Skip the Line and Try These Ice Cream Parlor-Inspired Recipes at Home Instead

From trendy New York City fro-yo shops to small town ice cream parlors to jingle-blasting ice cream trucks, lines for ice cream can get long come summer. But when the heat is on, we’re firm believers that you shouldn’t have to wait. Enter: These homemade ice cream treat ideas that allow you to recreate all of your parlor picks at home any time a craving strikes.

Fall in love with these sundaes, ice cream sandwiches, cones, malts, milkshakes and more this summer, then keep your favorites on the menu all year long. Because once you’ve got the scoop about how to DIY, it’s always ice cream season if you declare it so.

A classic hot fudge sundae never goes out of style, if you ask us. But it does melt, so you’ll want to have your spoon ready to dive in the moment after you slather this silky and rich sauce over a scoop — or several — of vanilla ice cream. Besides the well-balanced chocolate sauce, we’re wild about how pastry chef Mindy Segal dresses up her dish: with a dollop of cherry juice-infused whipped cream and a few crunchy pistachios.

As a kid, Kardea Brown never had a tough time deciding what to order from her neighborhood ice cream truck. She’d always choose the same thing: “Those strawberry-flavored ice cream bars coated in sweet pink cookie crumbles,” she reminisced. “For fun, I decided to make those summertime treats myself — all the way down to the homemade strawberry ice cream.” We adore the versatility of this recipe. Enjoy the summery strawberry ice cream on its own, use it as the foundation for from-scratch bars or dress up store-bought ice cream scoops or bars with Kardea’s crunch coating made with melted butter, vanilla cream-filled sandwich cookies and strawberry gelatin.

Does anyone else get ultra-nostalgic when they see a Drumstick? If you join us in that culinary camp, then chances are high that you’ll dig this homemade riff. Unlike with a drum kit, you don’t need extensive lessons to master this remix. To make one, simply drop a malted milk ball in the bottom of an ice cream cone, then pile it high with candy-infused ice cream. Dip the top in chocolate or peanut butter shell, and finish with a flourish of chopped roasted peanuts.

Even though it has been nearly 5 years since Klondike discontinued their Choco Taco, we’re honestly still getting over it. Luckily, creative culinary pros like Molly Yeh have swooped in with recipes for dupes that are just as delicious. Her homemade vanilla-almond “taco” shells are the ideal vehicle for store-bought ice cream, a savvy two-redirect chocolate shell and chopped nuts.

Designed to mimic those beloved Dairy Queen Dilly Bars, these pops are perfect for beginners. Simply slice thick rounds from a pint of ice cream, slide in a wooden ice pop stick, then dunk in melted chocolate. Unlike their DQ menu counterparts, these pops can be perked up with any flavor of ice cream — mint chocolate chip, cookies and cream and strawberry are team favorites, but you do you! After freezing for just 30 seconds, these customizable creations are ready to devour.

After investing more funds than she’d care to admit at Pinkberry, Victoria E. wrote in and asked us to track down the fro-yo shop’s signature recipe. Pinkberry reps told us they’d never dish, so our Food Network Kitchen wizards designed this tart and tasty copycat recipe made with plain and Greek yogurt, sugar, corn syrup … and nothing else. One five-star reviewer says, “this yogurt is tangy, fruity, airy yet creamy, and slightly sweet! Thank you for the excellent remake of the famous frozen yogurt. I actually think I like this version better!”

Jazz up your favorite vanilla ice cream (we’re partial to Häagen-Dazs, how about you?) by blending it with fresh or frozen berries, a scoop of malted milk powder, a splash of milk and a shot of almond-scented amaretto liqueur. The result? A grown-up, sippable shake that’s fruity, nutty and rich … and only missing your straw.

Waffle cones and bowls shouldn’t get all the glory. Try serving your favorite flavor of ice cream inside DIY chocolate cupcake liners. (We promise these are a breeze to make in a matter of minutes!) Then all that’s left to do is pipe whipped cream on top to act as the “icing,” and decorate as desired with your favorite ice cream toppings, such as sprinkles, chopped toasted nuts or mini chocolate chips.

This Ree Drummond recipe should come with a (friendly) warning, according to one Food Network fan: “I don't know anyone who hasn't loved it. I have had several requests — more like demands — to make these for retirement, going away and birthday parties. YUM!” To make service simple for a crowd, set out squares of the coffee-boosted blondies alongside an ice cream scoop, vanilla or salted caramel ice cream, plus hot fudge and caramel sauce for drizzling. Then you can instruct everyone to BYOS, or build-your-own-sundae.

Why choose between cake or ice cream when you can enjoy both in one playful, nostalgic slice? Designed to resemble one of the best freezer staples, this 24-serving supersized ice cream sandwich is deceptively simple to make thanks to a box of chocolate cake mix and store-bought ice cream. Pair the two, and you’ll be treated to what one home baker declares an “AWESOME dessert! I made one for my husband's birthday, and it was a huge hit. We had some friends over for some cake and everyone loved it. It really has that ‘WOW’ factor.”