Do you ever have a day where, despite every attempt, you’re just off? Things don’t go as expected, you can’t stay calm and happy despite a wonderful and fun day….this Wednesday I had one of those days. My husband and I had set out to explore a nearby town in Colorado, and as part of our adventuring, he had done his due diligence to find us a place to get ice cream during the visit.
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I love unique ice cream flavors, as you may know, but when it comes to classic ice cream flavors, chocolate is hard to beat. I will often try chocolate ice cream at a new place and use it as my quality reference: if they can’t do chocolate, they probably can’t do anything else either.
Here are some of my favorite places for delicious chocolate ice cream!
If you’re looking for a great cup or pint in Minneapolis, you should run, not walk, to Pumphouse Creamery. Not only is this stuff the creamiest and most flavorful around, but it’s actually their dairy-free, coconut milk-based chocolate ice cream that completely blew my mind! Super smooth, kind of a Dutch chocolate, and you’d never know this was dairy-free. While you’re there, eat every other flavor you can get your hands on, especially their cinnamon trio.
Pumphouse Creamery, Minneapolis, MN
You can of course visit Jeni’s in a variety of locations across the country. And you should. But I can personally attest that the Darkest Chocolate flavor at Jeni’s is rich and well worth a scoop. Their other chocolate options were tasty, but this one is truly memorable.
Emack also has other locations across the country (and the world) but it was in their Albany location that their Chocolate Moose ice cream blew my mind. I highly recommend this, their Pumpkin, and everything else you can fit in the bowl.
Okay, it isn’t technically ice cream, but their Dark Chocolate Sea Salt is one of the best chocolates I’ve tasted. They also have several other locations, including a new one in Florida. This is dark, rich and the sea salt makes it pop. Honorable mention goes to Gelato & aMore in Fort Collins, CO for their own chocolate gelato.
So many flavors from Gelato Fiasco in Brunswick, ME, including their Dark Chocolate Sea Salt.
This chocolate is perfect and perfectly delightful, especially when you pair it with their (best I’ve ever had) mint chocolate ice cream. Only catch? If you include the cost of admission into Epcot, it’s the most expensive one on this list. But if you’re visiting Disney World, do yourself a favor and go here. Honorable mention goes to Ample Hills (which has a location on the Boardwalk and therefore doesn’t require park admission) for their Dark Chocolate flavor.
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On a recent trip to Denver, I knew I needed to get some delicious homemade ice cream, but I had an unusual dilemma; there were too many choices! I had to weave through about a dozen different options to discern which one might be both delicious and relatively near my route. I left many options for next time, but I’m so glad I went with Sweet Action for my first ice cream in Denver.
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As I’ve been documenting, there’s a lack of great homemade ice cream in Fort Collins, CO and the surrounding area. In search of some, I eagerly drove to Longmont (one of our favorite towns currently) to try Scrumptious, a local ice cream place that also carries ice cream in the Denver area.
I went in full of hope, and the place itself is really cute. My favorite thing was all of the spectacular artwork hanging on the walls – and yes, it’s for sale.
Unfortunately the service was really subpar during our visit. One of the employees was visibly showing her annoyance as we decided what we wanted and asked for a few samples. A second employee also contributed to the feeling that they would rather not be serving us. Because of the service, we felt rushed and unwanted, honestly. The sign also said that you can only try two flavors. Seriously? I usually try at least four or five before choosing. It made me order less than I would have otherwise – who wants to just name a third flavor and hope it’s okay? I did ultimately choose one blind though.
Here’s what we thought, flavor by flavor. I’m sorry we couldn’t try more of them. 
Mint Chip – This tastes like toothpaste with chocolate chips. Surprisingly, it’s not the worst mint chip I’ve had. But skip this.
Blackberry Ginger – I found this kind of subtle and a really nice combination of flavors. It’s very creamy. It had a stronger flavor than Walrus in Fort Collins, but I still think I’d enjoy it more if it was a bit stronger or brighter. Perhaps it wasn’t really enough of either flavor? Maybe having one more prominent would have made it better?
Chocolate – This is extraordinarily smooth. It’s like a classic chocolate pudding in texture and definitely in flavor. I found it refreshing and different. Ross found it weird. 
Whisky – This is very creamy and tastes like whiskey, but it’s very subtle. I’d enjoy caramel or toffee with it, but they don’t do toppings here. I enjoy it, and it has a great texture, but it could use stronger flavors. When the bottom gets melts, it tastes like a Bailey’s liquor…it was Ross’ favorite part. It would make an amazing shake. It would be great with chocolate sauce too.
This place is trying very hard to be different. And maybe a little snooty. I realized during this visit that the attitude of the employees had an overly large role in determining my feeling about the ice cream, much as I try to taste impartially.
The portions here are very large. You have to get a medium if you want two scoops, and it’s really pretty huge, though it goes down easily.
In addition to wishing they didn’t act so impatient, I could have used more flavor and less subtlety.
And toppings would be nice.
One other fun thing? They have a mystery flavor with whatever they throw in that week. Not for those of us with food sensitivities, of course! They do offer shakes, a giant ice cream sandwich and ice cream sliders. All of which sound fun.
Nothing we’ve had in Colorado has beaten out Glacier so far. And I just visited Walrus a third time, confirming it’s less than exciting to me. But the employee are nice!
Have you had any great ice cream lately? And what did you think of my recent three part series on Boulder ice cream?
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As you may recall, when I visited Boulder in June, I visited three different homemade ice cream spots. After enjoying a scoop at Glacier and Sweet Cow, my final stop was Heifer and the Hen, an organic creamery, and one with only one location, rather than multiple like both Glacier and Sweet Cow.
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As you may recall, last week I shared my review of Glacier Homemade Ice Cream and Gelato in Boulder, Colorado. It was actually the first of three ice cream places during my visit! My second stop was Sweet Cow, another popular place with multiple locations in Boulder.
Sweet Cow also allows you to combine flavors in your cup. Thank goodness! Their ice cream wasn’t as creamy as Glacier’s, but it was creamy enough. It also had a touch of graininess to it, which reminded me of Vicki’s in Silver City, New Mexico.
The prices here are cheap, although the portions weren’t huge. But it felt ample.
Here’s what I thought of the individual flavors:
OXO Coffee – This is for a real coffee lover. You can really taste the granules and the whole coffee drinking experience. This is very different from Brigham’s, my standard go-to coffee ice cream. It has so much oomph! It’s amazing. Like a strong cappuccino. I love that it lets the bitterness of the coffee shine over the sweetness. The sweetness is there to balance it. This is delicious, but only get it if you love a strong coffee flavor.
Dutch Chocolate – This is pretty smooth, more so than other flavors here, but still with a touch of graininess. It’s a beautiful middle range chocolate. Like I’d expect from a Belgian Chocolate …it’s a really delicious chocolate. This is worthy of my top ten so far.
Adobe Chocolate – This doesn’t have a ton of initial flavor, but afterward the heat comes. It’s very fun, though it probably doesn’t make my top five of spicy chocolate ice creams.
Fruity Pebbles – Ross tried this because of the gluten. He said it tasted good, but the cereal wasn’t crunchy, so he wasn’t interested in it.
The Big Lebowski – This is a White Russian flavored ice cream. It’s delicious!
NY Cheesecake – This is exactly what Ross hoped it would be, to pair with the big Lebowski. He said the chunks of cheesecake are really good. (Alas, none for me.)
They also have a few vegan flavors, plus sorbets. And they have absolutely amazing merchandise! We were definitely tempted even before we tried the ice cream.
Sweet Cow has fun playing with flavors and creates a great atmosphere. Thank you, Sweet Cow!
Want to hear about other ice cream in the area? Try my article on Glacier. And for a trip to the past, here’s what I thought of Minneapolis’ Pumphouse Creamery.
p.s. Thanks for supporting my blog by doing your usual online shopping via my Amazon affiliate link!
I recently spent some time visiting Boulder, Colorado, and Glacier Homemade Ice Cream and Gelato was one of the absolute highlights. In the next few weeks, I will profile your homemade ice cream options in Boulder. Here are my thoughts on Glacier.
First off, it’s very reasonably priced, with fairly large portions and an offer to combine flavors in a dish. (Gelato is a bit more expensive, which makes sense to me.) There was ample indoor and outdoor seating, and the staff was friendly and attentive, even as we tried tons of flavors. Here’s what we thought about it all!
Pralines and Cream: Each element is right on. It’s got the sweetness and the right texture for each component. Delicious.
Cappuccino Chocolate Chip: This was so good! The base is so strong and fabulous. Just like a cappuccino…really like the best Frappuccino out there, to be specific. The high quality miniature chocolate chips are perfect. This is definitely in our top ten, and maybe close to our top five, for this type of flavor.
Double Chocolate: Wow. This is so smooth. It’s dark and almost smoky, like a dark brownie batter. Almost a whiskey finish Ross said…There was a tiny bit of bristle, but mostly it’s super smooth, like the other bases here. This ranks in the top ten.
Vermont Maple Honey: This has a pretty strong maple flavor. It could use a touch more, but the brightness due to the honey is awesome. Plus, it’s smooth and creamy!
Raspberry Chocolate Melt: This is a very awesome combo…the chocolate reminded me of Oreo in its texture.
Chocolate Hazelnut: This one is outrageously creamy! Delicious. Like an expresso.
Overall, we found the flavors here extremely smooth, more like a gelato than an ice cream, but with the creaminess you’d hope for in an ice cream. Next time I will have to try their gelato.
Odd fact – there’s a newer Glacier, same name, in Denver, apparently of no relation. Bizarre, right? Anyone know that story?
I joined their birthday club and will be back next week I hope. Thank you, Glacier!
Stay tuned for my thoughts on other ice cream places in Boulder, Colorado. And if you need a refresher, here’s how I felt about Walrus and Gelato & aMore in Fort Collins.
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Donuts On A Stick was not the first donut place on the Outer Banks; the most well-known would be Duck Donuts, with several locations of their made-on-the-spot donuts and coffee. But being gluten-free, I got very excited when I read an ad for Donuts on a Stick and it mentioned gluten-free donuts. So we had to make a trip.
When we arrived, we learned that we would have been better off calling in our order a day prior, to request a gluten-free donut. Lucky for me, they had one left. They also make homemade chocolate chip and french vanilla ice cream (plus soft serve), and they carry some standard premium flavors that they don’t make themselves.
We both ordered a single size homemade chocolate chip ice cream. We found it milky, with a light base, and with delicious, not too sweet mini chocolate chips. It was a hard texture, but it melted easily in the mouth. We enjoyed it a lot and appreciated the effort at homemade ice cream. (Was it our favorite ice cream on the Outer Banks? No. But it’s well-worth it if you’re in Duck!)
Of course, we wouldn’t want to visit without a donut!
I got a gluten-free donut with fudge and bacon for toppings. The gluten-free donuts are made daily. It was an excellent cinnamon-y, cakey donut with delicious fudge and warmed up, super tasty, if average quality, bacon. They add the toppings of your choice on the spot and it was so delicious.
Ross went with two (they’re smaller) chocolate peanut butter donuts, and he found the base, which is made on the spot when you order, similarly cakey and excellent. Ross’ donut was the donut to beat, according to him. It came right out of the fryer. The outside got crispy when it was fried. Just awesome. He found the peanut butter excellent, although the chocolate was “fine”. He thought two donuts was the perfect size. It’s easy to eat these with the provided fork, but they’re too messy to eat on a stick.
(If you’re wondering, we later visited their competitor, who doesn’t carry a gluten-free option. Ross enjoyed their donuts a lot, as well as their coffee. But they couldn’t beat Donuts on a Stick.)
We love the homemade ice cream option here, and the donuts are out of this world. It’s an affordable treat, with $12.60 total for two ice cream and two don’t orders. The donuts are very filling, and the warm toppings are delicious.
If you were wondering, the next time we returned here, I got a donut sundae and Ross got a donut ice cream sandwich.
I went with a Cinnamon Roll donut, with vanilla glaze, cinnamon and sugar as part of my sundae. Ross went for a Pancake donut, with syrup, butter and light powdered sugar.
Donuts on a Stick is probably our absolute favorite place to eat on the Outer Banks. It is highly recommended as a stop during your vacation.
Enjoy, and call ahead if you’re gluten-free or vegan! Head here to learn more about our favorite spot on the Outer Banks for soft serve (it’s custard and it’s amazing). And to read about our favorite place for hard ice cream and ice cream cakes on the Outer Banks, head here.
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Well, it’s been a very, very busy week for ice cream here in Colorado. To celebrate our wedding anniversary, my husband and I spent a night in Boulder. Being our silly selves, I did some research and found three homemade ice cream places worth a scoop, so in about twenty seven hours, we managed to visit three parlors – plus a bakery for a gluten-free cupcake!
I will have my full report on each place in the coming weeks. Suffice to say that I’m full and Boulder is a great place for ice cream!
p.s. Thanks for doing your usual Amazon shopping using my affiliate link!
Although lavender ice cream may not be at your local ice cream shop yet, it’s gaining popularity in cities and even smaller towns across the United States. Here are four places to find some delicious lavender ice cream.
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In Search of a Scoop 