Key Takeaways on Sundaes:

🍨 Ever wonder why it’s called an ice cream sundae and not Sunday? The quirky spelling has surprising ties to 1800s Blue Laws and a bit of marketing genius.

🍒 Three towns still battle over who really invented the sundae—discover the delicious rivalry (and the sweet stories) behind America’s favorite ice cream treat.

Ice cream sundaes are an American tradition, but the name will leave you scratching your head. To start, it's ice cream sundae, not ice cream Sunday. Traditional sundaes consist of vanilla ice cream topped with syrup, whipped cream, and a cherry served in a tulip-shaped glass or bowl. Sundaes are delicious and a favorite ice cream option for those stopping by an old-time ice cream shop, but the history of the ice cream sundae is unknown. However, most stories can agree on two main points: why the sundae was created and why the spelling is different from the day of the week.

The Origin of Ice Cream Sundaes

According to the origin stories, ice cream sundaes result from Blue Laws. You may blame Blue Laws for why you must watch mid-Sunday football games without a cold one, but the law that led to sundaes doesn’t involve alcohol. In the late 1800s, another Blue Law on the books in some states made it illegal to sell soda on Sundays. Why this was considered sinful is anyone’s guess.

This ban was a big problem for anyone who enjoyed ice cream floats. Pharmacies had to find another way to convince people to buy ice cream on Sundays, so they replaced the soda with chocolate sauce.

As for why the concoction is called “sundae” instead of “Sunday” in honor of its origins, it was either to make it more obvious that you could buy the ice cream on any day of the week or so it would be less offensive to devout people pharmacists were trying to appeal to. To add even more confusion, the sundae may even get its name from ice cream left over from Sunday that was sold on another day!

Many Claim to be the Creator of the Ice Cream Sundae

Though several cities claim to be the proud originators of the ice cream sundae, we can’t say who the real home of the sundae is. So who are the contenders for the creation of the sundae? Here are the three likely creators:

Two Rivers, Wisconsin, claims that on a Sunday in 1881, pharmacist Edward Berners replaced the soda on an order for an ice cream soda to be compliant with the Blue Law. (He relied on a technicality and added chocolate soda syrup, not the final soda product, on the order.) He was quickly met with requests from customers for this ice cream and syrup treat. If this story is true, the sundae gets its name from Berners originally only selling the option on Sundays before adding it to the permanent menu.

homemade ice cream sundaes with strawberries and whipped cream

Ithaca, New York, has a similar story. On a spring Sunday in 1892, a minister asked Chester C. Platt for vanilla ice cream. Platt topped the ice cream with cherries and cherry syrup. The minister was a fan of the additions and suggested that the ice cream should be named for the day that it was created. Platt agreed, later changing the spelling so it didn't offend anyone. It’s unclear if he was being proactive or had offended leaders of a local church with the name. Regardless, he expanded his syrup offerings as the treat became a local hit.

And then there’s the sundae origin story of Plainfield, Illinois, which also claims to be the home of the ice cream sundae. A pharmacist named Charles Sonntag created the treat, naming it the "sonntag" after himself. Sonntag means Sunday in German, and so the name was translated to Sunday, and later spelled as “sundae”.

Sundaes Make Fundays Any Day

Though we can’t pinpoint where the first sundae was made, the creation is still popular over a century after fans first tasted the ice cream combination. The next time you sit down to cool off with the treat, share some sundae ice cream tidbits between each spoonful.

FAQs About Ice Cream Sundaes:

Q: Why is it called an ice cream sundae instead of Sunday?
A: Blue Laws banned soda sales on Sundays in the late 1800s, so pharmacies used syrup instead. The spelling changed to “sundae” to avoid religious offense and show it could be eaten any day.

Q: Which U.S. towns claim to be the birthplace of the ice cream sundae?
A: Three towns claim the title: Two Rivers, WI (1881), Ithaca, NY (1892), and Plainfield, IL. There is a story behind each.