The 10 Best Brownie Sundaes In America

There's really nothing like a great brownie sundae. Brownies and ice cream are great on their own, but when you combine the two, something truly magical happens. 

This charming coffee shop is renowned for its fresh-baked pastries and other baked goods, especially its Dutch cocoa brownies, served warm. Get yours topped with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, chocolate sauce, caramel, and pecans; It's a steal at $6. 

This Santa Monica standby is a great spot for brunch, lunch, and dinner, but if you just want to stop by for dessert you'll be rewarded as well. Grab a seat on the sprawling outdoor patio and order the Banana Split Sundae: It's a brûléed banana and brownie topped with caramel sauce, candied pecans, marshmallow gelato, vanilla whipped cream, sprinkles, and cherries. It'll take you right back to your childhood.  

Mudgie's Deli may look like a quaint sandwich shop from the outside (and it indeed is a great sandwich shop, winning the title of Best Sandwich from the Detroit Metro Times for the past five years running), but there's something delightfully evil lurking on the dessert menu: the Fudgie Mudgie. Owner Wayne Mudge takes brownie batter and cooks it in a waffle iron to order, then tops it with Calder Dairy's vanilla ice cream, Sanders hot fudge, whipped cream, and a dusting of cocoa powder. We hadn't thought of "waffling" brownie batter before, but now we know what we're doing this weekend. 

Serendipity 3's claim to fame might be its gimmicky frozen hot chocolate, but after you cross that off your bucket list make sure you get a Colossal Brownie Sundae, which is only available at the Las Vegas location. It starts with raspberry chocolate brownies, which get topped with scoops of chocolate and vanilla ice cream, hot fudge, and caramel. Whether it's worth the $25 price tag is up to you, but it's undoubtedly delicious. 

What happens when you combine brownie batter and chocolate peanut butterscotch cookie dough, batter and fry it, then top it with vanilla ice cream and candied bacon? You get the Deep Fried Brownie Sundae served at Puckett's, which has locations in Franklin, Nashville, Columbia, and Chattanooga, Tennessee. The chain focuses on classic Southern fare and live music, and this insane creation won the Blue Ribbon at the Southern Fried Festival, held annually in Virginia. 

If it's called The Chocolate Room, you know that they know their chocolate, and one bite of their fresh, homemade brownie should make it clear that they do. The brownie sundae is one of the most popular menu items at their two Brooklyn cafes; It starts with a warm brownie, which gets topped with a scoop of your choice of ice cream (also homemade), hot fudge, fresh whipped cream, and, of course, a cherry on top. 

Ted Drewes is a St. Louis landmark, and their renowned frozen custard was the inspiration behind Shake Shack's famed concretes. It's a great place to go a little overboard, so do it right and order the Christy: An iced brownie is nestled into the bottom of a cup, and then it's topped with your choice of frozen custard as well as caramel and hot fudge. You can choose from a wide variety of toppings; we'd go with pecans and a cherry. 

This neighborhood pizzeria might not be the most obvious place to fnd the best brownie sundae in Boston, but the one prepared by Picco owner Rick Katz is a true masterpiece. The base is a warm and rich dark chocolate brownie that's a hybrid of the traditional cake and fudgy styles, and it's topped with your choice from around a dozen different homemade ice creams and sorbetti (you can't go wrong with peanut butter chip). It's then topped with hot fudge made with Scharffen Berger chocolate,homemade whipped cream, and some chocolate sprinkles. It's a masterpiece. 

Grab a seat at the caffè inside Ghirardelli's flagship Original Chocolate Manufactory at Ghirardelli Square in San Francisco and you can probably expect that whatever you order will be chocolaty and delicious. The Treasure Island, a goblet of vanilla ice cream with a big fresh-baked brownie tucked into it and topped with homemade hot fudge (your choice of milk or dark chocolate), whipped cream, chopped almonds, and a cherry, definitely exceeds all expectations. 

If ever there was a dressed-up brownie sundae, the one served at this popular East Village Italian spot is it. The fresh-baked warm chocolate brownie is rich and eggy and brûléed to order, vanilla ice cream comes from owner Nicholas Morgenstern's own Lower East Side ice cream parlor, the whipped cream is made by hand, the hot fudge is closer to ganache, and even the cherry is artisanally-made. It's drool-worthy, and a must-order.