Five Cool Tips for a Backyard Ice Cream Bar

Ah, summer. The season of tank tops and flip flops; when kids play until the streetlights come on and adults sip a drink (or two) on the patio. This summer I’m not taking a single day for granted! As much of the country continues to reopen, I’m looking forward to reuniting with loved ones safely.

For our first family get together, we created a backyard ice cream bar! The best thing about the set-up is that it’s so easy to organize and you can customize it to suit your preferences. It also gives us the perfect reason to indulge in our favourite Chapman’s Premium Ice Cream!
Here are five cool tips to create your own ice cream bar at home:

1. Plan your spread. At your next grocery run, grab a variety of candies, chocolates, nuts, sprinkles and syrups – basically everything you’d love as a topping for your ice cream. Then, select your favourite flavours of Chapman’s Premium Ice Cream – with its velvety smooth texture, rich creamy taste and sinfully delicious flavour combinations, half the fun is choosing which flavours to feature! My picks: Strawberry Shortcake, French Vanilla, Black Cherry, Caramel Praline, Chocolate Fudge Brownie and Pistachios and Almonds Ice Cream!

Chapman’s collections, such as Premium Ice Cream, Original Ice Cream and Canadian Collection Bars (ice cream, yogurt and sorbet) have been a staple in our home for decades. The largest independent ice cream manufacturer in Canada, Chapman’s award-winning products are an ode to summer fun. And, after all these years, Chapman’s is still a family-run business! I trust their products for my family’s enjoyment, year after year.

2. Get the kids involved. I grabbed small bowls and ramekins and tasked my boys with filling them with the toppings. They were able to do this ahead of time and set them aside in a cool, dry place for when we were ready. This is 90% of the work, friends! As soon as your toppings are sorted, all the labour-intensive work is done.
3. Create the ice cream bar. On a table, arrange bowls, spoons, cones, toppings and whatever else you may need within easy reach. When everything is arranged to your satisfaction, place your Chapman’s Premium Ice Cream flavours on the table. This is your last step as you don’t want your ice cream to melt, especially if you’re serving outdoors!

4. Enjoy the experience safely. To reduce the amount of touch points, designate a scooper and make this person in charge of adding the requested toppings to the ice cream. Even if you’re getting together with trusted family and friends, it’s always a good idea to ensure safe food handling procedures are top of mind. Bonus points if they dress up like an ice cream vendor!
5. Sharing is caring. Did your guests love your ice cream bar? Send them a link to a FREE $4 Chapman’s Ice Cream coupon, redeemable on any of their products! You can also join the Chapman’s Club to get exclusive discounts on your favourite products, plus special offers, recipes and more – delivered right to your inbox.

Wishing you all a safe, healthy and deliciously cool summer! For more information on Chapman’s irresistible treats, visit www.chapmans.ca.

This post is sponsored by Chapman’s. The opinions on this blog, as always, are my own.