Every once in awhile my typical coffee and cookies and cream combo gets old when I eat ice cream. I always look for odd foods when I go out to new restaurants, so why not do the same with strange ice cream flavors? The list below is geared towards expanding your ice cream choices, even if it’s just to get a sample of one of these flavors the next time you visit the locations, or even start to seek out your own strange flavors!
1. Basil – Salem Valley Farms Ice Cream Co., Salem, CT
Basil ice cream is exactly what it sounds like: a creamy rendition of every pizza lover’s favorite herb. The idea came to the owner when he tasted basil ice cream for the first time in a trip to South America. When he realized how simple it was to make, he added it to the 80 other flavors that are available at Salem Valley Farms, a family favorite and must see in Eastern Connecticut. Other strange ice cream flavors at “The Barn,” as it’s commonly referred to, include Ginger, Grapenut, Rum Raisin, and Fruitcake. If you can’t commit to getting a full cone of the sweetly delicious treat, feel free to ask for a sample at either of the windows. Or, if you love it so much you can’t get enough, stop by the barn-like store to pick up a pint, hand-packed or prepackaged, to take home!
2. Ghost Pepper Ice Cream – The Ice Cream Store, Rehoboth Beach, DE
With flavors like “Thanksgiving Dinner,” “Deez Nuts,” and “Looks Like Viagra,” it’s no wonder that The Ice Cream Store in Rehoboth Beach has an ice cream flavored with one of the world’s hottest peppers. The vanilla based ice cream is flavored with cinnamon, a ribbon of strawberry, and several different brands of hot sauce, including: You Can’t Handle This Hot Sauce, Heartbreaking Dawn’s 1841 Ghost Pepper Hot Sauce, Mad Dog 357 Ghost Pepper Hot Sauce, and Da’ Bomb Ghost Pepper Hot Sauce. A fresh Ghost Pepper mash is also added to the concoction, to really amp up the eye watering heat in the ice cream. While you have to sign a waiver and be over 18 years old to enjoy this hot treat, at least you’d be able to say that you tried an ice cream listed in the 2016 Ripley’s Believe It or Not book!
3. Party Mix – Max and Mina’s, Queens, NY
Started in 1980 by brothers who wanted to honor their grandparents’ love of strange ice cream flavors, Max and Mina’s in Queens, NY has surpassed many expectations and definitions of strange ice cream. Their flavor Partymix is a vanilla based ice cream with cheetos, pretzels, and doritos chopped up and mixed together. This all time munchies snack is only one of the many creations that the duo has served up, including Horseradish, Beer and Pretzels, Baklava, and Cheese Doodle. It’s worth the trip if you’re looking for a fun, friendly, and all around exciting atmosphere to accompany your adventurous tastebuds.
4. Old Goat – Walnut Beach Creamery, Milford, CT
Though the name “Old Goat” might conjure up images of a goat with gray hair and a pipe, to natives of Milford, CT it represents deliciously strange ice cream. Old goat is made with goat cheese, cognac, and figs to give a sweet but savory flavor to anyone looking to try something different. Some say the flavor is good in small portions, while others swear that it makes up their midday meal when they can sneak away from the office. Old Goat isn’t the only flavor that brings people into Walnut Beach Creamery, but it is among the strangest.
5. Olive Oil – The Bent Spoon, Princeton, NJ
While olive oil may be Rachel Ray’s favorite condiment, it’s typically not an ice cream flavor that you see. Some people think that it should stick to salad dressings and sautéing mushrooms, but the customers of the Bent Spoon swear by this delicious frozen treat. Though olive oil may be one of the incredible flavors you could try at the Bent Spoon, it’s worth noting that they’ve come up with 500 original flavors to date, so make sure you’re feeling adventurous when you go to Princeton next!
6. Indian Summer – Walnut Beach Creamery, Milford, CT
Walnut Beach Creamery is well known for its Old Goat ice cream, but Indian Summer is another popular and odd flavor that attracts lovers of corn and molasses alike. The sweet cream based ice cream is mixed together with everyone’s favorite summer time veggie and the main ingredient to my grandma’s molasses cookies. While having veggies in ice cream may not be everyone’s cup of tea, it’s definitely something to try if you’re into outrageous flavors.
7. Lobster – Ben and Bill’s Chocolate Emporium, Bar Harbor, ME
Any native or vacationer of Maine will tell you they have the best lobster in the world. With the perfectly toasted roll, sweet butter, and the fresh taste of the meat right out of the claw, almost nothing surpasses the taste of a fresh lobster roll…except for lobster ice cream. Ben and Bill’s Chocolate Emporium prides themselves on having a creamy, buttery ice cream chock full of fresh lobster at their establishment. Any employee or frequent flyer at B&B’s CE will tell you, there is real lobster in the ice cream, so people with shellfish allergies beware. It’s a wicked good ice cream for anyone who’s looking to switch up their typical Maine vacation, so stop by the emporium to pick up some fudge, taffy, or lobster ice cream.
8. Old Bay Caramel – The Charmery, Baltimore, MD
While Maine might be famous for lobster, Maryland takes the cake for crab (crab cakes, that is). The famous Old Bay seasoning that goes into their lucious cakes of fresh crab can be found mixed with fresh caramel and cream to create the Old Bay Caramel flavor at The Charmery in Baltimore, MD. While it may not have real crab in the ice cream, the old bay flavor will bring you back to any and all memories of Baltimore.
9. Catching Fire – The Ice Cream Store, Rehoboth Beach, DE
Ask Katniss and Peeta and they’ll tell you that Catching Fire was intense, but ask patrons of the Ice Cream Store at Rehoboth Beach and they’ll tell you it’s a delicious treat that comes with a six legged surprise on top. Each cone is embellished with a real (dead) scorpion to give an extra flare to the tasty mango, orange, and strawberry whirled dessert. While the treat was popular after the release of the film of the same name, it might be off their shelves at any time, so it’s wise to call if you’re interested in the scorpion treat. Even if you risk the trip and go anyway, the Ice Cream Store have tons of incredible flavors sure to rock your taste buds.
10. El Vocho – Little Baby’s Ice Cream, Philadelphia, PA
When you think of jalapeños, mint, cilantro, and crushed pineapple, you’re probably thinking of salsa. At Little Baby’s Ice Cream, however, you’re thinking of El Vocho. With the namesake from VW bugs in Mexico City, El Vocho has quickly become a popular favorite at Little Baby’s, drawing crowds from across the country and the border. While they have El Vocho, Little Baby’s is also home to other strange flavors, such as Cucumber Dill and Balsamic Banana, which are all worth a ride in any colored VW Bug.
Honorable Mention: Avocado & Strawberry Sherbert – Salt & Straw, Los Angeles, CA
Though it’s technically not an ice cream, Salt & Straw’s Avocado and Strawberry Sherbert is well loved enough that I couldn’t pass up giving it an honorable mention. The strange flavor combo lends to those who care about their health and supporting the avocado industry, but aren’t as concerned about their dairy intake as sherbert still contains milk. If you’re ever in the LA or Portland area, Salt & Straw is a must for any frozen treat, ice cream or sherbert.
Interested in exploring more ice cream places, maybe with more traditional flavors? Check out these articles:
The Best Ice Cream Shops in the US, According to an Ice Cream Snob