The Menefield and Snow families have teamed up to showcase their favorite sweet holiday dessert ideas… with ice cream! Elissa and Courtney both love making fun holiday memories with their little ones, and these recipes have some options that the kids can help with – or even make all by themselves! (Plus, we have some sweet options for the grown-ups, too!)
I told my daughter that we were going to do some super fun holiday sweets this time, and she literally couldn’t wait for me to set everything up. She opened up her favorite – Mint Cookie Dough, took a big spoonful, and said, “This is even better than last time!” 😊
Sweet Holiday Drink {for the Kids}
Hot Chocolate Float – Courtney
What’s better for the holidays than hot chocolate and peppermint?! A hot chocolate float WITH peppermint, of course! My daughter’s favorite ice cream was the perfect pairing for this treat.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Packet of hot chocolate
- Peppermint bark
- Hudsonville Extra Indulgent Mint Cookie Dough Ice Cream
How to make it:
- Prepare your hot chocolate as you normally would
- Add 2 small-medium scoops of Mint Cookie Dough Ice Cream
- Crumble up the peppermint bark, and sprinkle on top
- Sit back, sip, and enjoy!
Sweet Holiday Drinks {for the Grown-Ups!}
Affogato (Espresso Ice Cream) – Courtney
I am the biggest coffee and espresso lover, and I treated myself to an espresso maker last year – one of the best decisions I’ve ever made! So, I grabbed a festive holiday glass and put it with one of my favorite ice creams from Hudsonville. It was delicious!!
Affogato is the Italian word for “drowned” and is a coffee-based Italian dessert (I’ve got a lot of Italian in me, so it explains why I love this so much). The espresso “drowns” the ice cream, giving it its name.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Hudsonville’s Dairy Free S’Mores
- 2 cups of espresso (or hot coffee will work as well!)
How to make it:
- Start brewing your espresso
- While that’s brewing, add 2 small-medium scoops of ice cream to your glass
- The espresso should be done by about then, so slowly pour it over the top center of your scoops
- Grab a spoon, and you can sip and eat it at your pleasure as it all slowly blends together
Beer Float – Elissa
My husband loves a good brew and a good dessert, so I thought this would be the perfect treat for us to try. We like to experiment and thought the richness of Hudsonville Ice Cream would pair perfectly with a smooth and creamy dark beer. Spoiler alert: we were right.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Your choice of Hudsonville Ice Cream (I chose Double Chocolate Almond and hubby chose Triple Peanut Butter Cup)
- Your choice of dark beer (we used Guinness)
How to make it:
- Scoop, pour, & enjoy!
Delicious Holiday Treats
Ice Cream Cake – Elissa
I really enjoy a pretty dessert, and I love presenting it to my family and friends to enjoy. It’s even better when it’s pleasing to the eye and takes minimal effort. I had so much fun making this treat, and it was so, so easy.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Chocolate chip cookie dough (homemade or store bought)
- Hudsonville Ice Cream- I chose Seaside Caramel
- Sugar ice cream cones
- Powdered sugar
- Milk
- Sprinkles
How to make it:
- Press the cookie dough into the bottom of a spring form pan and bake at 350 degrees until done (about 20-30 minutes depending on thickness) and let cool.
- Let the ice cream sit out for several minutes to soften.
- Scoop ice cream onto cookie and spread with a spatula. Cover and put it back in the freezer.
- For the ice cream decorations, use powdered sugar (about 1 cup) and mixing it with milk to make a quick icing. Start with a teaspoon, and move up from there. Be careful not to add too much milk! Mix until thick but dippable.
- Dip the points of the cones in the icing and let all the excess run off. Sit out to dry for a few minutes and then roll in your choice of festive sprinkles.
- Use the cones to create a snowy forest on the top of your ice cream cake. I used plain cones stacked underneath my dipped ones to create varying heights.
- Pro Tip: When removing from the springform pan, fill a large bowl, pot, or even your sink with hot water. Dip the bottom and sides of the pan in the water to loosen it and then open the pan on whatever plate you would like to serve it on. Also, run your knife under hot water before cutting.
Ice Cream Ornaments – Courtney
These were super fun and the most anticipated holiday ice cream “craft” we did together. We found the idea on Pinterest, and it seemed like one my 11-year old could handle herself. We went with the very fine sprinkles, because my girl wanted them to match the decorative light-up ornaments she picked out from the store. She wasn’t a big fan of the Twizzlers and Reese’s combination taste, but she was very pleased with how the ice cream ornaments looked when she was done!
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Twizzlers Pull ‘n’ Peel
- Reese’s Mini Peanut Butter Cups
- Sprinkles
- Extra Indulgent Raspberry Chocolate Chunk and Cookies N’ Cream Ice Cream (make sure it’s frozen nice and hard)
How to make them:
- Prep your ornament toppers
- Use one Reese’s mini cup for each ice cream ornament you plan to make
- Pull off single strands of a Twizzler Pull ‘n’ Peel and tear into about 3” pieces (one section for each topper)
- Form a hole in the top of your Reese’s cup, just big enough to push your Twizzler pieces in (I used the pointed end of a chopstick, and it was perfect!)
- Twist the ends of your Twizzler pieces together and try to press it together to hold well, and gently push it into the hole you created in the top of the Reese’s cup
- Ensure the ornament topper is secure, and pop them in the freezer until you’re done with the rest
- Make about a tennis ball-sized round scoop on a plate
- Pour your desired sprinkles on the top and let them fall down the sides and onto the plate
- Grab your toppers and make sure they’re sitting securely on the top
- Freeze them if you’re not enjoying immediately
- Grab a spoon, and dig in when it’s time!
Ice Cream Sandwiches Two Ways
Ginger Snap Sandwiches – Courtney
Usually, my daughter pretends like she won’t touch my vegan foods and dairy-free desserts, but she begged to try these, and I almost had to fight her for a few of my own!
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Ginger Snap Cookies
- Hudsonville Dairy Free Peanut Butter Truffle
How to make them:
- Lay out some ginger snaps with the flat side up
- Use a regular spoon to scoop the perfect amount of ice cream onto each ginger snap
- Place a second ginger snap on top of the ice cream (flat sides towards the ice cream!) and press ever so slightly
- Put in the freezer for 10-15 minutes (if your kids can hold out that long!) – it hardens the ice cream and softens the ginger snaps
- Enjoy!
Chocolate Chip Cookie Sandwiches – Elissa
One of my favorite holiday traditions is baking cookies with family. My mom loves to bake and has passed on her passion to me, and I am passing it on to my daughter as well.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- We made our own chocolate chip cookies from scratch (just follow the recipe on the bag or use a family recipe!), but feel free to simplify your life even further and use pre-made or break + bake
- Your favorite Hudsonville Ice Cream – My daughter chose Cookies ‘N Cream, and the rest of us chose Triple Peanut Butter Cup (I cannot recommend this flavor enough. Peanut butter ice cream, with peanut butter cups and my favorite peanut butter sauce swirl that is a little crunchy when frozen and the absolute best)
- Sprinkles to roll your ice cream sandwich in and coat the edges
How to make them:
- Prep your cookies, and let them cool
- Scoop your favorite ice cream between two cookies (against the flat sides!)
- Roll the sides across your sprinkles, and enjoy!
Which recipe will you try with your family this holiday season? Use the Scoop Locator to find these Hudsonville flavors at a store near you.
Click the image below to get a coupon for $2 off!
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