look?! Thank you so much, Dana!

P.S. More best recipes, including salted caramel brownies and a chocolate ice cream (no machine required).

(Recipe and photos by Dana of Minimalist Baker. Thanks to Shoko for helping with this series.)