Weird Ice Cream Toppings That Shouldn’t Work But Totally Do

Some things just go perfectly together, like soft serve vanilla ice cream topped with a generous amount of rainbow sprinkles (or "jimmies," if that's your thing). Yet just because sprinkles on ice cream may be the gold standard doesn't mean there isn't a world of other ice cream toppings out there that you may be surprised taste just as good—if very different from what you're used to. 

Whether you're in the mood for something salty and sweet, extra creamy, or even a little savory, there's a unique ice cream combo out there you'll likely spark to.

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Next time you have a pint of ice cream stashed in the back of the freezer (and honestly, get yourself to the grocery store, stat, if you happen to be lacking one) try these strange ice cream toppings on for size. You may surprise yourself by putting away those sprinkles for quite some time.

Corn Chips

Crush up some Fritos (or whatever corn chip you prefer!) for a topping that is reminiscent of crushed peanuts. You can also pulverize these into dust for a salty take on graham cracker crumbs.

 

Olive Oil 

It might sound odd, but if you've ever had an olive oil cake (such as the one from Little House Confections in Los Angeles, which the Kardashians are famous for touting) you know that this pasta favorite can be equally delicious in a dessert. Top some A+ vanilla ice cream with the best olive oil you can find, and add some flakey sea salt for good measure. Trust. 

 

Caramel Popcorn

If you love salted caramel ice cream, you'll love this combo, which has the same flavor profile just with a little bit of extra crunch.

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Potato Chips 

Much like the corn chips, this adds a salty crunch, and if you've ever dipped French fries into a milkshake, you already know this combo is excellent.  Throw in a few chocolate chips for a treat reminiscent of chocolate-covered pretzels. 

 

Grilled Pineapple

The barbecue may not be the first place you go to make dessert, but grilling fruits brings out their natural sweetness. If you really love fruity desserts like cobblers, you'll love this stripped-down version for your ice cream.

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Fruity Pebbles

It's basically cereal and milk, but way, way tastier.

 

Crushed Wasabi Peas 

Okay, yes, this may sound like a weird choice, but trust: Wasabi peas just work on ice cream. The ice cream soothes any spiciness and the crunchy peas provide a pleasant texture. 

 

Ground Espresso Beans

Get your caffeine kick in a different way by sprinkling the dirt-like grounds over your ice cream. If you love coffee ice cream, this is basically the next step up.

 

Espresso

If you don't love the texture of the crushed beans, try your ice cream this way. It's known as affogato al caffe in Italy and will make you feel very fancy.

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Sesame Seeds

If you aren't willing to go full-on Everything Bagel ice cream yet (the onions and garlic just aren't for everyone) sesame seeds are a good place to start. On ice cream, they taste pretty neutral in terms of savoriness and may remind you of Chinese sesame seed candy.

 

Want to read more about ice cream? Click HERE to read what your favorite Jeni's Ice Cream flavor says about you.