Toppings

You can always get an additional 25 to 50 cents for each cup with the addition of various topping or ingredients. Again check with you local area to see what toppings are popular in your area. For example, dill pickle juice and cayenne pepper are extremely popular in some parts of Texas but may not be popular in other parts of the country.

Sweet Cream (condensed milk)

Condensed Milk (Sweet Cream) is by far the most popular topping that we sell. After you make a cup of shaved ice, simply pour a good amount over the top. Be careful because it can get very messy. You can also offer a double dose of sweet cream by adding the cream to the middle and to the top of the shaved ice. Prices range from 25 to 50 cents per dose. Check your local grocery store for 14 ounce cans usually found on the baking ingredient aisle. Cost is around $1.40 cents a can. Some stands dilute the sweet cream with evaporated milk. The ratio is usually 2 cans of evaporated milk to one can of condensed milk. You can adjust the ratio as you see needed.

Evaporated Milk

Evaporated milk can be added to your shaved ice as well. We have seen this topping used a variety of ways. The easiest way is to simply pour the evaporated milk over flavor shaved ice. The added milk gives the shaved ice a slightly creamy flavor. Prices range from 25 to 50 cents per dose. Check your local grocery store for 12 ounce cans usually found on the baking ingredient aisle. Cost is around 80 cents a can.

Marshmallow Cream

Marshmallow Cream is another popular item however can be quite frustrating to add to shaved ice. We sold very little marshmallow cream at our stands, however we have heard it to be very popular in places such as Louisiana and Mississippi. Prices range from 25 to 50 cents per dose. Your cost for a 7 ounce jar us usually $1.20. Larger quantities are available from concentrate suppliers if needed. You may want ask your suppliers about recipes used for marshmallow cream.

Other Toppings

There are a number of additional toppings that can be served on shaved ice. It is totally up to you, however anytime you can get a customer to buy a topping for his or her shaved ice, it will add up to more profit for your business. Below is a list of additional toppings you may want to consider. We suggest keeping your topping list to no more than 4 to 5 items.

Whipped Topping                                         Whole Cherry Topping

Strawberry Topping                                    Crushed Cherries

Pineapple Topping                                        Chocolate Syrup

Chocolate Fudge                                          Butterscotch

Caramel Topping                                          Chopped Nuts 

Using Ice Cream with your Shaved Ice or Snow Cones

Hand dipped or soft serve ice cream can be used to add that special touch to any cup of shaved ice. At many shaved ice businesses, ice cream is added to the bottom of a cup. Then ice is shaved and flavor is added to the cup as usual. As the customer eats the shaved ice the ice cream will begin to melt and take on the same flavor as the shaved ice. We sold hundreds of these concoctions at our shaved ice business. Some shaved ice businesses add the ice cream to the top of the shaved ice cup instead of the bottom. Use your imagination and create your own special recipe. Think of a unique name and your customers will come back for more. We suggest adding at least 50 cents to $1.00 additional for each cup that ice cream is added to.