What to Serve with Strawberry Ice Cream? 10 BEST Side Dishes

What’s a classic, cool and sweet treat we all know? Strawberry ice cream.

It’s the perfect treat for all kinds of occasions – be it for a pool party, dinner party, and more.

But if you’re looking to create a better experience, a side dish is a must for an item like strawberry ice cream.

However, you can’t just pair it with anything. It’s vital to get the pairing right.

So, today’s article will dive into the 10 best side dishes to serve with strawberry ice cream.

Let’s start.

Why Consider Serving Side Dishes with Strawberry Ice Cream?

When dealing with desserts, many consider them as a standalone dish.

However, desserts like strawberry ice cream have much to gain from side dishes.

Serving side dishes alongside the ice cream creates better interest and enhances the textures and flavors of the ice cream as well.

Let’s not forget that adding side dishes can also increase the appeal of the central star.

Moreover, side dishes can also make the dessert more enjoyable and accommodate people with specific preferences and needs as well.

Plus, including side dishes are a great way of experimenting with various styles and flavors.

What to Serve with Strawberry Ice Cream? 10 BEST Side Dishes

The search is finally over.

Here are the 10 best side dishes to serve with your favorite scoop of strawberry ice cream.

Let’s have a look.

1. Chocolate Sauce

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Strawberries and chocolate can only mean one thing – a classic combination.

So, it makes sense to pair a rich and chocolaty sauce with strawberry ice cream to elevate the overall meal.

The creaminess and sweetness produced by the ice cream are complemented pretty well by the smooth and decadent flavor of the sauce.

For this side dish, you can also use any type of sauce ranging from sweet and mild to dark.

The chocolate sauce can be easily made at home by melting your preferred chocolate with some cream.

You can also use ready-to-use chocolate sauce found in stores.

2. Fresh Strawberries

Nothing screams delicious like a strawberry on strawberry.

Double the ingredient and double the flavor.

Hence, fresh strawberry is an ideal pick as a side dish for fresh strawberries.

It creates a natural and authentic taste that blends right in with the taste of the ice cream.

Not only that, but the fruit also adds a fresh hint of color and aesthetic.

Moreover, the sweetness and juiciness of the berry offer a great contrast to the creaminess and softness of the ice cream.

3. Whipped Cream

Another classic topping we often forget is whipped cream.

This is a light and fluffy side dish that perfectly accompanies the flavor of strawberry ice cream.

The cream produces a sweet and airy taste that easily blends in with the ice cream.

The cream also fuses well with the strawberry-flavored ice cream in terms of flavor, as whipped cream is often vanilla flavored.

For this side dish, you can use store-bought whipped cream or simply create your own.

If you’re not too keen on sweets, we suggest making your cream as it helps control the sugar intake.

4. Caramel Sauce

For those that enjoy having a sugar rush, caramel is like the secret weapon that helps achieve this rush.

So, it’s not surprising that it’ll also make a great side dish for a wholesome dessert like strawberry ice cream.

Although the caramel and ice cream is sweet, they both contain different tastes and texture, keeping them from canceling each other out.

Instead, the caramel’s rich and creamy flavor effortlessly balances and pushes forward the sweetness of the strawberry.

Plus, caramel is pretty easy to make, and you don’t even have to spend much as the only ingredient you’ll require is sugar.

5. Shortbread Cookies

Shortbread cookies serve as another mild and crunchy side dish.

It can instantly help boost the overall taste of the ice cream by creating a subtle yet crunchy twist with each mouthful of ice cream.

These cookies are not exactly the sweetest, thus allowing the sweetness of the strawberries to shine.

The biscuit-like texture of the cookies complements the fruity and sweet flavor of the ice cream pretty well.

Shortbread cookies are abundantly found in general stores, bakeries, and more.

However, you can also bake them at home if you’re willing to put in the effort and time.

6. Lemon Sorbet

There’s just something about contrasting flavor profiles that fuse well instead of canceling each other out.

We’re talking about lemon sorbet as a side dish for strawberry ice cream.

This side dish creates an excellent company with its tangy and tarty flavor for the sweet and thick strawberry ice cream.

This helps create a new refreshing dessert, all without taking away the potency of the ice cream.

As you’ve guessed, lemon sorbet isn’t as challenging to make, and it’s the perfect zesty companion for your ice cream, especially during summer.

7. Chocolate-covered Pretzels

A crispy and chunky treat that works well against strawberry-flavored ice cream is pretzels.

More specifically, pretzels are covered in chocolate because why not? We already know that chocolate blends quite nicely with strawberries.

Hence, the chocolate can be seen as a bonus to help elevate the taste of the ice cream more.

The sweetness of the chocolate blends right in with the sweetness of the ice cream, while the salty flavor and crunchy texture keeps the ice cream grounded.

This is a great side dish for those who don’t necessarily enjoy it too much of sweet.

You can even switch the chocolate from sweet to dark.

8. Macerated Berries

A side dish that’s equally juicy and vibrant as the strawberry ice cream is macerated berries.

The side dish is a type of marinated berries with a semi-thick texture.

The entire maceration process involves drenching the berries in a sugary liquid and liqueur to create its unique taste.

The result is a very intense and sweet-juicy-like set of berries that easily compliments the rich nature of the ice cream.

Just scoop some of your favorite strawberry ice creams into a bowl, add some macerated berries on top, and you’re good to go.

The combination creates the perfect balance of acidity, richness, and sweetness that allows each flavor to come together.

9. Balsamic Glaze

Balsamic glaze is basically just simmered down vinegar. And yes, you might be thinking, “yuck”.

But balsamic glaze actually makes a great side dish for strawberry ice cream due to its combo tanginess and sweetness.

This helps the ice cream achieve a very satisfying and refreshing experience.

Moreover, the contrast of the flavor makes the entire meal bind together better.

Thus, resulting in a better and more decadent taste.

And the best part is that balsamic glaze is pretty easy to make.

It’s an easy DIY side dish you can whip up quickly, especially if you’re under a budget.

10. Fresh Berries

What better way to elevate the taste of strawberries than by adding more berries? Each berry comes with its own set of taste and texture, keeping them from overpowering each other while also allowing each flavor to shine.

You can even use a wide variety of berries ranging from blackberries and raspberries to blueberries and more.

These all accompany the sweet and soft texture of strawberry ice cream by offering a hint of tanginess to the ice cream.

For this side dish, it’s always better to use a fresh batch of berries to ensure better flavor.

You can chop the berries and sprinkle them over the ice cream to get the best use out of them.

Conclusion

The 10 exceptional side dishes we’ve mentioned serving with strawberry ice cream are delicious options that pair well and enhance the overall taste.

Strawberry ice cream itself is a fun treat, but sometimes it’s good to fuse them with side dishes to create a better taste and flavor.

So, next time you crave for strawberry ice cream, make sure to try and experiment with these side dishes.