Here's a little secret: It's pretty difficult to find an ice cream that can't be improved (at least a little) by an awesome topping. Of course there's no scientific data here, but we're counting on gooey butterscotch, crumbled peanut butter cups, and caramelized white chocolate sauce to back us up.

While we love complex ice cream flavors (Earl Grey ice cream with blackberry swirl, anyone?), a solid topping still takes things to the next level. So here are 13 of them for your next ice cream social — or maybe just for later tonight.

Honey balsamic sauce by Alice Medrich

Sage-candied walnuts by cristinasciarra

Miso caramel by theminx

Nancy Silverton's whipped cream by Genius Recipes

Balsamic butterscotch sauce by mrslarkin

Thai peanut butter cups by vrunka

Maple quinoa granola by spacekase

Valrhona's caramelized white chocolate by Genius Recipes

Magic shell by Marian Bull

Milk chocolate whipped cream (and dark chocolate, and white chocolate) by Alice Medrich

Homemade dulce de leche by Catherine Lamb

Butterscotch sauce by Phyllis Grant

Twix bars by Jestei

This article originally appeared on Food52.com: 13 ways to make your ice cream better.

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