It’s July, and if you’re going to beat the heat, there better be a pool or some cold treats involved. We love a standard vanilla cone as much as anyone, but sometimes it’s fun to get out of your comfort zone and try something a little more adventurous. Good news is you don’t have to plan a whole trip to have an adventure — you can just try something new! And during the summer, what’s better to experiment with than ice cream? We rounded up some of our favorite wild and adventurous flavors from these homemade ice cream and sweet treat spots all over the Northland.
Dubai Chocolate Strawberries at Vivi’s Paleteria
1303 Platte Falls Road C, Platte City
If you’ve been searching for Dubai chocolate, the viral milk chocolate sensation filled with pistachio cream, shredded phyllo dough and tahini, look no further than this Mexican ice cream spot in Platte City. But if you come for the trendy flavors, you’ll stay for the amazing assortment of Mexican offerings on top of their standard ice cream fare, from flavors like Gansito (Mexican Twinkie) and Churro to Butterbeer and Horchata. They have a rotating assortment of flavors that’s always changing, so you can always find something new to try here.
Ube Toasted Coconut from Alice Scooper’s
10207 N Oak Trafficway, Kansas City
This cute little shop off of North Oak Trafficway has ice cream flavors with names that are all musically inspired. Ube, a bright purple yam, is having a moment, so we love that you can find it in a flavor at Alice Scooper’s, mixed with toasted coconut for a really tropical feel. Another favorite at the shop is Sea & Sand, a vanilla ice cream made with pink Himalayan sea salt, chunks of white chocolate macadamia nut cookies & a crunchy brown sugar swirl. This summer, they’ll also have Blueberry Lavender and Lemon Bar — flavors that just scream summer!
The Exhausted Parent from Meltbox Ice Cream
1599 Iron Street, North Kansas City
This bright purple shop, located in the Iron District, has some wild and fun flavors to try. Our top pick is the Exhausted Parent flavor, which features bourbon-spiked espresso ice cream swirled with bittersweet chocolate chunks. They have other crazy flavors, like This $&@! Just Got Serious, an award-winning smooth salted caramel ice cream brimming with rich sea salt fudge and salted cashews, or the Yippee Skippee, creamy peanut butter ice cream loaded with salted caramel ripples, soft brownie chunks and crispy chocolate-covered pretzels. If you’re a fan of ice cream loaded with things, this is the place for you — but if you don’t think it’s loaded with enough, they also feature many fun toppings, like Cap’N Crunch cereal, Lucky Charms marshmallows or animal crackers. If you’re a vanilla ice cream kind of person, we encourage you to step outside of your comfort zone here!
Sweet Corn Ice Cream at One More Scoop
3522 NE Vivion Road, Kansas City
One More Scoop is a homemade ice cream shop located just down the street from Penguin Park. Their shop is known for their waffle cones, which must be why one entire wall is textured just like one, and people are big fans of their ice cream flights. We’re fascinated by the Sweet Corn ice cream flavor, which contains actual sweet corn. It’s described as the “best buttered corn on the cob you've ever had, just in the form of ice cream,” and was actually their monthly flavor for June. If that doesn’t butter your biscuit, we also think their Mama’s Texas Sheet Cake flavor and Lavender Honey sound interesting, too!
Li Hing Mui from Lilo’s Shaved Ice
8690 N Flintlock Road, Kansas City or 6282 N Chatham Avenue, Kansas City
lilosshavedice.com
Sometimes, it’s a snow cone that hits the spot rather than ice cream, and Lilo’s is always our Northland go-to. While their most popular flavors are Blue Raspberry and Tiger’s Blood, Tara Painter, one of the owners, likes Li Hing Mui with li hing mui powder sprinkled on top. It’s a sweet, sour and salty flavor that’s popular in Hawaii, though it originates from a plum in China. She also recommends Creme de Menthe (a surprising topping for shaved ice paired with chocolate ice cream and chocolate cream syrup), Tamarind or Papaya. The snow cone shack also celebrates Christmas in July this month, with Ginger Snap and Eggnog flavors, and currently, they’re testing out a Dill Pickle flavor, which customers often request.
Pomegranate Razz and Cotton Candy Twist at Fifth and Emery
8375 N Booth Ave, Kansas City and 8671 NW Prairie View Road, Kansas City
While the Fifth and Emery name might be new to you, it’s actually a rebranding of the beloved Yogurtini frozen yogurt shops! Owner Isaac Lee Collins recently left the franchising branding behind to create something completely his own. On top of the existing Shoal Creek location, they recently opened an additional location at Zona Rosa across from Barnes and Noble. If you stop inside, you can load up your froyo with fun toppings — which is always the adventurous part of frozen yogurt! We love the fact that you can get multiple flavors, but on top of the ability to just get one flavor, Fifth and Emery has side-by-side pairings that you can get in a “twist,” which takes the guesswork out of finding two flavors that are a perfect combination. We especially love the Pomegranate Razz with Cotton Candy twist, though we also often have our eye on their Cold Brew flavor. Go crazy with the toppings, like shark gummies or boba, and don’t forget to grab some housemade chocolate on your way out, which the shop offers in addition to cold treats!