This summer favorite has taste sensations throughout the South.
NOTE: We updated this fun blog post in July 2024 to give you even MORE ice cream destinations!
We love when public relations companies do a roundup of their clients. This month, in honor of it being National Ice Cream Month, Mindy Bianca Public Relations has collected some fine Southern ice cream establishments to visit. So, although we can’t take credit for this list, we know you’ll appreciate suggestions on where to get America’s favorite summer dessert.
Papa Guava at Chaney’s Dairy Barn
Happy cows lead to fantastic ice cream, and Chaney’s is proof of that. During one of the dairy farm’s self-guided tours, visitors can see those ultra-content cows being milked and the fresh milk being packaged on site. Cap off your tour by heading over to sample the resulting ice cream at the Dairy Barn. Chaney’s ice cream is unique. Standard ice cream has 14 percent butterfat content, while Chaney’s uses 16 percent butterfat making it ultra-creamy. They host Ice Cream and Moovie Nights throughout the summer, allowing hundreds of guests to watch family-friendly movies while enjoying a creamy dessert. The latest and greatest flavor at Chaney’s is “Papa Guava,” a vanilla ice cream swirled with graham cracker crumbles, cream cheese and guava. It was created on Guy Fieri’s recently-aired “Guy’s All-American Road Trip” show, which started its second season in Bowling Green. Teams stopped by Chaney’s for an ice cream competition, and Papa Guava was proclaimed the winner. In turn, it became the newest flavor featured at the Dairy Barn.
Peanut Butter Brownie Bliss
Though this Instagrammable shop has spread all over the country courtesy of Shark Tank, the original Yard Milkshake Bar can be found on the white sandy shores of Gulf Shores, Ala. Each shake comes in a souvenir mason jar, and if you’re going for the treat that’ll get you the most likes, you’ll want to try the Peanut Butter Brownie Bliss. Fudgy Brownie Sundae ice cream is the decadent base, followed by both (because who can choose just one?) chocolate and peanut butter drizzles, along with whipped cream, a brownie and more drizzles. Don’t forget the jar! That’s dipped in peanut butter and rolled in dark chocolate shavings for an extra-sweet touch.
Outlaw Run and Time Traveler at Hannah’s Ice Cream Parlor
World-record-breaking roller coasters or delicious ice cream? Why not both!? Outlaw Run and Time Traveler are ice cream flavors inspired by two of Silver Dollar City’s most popular coasters. Outlaw Run features vanilla, sea salt, caramel and chocolate chunks, while Time Traveler is a chocolate ice cream with marshmallow bonbon cream, chocolate flakes and chocolate fudge. You can find these flavors at Hannah’s Ice Cream Parlor on Main Street, which churns out 9,000 gallons of ice cream annually.
Ice Cream Flight
Do you ever walk into an ice cream shop and have to taste test 10 different yummy flavors before agonizingly choosing just one? At Sugar Creek, hungry patrons don’t have that problem! You get to choose a whopping eight different flavors for your mini-scoop ice cream flight, making sure all your favorites don’t go unappreciated. Don’t let the “mini-scoop” description fool you. Speaking from experience, these hefty scoops are plenty for two (or more) people!
Seasonal Flavors at Cammie’s Old Dutch Ice Cream
Cammie’s dates to 1969, when Edwin Widemire started Old Dutch Ice Cream with his father’s old-fashioned ice cream recipe. Cammie Wayne worked there as a teenager and ended up buying the shop when Widemire retired. She’s currently celebrating her 25th year as owner! The quality of Cammie’s ice cream has only increased with age, and it can be found at grocery stores and in restaurants around Mobile and surrounding areas. Though Cammie’s offers 47 flavors, the seasonal specialties are what take the cake. Since Mobile is the home of America’s first modern Mardi Gras celebration, it only makes sense that some of Cammie’s most popular flavors are King Cake and MoonPie (there’s a whole backstory, but in these parts MoonPie is one of the most popular “throws” during Carnival parades). Can’t wait until next Mardi Gras season to enjoy Cammie’s? Right now, they’re serving up blueberry ice cream that is berry popular AND berry delicious!
Pavlova
This sophisticated pasta and pavlova store opened just a few months ago, but it’s already making a name for itself on The Northshore, just on the other side of Lake Pontchartrain from New Orleans. Pavlova is a French meringue dessert that’s typically crisp on the outside and marshmallow-y on the inside. But it doesn’t stop there … it’s crowned with vanilla bean ice cream and toppings such as caramel, chocolate sauce, toasted coconut and sprinkles. What starts as a myriad of textures and flavors somehow comes together in the ultimate Instagram dessert!
Strawberry Cheesecake Explosion
And though they technically don’t have a true ice cream shop, we had to pay homage to Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou and their famous Louisiana snowballs, which are almost as enjoyable as ice cream on a hot summer’s day. You’re probably familiar with the classic snowball flavors like grape, blue raspberry and cherry. Those have been available since you were a kid. But here in Louisiana, you’ll find more exotic flavors … like nectar, wedding cake, tiger’s blood, and, of course, king cake! One of Central Sno’s most impressive offerings is their Strawberry Cheesecake Explosion. Starting with strawberry and Creole cream cheese flavored syrups, the snowball is then topped with strawberries, whipped cream, condensed milk and – wait for it! – a slice of cheesecake.
Frozen Custard Pie at Queen City Creamery
“The Mountain Side of Maryland” is known for its variety of outdoor recreational trails that appeal to both hikers and bikers. But our favorite trail around here is the Allegany County Ice Cream Trail, which features a variety of locally owned stops that range from classic diners to full-fledged ice cream parlors. Queen City Creamery is among those parlors, and beyond serving their delicious custard in cups and cones, this place is famous for its Frozen Custard Pies. Peanut Butter Oreo, Chocolate-Covered Cherry and Salted Caramel Cashew are some of the most popular flavors, and area residents serve them when celebrating birthdays, graduations, weddings and more. We think a full pie is the perfect way to celebrate burning off some calories on one of those hiking or biking excursions … so, enjoy!
Smoky Mountain Fudge at Showstreet Ice Cream
Guests are drawn to Dollywood for their love of both the theme park and Dolly Parton, but they might just stay for their love of Dollywood’s ice cream! Hand-scooped Mayfield ice cream – made in Dolly’s home state of Tennessee – is great for a quick refresh between coasters or a nice, cool end to a hot summer day filled with fun. The Smoky Mountain Fudge flavor is the perfect embodiment of the surrounding Smoky Mountains, with chocolate ice cream, fudge swirls and chocolate sandwich cookie pieces.
Rotating Flavors at The Terrace
Here in Lake Charles, Chef Amanda Cusey is known as the “Queen of Louisiana Seafood,” but the house-made ice cream she serves at The Terrace will soon have people calling her the Queen of Ice Cream! Dishes at her restaurant are full of local and unique flavors, and her ice cream is no exception. The flavors are always rotating, with her current offerings including blackberry fig, rosemary, strawberry goat cheese, candied bacon and popcorn. Of course, classic vanilla and chocolate are always part of the lineup, but the stars of the show are the unique mesh of ingredients you won’t find anywhere else.
Creole Cream Cheese at Hoodoo Ice Cream
The handmade ice cream served at this local shop in the heart of Covington on the Northshore of New Orleans is sourced from the milk of grass-fed Jersey cows from Mississippi. It’s both super creamy and super delicious! Our recommended flavor is Creole Cream Cheese, an ice cream that brings the taste of historic New Orleans straight to your mouth with the use of a farmer cheese that’s unique to southeast Louisiana. The tart profile of the Creole Cream Cheese (a taste combination unique to the city) is balanced with local fruit such as blueberries or satsumas (the most incredible kind of citrus). A splash of vanilla completes this simple, yet flavorfully complex treat.
Rotating Flavors at Pete’s Ice Cream & Donuts
Pete’s may be a newer ice cream joint, but they’re already making a name for themselves in the twin beach towns of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, Ala. Their ice creams are house-made using fresh fruits and fun ingredients. The best flavor? It’s hard to pick just one from the literally “rotating” lineup. Stop in and watch flavors like Blackberry Sorbet, Key Lime and Lucky Charm Cookie Dough rotate on the magic wheel as you try to make your decision. Let us shortcut it for you: Get at least two scoops and enjoy as many flavors as you can.
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Weird, Wacky & Wild South is written by ice cream lover Cheré Dastugue Coen. There are very few flavors she doesn't like.
Need some ice cream right now!