Ice cream is a universal sweet treat that’s enjoyed by people in every corner of the earth. From classic flavors like chocolate or vanilla to more imaginative creations like brown sugar bourbon vanilla or red velvet cheesecake, ice cream makers around the world are gearing up for warmer weather and excited clientele.
Here are seven Black-owned ice cream shops to support this year, from California to the United Kingdom.
Cloud Cups – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Cloud Cups is located in the Kensington area of Philadelphia and offers gelato and sorbet created by owner Galen Thomas. The shop has 150 flavors and rotates around 30 at a time. Flavors include everything from brown sugar cinnamon and pina colada to passionfruit and non-dairy options like butterfly pea vanilla and white coffee.
Cloud Cups also collaborates with other local Black-owned businesses in the area to create flavors, such as a vegan cheesecake option with a Philly-based cheesecake maker. The brick-and-mortar shop has a retail portion and a lounge area and even offers ice-cream-making workshops as special events.
Dark Sugars Ice Creams – London, United Kingdom
Mostly popular for its dedication to gourmet treats and premier cocoa, Dark Sugars is one of the U.K.’s premier Black-owned dessert makers. The company has a four-story flagship cocoa house in London’s Greenwich neighborhood and other locations, including its Dark Sugars Ice Cream store in Greenwich.
The ice cream store offers various rotating gelato flavors, including vegan and standard flavors like tiramisu, Snickers, white chocolate Snickers, coconut, and more.
Sugar Hill Creamery – Harlem, New York
According to its website, Sugar Hill Creamery is Harlem’s only family-owned ice cream shop. The shop is dedicated to “community and food” and offers small-batch ice cream flavors as well as lots of opportunities for residents to connect.
Owners Petruska Bazin Larsen and Nick Larsen created the shop’s flavor profiles and names, inspired by their Caribbean and Midwestern upbringings, landmarks, and memories from around Harlem. Flavors like A$AP Rocky Road, a milk chocolate ice cream with toasted hazelnut, marshmallow, Oreos, and graham crackers, is popular among patrons. Another favorite is The Unicorn, a vanilla flavor with homemade yellow birthday cake and sprinkles.
Urban Dessert Lab – Los Angeles, California
This L.A.-based ice cream shop is dairy-free. Made up of oat milk ice cream options, the shop offers signature flavors and other desserts, like cookies. Owners Courtney Balgrove and Zan B.R., two sisters, opened the concept in 2020 and have been able to grow bi-coastal since, with a New York location as well.
Urban Dessert Lab offers an oat milk soft serve, traditional ice cream, cakes, and more. One popular flavor includes Coffee Waffle Crunch, a sweet cream with coffee sauce and waffle cone bits. Others are Cinnamon Apple Crisp, the same base with spiced apple crumble and drizzle; and Salted Pecan, among other flavors.
Rex’s Ice Cream – Toronto, Canada
Rex’s is a small-batch ice cream shop that operates seasonally in Toronto and is owned by Adbul “Rex” Ali. Though closed during winter, the small shop is popular among residents in the area. It offers a small selection of rotating flavors.
One customer favorite is Caramel Lotus, Biscoff-flavored ice cream with Biscoff cookie crumbles, and caramel swirl. Another popular item is its Somali Chai, a profoundly flavorful ice cream made up of cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, and nutmeg flavors.
Ruby Scoops – Richmond, Virginia
Affectionally called “The Ice Cream Lady,” owner Rabia Kamara is one of the city’s most popular ice cream makers. The small-batch ice cream shop offers monthly rotating flavors, including vegan options. They include banana pudding ice cream, apple cider sorbet, and a lemon cookie flavor, among others. Standard dairy options include red velvet, a hot honey cornbread flavor, vanilla, and more.
Kamara told an outlet last year that one of her favorite flavors came when she created a series of Black History Month flavors. To represent George Washington Carver, she came up with a peanut butter flavor. She also created a watermelon and Kool-Aid-flavored sorbet for Juneteenth called Jubilee Punch.
Creamalicious Ice Cream – United States Retailers
Liz Rogers, a chef and Ohio restauranteur, created the Creamalicious brand in 2014. It came from Rogers’ passion for creating two-in-one desserts with depth and flavor. Creamalicious combines various Southern cakes and recipes with premium ice cream flavors. Some flavors are Auntie Poo’s, a caramel pound cake flavor, or Granma Gigi, a sweet potato pie flavor. There’s also a red velvet cheesecake flavor, bourbon cake, and banana pudding, among others.
The brand is sold in Target, Walmart, and other grocery retailers throughout the United States. It’s one of few Black-owned ice cream brands to be mass-produced and available throughout the country.
