43 Unbelievable Ice Cream Flavors That Will Blow Your Mind

Chocolate and vanilla are old news. Nowadays, ice cream parlors are exploring bold and unconventional flavor profiles. Check out these 43 bizarre ice cream flavors you can sample today:

1. Lobster

New England is famous for its quirky lobster-themed treats, including desserts. Ben and Bill’s Chocolate Emporium, a chain of confectionery stores in Maine and Massachusetts, introduced lobster ice cream to showcase their commitment to homemade creations. This butter-flavored ice cream is mixed with chunks of cooked lobster. Available by the bucket, they even offer shipping for those who can’t visit in person.

2. Potato Chips and Cap'n Crunch

At Beenie’s Ice Cream in Morristown, New Jersey, you can indulge in a unique blend of salty, sweet, and nostalgic cereal flavors. Their "Midnight Snack" combines creamy vanilla ice cream with chocolate-coated potato chips and crunchy Cap’n Crunch. Fun fact: The shop, named after the owner’s beloved dog, warmly welcomes furry friends.

3. Almond Charcoal

Little Damage in Los Angeles offers a gothic twist on ice cream. Their handmade cones and ice creams are infused with activated charcoal, creating striking flavors like Almond Charcoal and Black Roses. It’s a deliciously dark treat for adventurous taste buds.

4. Squid Ink

Ikasumi, or squid ink, is a popular ice cream flavor in Japan. If you can’t travel to Tokyo, you can create your own at home and add wasabi sprinkles for an extra kick. This unique flavor is slightly salty and visually striking. With squid ink gaining popularity in cocktails and dishes, it might not be long before squid ink desserts become a common sight in the U.S.

5. Prosciutto

Humphry Slocombe in San Francisco is famous for its daring and inventive flavors, including some that lean toward savory. Their pink prosciutto ice cream, crafted in collaboration with local pork supplier Boccalone, was such a hit in 2011 that it sold out instantly. Though not a regular offering, you might spot it on the menu if you time your visit just right.

6. Absinthe

Prague’s Absintherie Bar and Museum offers 60 varieties of absinthe, not just in drinks but also in ice cream. Their signature spirit is used to create a unique frozen treat for adventurous visitors.

7. Juniper & Lemon Curd

Inspired by the works of American writer James Thurber, this flavor once featured on Jeni’s menu was crafted to mimic the taste of a martini with a citrus twist. The refreshing juniper berry flavor is perfectly complemented by the tangy lemon curd.

8. Yam

Ube, the purple yam, is a beloved dessert ingredient in the Philippines and Hawaii. Its subtly sweet and addictive flavor shines in ice cream. You can find Purple Yam ice cream at grocery stores from Magnolia, known for its tropical-inspired flavors. Plus, its vibrant color makes it a hit on Instagram. Magnolia operates scoop shops in California and is available in specialty stores nationwide.

9. Corn on the Cob

Since launching Max & Mina’s in Queens, New York in 1998, brothers Bruce and Mark Becker have crafted over 5000 unique ice cream flavors, many inspired by their grandfather’s recipes. With daily flavor experiments, the menu constantly evolves, but favorites like Corn on the Cob (a summer staple), Horseradish, Garlic, Pizza, and Jalapeño have all made appearances.

10. Pig’s Blood & Koji

Blood sausage has a frozen counterpart: blood ice cream. Blood can replace eggs in recipes, and in 2014, the culinary experts at the nonprofit Nordic Food Lab created a unique recipe for blood ice cream, using koji (fermented barley) instead of cocoa for flavor. Chocolate, however, remains a classic pairing for pig’s blood, as seen in Italian desserts like sanguinaccio dolce.

11. Caribou Fat

Traditionally, "Eskimo ice cream," or akutaq, is made by whipping caribou fat with berries. Modern versions sometimes use Crisco as a substitute, and savory variations include ground meat instead of berries. This frothy treat has been a beloved Alaskan dessert for centuries, with recipes varying by family and region—so sampling multiple versions is a must.

12. Mushrooms

Coolhaus’s Candy Cap Mushroom ice cream blends subtle notes of maple, vanilla, and an earthy mushroom flavor. The unique taste comes from steeping sweet Candy Cap mushrooms in their ice cream base, creating a rich, forest-inspired treat.

13. Carrot Ginger

Carrot ginger ice cream is like savoring a creamy, frozen smoothie. At Sweet Action Ice Cream in Denver, it’s crafted with fresh carrot juice and grated ginger for a refreshing kick. Feel free to convince yourself it’s part of your healthy juice cleanse.

14. Garlic

Garlic ice cream is a staple at the annual Garlic Festival in Gilroy, California. At The Stinking Rose, a restaurant in L.A. and San Francisco with the motto "we season our garlic with food," you can end your meal with Gilroy garlic ice cream topped with caramel mole sauce. Alternatively, you can try making your own garlic-infused ice cream at home.

15. Burnt Sage

Morgenstern’s in New York City recently introduced Burnt Sage, a unique herbal ice cream crafted by charring sage over an open flame and infusing it into cream. The savory creation is then coated in chocolate for a bold finish.

16. Ranch Dressing

Little Baby’s Ice Cream in Philadelphia launched its Ranch ice cream in 2015, and it has since become a regular offering. The base is packed with buttermilk, garlic, chives, and dill, delivering that unmistakable salad-inspired flavor.

17. Grape Nuts

Grape-Nuts ice cream is a beloved regional treat in New England. The cereal, made from wheat and barley, is mixed into creamy vanilla ice cream, offering a dessert that’s both tasty and slightly fibrous. You can sample this unique flavor at Grass Roots Creamery in Granby, Connecticut.

18. Beet Greens

Portland’s Salt & Straw is reimagining beets as frozen delights. Their Los Angeles location previously crafted Top of the Beet, a flavor featuring beet jam and beet-leaf sugar brittle made from discarded greens. In August 2017, the Portland store introduced Aquabeet, a vibrant pink ice cream combining locally sourced beets with Aquavit, a Scandinavian spirit.

19. Earl Grey Sriracha

For Sriracha enthusiasts, enjoying your favorite hot sauce in dessert form is now possible. At Glacé Ice Cream in Kansas City, they blend Sriracha with the citrusy notes of Earl Grey tea, creating a unique ice cream that balances sweetness, creaminess, and a spicy kick.

20. Lox

At Max and Mina’s Ice Cream in Queens, New York, ice cream becomes a brunch staple. Their lox flavor combines vanilla ice cream with chunks of Nova smoked salmon, cream cheese, and a touch of salt, perfectly capturing the essence of a classic bagel-and-lox dish.

21. Cheddar Cheese

If you enjoy pairing apple pie with ice cream and cheddar cheese, why not try cheddar cheese ice cream? Joy Williams, the pastry chef at Wednesday’s Pie in Denver, experimented with this idea and opted for cheddar cheese powder to maintain a smooth texture. The vibrant orange dessert became a crowd favorite. Keep an eye on the shop’s Instagram page for this off-menu special.

22. Miso

OddFellows Ice Cream in New York City has created countless inventive flavors since its 2013 debut, including miso-based options. Their Miso Cherry flavor combines the salty, umami-rich taste of miso with sweet, fruity notes. For homemade miso ice cream, most recipes recommend using white miso, a milder variety that complements fruits, caramel, and other dessert ingredients.

23. Goat Cheese Cashew Caramel

Black Dog Gelato in Chicago is renowned for its goat cheese-cashew-caramel ice cream, the only flavor consistently available on their rotating menu. The goat cheese lends a cheesecake-like richness, while the sweet-savory combination has made it a fan favorite.

24. Port Wine and Fig

Why settle for a glass of wine after a long day when you can enjoy port wine and fig ice cream from Missouri’s Glacé Artisan Ice Cream? It’s a delicious and indulgent alternative.

25. Kale Lime

Is kale lime leaf a healthy salad or a delightful dessert? At Frankie & Jo’s in Seattle, it’s clearly the latter. As a vegan shop, their kale-flavored ice cream—a specialty item—is crafted with coconut oil and cocoa butter instead of dairy.

26. Durian

Durian, known as the world’s smelliest fruit and often mistaken for a gas leak, is a star ingredient in the Snowdae at C Fruit Life. This Hong Kong-based cafe, with locations in Boston, Chicago, and Portland, Oregon, combines durian and mango ice cream with mochi balls, fresh mango chunks, and mango "bubbles" that burst in your mouth. Despite durian’s strong reputation, the sweet fruit flavors balance it out.

27. Cardamom Black Pepper

Since 1945, Sonny's Ice Cream in Minneapolis has been producing small-batch artisanal ice cream, gelato, and sorbet with unique and exotic flavors. Some of their standout creations include Organic Cucumber Pinot Grigio, Black Licorice, and Cardamom Black Pepper.

28. Black Licorice

Frost, a gelato shop with locations in New Mexico, Texas, California, Arizona, and Virginia, has been crafting gelato using traditional Roman methods since 2005. Known for its bold flavor choices, the mini-chain offers unique options like green tea, cioccolato al peperoncino, lotus cookie, Guinness, and black licorice.

29. Goat Cheese with Red Cherries

Jeni Britton Bauer, the acclaimed founder of Ohio-based Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams, is renowned for her inventive flavors. Among her standout creations is Goat Cheese with Red Cherries, a testament to her ability to blend unexpected ingredients into delightful frozen treats.

30. Coconut Lime Jalapeno

Coppa in Juneau, Alaska, is known for its creative daily menu, including a rotating selection of homemade ice cream that often ventures into bold territory. Past experiments include turmeric, and their coconut cream jalapeno flavor—a blend of sweet, tangy, and spicy—has garnered a loyal following.

31. Foie Gras

New York City’s OddFellows lives up to its name with daring and unconventional flavors. Since its 2013 debut, the shop has created hundreds of unique ice cream varieties, including a foie gras flavor that showcases their commitment to innovation.

32. Old Bay Caramel

For those familiar with Boardwalk fries or Maryland’s culinary culture, the distinct flavor of Old Bay seasoning is unmistakable. The Charmery, a popular ice cream shop with two Maryland locations, features an Old Bay and caramel ice cream as part of their regular flavor lineup.

33. Sriracha

If you enjoy a spicy twist to your desserts, Mason's Creamery in Cleveland, Ohio offers a unique vanilla and Sriracha sauce ice cream that has become an unexpectedly popular choice among customers.

34. Pear and Blue Cheese

At Portland, Oregon’s Salt & Straw, the perfect balance of salty and sweet is achieved with inventive flavors like strawberry honey balsamic with cracked pepper and pear with blue cheese. The latter combines sweet Oregon Trail Bartlett pears with crumbles of Rogue Creamery’s award-winning Crater Lake Blue Cheese for a unique, harmonious blend.

35. Cheetos

What began as an experimental ice cream truck, Big Gay Ice Cream has become one of New York City’s most beloved ice cream destinations, known for its creative toppings. One standout creation is their Cheetos-inspired cone, featuring vanilla and cheese ice cream coated in Cheetos dust.

36. Fruitcake

Fruitcake, the dessert that seems to last forever, often goes uneaten. However, Leopold's Ice Cream in Savannah, Georgia, has been crafting a delightful version for a century. Their Tutti Frutti features rum ice cream blended with candied fruit and freshly roasted Georgia pecans, making it a holiday favorite.

37. Horse Flesh

Tokyo’s Namja Town boasts numerous attractions, but Ice Cream City steals the spotlight with its bizarre flavors. Options like raw horse flesh, cow tongue, salt, Yakisoba, octopus, and squid have both intrigued and challenged visitors’ palates.

38. Sweet Avocado Cayenne

Avocado, a global superfood, is typically enjoyed on toast or in salads, but at Rococo Artisan Ice Cream in Maine, it’s transformed into a creamy, soft ice cream with a spicy twist of cayenne pepper. The unexpected combination is a delightful surprise for adventurous eaters.

39. Ghost Pepper

The Ice Cream Store in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, offers over 100 unconventional flavors, far from traditional. While they feature unique vanillas like African Vanilla and Madagascar Vanilla Bean, their spicier options steal the show. Their Ghost Pepper Ice Cream, once featured in a Ripley's Believe It or Not book, and the fiery Devil's Breath Carolina Reaper Pepper Ice Cream require a signed waiver before indulging.

40. Honey and Roasted Garlic

If garlic ice cream didn’t appeal to you, this sweeter version from Denver’s Sweet Action Ice Cream might. Blending honey with roasted garlic, it’s one of many inventive flavors crafted daily using unexpected ingredients.

41. Bourbon and Corn Flake

San Francisco’s Humphry Slocombe keeps its daily menu fresh and unpredictable, but one constant favorite is their Secret Breakfast. This signature flavor, blending bourbon and Corn Flakes, is so popular that it often sells out quickly—so early visits are recommended.

42. Fig and Fresh Brown Turkey

The creative minds at New York City’s Il Laboratorio del Gelato have transformed countless flavors into gelato, including the beloved Fig & Fresh Brown Turkey. Among their hundreds of inventive options, this one stands out, alongside other intriguing choices like Beet and Cucumber.

43. Creole tomato

At New Orleans’ Creole Creamery, the motto is straightforward: “Enjoy ice cream. Stay happy.” However, the real challenge lies in picking from their extensive selection of rotating flavors, including ice creams, sorbets, sherbets, and ices. While most visitors opt for a sweet treat, the boldest might venture to try the Creole Tomato flavor, which offers a unique twist reminiscent of a savory salad.