The Simple Way To Upgrade Store-Bought Vanilla Ice Cream

Nowadays, there are hundreds of ice cream flavors to choose from, and depending on the brand, some of those fancy flavors can get pretty expensive. If you have picky eaters at home, you might run into another issue — finding a flavor that everyone likes. This is why vanilla is the safest, and sometimes the cheapest, way to go.

Vanilla is rated one of the most popular ice cream flavors in the U.S., and for good reason. Too plain for you? It doesn't have to be. One of the great things about store-bought vanilla ice cream is that you can customize it and make it your own. After all, vanilla is the base for many other ice cream flavors, such as cookies and cream. Epicurious reports that you can jazz your vanilla ice cream up to give it an upgrade, just like the creameries do. The only difference is, the magic happens after the ice cream leaves the store shelf.

Merriam Webster defines vanilla as "lacking distinction" and lists "plain, ordinary, and conventional" as three synonyms. But we think "loaded with potential" should be added because that's precisely what the flavor offers. Potential. Options. Endless possibilities.

A simple way to upgrade your vanilla ice cream is to change the flavor, which you can do by mixing it with fruit using a standing mixer. You can add blueberries, strawberries, kiwis, blackberries, bananas, or any fruit you like. Feel free to experiment with the fruit combinations. Strawberries go well with bananas and with kiwis, too.

Not really big on mixing fruit with ice cream? Try coffee or peanut butter instead. You can also add a flavored syrup like caramel or chocolate to change the taste. If you're a fan of Dairy Queen's Blizzards, you can add candy or cookie bits to the ice cream to make your own version. And of course, you can do this while keeping the vanilla base flavor unchanged or after changing it to caramel, chocolate, or other flavorings to it.

Regardless of what you mix with your vanilla ice cream, you can complete the upgrade by adding toppings. Try sprinkling in some nuts, ice cream sauce, or any combination perfect for your taste buds and you'll never see vanilla as plain again.