There’s no shortage of ice cream in Madison – we are in the Dairy State, after all. But with so many options, it’s easy to get overwhelmed.
We’re happy to help. On the City Cast Madison podcast today, the team did the hard work of trying 10 different flavors of locally-made ice cream (and custard!) and ranking them by taste, texture, and originality. No need to thank us.
We also put out the call to our readers and listeners to tell us your favorite ice cream. And, boy, did you deliver. Think of this as our cone-clave.
- Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream Company was founded in 1962. After more than 60 years in business, the company now has nine ice cream parlors and a manufacturing plant in Madison.
- Flavors to try: Based on reader reaction, Chocolate Shoppe is clearly the people’s choice. This @#$% Just Got Serious (a fave of Instagram user @stringsandthings83, Exhausted Parent (which one of our Instagram followers, @latlong.shop, said they were “feeling seen” by), and Blue Moon Oat Cream (it’s vegan!). Dane County Sheriff Kalvin Barrett also backed the Blue Moon.
- Reader Gretta W. said Door County Cherry is “very seasonal and just the best.” Susan S. loves Zanzibar Chocolate, while Carol R. goes for London Fog.
- Ice Cream Social started as an Instagram project meant to raise money for Madison organizations fighting for social and racial equity. The page exploded in popularity, often selling out quickly. The brand opened a brick-and-mortar location in March 2022 on University Ave.
- Flavors to try: Cherry Styles, Movie Theatre Trash Can, Chocolate Buttermilk. Pro-tip: You can get a flight of flavors for the days when you just can’t decide.
- Readers Jeff M. and Gretchen N. praised Ice Cream Social for its interesting and delicious flavors. And Jacque M. noted that a great ice cream experience is about more than just the ice cream. “Their homemade gluten-free waffle cones are the bomb—crispy, flavorful, and the perfect match for their rich, creamy scoops.”
- The combination ice cream shop and cafe is a fairly recent addition to downtown’s food scene. Aside from ice cream and other sweet treats, the shop also offers breakfast and lunch items.
- Flavors to try: Fig & Honey, Blueberry Honey Lavender, Chocolate Hazelnut. The team loved their Thai Tea flavor.
- Calliope Ice Cream was born in the basement of the Weary Traveler Freehouse in 2011. In 2019, the brand opened its first shop at Garver Feed Mill where it serves its seven original flavors and a rotating batch of flavors.
- Flavors to try: Mexican Hot Chocolate, Brandy Old Fashioned, Hot Peanut Butter.
- Babcock Dairy is the official ice cream producer for UW-Madison and its standard recipe hasn’t changed since 1951.
- Flavors to try: Union Utopia, Orange Custard Chocolate Chip, and Mocha Macchiato is a particular favorite of reader Karen S.
- UW-Madison grads James and Robert Baerwolf source 100% of the milk they use from the two farms they own side-by-side in Columbia County. They say one of the reasons their ice cream tastes so good is they treat their cows like literal dairy queens.
- Flavors to try: Instagram follower @jss_m is a fan of Cherry Amaretto. We tried Dark Chocolate Cherry, and be sure to seek out Salty Cow, which is salted caramel ice cream containing Oreos.
Bonus: Get your custard fix
We can’t talk about ice cream without also mentioning its creamy cousin, custard. For those wondering, the difference between the two comes down to one ingredient: egg yolks. Ice cream is made with milk, cream, and sweetener. While frozen custard contains the same ingredients, plus egg yolks. You can find the sweet treat at Culver’s and Michael's Frozen Custard.
