Over 50% Of People Prefer This Ice Cream Topping To All Others

American musician and legendary frozen food businessman Jimmy Dean once said, "When I was a kid, I used to think, 'Man, if I could ever afford all the ice cream I want to eat, that's as rich as I ever want to be,'" (via Brainy Quote). Who can argue with the guy? Honestly, what's better than indulging in an abundance of ice cream on a hot summer day? The answer: Not much. (Maybe puppies?)

Ice cream is undeniably one of the most popular frozen treats. It's enjoyed in standard cereal bowls, scooped into cones, as part of mile-high sundaes with all the fixins, or straight out of the carton — no judgement here. Dairy Foods reports that cross-industry research company Mintel found 51 percent of consumers associate ice cream with comfort, and 45 percent report that ice cream is their favorite indulgence.

Although ice cream is incredible by itself, every superstar dish can often be made better by an extra flavorful boost. In the case of ice cream, that's things like hot fudge, sprinkles, and whipped cream. For some thorough investigating, Mashed recently conducted a fan survey to determine which topping people loved most.

What ice cream topping do the majority of people love?

So, what's the scoop? What do ice cream eaters prefer to trim their treats with? According to the Mashed poll, a whopping 51 percent of respondents selected hot fudge as their all-time fave topping. Runners up were caramel with 27 percent of the votes and sprinkles with 13 percent. Participants also had the option to select "Other" and write in their beloved contenders. Answers for this miscellaneous option included fruit, chocolate chips, whipped cream, candies, chopped nuts...the list goes on.

What makes hot fudge so irresistible? For starters, it's made with chocolate. Secondly, it's hot! Its warmth — contrasted with freezing-cold ice cream — creates a luxurious dessert with a multilayered texture that's perfect for any and every occasion, even if there's nothing to truly celebrate.

And when it comes to building the perfect parlor-style sundae, Taste of Home suggests selecting your favorite ice cream flavors and garnishing them with sauces (like hot fudge!) and toppings galore. Spoons up!