When you have
six kids
(four of whom have summer
birthdays
), you learn pretty quickly that
birthday parties
need to be equal parts fun and efficient. And if there’s one moment that always trips me up, it’s serving
ice cream
. Kids crowd around, waiting for their turn, the
ice cream
starts melting faster than I can scoop, and suddenly I’m sticky, sweaty and apologizing to someone holding an empty cone.
Luckily for me, I happened to see a post from one of my favorite food content creators,
@themodernnonna
, that just might save my summer. She shared a clever make-ahead ice cream trick that I wish I’d known about sooner. No dripping. No waiting in line. Just grab, peel and go! Here’s what you need to know.
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How This Make-Ahead Ice Cream Cone Hack Works
Start by lining a muffin tin with paper muffin liners. Fill each liner with a handful of sprinkles to add color and crunch. Then, place a scoop of ice cream right on top. Finally, press an ice cream cone on top of the scoop like a little hat. Pop the whole tin into the freezer until you’re ready to serve. When it’s time, just grab a cone, peel off the muffin liner, and hand out a ready-to-eat treat.
This hack is fast, fun and kid-approved. There are no meltdowns (literal or emotional) over waiting in line and it frees you up to actually enjoy the party, which, as any parent knows, is the real win.
Related:
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Custom Cones for Every Kid
One of the best things about this hack is how easy it is to customize. With a little creativity, you can turn this simple setup into a dessert station that looks like it took way more effort than it actually did.
You can alternate rows of chocolate, vanilla and strawberry, or use funfetti ice cream and rainbow sprinkles for lots of color.
Add crushed Oreos to the bottom of the liner instead of sprinkles, or drop in some mini chocolate chips and use chocolate peanut butter ice cream for a fun treat. For summer, try something tropical. Use mango or coconut ice cream with shredded coconut and gummy bears.
You can also let the kids decorate their own cones after grabbing it from the tray. Set out bowls of toppings like mini M&Ms, crushed pretzels, marshmallows or chocolate syrup. If you’re planning a themed party, coordinate the muffin liners and sprinkles to match!
You can prep a whole batch the night before, store them in large freezer bags once frozen solid, and keep refilling the tray during the party. It’s low-stress, low-mess and totally adorable.
With this hack in your back pocket, you’ll never dread the ice cream moment again. These little cones deliver big joy with almost no effort.
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