Coolhaus’ Fried Chicken & Waffles ice cream

“Fried chicken and waffles is big in L.A. We thought it could be deconstructed into an ice cream, but you have to think about the architecture of a flavor. We ended up with a brown-butter ice cream, and then we make a homemade caramel that is infused with organic fried-chicken skin. We strain the skin and add savory spices like cayenne, sage, and black pepper. We swirl that into the ice cream and then add crunchy waffle pieces. We’re very much known for taking an adult spin on flavors. This one has a lot of sophistication.”

—Natasha Case

CEO & cofounder

The Players:

  • Brown butter ice cream
    (brown butter, salt, cream, milk, sugar, eggs)
  • Smashed waffle cone pieces
  • Fried chicken caramel swirl
    (chicken skin, kosher salt, sage, cayenne pepper, chicken stock, chicken bouillon, black pepper, caramel)

 

Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams’ Dairy-Free Roasted Peanut Butter & Strawberry Jam

Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams

Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams’ Dairy-Free Roasted Peanut Butter & Strawberry Jam

“This is dairy-free ice cream that’s not jealous of dairy, made by people who love dairy. One of my passions is finding scents and flavors that can tell stories through ice cream. Peanut butter and jellies were my favorite as a kid, so it felt natural to create a flavor inspired by the sandwich we all know and love. We fold salted peanut butter into lush coconut cream for a robust roasted-nut flavor with a beautiful body. Then we add fresh strawberry jam—made from scratch with berries grown on farms throughout the Great Lakes and picked at the peak of ripeness so they’re bursting with sweet-tart flavor.”

—Jeni Britton Bauer

founder

The Players:

  • Coconut cream
  • Creamy peanut butter
  • Sea salt
  • Sweet-tart fresh strawberry jam swirl

 

Salt & Straw’s Stuffed-Crust Waffle Cone

Salt & Straw

Salt & Straw’s Stuffed-Crust Waffle Cone

“Ultimately, we wanted to launch a life-changing product line where, as you eat it, it’s carnal. You get this visual sensation of the cheese pull and that sensual, warm sensation of the caramelized sugar, and it’s crackling under your fingertips. We thought of it as our version of the stuffed-crust pizza. We make a laminated croissant dough and layer in Oaxacan cheese into that. We tested out 20 different cheese varieties, and that was by far the best because of the texture and dryness it has. Then we’ll brush sugar onto that and griddle it on the waffle cone iron. As it griddles, the cheese melts, the laminated dough starts to both rise and fall because it’s got the pressure of the iron, and the sugar begins to caramelize on the outside.”

—Tyler Malek

head ice cream maker

The Players:

  • Laminated croissant dough (flour, butter, salt)
  • Oaxacan cheese
  • Sugar
Desserts, Menu Innovations, Story, Coolhaus, Jeni's, Salt & Straw