If you keep up with food trends, then you'd know that hand-rolled ice cream was big last year. 10Below, the Build-A-Bear of ice cream, was one of the main places that served delicious ice cream with fun flavors in this ice cream craze. What's even better is that there are eight suggestions for the flavors in each store, but if you just get a little creative, you can create any concoction imaginable. I was lucky enough to know the owner of 10Below at one of the stores, and had the chance to experiment with some of the ingredients. Check out some of my cool (no pun intended) creations which you can definitely create yourself.
1. Samoas
We all know Girl Scout Cookies only are sold once a year, but you can definitely recreate the popular cookie, Samoas. Just ask to have graham crackers and coconut flakes mixed with caramel and chocolate sauce. The concoction tastes exactly like this Girl Scout cookie favorite.
2. Banana Pudding
If you have ever tried the amazing banana pudding from Magnolia Bakery, this ice cream is definitely its colder cousin. Made from Nilla Wafers and half of a banana, this dessert creates a delicious and creamy frozen banana pudding.
3. Ferrero Rocher
You've probably bought this expensive chocolate for your significant other for Valentine's day, but now you can bring her/him to 10Below instead! This ice cream dessert uses pretzels and Nutella incorporated with the base that makes for a bite of hazelnut and chocolate-ly goodness every time.
4. Banana Split
This is a classic in every sundae shop, but is now in roll form. Ask for strawberries and bananas with a drizzle of chocolate for your base to make this scrumptious nostalgic dessert. And, you should definitely get whipped cream to finish off the classic aesthetic.
5. Cannoli
The best thing about the secret menu is that you can customize your flavor with your own ingredients, making an infinite amount of combinations. Bring in a cannoli from Little Italy, only blocks away, to create a cannoli flavored rolled ice cream! You can also add graham crackers to give the texture of biting into the crunchy pastry of an actual cannoli.
6. Potato Chips and Chocolate
If you have the courage to decide to experiment even more, try potato chips and chocolate drizzle which is definitely a match made in heaven. The salty potato chip with the overall sweetness of chocolate makes a crazy flavor party in your mouth.
7. Reese's Peanut Butter Cup
Customizing flavors at 10below is incredibly simple. You can use any candy and mix it with your ice cream at 10below. For example, buy Reese's Peanut Butter cups at a nearby deli to make the ice cream filled with peanut butter and chocolatey goodness. Or, you can bring in a York's Peppermint Patty to make a chocolate mint flavor; the options are endless.
8. Cookie Dough
One of our photographers brought in edible cookie dough so we absolutely had to use it. Although it was difficult to break up the cookie dough on the ice cold plate, we managed to create this delicious flavor. Instead of buying a cookie dough pint from your grocery store, have it made right in front of your eyes at 10below. Of all the flavors, this was definitely the most fun to make and to eat as it was like having a bite of a cookie in every creamy bite.
These eight extra flavors only scratch the surface of 10below's secret menu, as the options are endless with so much potential for new and exciting combinations, made by you. Check out 10Below's Flagship store in LES or their original location in Chinatown to make your own spin in the rolled ice cream scene. Who knows, your flavor might make the official menu!
Hope to see you soon, so you can enjoy the whale-y good secret menu!