Snack Bar, Vol 10: Girl Power & Sundaes

This Saint Louis-based ice cream shop thankfully delivers its Oprah-approved pints across the country, so no party has to go without flavors like Call Me Hot Honey, Midnight Pleasures, or Salted Cookies & Cream. These rich, but not-too-sweet flavors are sophisticated and made for adults (but kids will love them too). Clementine’s Creamery serves scoops of small-batch traditional, vegan, and alcoholic ice creams. Though the brand is famous for flavors like Red Velvet Cupcake, which features an entire cupcake inside each pint, you’ll also find luscious Southern classics like a Gooey Butter Cake that’s delightfully tangy and packed with fresh, dense cake chunks. Founder and CEO Tamara Keefe left the corporate world to launch her ice cream shop in 2014. Today, she runs six brick-and-mortar shops and a booming online store that you need to visit STAT.

We couldn’t talk about female-founded sundae bar products without making room for Jeni and her divine ice creams. I’m a sucker for any pint with something new and interesting to offer, and Jeni’s splendid offerings never disappoint. The brand’s best sellers include a perfectly sweet-tart Bramble Berry Crisp and a nutty and crunchy Almond Brittle. I must say, the two make an excellent match in a sundae.

You might think that all sprinkles are the same until you try these incredibly crunchy, oh-so-whimsical toppings from Sweetapolita. The company makes dozens of vibrant toppings, from a mixed bag that screams “celebrate!” to elegant, glittery combos for romance. There’s truly a Sweetapolita sprinkle blend for every occasion. The products were inspired by founder Rosie Alyea’s search for show-stopping cake decorations while writing a baking book in 2015. I love how crunchy, substantial, and textured these sprinkles are, without a hint of that stale waxy flavor you often get.

You can’t call it a sundae if it doesn’t have whipped cream, and these funky canisters from Whiptonic are anything but your typical whip. This sister-owned line of flavored whipped creams shook up a fairly stale category by introducing a new note of decadence to the dessert topping. Owners Tracy and Lori developed aerosol canisters that dispense a flavored gel along with the perfectly swirled vanilla cream. The Strawberry Swirl flavor is not only adorably pink, but also fruity and fresh-tasting, and the Vanilla Salted Caramel is a big hit with anyone with a sweet tooth. Plus there are no nasty preservatives in these creams.

This grown-up version of that chocolate-hazelnut spread we all know and love is right at home on an ice cream sundae. This nutty sauce is made with olive oil and is just sweet enough to taste like dessert without a total sugar rush (the ice cream, sprinkles, and whipped cream should take care of that for you). This topping from Ghia, a company most known for its non-alcoholic canned cocktails and aperitifs, is the ideal way to elevate your ice cream bar. I’d also happily eat this spread on toast, waffles, or straight from the jar. I especially love the texture of the crunchy version, but the smooth option is also delish (my rec? Get one of each).

Sunday Night Foods has taken what you think you know about hot fudge sauce to new heights. There are no dodgy oils here, just Callebaut chocolate, sugar, cream, and butter. As a salty-and-sweet lover, I can’t get enough of the Sea Salt Chocolate flavor, and the Dark + Decadent Chocolate sauce is rich and fudgy enough even for my dark chocolate purist mother, who won’t touch a bar made with less than 80% cacao. This is the good stuff made for dressing up a simple vanilla or strawberry scoop.

Since there’s no such thing as gilding the lily in the world of woman-owned sundae ingredients, let’s throw one of New York City’s most prized baked goods into the mix, too. Levain Bakery, founded by friends Pan Weekes and Connie McDonald, has become a pastry sensation, with 15 bakery locations across the country. If you don’t live in NYC, DC, Boston, Chicago, or LA (or just don’t want to wait in line), Levain also ships its most popular treats nationwide. The Signature Cookie Assortment includes Chocolate Chip Walnut, Dark Chocolate Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal Raisin and Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip. Every Levain cookie has the soft, doughy texture you want in a sundae. I love that you can scoop up cookie chunks to get a little extra decadence in every bite. To take things up a level, warm your cookie in the microwave for a few seconds and savor the play of hot and cold in your bowl.

If you’re more of a crunchy cookie fan, I direct you to Milk Bar Super Crunchy Cookies (the name speaks for itself). These bites are tiny, buttery and get their extra-crisp texture from puffed rice cereal mixed in with chocolate chips. These cuties are the brainchild of dessert queen Christina Tosi, so you know they’re sweet and just a touch salty. I love the Pretzel-y Chocolate Chip Cookies, which make wonderful sugary crumbs when crushed over a bowl of ice cream.

Though a traditional sundae may be served in a bowl, this is your masterpiece, and you can have a cone if you want! Just make sure it’s a Konery cone. These thick, sculptural waffle cones come in various flavors, including rainbow-flecked Birthday Cake, striking Midnight Black Vanilla, and even a funky Salted Blue Corn. Each cone is buttery, fresh-tasting, and won’t waffle under the weight of your ice cream.

To top your art-like sundae off, pluck a bourbon-soaked cherry from a jar of Boozy Cherries from Yes Cocktail Co. These preserved fruits are a far cry from the neon-red stones bobbing in a Shirley Temple. The dark purple cherries are floating in a thick syrup made from Kentucky bourbon, which adds just the boozy finish that a sundae from woman-owned brands deserves.