25 Frosty Treats That Start With Store-Bought Ice Cream

Go ahead and trade your usual scoops for a milkshake, sundae, ice cream sandwich, or a celebration bombe—thanks to store-bought ice cream, they're easy to make and entirely impressive. A good place to start is by concocting refreshing drinks, like the ice cream floats pictured here. They're riffs on the root-beer float that sub in surprising soda flavors like O-So Orange with coconut sorbet to make a tropical dream-sicle, mix cherry Cheerwine with vanilla ice cream for a slushie-inspired sensation, and drop chocolate ice cream into a Cafello espresso for a frosty mocha.

That's not the only way to up the ante on store-bought ice cream treats. You can also top scoops with a simple, but special homemade sauce, create a layered sundae, or put together a masterpiece cake. Get started by stocking up on your favorite flavors next time you're at the store, then get creative with mix-ins, pour-overs, and our hands-on techniques (fair warning: some of these desserts require assembly). With ice cream treats this magnificent, brain freeze is a beautiful thing.