Today I want to talk about one of my favorite summer things: ice cream. We care deeply about ice cream at my house, and we thoroughly enjoy seeking out the good stuff and enjoying it together. (And, let’s be honest, not just in the summertime.)
I don’t have much of a sweet tooth (a big change from when I was a kid), which is fortunate because sometimes I have a tricky time maintaining stable blood sugar. I’m careful about which desserts I eat, and when. That means if I’m going to indulge in a special sweet treat, I want it to be fantastic—and one of my favorite sweet indulgences is a good scoop of ice cream.
And I mean a GOOD scoop. To me, that means great flavor, pleasing texture, and typically a high fat content. (High fat because it’s delicious, but also for pragmatic reasons: a scoop of something rich is relatively kind to my blood sugar, especially when compared to something like sorbet, which I love but need to be very, very careful with.)
To me, good ice cream is a splurge. (If you’ve read Don’t Overthink It, you know what I’m talking about—and you’re probably thinking of that popsicle story right now.) We don’t indulge terribly often, but when we do, we want it to be delicious.
With that in mind, today I’m sharing some personal favorite brands and flavors:
Graeter’s. I live in Graeter’s country (lucky me). This is my family’s preferred destination when we go out for ice cream. My favorites are three seasonal flavors: key lime pie (available only in August, and yes, I mark the calendar), peach (summer), and cinnamon (winter).
Talenti Gelato. I am baffled as to why this brand is consistently quite a bit cheaper than Häagen Dazs and Ben & Jerry’s at my local groceries, but I’m not complaining. My very favorite is the Coconut Almond Chocolate; the texture and flavor are perfection. My kids also love the Mediterranean Mint.
Häagen Dazs. I mean, it’s Häagen Dazs: it’s all good! My very favorite is their Belgian Double Chocolate Chip, which is very, very much. I hate big chunks of frozen chocolate in my ice cream (yup, even when it’s Graeter’s), but the texture of these teeny tiny chocolate flecks is perfect.
Ben & Jerry’s. Our household favorite is The Tonight Dough, but my kids adore their Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough. When we’re looking for a change of pace, we might pick up Phish Food or the Berry Sweet Mascarpone, which we bought for the first time by accident but turned out to be surprisingly delicious.
Plain Old Wonderful Vanilla. If we’re buying vanilla ice cream to serve with brownies (Barefoot Contessa’s Outrageous Brownies, obviously) or pie (like that amazing cherry pie my 11-year-old recently made), we opt for Turkey Hill Vanilla Bean or Blue Bunny Vanilla Bean. If a Trader Joe’s stop is convenient, their premium vanilla is fantastic.
And finally, when we get ice cream out and about, my favorite thing to do is to share an ice cream flight (pictured above, from local spot Comfy Cow) or “split my scoop,” getting two half-scoops that add up to a whole. Not every place does this, but when they do you can enjoy multiple flavors without getting a ton of ice cream. (I recently combined coconut and chocolate gelatos at our local spot Gelato Gilberto. HEAVEN.)
Are you an ice cream fan? If you were to pick up a pint for the weekend, what would it be? Do you have a must-try flavor to recommend? Let us know in the comments section!
113 comments
Blue Bell’s Blackberry Cobbler is a must have for our family in the summer.
I still have my grandmother’s old ice cream maker though …and our favorite to make at home is peach. Nothing beats it on a sweltering day!
Oh my goodness, the Blackberry Cobbler is sooo good. We were at the Bluebell factory last week and I tried it for the first time…now I have to search for it in Dallas!!
I’m in Blue Bell country! My go to flavors are Rocky Road and Mint Chocolate Chip. I also love their Mardi Gras King Cake (seasonal), Groom’s Cake, and Peanut Butter Chocolate. The Cinnamon is also delicious, but I only ever had it when I was working at a bbq restaurant in college. Apparently you couldn’t get it in stores.
If you ever go visit Fabled in Waco, try to stop by Heritage Creamery (next to Baylor). They source all of their ingredients locally and it’s so good! It’s right next to Common Grounds, a really good and unique coffee shop.
I recently tried Talenti Gelato Coffee Chocolate Chip, & it was delicious!
Also, I like Culver’s frozen custard on occasion. Their Concrete mixers are amazing.
Magnum double caramel ice cream bars are my decadent summer ice cream treat. Delicious!
I agree!
I also HATE huge chunks of chocolate in my ice cream. It’s my one complaint about Graeters and our Ohio brand Mitchell’s (in all other ways FANTASTIC ice cream). But oh a million little chocolate shavings mixed into good vanilla ice cream like from old fashioned UDF? Awesome!!!
I’m not a huge ice cream eater and due to my allergies I have to be super careful, so I stick the basics. Breyers Neapolitan. Somehow there is no corn in this flavor, but there is corn in their standard Chocolate.
I’m a Kentucky girl transplanted to Texas, so while Graeter’s is my childhood favorite- it’s Bluebell country now! Their Peppermint is the best- only available at Christmas- but HEB (our wonderful best grocery store ever, but only in Texas) is giving the little creamery in Brendan a run for their money with their creamy creations!
I am also in HEB country and my favorite flavor of their store brand is White Chocolate Raspberry Truffle.
I LOVE good ice cream but now have to avoid dairy, so my only option is sorbet. It is really, really difficult to find good sorbet that is made simply from fruit, water and sugar. Most ice cream stands offer a sorbet that I suspect includes cornstarch. It sticks together and takes forever to melt – the giveaway! I’ve given up ordering it, except for those brands made in Vermont, where they apparently are committed to quality!
I have to eat dairy-free, too, and I’ve found some good plant-based ice-creams at the grocery store. I’ve found that the almond milk types are OK, but cashew or coconut is better. I forget the brand, but there is cashew chocolate cherry or chocolate and peanut butter that are both delicious.
For non-dairy, one of my very favorites is Van Leeuwen (they make dairy-based flavors as well). They have shops in LA and NYC, but is sold in stores around the country. It’s pricy but sooo good. It’s a mix of cashew and coconut so it’s very rich and creamy. The cookies & cream caramel swirl is amazing!
I love the Ben & Jerry’s Dairy Free ice creams. They have a coffee one that is delicious as well as peanut butter and chocolate.
I’m sold on Publix Frozen Yogurt “Dulce de “ (Caramel). Fantastic!! and Lactose Free. All publix Frozen Yogurts and low fat Frozen Yogurts are wonderful! Try them!!! You won’t miss ice cream at all!!
If you’re ever in Omaha you have to stop by Ted and Wally’s in the old market. We really like their George Washington Carver ice cream (everything peanuts!).
Ted and Wally’s is a classic! Coneflower Creamery is also amazing! Their Grandma Minnie’s Lemon Bar and the banana and nutella flavors are my favorite. Omaha has so many great ice cream spots!
Always Blue Bell at the grocery store! But if I’m going out, Culver’s frozen custard concretes are my favorite. And if you’re in Florida, Sweetberries Eatery also has awesome frozen custard.
Yes, to Culver’s! Salted Caramel and Cookie Dough Concrete Mixer – our go to flavor combination!
We just got a Culver’s! I’m excited to try it.
My mom is our family’s ice cream expert- she loves Mayfield, especially their ‘brown cows’.
Tillamook ice cream is our top favorite for sure, though we haven’t indulged much this summer because my teen got a job at Baskin-Robbins and brings me a scoop after every shift!
We love Tillamook old fashioned vanilla. I have to say, having a direct line to a scoop of ice cream a few times a week sound fantastic.
Yes to Tillamook! The commissary here in Germany has recently started carrying it and it makes my PNW-native heart VERY happy!
Tillamook Chocolate Mudslide is my go-to! Second best is the mint chocolate chip. Hard to find around us. We’re not in Bluebell country here but would just have to drive over the state line to Indiana to find it, it seems.
TILLAMOOK ABSOLUTELY!!! The best! When there’s a special, we make room in the freezer for multiple flavors . Love their strawberry ice cream sandwiches!
For my family it’s Blue Bell Peppermint, which is only available in December. We buy lots and lots to store up. We can often make it stretch till February or March if we are lucky.
The Chocolate Shoppe ice cream out of Madison, WI is simply the best ice cream I have ever tasted. So many delicious flavors that there is sure to be something to please every palette. This ice cream is super-premium, incredibly dense, and high butterfat! I was so lucky to run an ice cream shop for the Boys & Girls Club in Rochester, MN for a time, and The Chocolate Shoppe ice cream is what we served. They also make sorbets and soy products for those who cannot have dairy. There are independent shops all around the country that serve this ice cream (and it looks like there are a few in KY ;). My favorite was the caffeinated Iced-Latte’-Da (but there are chunks of chocolate)! chocolateshoppeicream.com
My fave is Jeni’s brown butter almond brittle. Many of hers are good, but this one is to die for.
I love Tillamook chocolate and peanut butter!!
We were just gifted 6 pints of Jeni’s ice cream from our Texas family and we LOVE it! We’ve never heard of it here in North Carolina. But what a treat, absolutely delicious!
I love Jeni’s too, and my favorite is Blackest Chocolate Chocolate cake. Also Goat Cheese and Dried Cherry
Leopold’s in Savannah makes the most amazing Ginger ice cream. They rarely have it but I happened upon it on a whim and so glad I chose the obscure flavor – it bowled me over!
Any place that makes their own ice cream is a must try for me. Our family’s favorite vacation spot is Love Boat ice cream in Ft. Myers, FL where I get pistachio that is NOT artificially green and my husband gets any coffee variety.
My other favorites are honey flavored and my oldest teenage daughter likes Love Creamery in Duluth,MN because they infuse tea into their ice cream like London Fog or Earl Grey with honey.
I’ve been loving making new flavours of ice cream. Currently we have a strawberry rhubarb ice cream in the freezer. I swear by Ample Hill’s ice cream cookbook as giving the best texture and add everything under the sink to their basic base. Mint Oreo is always a winner.
I would love to try that London Fog flavor!
Ginger would be amazing
It is the most memorable ice cream I have ever had!
That sounds DELICIOUS.
Turkey Hill makes the BEST ice cream! I also love Talenti raspberry gelato. I am a big fan of black cherry and black raspberry flavors. My very favorite flavor of ice cream is orange pineapple, which is hard to find…got it at Disney World a few years ago. For a vanilla cone, Dairy Queen is my go to. As a “North Country” girl from New York state – and who had two uncles who made maple syrup- one of my favorite ways to eat vanilla or butter pecan ice cream is with real maple syrup on top. YUMMY! (By the way, soft serve maple ice cream is a real thing in northern New York!) A treat in the winter was boiling real maple syrup and then pouring it on top of clean snow…maple candy!!
Happy ice cream eating!!
I love ice cream, gelato and especially frozen custard! Here in the St. Louis area we have many fabulous frozen custard stands, many of which are open year-round. We love Ted Drewes and the deliciously sublime Doozle’s Frozen Custard. From the store, my favorite brand is Talenti, and I wait for sales to stock up on this delicacy. I adore the Talenti Sea Salt Caramel as well as the Organic Brown Butter Caramel! I could talk about this subject all day long . . .
Does anyone have favorite options for those who are lactose intolerant?
Cashew milk ice cream is the best I’ve found that is creamy. Must be all the “good” fats. I’ve only had the SO Delicious brand.
Talenti sorbetto and Revolution Gelato (both non-dairy)
Jeni’s makes great dairy-free ice cream. Texas Sheet Cake gets my vote.
If you are ever in the Philadelphia area, you should find either a store with Bassetts ice cream, or visit their spot at the Reading Terminal Market. Butterscotch Vanilla and Raspberry Truffle are our favs. Not too sweet, super creamy.
Turkey Hill mint chocolate chip is my absolute favorite ice cream. My indulgence is Jeni’s ice cream–specifically her salted peanut butter with chocolate flecks. SO worth the cost!
NYC’s VanLeeuwen, especially cookies and cream or mint chip! I recently found pints in my local Sprouts (like Whole Foods). Very rich, decadent, French ice cream.
Ooh, I just saw this brand at Whole Foods (I think) and was curious about it–will give it a try!
Funny, I just bought an ice cream maker and tried it for the first time last night! I went with lemon custard as I just harvested a ton of lemons from my mom’s tree. The custard boiled over as I cooked it and the paddle didn’t get seated right in the machine, but after these missteps were resolved the ice cream turned out pretty good! Looking forward to experimenting this summer. Recipe ideas welcomed!
I swear by Ben and Jerry’s ice cream cookbook and their recipes don’t involve making a custard. Oreo mint is always a fave, as is Creamsicle (I think it’s listed as Orange Dream) and Peanut Butter with mini chocolate chips.
I have found the best chocolate ice cream recipes to be the no-churn variety!
Bluebell Chocolate Almond Marshmallow and Rocky Mountain Road are the ultimate for me! They are both seasonal, but you never know when they will be available.
Rocky Mountain Road is my favorite.
I could go on and on about ice cream. Here in the Boston suburbs the best is from the local farm/ice cream stands. Kimball’s in Westford is five minutes from us and legendary. At the grocery store I always buy Gifford’s from Maine if it’s on sale (sometimes if it’s not). We just got Tillamook here recently and it’s really good! Trader Joe’s has some yummy flavors and their vanilla is a go-to around here. I have been fortunate to go to Graeter’s when visiting family and it’s so good. I can find it at Whole Foods sometimes. I also have been known to splurge on Jeni’s or Bart’s from there. I’ve realized that some premium/local pints are more grainy and I prefer the creamier brands. I guess I just have to try them all to find the best!
Gifford’s Ice Cream for the win!! 🙂
I usually stick to Talenti gelato or sorbeto (any coffee flavor), though the rest of the family enjoys Blue Bunny – the plain ole vanilla, please! But when we go out for a treat? Jarling’s Custard Cup in Champaign, IL. Frozen custard made in small batches throughout the day (lemon is fabulous!). They also offer Snowstorms (think Dairy Queen’s blizzards, only better); my favorite is the tortoise with almonds. They have Sleets for dairy-free indulgences. The Berry Delightful Parfait is to die for! Jarlingscustardcup.com
Here! Here! Talenti coffee sorbetto is delicious!!!
If you are ever in Maine- Hodgmans Frozen Custard is the way to go! They only serve Chocolate, Vanilla and one rotating specialty flavor. Never to sweet and super creamy!
I’m in the PNW, so it’s all about the Tillamook here. It is SO good. Mudslide is our favorite, but you wouldn’t enjoy it–it’s got huge slabs of salty chocolate in it. But they melt in your mouth, and it’s to die for. Huckleberry is also a favorite. Then my favorite flavor of all time is actually Dreyer’s Oh How I love thee PB Cup (might just be called PB cup now). For the Choc/Pb lovers out there it can’t be beat!
I had no idea Tillamook made ice cream! I look forward to trying it next time I’m out your way.
Oh yah, Tillamook makes KILLER ice cream!
I grew up in Bluebell country and miss it! My favorites when I come home are Mint Chocolate Chip and Bride’s Cake.
I was VERY EXCITED when Blue Bell finally came to my region a few years back!
Bride’s cake is my favorite Blue Bell flavor!
Ice cream is my favorite treat and thankfully I didn’t have to totally sacrifice it when I went dairy free. The best dairy free brand that I’ve tried is Cado which I get at Walmart. The chocolate is sooooo good. The other brand I really like is Luna and Larry’s Coconut Bliss (which I get at the local grocery store Harmon’s or local health food store Good Earth. You can look up available locations on their website). They also have ice cream bars. I had the raspberry chocolate last night and it’s to die for!!
I love So Delicious and the Trader Joe’s coconut ice cream but I didn’t know about Cado or Luna and Larry’s!
I LOVE ice cream! Sadly, as someone who has been dairy-free (and gluten-free) for several years I don’t get to enjoy the real thing anymore. There isn’t a true replacement that equals ice cream (I like creamy but not coconut flavor), but I’ve found that Talenti Cold-Brew Coffee Sorbetto is pretty darn close.
And Nature’s Promise Coconut Milk Vanilla isn’t too, too coconutty.
If anyone else has found a non-dairy sub that scratches the ice cream itch, at least partially, please share!
I do enjoy trying the unique flavors at the trendy shops. I love green tea and lavender in ice cream. Found straw to be rather odd ( yeah, I know, what was I thinking). I still really just love mint chocolate chip and butter brickle. I don’t know if you can even get butter brickle anymore?
Straw?! I’m intrigued!
Lavender and earl grey is one of my favorite ice cream flavors. 🙂
Yes. Earl Grey and Lav. Janerty’s a small family owned homemade ice cream here in Smyrna, TN. They had that flavor, I tried it on a whim and it was really good and interesting. Plus they make their own waffle cones and it smells so good in there. I like to try interesting flavors at small mom and pop owned places the best.
Somehow ice cream from the ice cream parlor is better than from the grocery store! Mayfield Dairy in Athens, TN was my favorite treat spot when I lived in the area. They had a marvelous coffee flavored one. It is on the I-75 between Chattanooga and Knoxville. Continue up the highway for cheese from Sweetwater Valley Farm. Both did tours in the before-time.
In the Grand Rapids MI area, Hudsonville ice cream is a local favorite. I love Deer Tracks, Mackinac Island Fudge, Mint Chocolate Chip, Seaside Carmel, Belgian Cookie Butter. I am an ice cream addict.
While I buy plenty of ice cream from Aldi, during the summer I make a lot of my own ice cream. And I don’t have an ice cream maker–I have found blending all the ingredients in my food processor and then using an immersion blender ever 30 minutes while it’s freezing does the trick. I get all my recipes from Joy the Baker’s cookbook Homemade Decadence. The peanut butter one especially is completely foolproof, you cannot mess it up and the oils in the peanut butter means it comes out creamy every time.
Oh and Ben and Jerry’s half baked is my go-to for either super special occassions or those occassion when EVERYTHING IS WRONG AND I’M JUST SOBBING ON THE COUCH.
I LOVE Talenti gelato… it’s just so good, and just one or two spoonfuls is satisfying.
Thanks for the timely post… here in the PNW, I think a portal to the underworld is about to open – starting this weekend, we are set to have 5-6 days of recod-breaking temps well over 100*. No better time for ice cream!
Your post just sent me back to my twenties when I lived in Cincinnati near the Oakley neighborhood. I loved to visit Aglemesis for ice cream and chocolates. It was like stepping back in time. I also love Graeters 🙂 Thanks for trip down memory lane. Also I just ordered a six pack from Aglemesis to be delivered to my Iowa address 🙂
I’ve never heard of Aglemesis! Thanks for broadening my horizons. 🙂
Anne, I immediately thought of Aglamesis when I read your post! It’s a lovely, old-fashioned shop (two locations: Oakley and Montgomery, Oakley is the original). Their sundaes, sodas (do yourself a favor and get it “extra sincere”), and candy are all wonderful. The dark chocolate-covered toffee is the best candy on earth.
https://www.aglamesis.com/
We live in Colorado, and my favorite store ice cream is Blue Bell’s Dutch Chocolate. But whenever we travel in Texas, Oklahoma, or south Kansas, it’s all I can do not to stop at every single Braums we pass for ice cream or a milkshake and fries. I love Braums.
TRAVEL GOALS. 🙂
Breyer’s vanilla is my favorite ice cream to serve with brownies, pies, and cobblers.
My daughter lives in Cincinnati and across the street from Mrs. Graeter! As far as I’m concerned Graeter’s Black Cherry Chocolate Chunk is the best ice cream in the world and they always have a pint or two in the freezer and/or we walk to the neighborhood Graeter’s Store when I visit.
What a wonderful place to visit!
We are big fans of Humphrey Slocum ice cream. Our favorite is the Blue Bottle Vietnamese Coffee, but I really want to try Secret Breakfast (bourbon ice cream with cornflakes).
Wait. I can get Blue Bottle in my ice cream? This is amazing—now I need to figure out how to get my hands on some!
I live within walking distance of Culver’s and DQ, but also love our local Chocolate Shoppe (mentioned above) and Babcock Dairy.
If picking something up from the grocery store I love Edy’s Double Fudge Brownie or Kemp’s Moose Tracks Double Fudge, or any of Kemp’s three Cow Tracks (Caramel Cow, Caramel Fudge Cow or Mint Cow). Magnum bars are also a good indulgence, though rather expensive.
Lapp Valley Farm has delicious homemade ice cream ( and they make their own waffle cones!) It is located near New Holland, PA, out in the country on the farm. My sister and I share a bowl- a scoop of chocolate almond and one of coconut and we call it almond joy!
My favorite is the hard to find Baskin and Robbins’ Jamoca Almond Fudge. I am not a big ice cream eater, but when I can find it in my Sarasota area I buy out the store.
I live in New England, where Gifford’s ice cream (along with B&J’s) reigns. Their Old Fashioned Vanilla is my go-to, but as an avid hockey player & fan, I’m also partial to their Bruins Power Play Fudge… mmmmm!
As a born and bred Cincinnati girl, I’m thrilled to see Graeter’s at the top if your list. I’d recommend giving the salted caramel a try.
My inlaws live in Louisville and when we drive the 11 hours to visit, we have been known to stop at Graeter’s before we go to their house. Don’t tell. 😉
I would never!
As a Louisvillian you must know about Gelato Gilberto, in Norton Commons, a magnificent reminder of Italy as the owner learned to make gelato by going there and learning from the best! And then there is Dairy Kastle on Eastern Parkway near the University of Louisville, homemade soft serve ice cream at its finest, many flavors and choices!
Would you believe I’ve never been to Dairy Kastle? I’m also happy to share that Gelato Gilberto is opening a location on Frankfort Avenue in Clifton. They’re currently selling out of an adorable airstream on weekends, and opening up the building sometime in July.
You’ve never been to Dairy Castle?!
We recently had Tillamook’s cherry ice cream and it was fabulous!
I live in California and haven’t heard of many of these brands, but they sound yummy. Just about any store brand is fine with me. When visiting my daughter in the Chicago area I love to get Culvers or Scooters custard, they don’t have that out here as far as I’ve ever seen (custard) and it’s sooooo good. Dairy Queen chocolate dipped cones are a close second. I will have to try Tillamook which is available here.
My husband and I just returned from a road trip to Le Mars, Iowa, the Ice Cream Capital of the World where we visited the Wells Blue Bunny museum and ice cream parlor. Sundies were enjoyed and we suffered ice cream overload! An interesting look at the history of the brand.
We stopped at Graeters on our last visit to the US and ate ice cream for breakfast because it was the only time we would be close enough in our travels. I live in New Zealand so it just made sense. I really love the shards of dark chocolate.
Ice cream for breakfast, I love it!
I am with you Anne – Graeter’s – Loved that place when we lived in Middletown. Best ice cream I ever had!! Only went to Comfy Cow once on Herr Lane – but Graeter’s is my fav place – Charlottesville needs to step it up and get one here!!! My go to ice cream to buy is Tillamook – I like the Black Cherry and Strawberry the best – its consistency is very creamy unlike other store brands. Thanks for the tip on the chocolate flecks of Hagen Das – I use to buy I think Breyers that had chocolate flecks and could not find it anymore. That chocolate fleck icecream is “my” favorite too!!!
Culvers frozen custard is the best…all the flavors. Also Andy’s and Freddy’s for frozen custard. Braum’s in Texas and local in upstate NY ice cream at Stewart’s.
Frankie & Jo’s, a Seattle-based vegan ice cream shop, is the best ever. My husband — who is definitely not a vegan — prefers it above all others. They ship nationwide!!
Oh it HAS to be Pistachio Talenti…my oh my it’s good! Your posts are usually a good influence on me but this one has me so tempted lol! Thank you for the summertime refreshment!
As a former Louisville gal, I’m thankful to have Fry’s (owned by Kroger) in AZ to still indulge in Graeter’s. Just had some Black Raspberry Chip which is tied with seasonal Strawberry Chip as my favorite. I also just discovered Van Leeuween and the Earl Grey is heavenly. And great paired with raspberry chip! For inexpensive, I’m all about Tillamook
California raised girl here but have lived in Texas & WA.& UT.
Growing up & still love- Thrifty’s ice chocolate Malted Crunch.
Growing up #2 was Clover ice cream made in Sonoma, Chocolate Chip.
Blue Bell used to have Lemonade ice box flavor ice cream- refreshing.
Tillamook makes malted moo shake flavor- nice substitute for #1.
Red button ice cream makes black licorice ice cream for those of us that remember Baskin Robbins 31 flavors carrying it in the 70s. YUM !!
We love Talenti too! Our favorite flavors are Sea Salt Caramel and Black Raspberry Chocolate Chip.
My absolute favorite that’s easy to find and very affordable is the Costco Kirkland brand vanilla. It’s so rich and creamy – I’m an ice cream snob and I was flabbergasted at how good it is.
I recently got a Cuisinart ice cream maker so have been trying it out. It’s so easy to use and the ice cream is better than any I’ve ever bought. So far I’ve made blackberry, strawberry, dark chocolate, and vanilla. I got a shipment of peaches from a local farm this week, so am making peach ice cream with a balsamic reduction to drizzle over it.
I see a lot of regional ice cream brands in the comments, but haven’t yet noticed anyone from Montana. Here we have Wilcoxson’s ice cream, which makes, in my opinion, the best cookie dough ice cream anywhere. (Superior because of their delicious chunks of dough and lack of obnoxious chunks of frozen chocolate.) They also have excellent vanilla, huckleberry, and Moose Tracks. My other favorite ice cream is homemade—I like rhubarb and brown butter best.
I just learned the other day that Wegman’s is now selling Graeter’s in their stores!! A little bit of Louisville in Charlottesville!!! Its not quite the same as being there…but it helps!!!
I am a Texas girl, and we love our Bluebell! Butter Nut Crunch (if you love Butterfingers), Mint Chocolate Chip, and good old Vanilla Bean.
My sister and I visited Chincoteague Island, VA in July 2019. The marsh mud ice cream at Island Creamery was some of the most amazing ice cream we had ever tasted. The other flavors were delish, too, but marsh mud was our favorite.
https://www.islandcreamery.net/flavors