There are so many great ways to make ice cream. You can use an old-fashioned hand-cranked ice cream freezer, freeze your ice cream in your freezer, or use an electric ice cream freezer. There are also devices such as the Ninja Creami that you can use to make gourmet masterpieces.
There are thousands of ice cream flavors, and thanks to technology, it’s easier than ever to make the best ice cream flavors at home.
Ice cream, a beloved and timeless dessert, has a plethora of flavors that tantalize taste buds across the globe. From classic favorites such as vanilla and chocolate to more exotic combinations like lavender honey or goat cheese beet swirl, there is seemingly no end to the creative twists on this frozen treat. Artisanal and well-established ice cream shops alike continue to innovate and push the boundaries of traditional flavor combinations, much to the delight of customers everywhere.
The history of ice cream flavors extends beyond simple sweet tastes, with origins in ancient civilizations that experimented with various ingredients. Over the centuries, ice cream has evolved and transformed, largely due to innovative chefs and entrepreneurs who strived to create new and exciting flavors for their customers. Their ingenuity has led to the incredibly diverse range of ice cream flavors that we know and love today.
In the world of ice cream, both well-known and obscure flavors hold particular appeal, inspiring ice cream enthusiasts to sample and savor a multitude of flavors. As new ice cream concoctions emerge and classic flavors maintain their steadfast popularity, it is impossible not to be captivated by the diverse palate that ice cream offers.
Whether you’re working with an old-fashioned ice cream freezer, an electric one, or a high-tech Ninja Creami, you can easily enjoy homemade ice cream flavors that you make yourself.
Ready to discover the world’s best ice cream flavors? Let’s dive into this ice cream flavors list!
Baskin Robbins invented Pralines ‘n Cream ice cream and since then, other brands have incorporated this flavor into their ice cream flavors.
This divine ice cream flavor has pralines, pecans, and decadent caramel swirls. With this combination, you have ice cream that is salty, sweet, crunchy, and creamy, all at the same time.
This ice cream flavor takes a bit more work because you need to make candied pecans. But it’s totally worth it.
Remember the old commercial that shows how chocolate and peanut butter were born for each other? Well, we couldn’t agree more!
Because the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups bring so much sweetness and flavor by themselves, you don’t need a lot of ingredients to make this yummy ice cream flavor.
All you need to make Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups ice cream is creamy peanut butter, sugar, whole milk, heavy cream, vanilla extract, and of course, chopped chocolate peanut butter cups.
This fun ice cream flavor is one of the top five best-selling ice cream flavors in history, believe it or not.
And to think we wouldn’t have it if it weren’t for Oreo.
For this recipe, you need just five yummy ingredients: whole milk, granulated sugar, pure vanilla extract, heavy cream, and, of course, chopped Oreo cookies.
Technically, you can use any type of cookie that’s similar to an Oreo.
Cherry Garcia ice cream is named after the late Grateful Dead singer and songwriter Jerry Garcia and it has become one of the most popular ice cream flavors.
This delicious and unique ice cream flavor consists of cherry vanilla ice cream, cherry bits, and dark chocolate.
Count us in!
Believe it or not, this ice cream flavor that was invented by Ben and Jerry’s came from a tip to the company’s anonymous suggestion board.
Thank you, random anonymous person! We are forever grateful (dead).
Did you know that German chocolate cake isn’t really from Germany? This beloved cake has American roots.
German chocolate cake was created by a British-American chocolatier named Samuel German.
Samuel German worked with Baker’s Chocolate Company to invent dark baking chocolate in 1952. Then, he used that special chocolate to create this luscious cake.
To make this delicious recipe into ice cream, you need semisweet chocolate, heavy cream, cocoa powder, and a bit of German chocolate frosting.
If you want an ice cream flavor that’s fit for royalty, mint chocolate chip ice cream may be one of your favorite ice cream flavors.
When Princess Anne was preparing to get married in 1973, a young English culinary school student submitted mint chocolate chip as a flavor for the princess’s wedding.
The original name for this mint ice cream was Mint Royale. Love it!
To make mint chocolate chip ice cream, you need mint extract and dark chocolate chips.
Believe it or not, chocolate ice cream came before vanilla ice cream. In fact, chocolate ice cream was the first ice cream flavor ever invented.
It’s very likely that chocolate is on the list of the top 20 ice cream flavors.
Chocolate lovers aren’t a bit surprised by that.
This delicious creamy chocolate ice cream recipe calls for just seven ingredients, and that includes two types of chocolate: semisweet chocolate chunks and unsweetened cocoa powder.
You can also use chocolate chips to make this yummy chocolate ice cream.
Rocky Road is one of the oldest contemporary ice cream flavors and it’s been around since the early part of the 1900s.
The flavor was created by none other than the founder of Dreyer’s, William Dreyer himself.
Dreyer created this delicious flavor in 1929 when he cut up walnuts and marshmallow using his wife’s sewing scissors. Then, he mixed these ingredients into chocolate ice cream.
Such humble beginnings for an iconic ice cream flavor.
What we love about chocolate chip ice cream is that it doesn’t typically have huge chocolate chips.
Instead, the chocolate chips in this ice cream are a bit more delicate and creamy.
For this chocolate chip ice cream, instead of using chocolate chips, use chocolate flake or take a bar of antioxidant-rich dark chocolate and chop it up. It will make for much tastier ice cream.
You can use whatever type of chocolate you like for this ice cream.
Teaberry ice cream is a New England native and teaberry is a bit of a polarizing fruit, believe it or not.
Teaberry has a gorgeous pink color, but the flavor doesn’t taste like berries or raspberry. Instead, it has a slightly tart but sweet flavor that may remind you of wintergreen.
However, some folks say that it tastes like Pepto-Bismol!
It’s probably one of those things like cilantro that tastes different to different people.
Did you know that Neapolitan ice cream wasn’t originally chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry?
This ice cream flavor was brought to the U.S. from Italy by 19th-century immigrants. To honor their home country’s flag, they made Neapolitan ice cream with strawberry, vanilla, and pistachio. No chocolate!
Well, we’ve come to love this ice cream with chocolate instead of pistachio, so we’re going to make it this way.
Neapolitan ice cream requires a bit more work because you’re making three flavors and then layering them.
This is the perfect ice cream for the unicorn lovers you know.
Cotton Candy ice cream was created by Baskin Robbins, and it’s super sweet because sweetened condensed milk is used to make this wonderful ice cream flavor.
Also, you need cotton candy flavoring in extract form. Alternatively, you can find this unique flavor in a frosting mix.
To get the colors perfect, you will need to buy blue and red food coloring.
When you want an elegant ice cream, sorbet, or sherbet that makes a statement right by itself, you can’t go wrong with lemon custard ice cream.
The secret to this perfect ice cream flavor is the fresh lemon juice and lemon zest.
This lemon custard ice cream doesn’t taste like sharp lemon sorbet. Unlike sorbet or sherbet, this ice cream gets its creaminess and smoothness from the egg yolks and cream that are whisked into it.
Want a fun ice cream fact? The legendary chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream flavor was invented by Ben and Jerry’s in 1984!
We aren’t one bit surprised. Ben and Jerry’s has invented so many great flavors and types of ice cream. As it turns out, this flavor was submitted on the company’s anonymous flavor suggestion board.
Whoever that anonymous person was, they deserve a medal of some sort, right?
This ice cream recipe calls for brown sugar, heavy cream, and half and half.
Want to make homemade ice cream but don’t have an ice cream machine? Check out the video below.
Cassie brings decades of experience to the Kitchen Community. She is a noted chef and avid gardener. Her new book "Healthy Eating Through the Garden" will be released shortly. When not writing or speaking about food and gardens Cassie can be found puttering around farmer's markets and greenhouses looking for the next great idea.
