These are unique and interesting ice cream flavors you can make with homemade or store-bought ice cream! Make these creative ideas with or without a churn. Just three easy steps get you to ice cream heaven.
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Ice Cream Flavours or Flavors
It's like walking into an ice cream shop and having all the most wonderful, fun ice cream flavors in front of you to choose from.
I know a lot of you are looking for the most creative ice cream flavors out there, and you've come to the right place. There are a lot of searches for the British spelling too: unique ice cream flavours!
However you spell flavor (or flavour) you've come to the right place for the best homemade ice cream.
AND, when I say homemade, I don't mean slaving over the custard and a churn! You can use store-bought chocolate or vanilla ice cream to make these unusual ice cream flavors.
Unique Ice Cream Flavors are Easy To Make
If it's cool ice cream you like, you're in the right place. You'll find interesting flavors like Ginger Pineapple and Buttered Baguette, Toasted Coconut Chocolate Chip and Honey Date. Yum!
This is not just summer ice cream folks! These flavors are delicious all year long. You can eat Cinnamon Toast Ice Cream and Chocolate Orange with White Chocolate Chunks anytime!
I've created combos so good you'll be eating fun ice cream all year long. (You're welcome!)
You'll find 24 unique, make-the-mouth-happy, and easy recipes here that use store-bought ice cream as the base.
Weird Ice Cream Flavors with Chocolate or Vanilla
These different ice cream flavors do have something in common. They each start with either chocolate or vanilla ice cream.
No making fancy bases and formulas here. I used just two simple flavors and grocery store ingredients to make everyone's ice cream dreams come true.
Of course, you can make my Eggless Vanilla Ice Cream, or Homemade Chocolate Ice Cream recipe from scratch, then mix in the fun ingredients. Either way, the three easy steps to making these unique flavors are below.
Ice Cream Flavors to Make At Home
For all the different flavors of ice cream listed below, I started with chocolate or vanilla ice cream. I bought high-quality ice cream, softened it quickly in a mixer, then stirred in my mix-ins.
Using store-bought ice cream takes almost an entire day out of the process. It's easy to make your own ice cream, but when making several ice cream varieties, I love just buying the chocolate and vanilla ice cream.
Certainly, try to make your own if you love homemade ice cream. My custardy, deep Chocolate Ice Cream, and Creamy Vanilla Ice Cream recipes are glorious with these mix-ins. If you do churn your own, see my favorite ice cream makers here.
Check the list below for all the ice cream flavor recipes and the steps to get you to the first bite.
Here are the 24 unique ice cream flavors you'll find recipes for below:
- Red, White, and Blueberry Ice Cream
- Lemon Poppy Seed Ice Cream
- Cereal and Milk Ice Cream
- Coffee and Donuts Ice Cream
- Honey Pistachio Ice Cream
- Marzipan Maraschino Cherry Ice Cream
- Ginger Pineapple Ice Cream
- Lemon Thyme Ice Cream
- Honey Date Ice Cream
- Buttered Baguette Ice Cream
- Cinnamon Toast Ice Cream
- Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Ice Cream
- Coffee Fudge Swirl Ice Cream
- Cherry Pistachio Ice Cream
- PB & J Swirl Ice Cream
- Brown Butter Pecan Ice Cream
- Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream
- Apple Pie A La Mode Ice Cream
- Chocolate Banana Split Ice Cream
- S'Mores Ice Cream
- Orange White-Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream
- Burnt Almond Fudge Ice Cream
- Malt Ball Ice Cream
- Toasted Coconut Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
Fun Ice Cream Mix-Ins
All of these recipes rely on mix-ins to make them super special and cool. You'll need a stand mixer or powerful hand mixer to make this happen.
The trick to mix-ins is to use a powerful mixer to beat the ice cream quickly so it doesn't have time to melt. Feel free to chill the mixer bowl beforehand to help.
Mix-ins add serious personality to vanilla and chocolate ice cream. Don't even try to resist these ice cream flavors!
I use a paddle attachment on my Kitchenaid to mix the ice cream. You want it just soft enough to blend in all the additions. It only takes a minute.
Vanilla-Based Ice Cream Flavors
Getting down to business. Here you have 18 ice cream varieties using homemade or store-bought vanilla ice cream.
1. Red, White and Blueberry Ice Cream
This ice cream is perfect for a July Fourth celebration, and it's simply berry delicious other times too.
Mix 1 cup chopped strawberries, ¾ cup blueberries, and 1 cup mini marshmallows into 1 qt vanilla ice cream.
2. Lemon Poppyseed Ice Cream
Like your favorite lemony muffin, this combo is citrusy and luscious.
Stir ½ cup store-bought lemon curd and 1 tbsp poppy seeds into 1 qt vanilla ice cream.
3. Cereal and Milk Ice Cream
With inspiration from Momofuku Milk Bar (in NYC), I bring you your frozen dessert and cereal dreams all in one!
Crush 1¼ cups Fruit Loops cereal into small crumbs and stir into 1 qt vanilla ice cream.
4. Coffee and Donuts Ice Cream
Your favorite morning combo now in a refreshing dessert!
Mix 1½ tbsp instant espresso powder with 2 tbsp heavy cream to dissolve. Stir into 1 qt vanilla ice cream with 1½ cups cut-up cake donuts.
5. Honey Pistachio Ice Cream
With Mediterranean flare, inspired by the sweet flavors of Greece, this combo is a sophisticated treat.
Stir ¾ cup finely chopped unsalted pistachios and ¼ cup honey into 1 qt vanilla ice cream.
6. Marzipan Maraschino Cherry Ice Cream
Forget the cherry on top, I've created an entire scoop to be the star! With bits of almondy marzipan, it's pretty in pink, with a cherry INSIDE!
Chop 1 cup maraschino cherries and cup 4 oz store-bought marzipan into small pieces. Stir into 1 qt vanilla ice cream with 3 tbsp maraschino cherry juice.
7. Ginger Pineapple Ice Cream
Bring tropical flavors into your desserts with this sweet combo!
Mix ¾ cup drained canned crushed pineapple and 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger into 1 qt vanilla ice cream.
8. Lemon Thyme Ice Cream
This zesty, aromatic combination is unlike any ice cream you've ever tasted!
Mix ½ cup store-bought lemon curd and 2½ teaspoon chopped thyme into 1 qt vanilla ice cream.
9. Honey Date Ice Cream
This flavor is packed with sweetness from natural honey and trendy dates.
Soften ¾ cup pitted dates by heating for 30 seconds in a microwave with 1 tbsp water. Cool and chop. Stir into 1 qt vanilla ice cream with 3 tbsp honey.
10. Buttered Baguette Ice Cream
This ice cream is like nothing you've ever tasted! Buttery and salty. It's my favorite, hands down. You get the toasty golden flavor of French bread and creamy butter with glorious ice cream.
Butter both sides of 12 little ¼-inch-thick baguette slices; bake at 350ºF until crisp and toasted. Cool, then crush into fine crumbs in food processor and stir into 1 qt vanilla ice cream.
11. Cinnamon Toast Ice Cream
Make 3 pieces of buttered cinnamon sugar toast on white bread; cut into small pieces. Stir into 1 qt vanilla ice cream.
12. Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Ice Cream
All that cinnamon-oatmeal deliciousness on a spoon!
Mix 1 cup crumbled oatmeal raisin cookies and ¾ tsp cinnamon into 1 qt vanilla ice cream.
13. Coffee Fudge Swirl Ice Cream
Jazz up vanilla ice cream with some fudgy goodness and rich espresso.
Mix 1 ½ tbsp instant espresso powder with 2 tbsp heavy cream to dissolve. Swirl into 1 qt vanilla ice cream with ⅓ cup warm fudge sauce.
14. Cherry Pistachio Ice Cream
An old favorite with a new twist!
Mix 1 ½ cups chopped sweet cherries and ¾ cup chopped unsalted pistachios into 1 qt vanilla ice cream.
15. PB&J Swirl Ice Cream
The great combo your kids love in sandwiches now in dessert!
Stir together ⅓ cup peanut butter, 2 tbsp sugar and ¼ cup milk until smooth. Mix ⅔ cup grape jelly into 1 qt vanilla ice cream and swirl in peanut butter sauce.
16. Brown Butter Pecan Ice Cream
Toasted pecans and a simple caramel are a dream in ice cream!
In a saucepan brown 5 tbsp salted butter to dark brown; cool. Mix into 1 qt vanilla ice cream with 1 cup chopped toasted pecans.
17. Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream
Enjoy this classic dessert in a refreshing new way!
Stir 1 cup diced pound cake and 1 ¼ cups chopped strawberries into 1 qt vanilla ice cream.
18. Apple Pie a la Mode Ice Cream
This frozen twist on a favorite treat is easy to enjoy all year round!
Bake frozen pie shell until golden; cool and break into pieces. Saute 1 peeled and diced apple in 1 tbsp sugar and 1 tbsp butter until soft, cool, and stir into 1 qt vanilla ice cream with half of the crust pieces.
Chocolate Ice Cream Flavors
To top things off, here are 6 types of chocolate ice cream that are aa snap to make and a joy to eat!
19. Chocolate Banana Split Ice Cream
All the good stuff from your favorite sundae happening in one scoop. Now just a drizzle of caramel and chocolate and you're set!
Mix 1 cup chopped banana, ½ cup chopped toasted walnuts and ½ cup chopped maraschino cherries into 1 qt chocolate ice cream.
20. S'mores Ice Cream
Enjoy all the flavors from your favorite fireside treat in a bowl!
Stir 1 cup mini marshmallows and 1 cup crumbled graham crackers into 1 qt chocolate ice cream.
21. Orange White-Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream
This ice cream is a chocolate lover's dream filled with bursts of zesty citrus!
Mix 2 tablespoon finely grated orange zest and 4 oz chopped white chocolate into 1 qt chocolate ice cream.
22. Burnt Almond Fudge Ice Cream
Toasted almonds add a little sophistication to this chocolatey delight.
Deeply roast 1 cup almonds. Cool, coarsely chop, and stir into 1 qt chocolate ice cream. Swirl in ⅓ cup warm fudge sauce.
23. Malt Ball Ice Cream
Enjoy smooth ice cream with the flavors and crunch of a favorite candy!
Stir 1 ¼ cups coarsely chopped malted milk balls into 1 qt chocolate ice cream.
24. Toasted Coconut Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
Chocolate heaven interspersed with sweet, crunchy Coconut!
Mix ⅓ cup toasted unsweetened coconut into 1 qt chocolate ice cream. While stirring, drizzle in 2 oz melted semi-sweet chocolate.
NOT TO MISS ice cream topper!
Don't miss out on this fantastic topping for that freshly mixed ice cream. Caramel Glazed Cake Croutons are simply delicious!
Here are more ice cream treats you'll love:
📖 Recipe
24 Creative Ice Cream Flavors You Can Make
Ingredients
1. Red, White and Blueberry Ice Cream
- 1 quart vanilla ice cream
- 1 cup chopped strawberries
- ¾ cup blueberries
- 1 cup mini marshmallows
2. Lemon Poppy Seed Ice Cream
- 1 quart vanilla ice cream
- ½ cup store-bought lemon curd
- 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
3. Cereal and Milk Ice Cream
- 1 quart vanilla ice cream
- 1¼ cups Fruit Loops cereal
4. Coffee and Donuts Ice Cream
- 1 quart vanilla ice cream
- 1½ tablespoon instant espresso powder
- 2 tablespoon heavy cream
- 1½ cups cup-up cake donuts
5. Honey Pistachio Ice Cream
- 1 quart vanilla ice cream
- ¾ cup unsalted pistachios (finely chopped)
- ¼ cup honey
6. Marzipan Maraschino Cherry Ice Cream
- 1 quart vanilla ice cream
- 1 cup maraschino cherries (chopped)
- 4 oz store-bought marzipan
- 3 tablespoon maraschino cherry juice
7. Ginger Pineapple Ice Cream
- 1 quart vanilla ice cream
- ¾ cup drained canned crushed pineapple
- 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
8. Lemon Thyme Ice Cream
- 1 quart vanilla ice cream
- ½ cup store-bought lemon curd
- 2½ teaspoon chopped thyme
9. Honey Date Ice Cream
- 1 quart vanilla ice cream
- ¾ cup pitted dates
- 1 tablespoon water
- 3 tablespoon honey
10. Buttered Baguette Ice Cream
- 1 quart vanilla ice cream
- 12 ¼-inch slices baguette (buttered on both sides)
11. Cinnamon Toast Ice Cream
- 1 quart vanilla ice cream
- 3 pieces buttered cinnamon toast on white bread (cut into small pieces)
12. Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Ice Cream
- 1 quart vanilla ice cream
- 1 cup crumbled oatmeal raisin cookies
- ¾ teaspoon cinnamon
13. Coffee Fudge Swirl Ice Cream
- 1 quart vanilla ice cream
- 1½ tablespoon instant espresso powder
- 2 tablespoon heavy cream
- ⅓ cup fudge sauce
14. Cherry Pistachio Ice Cream
- 1 quart vanilla ice cream
- 1½ cups chopped sweet cherries
- ¾ cup chopped unsalted pistachios
15. PB & J Swirl Ice Cream
- 1 quart vanilla ice cream
- ⅓ cup peanut butter
- 2 tablespoon sugar
- ¼ cup milk
- ⅔ cup grape jelly
16. Brown Butter Pecan Ice Cream
- 1 quart vanilla ice cream
- 5 tablespoon salted butter
- 1 cup chopped toasted pecans
17. Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream
- 1 quart vanilla ice cream
- 1 cup pound cake, diced
- 1¼ cups chopped strawberries
18. Apple Pie A La Mode Ice Cream
- ½ frozen pie shell (baked until golden)
- 1 apple (peeled and diced )
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon butter
19. Chocolate Banana Split Ice Cream
- 1 quart chocolate Ice cream
- 1 cup chopped banana
- ½ cup chopped toasted walnuts
- ½ cup chopped maraschino cherries
20. S'Mores Ice Cream
- 1 quart chocolate ice cream
- 1 cup mini marshmallows
- 1 cup crumbled graham crackers
21. Orange White-Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream
- 1 quart chocolate ice cream
- 2 tablespoon grated orange zest
- 4 oz chopped white chocolate
22. Burnt Almond Fudge Ice Cream
- 1 quart chocolate ice cream
- 1 cup deeply roasted almonds (coarsely chopped)
- ⅓ cup warm fudge sauce
23. Malt Ball Ice Cream
- 1 quart chocolate ice cream
- 1¼ cup coarsely chopped malted milk balls
24. Toasted Coconut Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
- 1 quart chocolate ice cream
- ⅓ cup toasted unsweetened coconut
- 2 oz melted semi sweet chocolate
Instructions
- For each flavor, start with store-bought or homemade chocolate or vanilla ice cream.
- Scoop ice cream into a stand mixer, or large mixing bowl if you're using a hand mixer. Using the paddle attachment, blend quickly until ice cream is just soft.
- While ice cream is soft, mix in fruit, other mix-ins, purees, or candy, then transfer to a container. (To make swirls of hot fudge, caramel or peanut butter sauce, spoon ice cream into a container, layering it with the sauce.)
- Cover and freeze until solid, about 4 hours or overnight; then serve.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Delicious Cake Recipes
Tara Teaspoon
I’ve been in food publishing for over 25 years, creating recipes & food-styling for magazines, books, television, food brands, & advertising. With two cookbooks under my belt and thousands of my recipes at your fingertips, I hope you'll be inspired to spend more time in the kitchen!
Recipes by Tara Bench & Hilary Merzbacher. Some photos by Con Poulos. Partial content originally published in LHJ July '12.
Laila says
Such a fun post! I bet the lemon poppyseed icecream is to die for, it sounds so unique!
Tara says
It is! So lemony! thanks for stopping by
Kate says
OMG that coffee and doughnuts combo is calling my name!
Tara says
Kate you'll love it!! Lifechanging.
Veronika Sykorova says
I'm a chocolate ice cream person all the way but the lemon thyme ice cream sounds intriguing!
Tara says
It's to die for! You'll love it!
Megan Anne says
I am sooooo going to have to give the Coffee and Donuts Ice Cream a try! What better than adding coffee and donuts into one batch! Defiantly going to be making that soon!
Tara says
Oh good! Let me know how you like it!
Brittany Smart says
Love the flavor combos! I need to try a bunch of them 🙂
Mary Bench says
Amazing!!!
Kate Bench says
This is so helpful! I have recently picked up Vegan Chocolate flavored ice cream from Nature's Organic. Now, I can't wait to take it to the next level using your recipes for chocolate-based flavors. Thanks for sharing such wonderful ideas!
Tara Teaspoon says
Ohh lovely. These will be perfect.
Julie says
These are perfect for the upcoming holiday weekend! The whole family is gathering and we can make a bunch of these for the 4th of July. Thank you!
Tara Teaspoon says
They are great all summer! Enjoy!
Karyn Erb says
What a great idea and perfect for the holiday weekend! My family loves ice cream and we're going to have fun experimenting with these flavors. I'm definitely trying the S'Mores ice cream. Thank you!!
Tara Teaspoon says
Oh enjoy!!
Carlota says
Hi! Can i “rechurn” the ice cream after having added the mix ins. (I have an ice cream machine) !! Thank youuuuhh
Tara Teaspoon says
Hi Carlota, Let's see if I understand your question. If you are churning ice cream in your machine, you'll add the mix-ins in the last minute as the machine is going. If you have already made the ice cream, and taken it out of the machine and frozen it...then no, don't put it back in to churn. It will be too hard for the machine. That's when you'd quickly soften it with a mixer and add in the mix-ins. I hope that helps!
peter penman says
Vodka, chili & ginger ice cream is my favourite
Grate fresh ginger and infuse vodka, make caramel and pour over chili flakes
combine sieved vodka and crushed carmel chili flakes through vanilla ice cream
Midnight says
This is fantastic.
Tara Teaspoon says
Thank you!