What’s the best way to explore Canada this summer? With your tastebuds, of course! These spectacular, only-found-here ice cream flavours are a testament to the glories of a Canuck summer—those lazy, hazy days spent fishing, gardening, and cozying up around the campfire with a quickly melting cone at hand. After reading this list, you’ll never reach for a scoop of basic vanilla again.
Moon Mist, Farmers Dairy/Scotsburn
Moon Mist’s “out of this world” combination of banana, bubblegum, and grape ice cream is as heavenly as the name suggests. This Nova Scotian classic is available across the Maritimes and dominates social media posts, as the gorgeous yellow, blue, and purple swirl makes it an Instagram favourite. The same company also makes Grape Nut ice cream, another east-coast favourite.
Chicken Bones, Trueman Blueberry Farms
Their name might say blueberries, but at Trueman, the real star of the show is ice cream. This Aulac, N.B., berry farm is inspired by regional tastes, including Chicken Bones. This bright pink cinnamon candy with a dark chocolate centre comes from Ganong confectioners and makes for a fantastic frozen flavour.
Messie Bessie, Cows
P.E.I.’s beloved dairy company produces a gloriously sweet mix of chocolate ice cream, Oreo cookies, English toffee, and “moo crunch” (the company’s top secret ingredient, similar to a Skor bar).
Moose Tracks, Kawartha Dairy
For many Ontario cottagers, no summer trek to the lake is complete without a stop at Kawartha Dairy, and Moose Tracks will satisfy your every craving. This irresistible combination of vanilla ice cream, mini chocolate peanut butter cups, and chocolatey fudge hits all the right notes. Looking for something a little different? Kawartha also makes Tiger Tail. This orange ice cream with a licorice swirl is nearly impossible to find outside of Canada.
Butter Tart, Carp Custom Creamery
Is there any dessert more Canadian than an ooey, gooey butter tart? At the Carp Custom Creamery outside Ottawa, their Loaded Buttertart comes with a sweet base, chunks of homemade butter tarts, and swirls of butterscotch.
Prairie Berry Lavender, Fable Ice Cream
At this hip Saskatoon shop, the finest fruits of the local fields come together to make a smooth, deep purple creation where the sweetness of the berries is tempered by the herbaceous notes of lavender.
Maple, Pinocchio
A surprising number of maple desserts contain no maple at all, just flavouring. But at Edmonton’s Pinocchio, the maple ice cream is made with the real deal and local cream. (Love yours with walnuts? Rocky Point Ice Cream in Port Moody, B.C., has you covered).
Nanaimo Bar, Mister Artisan Ice Cream
British Columbia’s beloved chocolate and custard square gets the ice cream bar treatment at Vancouver’s Mister Artisan. Using liquid nitrogen in their process makes the resulting product smoother and denser than regular ice cream.
The Only Chocolate, Chapman’s
Sure, you can get chocolate ice cream everywhere, but where can you find the best in the world? Why, in Canada, of course! Chapman’s The Only Chocolate recently brought home the top prize at the Dubai International Ice Cream Consortium conference.
So how do we know that it’s really the best? There’s only one way to find out—get your scoops ready!

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