15 Aldi Items You Need To Build The Ultimate Ice Cream Sundae

If you're going to make a sundae, restraint is not what's called for. Fast food sundaes like the ones from McDonald's, Dairy Queen, and Sonic might stick with a single sauce, a squirt of whipped cream, and maybe a cherry or nuts if you're lucky, but when you're making your own, you can and should go to town with all the toppings. To make an inexpensive version of this dream dessert, look to the title for the answer. When shopping at Aldi, even the fanciest foods come at low, low prices.

So what goes into the ultimate sundae? Unless you're at the Iowa State Fair, hot beef, mashed potatoes, and gravy are right out. Sweet sauces, along with creamy and crunchy toppings, are what's needed, plus a few fun mix-ins for that Cold Stone Creamery effect. (This ice cream chain is, after all, one of Gen Z's favorite restaurants.) There might be one salty item to take the edge off all the sweetness, but for the most part, we feel that a truly spectacular sundae should put you in a sugar coma.

You can't have an ice cream sundae without the most fundamental ingredient, so you'll start with a trip to Aldi's freezer case. Decisions, decisions ... Will you go for Sundae Shoppe Chocolate Ice Cream, or would you prefer vanilla bean or strawberry? Of course, there's also butter pecan, mint chocolate chip, and original Moose Tracks. These are all among the most popular ice cream flavors in the U.S., and each one makes a great base for a sundae. You could always go with a selection of flavors, too — at $2.75 per 48-ounce carton, buying more than one variety of Sundae Shoppe ice cream won't break the bank.

If you're looking for really high-quality ice cream at Aldi, then the kind you want comes in a black carton. At $5.49 per 48-ounce carton, Specially Selected Chocolate Super Premium Ice Cream and Specially Selected Vanilla Super Premium Ice Cream cost twice as much as their Sundae Shoppe counterparts, but they're comparable to luxury brands like Häagen-Dazs, which might charge a similar price for just one pint. Even if you're not a fan of the plainer flavors, sundae mix-ins and toppings will take care of that. Or you can have a scoop of this and a scoop of Sundae Shoppe.

Yes, you can deviate from American ice cream and make a sundae from gelato. It's the opposite of super premium ice cream in a way — instead of containing more butterfat than standard ice cream, it actually contains less. At present, Aldi offers two different flavors: Sundae Shoppe Mixed Berry Gelato, which combines the flavors of blackberry, blueberry, raspberry, and strawberry, and Sundae Shoppe Triple Chocolate Gelato, a mélange of dark, milk, and white chocolate swirled together. A 28.5-ounce tub of either flavor will cost you $3.85.

It's not a sundae unless it has a pile of whipped cream squirted on top. Friendly Farms Whipped Dairy Topping, despite the dubious name, is actually made with real heavy cream, conveniently delivered via the magic of aerosol propellant. This is also true of Friendly Farms Extra Creamy Whipped Dairy Topping, which is the same product, only slightly creamier. These items come in 13-ounce cans, and both varieties cost just $2.75.

Over 90% of the products Aldi sells are store-branded (as are 100% of the items on this list), but the chain does offer a decent range of knockoffs. One seriously cheap sauce worth buying at Aldi is Berryhill Chocolate Flavored Syrup, a budget-priced Hershey's dupe. This item is de rigueur for any over-the-top yet affordable sundae since it's cheap enough to drizzle on as much as you like.  

Purchase a 24-ounce squeeze bottle of Berryhill Chocolate Flavored Syrup at Aldi for $2.85.

Some ice cream sundaes are made with mini chocolate chips, but what fun is that? A moderate amount of fun, perhaps, but we want big fun, so we're going with Specially Selected Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chunks instead. These are sufficiently sizable so you'll know when you bite into one. They're made from a premium chocolate that some have compared to Ghirardelli. At 43% cacao, the chunks are dark but not overly bitter like higher-percentage chocolate tends to be.

Purchase a 10-ounce bag of Specially Selected Semi Sweet Chocolate Chunks at Aldi for $4.95.

A sprinkling of nuts on top is an integral part of a well-constructed ice cream sundae (barring any allergies, of course, in which case you may skip to the next slide). What type of nuts are best, though? Pecans are perfect, walnuts are wonderful, and almonds are equally amazing, and Aldi offers all three in ready-to-use form. An 8-ounce bag of Southern Grove Chopped Pecans costs $3.95, while a same-sized package of Southern Grove Chopped Walnuts is just $3.09. As for 6 ounces of Southern Grove Sliced Almonds, it's $3.19.

Cookie dough is a popular ice cream flavor that Aldi doesn't offer, but the store does have a DIY kit. Well, an assemble-it-yourself kit. First, put some ice cream in your cart (see above). Next, add a cup of Bake House Creations Edible Cookie Dough. The dough has chocolate chips and no eggs. At home, soften the ice cream and stir in the dough. Then, add all the other sundae toppings your sugar-loving little heart desires.

Purchase a 6-ounce cup of Bake House Creations Edible Cookie Dough at Aldi for $2.65.

Since Aldi is a comparatively small store, it does have a few gaps in its offerings, but it manages to compensate for them in other ways. While the chain sells neither sprinkles nor cherries, it does have Simply Nature Freeze Dried Strawberries. These can be smashed into shards or crushed into powder to cover your sundae in a festive pink topping that tastes even better than it looks.

Purchase a 1-ounce pouch of Simply Nature Freeze Dried Strawberries at Aldi for $3.29.

Nutella fans, prepare to be shocked: Aldi's copycat spread is actually better than the original! Just like Nutella, Berryhill Hazelnut Spread also makes an amazing ice cream topping. Soften a few spoonfuls in the microwave to turn it into a sauce, diluting with a small splash of milk if necessary. You can also melt one part coconut oil with eight parts spread for a "magic shell" that hardens on contact with the frozen dessert.

Purchase a 13-ounce jar of Berryhill Hazelnut Spread at Aldi for $3.25.

There are several different ways to use Baker's Corner Mini Marshmallows in your ultimate Aldi ice cream concoction. One is to mix them into the ice cream, another is to scatter them on top, while the third involves melting them into a gooey sauce. To make the latter, melt a cup of mini marshmallows in a microwave with a tablespoon or two of heavy cream. Pour the sauce over the sundae and dig in while it's still warm.

Purchase a 10-ounce bag of Baker's Corner Mini Marshmallows at Aldi for $1.29.

Even though Aldi does sell its own version of Moose Tracks ice cream, as mentioned above, if it's out of stock or if you prefer to purchase one of the premium ice creams that only come in chocolate or vanilla, it doesn't matter. You can always add a handful of Choceur Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups to your sundae. These candies are a must-have chocolate item that always has customers running back for more, and they're just as good with ice cream as they are eaten out of hand.

Purchase a 12-ounce bag of Choceur Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups at Aldi for $5.49.

If you're someone who stays on top of food trends, you'll know that sweet and savory is still very much a thing, so you'll want to add that element to your sundae as well. There's no need to go crazy with mustard or ranch dressing (Van Leeuwen's has made both of these ice cream flavors, but neither really caught on). Crunchy Clancy's Pretzel Mini Twists will do the trick, counterbalancing the sugar with the saltiness without introducing any inharmonious elements.

Purchase a 16-ounce bag of Clancy's Pretzel Mini Twists at Aldi for $2.45.

Benton's Mini Waffle Dark Chocolate Cones and Benton's Mini Waffle Milk Chocolate Cones are cookies with outer shells made of ice cream cone material and interiors filled with hard chocolate similar to what you'd find at the tip of a Drumstick or Nutty Buddy ice cream cone. When you mix them into slightly softened ice cream or sprinkle them over the top of your sundae, you create a self-referential and slightly deconstructed ice cream treat. So meta. Both 4.23-ounce bags go for $4.39. 

For the ultimate ice cream sundae, use a frozen breakfast classic: Aldi's Breakfast Best Homestyle Waffles. Toast the waffle, add ice cream and toppings, and enjoy your delicious breakfast dessert. Better yet, add another waffle on top to make an ice cream sundae sandwich.

Purchase a 10-count, 12.3-ounce box of Breakfast Best Homestyle Waffles at Aldi for $2.39.