Sundae Royale Recipe

Remove ice cream from the freezer and let sit at room temperature for 3–5 minutes to soften slightly so it scoops smoothly. Meanwhile, place sundae glasses or bowls in the freezer or chill them with cold water, then empty, to keep the sundae cold longer.

Warm the hot fudge: heat the required amount of hot fudge sauce in a small microwave-safe bowl for 10–15 seconds, stirring, until pourable but not hot. Alternatively, warm in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring, until loose.

If using whole candies, chop or roughly crush assorted candies to create a mix of textures (about 1/2 cup total). If using nuts, toast them in a dry skillet over medium heat for 2–3 minutes until fragrant, then cool and chop coarsely.

Layer scoops

Place one scoop (about 1/3 cup to 1/2 cup each) of vanilla ice cream into each chilled glass. Add one scoop of chocolate and one scoop of strawberry on top or beside the vanilla so each sundae has three distinct scoops (total about 3 cups of ice cream divided among 3 sundaes).

Sauce

Drizzle about 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon of warm hot fudge sauce over the three scoops in each sundae, more if desired for a richer sundae. Make sure sauce is not so hot that it melts the ice cream excessively.

Toppings

Add a generous dollop (about 2 tablespoons) of whipped cream atop each sundae. Sprinkle roughly 2 tablespoons of the chopped assorted candies across the three sundaes (about 2 teaspoons per sundae if dividing equally). Add sprinkles and toasted nuts if using, distributing evenly.

Finish

Top each sundae with a maraschino cherry. Serve immediately with a long-handled spoon.