LANSING – Ice cream makers across Michigan are preparing for summer, introducing new flavors as they head into one of their busiest times of year.
At the MSU Dairy Store in East Lansing, new flavors are already making their debut ahead of the summer rush.
The store recently introduced Far Better Swirl, a vanilla-based ice cream with brownie bites, fudge swirl and chocolate chunks.
The flavor was created in partnership with MSU’s advancement department, said Aaron Weiner, the Spartan Dairy Store and administrative business manager.
“Usually anything with brownie bites is very popular, as well as a fudge swirl,” Weiner said.
The campus-based shop, which has operated since the 1950s, rotates about 13 flavors at a time but has developed dozens more in recent years.
Other Michigan producers are also introducing new ideas ahead of peak summer demand, including Ashby’s Sterling Ice Cream.
The Ludington-based company is leaning into globally inspired flavors ahead of the summer.
One of its newest flavors, Dubai Chocolate, features chocolate ice cream with pistachio butter and crispy chocolate pieces.
The flavor was inspired by the popularity of Dubai-style chocolate and pistachio desserts, said Erin LaMont, an account manager with the company.
“Customers are increasingly interested in rich, premium flavors with added texture,” she said.
Ashby’s, produced by House of Flavors, is one of Michigan’s largest ice cream manufacturers.
The company has more than 90 years of history and offers over 60 flavors.
Its products are distributed to ice cream parlors, restaurants and convenience stores across Michigan and more than 30 states. That reach makes it a major player in shaping flavor trends beyond the local level.
“We use high-quality dairy and ingredients, with many produced right here in Michigan,” LaMont said.
Similar efforts are underway at smaller, family-owned operations.
At Cook’s Farm Dairy in Ortonville, new flavors are introduced throughout the summer.
This year’s lineup includes a cinnamon churro flavor in May, the Smore Cowbell, a s’mores-style flavor with chocolate ice cream, chocolate chips, mini-marshmallows, marshmallow swirl and graham cracker crunch, in early summer and a lemon blueberry flavor later in the season.
“We love experimenting, but our 24 flavors have been tried and true for decades,” said Quinton Cook, the company’s chief operating officer.
“When we try new flavors, we roll them out for a month and see if the public takes to them,” he added.
He said what sets Cook’s Farm Dairy apart is its production process and connection to its ingredients.
“We use a slow churn, slow cook method in our vat pasteurization of our own homemade mix, fresh from the farm,” Cook said.
That focus on craftsmanship and ingredients is also reflected at Milk & Honey Cafe and Ice Creamery in Traverse City, where everything is made in-house using locally sourced and organic ingredients.
The business works closely with local farms, offering products free from artificial additives and built around seasonal availability.
“We make everything in-house and use a slow churn, low-overrun process, which gives the ice cream a richer texture and more weight compared to other methods,” said owner Joe Welsh.
Milk & Honey is focusing on seasonal flavors built around local ingredients.
This year’s offerings include an organic coconut lime sorbet made with just three ingredients, as well as a blueberry lavender gelato when local berries are in season. It also plans to introduce additional flavors throughout the summer, sometimes adding house-made toppings like strawberry rhubarb compote.
“Local sourcing has been a part of our business model from day one,” Welsh said. “We try to buy absolutely everything we possibly can from local farmers.”
Although ice cream makers vary in scale and flavor offerings, they share the same goal of meeting customer demand.
They say they will continue testing new ideas while keeping their most popular flavors, balancing tradition with innovation.
Questions about this story? Contact Capital News Service editor Eric Freedman at freedma5@msu.edu
