What are the most expensive ice creams?
Most of us are happy with regular chocolate ice cream or a banana split coated in whipped cream for dessert.
But if you prefer something more exotic, featuring rare cocoa blends and drizzled in rare dessert wines, there’s an expensive ice cream out there to suit your tastes.
We’ve explored some of the world’s most expensive ice creams, from Las Vegas and New Orleans to Dubai and beyond, to put together this definitive list of ice cream for the super-rich.
Read on to discover what ingredients to expect from the most expensive ice cream in the world and how much you can expect to pay for a serving.
The 10 Most Expensive Ice Creams
Our ranked lists are created by researching and rounding up information from the most reputable web sources.
Here’s our list of the 10 most expensive ice creams:
10. The Black Diamond: $817
The Black Diamond ice cream is the creation of Dubai-based Scoopi Café and is sold for an impressive $817 per portion.
The ingredients for the Black Diamond dessert include Madagascar vanilla ice cream, which is topped with rare confectioneries including high-quality Italian truffle pieces, Iranian saffron, and edible 23-karat gold leaf.
This is Dubai, after all, where the love of gold is ubiquitous, so it’s to be expected the Black Diamond ice cream dessert will come topped with a bit of bling.
The dish is served in a Versace bowl with a Versace spoon to go with it, each featuring suitably ornate decorations, which the customer also gets to take home with them.
The Black Diamond dessert took Scoopi Café owner, Zubin Doshi, five weeks to create, who justified the high price in an interview, saying “we expect Dubai’s increasingly aspirational consumers to readily pay a premium for a superior product.”
The Black Diamond truffle ice cream dessert was widely reported as being the most expensive ice cream you can buy when it was initially launched, so its position at number 10 on this list just goes to show how easy it is to be knocked off the top spot.
And while the cost of the Versace bowl hasn’t been disclosed, it’s safe to assume the price of this expensive dessert is boosted by the crockery.
9. Golden Opulence Sundae: $1,000
The first of the most expensive ice creams to break the $1,000 barrier is the Golden Opulence Sundae, developed by New York City’s Serendipity 3 restaurant.
Only available through special order (not surprising, given the cost of this ice cream sundae), the dessert also features Madagascar vanilla, this time infused with vanilla bean ice cream.
Chocolate syrup is from melted Amedel Porcelana (the world’s most expensive Italian chocolate), with added chunks of Chuao chocolate taken from cocoa beans harvested on Venezuela’s coast.
If that wasn’t enough, the delicious ice cream is topped with candied fruits, gold almonds, marzipan cherries, and even more chocolate truffle pieces, for good measure.
With edible gold leaf as the finisher, the Golden Opulence Sundae is served in a Baccarat Harcourt crystal goblet, which the customer gets to keep.
The Golden Opulence Sundae is another record-breaker, once holding the Guinness World Record for the most expensive dessert in the world.
8. Mauboussin Mega Sundae: $1,000
Another expensive ice cream sundae for rich people with a sweet tooth is the Mauboussin Mega Sundae by New York City Chef Sebastien Chamaret, widely regarded as one of America’s best chefs.
Also weighing in at $1,000, the Mauboussin Mega Sundae is perfect for those who prefer their expensive food served with a booze injection.
Chamaret blends homemade vanilla ice cream with macaroons, and chocolate truffles, then tops it with a special sorbet made of Dom Perignon Rose and finishes with the ubiquitous gold leaf topping.
There’s also a chocolate vodka sauce, finished off with gilded brownies and fresh whipped cream, making the Mauboussin Mega Sundae one of the most calorie-dense ice creams in the world.
There isn’t a fancy ornate vessel customers get to keep after their expensive ice cream; this ice cream sundae is served in an oversized Martini glass (which is fitting, considering the inclusion of chocolate vodka sauce).
However, a black steel and white gold ring from Mauboussin’s jewelers is offered as a memento.
7. The Victoria Sundae: $1,000
Moving from New York City to Chicago for the Victoria Sundae, the last expensive ice cream sundae costing a cool $1,000.
Available at the Langham Pavilion Restaurant Lounge and Tea Room, this ice cream sundae is named after the Queen of England, who reigned when the flagship restaurant opened in 1865.
Here’s what you get for your grand: A base of premium vanilla ice cream and chocolate ice cream, caramelized golden peanuts, 24-karat gold leaf dust, dark chocolate croquant, and hot fudge, all topped with salted caramel, Hennessy VSOP cognac, butterscotch, and whipped cream. (Wow!)
Served in a Wedgewood Crystal Bowl (which customers are allowed to take home with them), this expensive ice cream also comes with a bottle of Dom Perignon from 2003.
It isn’t just ordinary vanilla ice cream you’ll find in this dessert; Madagascar-bourbon vanilla, Mexican vanilla, and a fruity Tahitian vanilla are all brought together to deliver a truly delicious ice cream.
So if you’re ever in Chicago with $1,000 to spare and in the mood for dessert, the Pavilion Restaurant could be just the place for you.
6. Bear Extraordinaire: $1,500
When the Bear Extraordinaire was unleashed on New York City’s exclusive clientele for $1,500, it broke new records, becoming the most expensive ice cream at the time.
This opulent ice cream dish was created by renowned pastry chef Rosario Wakabayashi, who has also received praise for her signature scone recipes and other choice dessert dishes.
The Bear Extraordinaire debuted at the Baccarat Hotel in Manhattan and allows diners to crack open their ice cream egg to unleash the copious layers of expensive ice creams inside.
Imported Madagascan vanilla beans are used for the base vanilla ice cream, which is covered in a white chocolate shell and painted in cocoa butter.
The egg rests on a bed of black truffle crumble mixed with Manjari dark chocolate and Valrhona Gold cocoa nibs.
Hibiscus champagne sauce and citrus meringue are accompanied by fondant butterflies and angel hair sugar strands, with edible gold and silver leafing adding the final touch of decadence.
The Bear Extraordinaire is served in a Baccarat “Zoo Bear” crystal bowl figurine worth $1,200, which is individually numbered and signed by the designer.
If you’d prefer to stick with just the ice cream, you can order the dish in a regular bowl for $300.
5. Three Twins Ice Cream Sundae: $3,333
California-based Three Twins Ice Cream was established in 2005 and made a name for itself selling organic ice cream and introduced their “World’s Most Expensive” Three Twins ice cream sundae in 2008.
Coming in at a price of $3,333, this ice cream sundae is constructed from a banana split covered in syrups made from rare dessert wines, including a Chateau D’Yquem, a 1960s vintage port, and a German Trockenbeerenauselese.
Three Twins Ice Cream doesn’t stop there: they serve this ice cream dessert with a gold spoon from the 1850s.
Even better, Three Twins Ice Cream combines luxurious dessert with a unique approach to conserving the environment, donating a third of the purchase price to a local land trust.
This land trust works toward better management and conservation of local areas of natural beauty, so if you feel guilty about indulging in expensive ice cream, you can sleep sound knowing approximately $1,000 went to a good cause.
As an added bonus for music lovers, Three Twins will also include a cello performance for diners who book the musicians in advance.
4. Frrrozen Haute Chocolate: $25,000
Frrrozen Haute Chocolate ice cream was also declared the world’s most expensive ice cream when it was first launched in 2007, selling for a whopping $25,000 and making its way into the Guinness Book of World Records.
It’s another expensive dessert creation from New York’s Serendipity 3 restaurant and a considerable step up in price from the Opulence Sundae (which came drizzled in gold leaf and chocolate truffles).
So what ice creams and other dessert delights can you expect when being served the Frrrozen Haute Chocolate ice cream?
No less than 28 cocoas are used in the fine blend of ice cream, which includes 14 of the world’s most expensive cocoas available and makes for a unique frozen chocolate haute.
Milk, ice cubes, whipped cream, and truffle ice cream shavings (from the world’s most expensive truffle, the La Madeline au Truffle) are combined to make this a deliciously rich sundae.
The frozen chocolate haute is decorated with 5g of edible 23-karat gold and served in a glass goblet which is also lined with edible gold, in case the decorations weren’t filling enough.
The goblet sports a gold bracelet (18-karat) with 1 karat of white diamonds thrown in for good measure.
Finally, the makers have eschewed the silver spoon option and opted for more gold, serving the dish with a gold spoon decorated with white and chocolate-colored diamonds (which, you’ll be pleased to hear, if you’re considering this dessert, customers are allowed to take home).
This pricey dessert, chock full of rare ingredients from Africa and South America, was made in partnership with Euphoria, a luxury jeweler based in New York.
3. Absurdity Sundae: $60,000
We return once again to Three Twins Ice Cream for the Absurdity Sundae, which comes with more than just a single scoop of ice cream, and is served with a plane ticket.
For the Absurdity Sundae, Three Twins continue their approach to combining the most expensive ice cream sundaes in the world with good deeds, giving the profits to an African charity that is working toward conserving the environment.
The Absurdity Sundae is exactly the same as the company’s Three Twins Ice Cream Sundae, which you can order for $3,333.
The additional cost covers a first-class flight to Tanzania and includes a guided tour of Mount Kilimanjaro, with ice from its summit used to make the ice cream.
You’re also given five-star accommodations as part of the cost, so you can rest in luxury after eating the Absurdity Sundae (even if you don’t get to keep the gold spoon you used to eat it).
2. MrBeast’s Ice Cream Sundae: $100,000
YouTuber Jimmy Donaldson, also known as MrBeast, is famous for his insane giveaways, and while this $100,000 ice cream sundae isn’t his most expensive overall, it’s certainly legendary in terms of the most expensive ice creams in the world.
Before indulging in the mammoth ice cream sundae, MrBeast had already explored the culinary world of $500 cheeses and $50,000 steaks, so it was inevitable he’d eventually get around to desserts.
His ice cream sundae features dozens of $100 ice cream balls and chocolate from South America taken from $500 chocolate bars.
Strawberries were imported from Japan, while expensive sauces including wild huckleberry sauce at $50 per spoon and caramel sauce costing $3,000 were used for the toppings.
Finally, a $20,000 grapefruit juice (which was 99 years old) and a 50-year-old apple juice costing $45,000 were poured over the top.
MrBeast even opted out of eating any ice cream himself, giving his place at the table to another fan so they could tuck into the mountainous ice cream sundae instead.
He even gave the chef who created the ice cream sundae a $20,000 tip, which isn’t too bad for a day’s work.
1. Strawberries Arnaud: $1.4 Million
Lastly, it’s a trip to New Orleans for the highlight of this guide to the most expensive ice creams in the world, the Strawberries Arnaud.
Perhaps most surprisingly, this is a humble dish when compared to some of the extravagant offerings we’ve previously seen, combining fresh strawberries, vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, and mint with the expensive Oporto sauce.
If you’re wondering how the Strawberries Arnaud justifies its $1.4 million price tag, it also comes with a 4.7-karat pink diamond ring which was once owned by Sir Ernest Cassel, making it ideal for an engagement gift (just so long as you’re part of the super-rich set).
If you’re feeling a little thirsty while eating the ice cream, it’s served with Charles X crystal liquor worth a cool $24,850.
While this dessert lacks the rare vanilla bean and black truffle ice cream found in some of its cheaper rivals, the most expensive ice cream in the world works on account of its relative simplicity, and a little help from a costly pink diamond ring.
Summary
The most expensive ice creams in the world thrill customers with exquisite French macaroons, rare black truffles, gold leaf decorations, and luxury gifts.
From the opulent ice cream desserts of the Aria Resort to the aptly-named Absurdity Sundae, there’s virtually no limit to how much you can spend on ice cream.
Here’s a quick recap of the 10 most expensive ice creams:
- Strawberries Arnaud – $1.4 million
- MrBeast’s Ice Cream Sundae – $100,000
- Absurdity Sundae – $60,000
- Frrrozen Haute Chocolate – $25,000
- Three Twins Ice Cream Sundae – $3,333
- Bear Extraordinaire – $1,500
- The Victoria Sundae – $1000
- Mauboussin Mega Sundae – $1000
- Golden Opulence Sundae – $1000
- The Black Diamond – $817
