Photo by Derrick Koch
Ice cream from Milkjam Creamery
Can’t decide between the green tea Oreo and the rum cherry? If there was ever a moment to order both, it’s right now. Here are the flavors you want (and need?): Get them packed at the parlor, or look for a pint in the grocery freezer aisle.
Milkjam Creamery
Sameh Wadi’s scoop shop in LynLake opened our eyes to what vegan ice cream could be—in the right hands. Find a friend to help conquer a a tray of every single scoop: a real order called “All of Them.”
PICK: Black is a gluten-free and vegan chocolate ice cream with the darkest of all dark chocolates. milkjamcreamery.com
Sweet Science
The science behind these pints is really simple: This Keg and Case operation uses the freshest organic cream and adds ingredients like honey and chamomile.
PICK: Rhubarb cinnamon with toasted almonds. sweetscienceicecream.com
Grand Ole Creamery
The business opened on Grand Old Day in 1984. The next-gen siblings who grew up rolling waffle cones are now expanding their patented recipes.
PICK: Basic and purely delicious sweet cream. grandolecreamery.com
Sonny’s Ice Cream
Since 1960, Sonny’s has served up elevated ice cream off Lyndale Ave. It makes more than a thousand (fancy) flavors throughout the year.
PICK: Organic strawberry basil with aged balsamic vinegar. sonnysicecream.com
Izzy’s
You’re going to need two different flavors to execute the famous mini Izzy Scoop on top.
PICK: Green tea Oreo topped with an Izzy of ginger. izzysicecream.com
Love Creamery
If you’re headed up north later this summer, you’ll want to grab a pint from Duluth’s best ice cream shop. Creative flavors are its game: Send a flavor idea and they might put it on the board.
PICK: Salted licorice ice cream makes for a rare treat. lovecreamery.com
Sebastian Joe’s
With a rotating board of flavors—from the famous Pavarotti to Nicollet Avenue Pothole—this is small-batch ice cream made every day.
PICK: Oreo, hands down. sebastianjoesicecream.com
Big Dipper Creamery
This Blaine/North Oaks creamery handcrafts some 50 flavors, from Butterfinger to salty caramel to dairy-free mango. Miss their open hours? Try the cooler vending machine outside.
PICK: Rum cherry, for all the grannies out there. bigdippercreamery.com
Grandpa’s Ice Cream
Despite the old-timey name, this ice cream shop in Friendly Fridley makes premium ice cream in small batches from April to October.
PICK: Cinnamon-kissed horchata ice cream. grandpasicecream.biz
Pumphouse Creamery
Open seven days a week, even in winter, this operation partners with local dairy farms and uses organic egg yolks.
PICK: Have to go with the dill pickle: It’s tart, briny, sweet, and perfect. pumphouse-creamery.com
