Seven unusual ice cream flavors to try around Indianapolis, from Dr Pepper to tequila
As long as I can remember, I've found it virtually impossible to turn down a strange ice cream flavor.
Some, like the richly refreshing chocolate basil of my beloved college creamery, Hartzell’s, strike a delicate balance between familiarity and innovation. Others, like candy-riddled “theater floor” ice cream — an inescapable draw for eight-year-old boys on vacation with their dad in Michigan, I assure you — are a muddled mess of textures, tastes and tooth decay.
When you roll the dice on an intriguing flavor, you could end up with a fun summer treat or an especially exotic bowl of practically inedible ice cream soup. Fortunately, I’ve already taken those risks for you. Here are seven ice cream shops around Indianapolis that took creative swings and hit a home run.
Maple syrup with bacon and donut topping, Heartland Homemade
4911 S. Emerson Ave., (463) 271-4660, heartlandhomemade.com
As painfully American as bacon in ice cream sounds, Heartland Homemade’s flavor of the month isn’t purely an exercise in gluttony. The maple-flavored ice cream is smooth and light, while the donut's fluffy fried dough brings a nostalgic state fair flair. Then there’s the bacon, which you may find pleasantly salty and chewy or a heretical affront to the separation of breakfast and dessert. Personally, I quite enjoyed it, even thinking to myself, “I kind of wish I tasted more bacon in my ice cream” — something I was mortified to learn I could feel.
Honey lavender, Square Scoop
1028 Virginia Ave., (317) 426-3320, sqrscoop.com
Where some specialty ice cream aims to bring eaters’ wildest imaginations to life, Square Scoop’s honey lavender feels more like something the protagonists of a Jane Austen novel would eat at a long dining table.
Every part of this ice cream is delicate and understated, with hints of flowery honey and refreshing lavender married in each pale purple spoonful. It’s a thoughtful, sophisticated ice cream, if such a thing exists.
Dr Pepper Chocolate Chip, Howdy Homemade
370 N. New Jersey St., (317) 397-0008, howdyindy.com
There’s something beautifully unashamed about the Dr Pepper chocolate chip ice cream at Howdy Homemade downtown. Soft drinks have arguably been a centuries-long project to create desserts you can drink, and Howdy simply cut out the middleman.
Dense chocolate chips snap between your teeth amid a light, soft swirl. I can only guess how many of Dr Pepper’s 23 flavors are accurately represented, but the overall taste is strikingly close to the source material — satisfyingly sweet, mystifyingly ambiguous and at least a little addictive.
London fog, Fundae’s
7165 Whitestown Parkway, Zionsville, 12839 Broad St., Carmel and 1515 N. Main St., visitfundaes.com
Finally, an ice cream for a rainy day. The London fog from Fundae’s is essentially chilled Earl Grey tea with a pinch of sugar and a splash of milk, provided you have very liberal definitions of “pinch” and “splash.” The result has a texture like sweet wet concrete and the fruity bitterness of a stiff morning brew. I have to assume it’s the most revolutionary thing Yankees have done with British tea outside of Boston Harbor. Frankly, I’m not sure which makes me prouder to be an American.
Tequila, Danny’s Mexican Ice Cream
7730 E. US Highway 36, Avon, (317) 268-4663, facebook.com/dannysmexicanicecream
Danny’s’ sweet, zero-proof take on tequila combines the childhood joy of ice cream with the collegiate thrill of a bar hop. It’s one of a handful of things my 3-year-old and 23-year-old self could bond over, right up there with taking naps and seeing cows on the side of the highway.
The ice cream reads as buttercream frosting on your tongue before floral and fruity notes cozy up around your nose. It’s fluffy, airy and goes down much more smoothly than any tequila shot I can recall.
Baklava sundae, Canal Creamery
6349 Guilford Ave, (317) 377-4551, thecanalcreamery.com
If you’ve ever eaten a three-scoop sundae loaded with whipped cream and hot fudge, then thought to yourself, “That was pretty good, but it really could have used even more dessert," I have fantastic news for you.
A generous portion of Canal Bistro’s beloved Mediterranean pastry forms the base of every baklava sundae at sister eatery Canal Creamery. A slowly melting mountain of ice cream takes on toasty honey flavor, while chopped nuts and crackly filo dough add delightful textural contrast.
I suggest bringing a date with whom to split the supersized sweet, then taking a long walk down the nearby Monon Trail afterward. Your stomach will thank you. Any associated romance is merely an extra cherry on top.
Gorgonzola candied pecan, Lick
906 Carrollton Ave. at The Garage and 1049 E. 54th St., (317) 979-0237, lickindy.com
Depending on your relationship with fungal cheese, the first bite of Lick’s Gorgonzola candied pecan will either be the best one or the worst. The Gorgonzola initially wafts unchecked through your mouth and nose, but your taste buds adapt in short order. Before long, the ice cream tastes less like a charcuterie board and more like a classic albeit faintly cheesy butter pecan scoop.
If you find yourself pining for the pungent magic of the first few bites, simply let the ice cream melt a bit to reawaken the funk — a tactic I discovered while toting my once rock-solid half-pint through the post-rainstorm swamp of downtown Indianapolis. Whether doing so intentionally makes you an adventurous eater or a bit of a freak is a question for another day.
Contact dining reporter Bradley Hohulin at [email protected]. You can follow him on Twitter/X @BradleyHohulin.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Unusual ice creams to try around Indy, from Dr Pepper to tequila
