Michigan Soft Serve Ice Cream Shop Earns Spot Among Best in the Nation

Whether you're a fan of classic cones, outrageous toppings, or mouthwatering sundaes, there's an ice cream concoction for everyone to love. From stumbling upon hidden gem ice cream shops to hunting down food trucks dishing out frozen goodness, the search for your favorite flavor is part of the fun.

A budget-friendly travel blog, Cheapism, compiled a list of the best soft-serve ice cream shops in America. They gathered reviews and rankings from soft-serve ice cream-craving customers and in-the-know food writers across the U.S. to compile their list. They named a Michigan ice cream shop one of the best in the nation.

Detroit Water Ice Factory has earned its place as one of America's best ice cream shops, and it's the only one in Michigan to make the list. Founded by bestselling author and journalist Mitch Albom, this place is more than just a dessert spot. Albom started the shop with a mission to create jobs and fund charitable works in Detroit, with all profits going to S.A.Y. Detroit charities. The non-profit empowers its residents through direct efforts and partnerships with civic and community organizations. This includes programs like an after-school learning center, a free family medical clinic, a housing initiative for working families, and other initiatives targeting vulnerable populations.

Also, highlighted on the website is one of their menu items called the "Motown Twist." This creation combines smooth soft serve with flavorful water ice, such as Honolulu blue raspberry water ice paired with creamy vanilla soft serve. The best part is that it has zero calories, allowing you to indulge guilt-free while supporting a worthy cause.

According to Yelp, the Detroit Water Ice Factory has received excellent reviews, earning a rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars. One enthusiastic reviewer exclaimed, "Love the Detroit Water Ice Factory! What a great location, too, in front of one of the Q-Line stops!" Another satisfied customer praised the wide variety of flavors available, they wrote: "There are tons of flavors to choose from (many with Detroit-themed names), and the profits go to charity."

If you're curious about the best soft-serve ice cream shops in America, check out the complete list here.

Summer is officially ice cream season, and July is National Ice Cream Month. Actually, every season is ice cream season, if you ask me. I seriously enjoy scoops of my favorite ice cream whether it's 90 degrees outside or freezing cold. When it comes to ice cream flavors, it's hard to beat the classics. Vanilla, chocolate, chocolate-chip and mint chocolate-chip are always favorites. But, why not switch it up and try some really wild ice cream flavors?

As a graduate of Michigan State University, I've tried many random ice cream flavors at the MSU Dairy Store. MSU is an agricultural college, so it's known for the Dairy Store and having delicious ice cream. Honey Lavender and Spartan Swirl come to mind. But, enough about MSU. You don't have to come to Michigan to get some unique ice cream flavors.

Read on for 10 wild ice cream flavors that you need to try. These flavors are all from major ice cream makers, so they should be fairly easy to find, no matter where you're located. I've also included some non-dairy and gluten-free ice cream options for vegans and those on a gluten-free diet. I'm not vegan, but my favorite ice cream currently is actually non-dairy. Hopefully, there's enough variety on this list for you to find your new favorite ice cream flavor.

It's worth noting that some of these ice cream flavors are seasonal and only available in the summer. That said, the majority of the flavors below are currently available year-round.

I've definitely never heard of "Summer Berry Cake Pop Ice Cream." What is a summer berry cake pop? Regardless, it sounds great. "We swirl velvety strawberry ice cream with sweet cream ice cream, add perfect, fluffy cake pieces and then finish with a tangy raspberry sauce," they describe on their website.

https://www.icecream.com/us/en/brands/haagen-dazs/products/summer-berry-cake-pop-ice-cream

Breyers' "Layered Dessert Caramel Apple Pie" is a special treat, bringing you that feeling of having a piece of apple pie with ice cream on top. "We start with smooth Breyers® and stir in real apples between two layers of caramel with pie crust pieces. The experience of caramel apple pie topped with Breyers, all in one scoop!" Breyers states on their website.

https://www.breyers.com/us/en/products/classics/caramel-apple-pie-layered-dessert.html

Halo Top ice cream is diet ice cream, with way less calories than regular ice cream. Their flavors are pretty standard, but they do have one, "Blueberry Crumble," that's super unique. I don't eat diet ice cream, but my friend had me try this one, and it was good. "Swirls of sweet blueberry pie filling and chunks of pie crust, our Blueberry Crumble light ice cream delivers the best of spring with a good source of protein," Halo Top states on their official website.

https://halotop.com/dairy-ice-cream/blueberry-crumble

When I think of "Cookie Monster" ice cream, I definitely picture something blue, just like the real Cookie Monster. Well, Baskin-Robbins has that flavor of ice cream, and it's blue. They describe it as "sweet cream ice cream stuffed with chocolate sandwich cookie pieces, chocolate-chip cookie pieces and cookie dough batter flavored swirls." That sounds delish.

https://www.baskinrobbins.com/

"Triple Fudge Brownie Boulevard" is a wild take on your typical brownie-packed ice cream. Dreyer's describes it as, "A fan favorite re-imagined: our beloved Double Fudge Brownie now with crispy brownie edges​! ​A delicious pairing of brownie pieces and brownie batter swirls is now complete with extra indulgence for the ultimate brownie lover."

https://www.icecream.com/us/en/brands/dreyers/products/triple-fudge-brownie-boulevard-ice-cream

Blue Bunny keeps their flavors list pretty classic. That said, they do have a few flavors that stand out. One is "Cherrific Cheesecake," which taste like it sounds. "Cheesecake frozen dairy dessert, cherry and graham swirls," they describe. It's like cherry cheesecake, but it's ice cream.

https://www.bluebunny.com/products/scoopables/cherrific-cheesecake

"Oatmeal Dream Pie" from Ben & Jerry's is kind of like those Little Debbie Oatmeal Cream cookies. You know, the soft, tasty, cream-packed oatmeal creams. This is a new flavor from Ben & Jerry's, and this is the non-dairy version. It uses sunflower milk. It's also gluten-free. "Our friends at Partake have provided the oh-my-goodness-this-is-gluten-free!? oatmeal cookie you'll find in this snacktime favorite of a flavor," they state.

https://www.benjerry.com/flavors/oatmeal-dream-pie-non-dairy

Everyone has heard of cookies and cream ice cream. But, Cold Stone Creamery goes one step further and packs its cookies and cream ice cream with a ton of real Oreo cookies, making it stand out. "It’s just like dipping an Oreo in milk. Except, you know, with chocolate chips. And fudge," they describe. I'm in.

https://www.coldstonecreamery.com/icecream/prepacked/oreooverload/index.html

Here's another unique flavor. I've definitely had cookies and cream ice cream. But what about "Black & White Cookie Ice Cream?" I've never heard of such a thing! Haagen-Dazs describes it as, "Inspired by New York’s classic Black & White cookie, we mixed vanilla bean ice cream with soft cookie pieces and ripples of chocolate frosting. Forget the cookie and grab your spoon."

https://www.icecream.com/us/en/brands/haagen-dazs/products/black-and-white-cookie-ice-cream

Here's an option for vegans. Dairy Queen offers a "Non-Dairy Dilly Bar," which is "gluten free, dairy-free, and plant-based, made with a coconut cream based protein and finished with our delicious crunchy chocolatey coating," according to their website. So, you can have the fun without the dairy or gluten, which is a good thing for sensitive diets.

https://www.dairyqueen.com/en-us/menu/non-dairy-dilly-bar/