12 Canadian Spots to Get Crazy Cool Ice Cream
From syringes of syrup to liquid nitrogen to crazy outrageous toppings, these 12 Canadian ice cream shops are taking your favourite summer treat to new heights. Grab a friend and lots of napkins — these mouth-watering masterpieces will have your sweet tooth smiling.
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Homestead Ice Cream (Saskatoon, SK)
<p>Since 1978, <a href="http://homesteadicecream.ca/" target="_blank"><strong>Homestead Ice Cream</strong></a> has been doing it all from scratch. From ice cream to the toppings to homemage whoopie pies and brownies, everything is made fresh and in-house. Try one, two or five scoops of their unique flavours including roses and honey, Saskatoon lemon, and dill pickle, and top it off with a fresh stack of mini doughnuts.</p> -
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Pancho's Bakery (Toronto, ON)
<p> At <a href="http://www.panchosbakery.com/index.html" target="_blank"><strong>Pancho's Bakery</strong></a>, you can finally have your churro and your ice cream, too. Churro cones are the hottest ice cream trend to hit Toronto streets this summer. Fresh-to-order churros are rolled into a cone, stuffed with ice cream and drizzled with your favourite syrup. Top it with coconut flakes or Fruit Loop bits and dig in. </p> -
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Sweet Jesus (Toronto, ON)
<p>Just follow your nose, (or the trail of dropped toppings) to <a href="http://www.sweetjesus4life.com/" target="_blank"><strong>Sweet Jesus</strong></a>. This Instagram-sensation is selling peaks of soft-serve dressed in everything from cotton candy to marshmallows to red velvet cake and breakfast cereal. Fitting names like the cotton candy-laden Krusty the Clown, or the Red Rapture, in which ice cream is rolled in red velvet cake and meringue, make these sweet treats all the more fun to eat (and photograph).</p> -
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Sugarholic Cafe (Richmond, BC)
<p>Picture-perfect Japanese-style desserts at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Sugarholic-Cafe-402112526612107/timeline" target="_blank"><strong>Sugarholic Cafe</strong></a> are just as delicious as they are photogenic. Honey toast bread cubes are stacked like a tower and topped with ice cream, then drizzled with sweet syrup. Try out their unique flavours like matcha, red bean and passionfruit.</p> -
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LIK N2 Ice Cream (Vancouver, BC)
<p>Inject yourself with a sugar rush at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/LIK-N2-Ice-Cream-1705448399713746/" target="_blank"><strong>LIK N2 Ice Cream</strong></a>. Vancouver's first liquid nitrogen ice cream bar has science and innovation down to an art. Whether you choose the black sesame, cookie crumb or matcha ice cream, you're in charge of administering the correct dosage of chocolate ganache or condensed milk with your personal topping syringe.</p> -
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Scoop N Roll (Edmonton, AB)
<p>This Thai treat has made its way to Canada to the delight of Edmontonians. A treat for your eyes and taste buds, liquid ice cream is poured on a cold griddle and mixed with your favourite toppings. At <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Scoopnroll/" target="_blank"><strong>Scoop N Roll</strong></a>, follow the steps from flavour to treats to toppings, and watch the custom rolls of ice cream be made right in front of you!</p> -
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Frosty Treat Dairy Bar (Kensington, PEI)
<p>At <a href="https://www.facebook.com/frostytreatdairybar/timeline" target="_blank"><strong>Frosty Treat Dairy Bar</strong></a>, you have the option of enjoying the sweet and savoury combo of burgers and ice cream at the same location. This ice cream institution is open all summer long serving giant waffle cones of soft serve, epic banana splits, and nutty bacon sundaes. </p> -
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Roll Cake Bakery and Dessert (Winnipeg, MB)
<p>Bubbly, egg waffles are rolled and served as cones at <a href="http://rollcake.webs.com/" target="_blank"><strong>Roll Cake Bakery and Dessert</strong></a>. These waffles, popular in Hong Kong, are getting stuffed with ice cream and topped with all your favourite snacks including Pocky Sticks, to mini M&Ms, nuts, marshmallows and fruit. </p> -
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Sugah! (Halifax, NS)
<p> Treat yourself to a heaping cone of hand-paddled ice cream with delicious housemade fixings like rum coffee chocolates, bacon pecan brittle, and butter crunch mixed right in. Do as the Nova Scotians do and try <a href="https://www.theuncommongroup.com/pages/sugah" target="_blank"><strong>Sugah!'s</strong></a> famous Moon Mist ice cream. The beautiful pastel colours are a combo of banana, grape and bubblegum flavours, gracefully swirled together for a taste that is out of this world.</p> -
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La Diperie (Montreal, QC)
<p>Swirls of vanilla soft serve are dipped in your choice of delicious chocolate sauces with variations like Bailey's, black sea salt, and maple syrup at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ladiperie/" target="_blank"><strong>La Diperie</strong></a>. Stick to one of their tried-and-true topping variations listed on their chalkboard menu, or go nuts (literally) and choose your own. From cute mini cones to dinner-size portions, everyone can get their dip fix!</p> -
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Cocktail Antabli (Montreal, QC)
<p>This cool Lebanese café is serving up some delicious, oversized desserts. At <a href="https://www.facebook.com/cocktailantabli/" target="_blank"><strong>Cocktail Antabli</strong></a>, waffles and crêpes come with heaping mounds of whipped cream, syrup, and fruit. Their famous ice cream "cocktails" can be topped with pistachios, Nutella, strawberries, and Ashta (Lebanese clotted cream).</p> -
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Arctic Bites (Toronto, ON)
<p>These Thai-style ice cream rolls are all the rage at<a href="https://www.facebook.com/arcticbites/?rf=882636831861834" target="_blank"><strong> Arctic Bites</strong></a>. Try one of the wittily named variations like Two Can Sam, a wheat malt ice cream topped with Fruit Loops, whipped cream and a condensed milk drizzle, or Mr. Grey, earl grey ice cream served with a chocolate wafer cookie and whipped cream. </p> <p><em>Bronwyn Hope is a food writer based in Toronto.</em></p>