10 artisanal ice cream brands that should be in your freezer this summer

We don’t know about you, but the sweltering summer heat has got to us—we’re already dreaming of a time when the weather will not be this hot, humid, and downright unbearable. Still, some things have the magical ability of making this season tolerable, and yes, we are talking about brain freeze-inducing, creamy, generous servings of ice cream. After all, there’s nothing like a colourful, fruity popsicle or an indulgent scoop of gelato to bring respite.

And since stepping out to get your dose of ice cream can be quite bothersome in this weather, we’ve got the 'scoop' on brands that will bring the icy-cold treat right to your home. PSA: it’s time to make room in your freezer!

Papacream

You name an ice cream dessert, and chances are Papacream has it. Delivering across Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, and other cities, they have a wide range of ice cream cakes, DIY sundae kits, vegan scoops, and your good ol’ milk-based ice cream. Their collaboration with Rhea Kapoor has four simply-can’t-miss flavours—we love the After School Sundae and the Brown Butter Biskut which has swirls of dulce de leche (caramalised biscuit) biscuit and chocolate-coated biscuit chunks.

Coppetto Artisan Gelato

The Mumbai-based artisanal gelato brand is known for bringing the popular Italian-style ice cream to the city, and their flavour offerings that range from classics like pistachio and dark chocolate to more lighter, brighter flavours like raspberry and lemon sorbet sound like the perfect antidote to a hot summer afternoon. If you're a fan of mangoes, then don't miss their seasonal mango sorbet, which is at once tangy, sweet, and refreshing. 

Noto

There’s something about popsicles that transports us to childhood, and these vibrant, low-cal ice pops will do exactly that. Started by husband-wife duo Ashni and Varun Sheth, the brand also offers vegan and keto-friendly options in flavours like like kala jamun, mango coconut, imli, and pina colada. But if you’re more of a creamy scoop person, worry not—they have traditional ice cream tubs, too. Pick from French vanilla, cereal milk, malai kulfi, and dark chocolate among other variants. 

Blanchette

While Mumbai-based Blanchette is a delivery-only patisserie that specialises in cakes, cookies, brownies, and more, they have recently started an exclusive ice cream range that features cool flavours like caramel and coffee, malted milk and chocolate, mulberries and cheesecake, and mango passionfruit cheesecake. They also have a range of ice cream sandwiches—choose from Chocolate and Potato Chip, Raspberry Cheesecake or the Tonka and Speculoos variant, which is a collaboration with Mizah Bakery. 

Jaatre 

Some brands on this list are all about sweet, over-the-top decadence, while some are about spotlighting natural flavours and keeping things low-calorie. Jaatre, a Delhi-based artisanal brand, falls squarely in the latter category. Its ice creams use minimal sugar and natural ingredients, and are vegetarian to boot. Though they have the classics like chocolate and vanilla, it’s their fruit-forward variants that we can’t get enough of. Expect scoops of tart jamun, pink guava, or rose-strawberry. If you want to try something new, then go for the palm jaggery or black pepper and cardamom flavours. We love that instead of plastic tubs, their ice creams are delivered in cool terracotta packaging and if you drop by their store, you’ll get your scoop in re-purposed coconut shells. 

Minus 30

Delivering in Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Jaipur, and Kolkata, this brand offers a mix of classic scoops, sorbets, vegan and sugar-free variants, and even a special alcohol-infused collection. Choose from flavours like strawberry, white chocolate, tiramisu, vanilla-toffee-almond, dark chocolate, and double roasted hazelnut for a sweet treat to accompany your late-night binge-watching sessions. 

Zoet Desserts

This dessert shop based out of Delhi doles out delectable cakes and cookies, but it’s their ice cream offerings that have caught our fancy. The expansive menu includes flavours like blueberry cheesecake, Sicilian cassata, tiramisu, roasted pistachio and more. Don’t miss out on the seasonal variant mango kulfi. While most of their ice creams contain eggs, they have plenty of eggless options. For a fun textural surprise, their ice creams come topped with swirls of chocolate syrup, berry compotes, crushed Oreos and even fresh fruit, depending on the flavour you pick. 

Burma Burma 

Burma Burma, the popular restaurant chain known for their vegetarian Burmese fare, has introduced a brand-new range of artisanal ice creams that are available in multiple cities across the country. Made in-house and in small batches, they have six unique flavours on offer; we love the nostalgia of the Pineapple Energee and the Dark Chocolate and Olive Oil variant will go down a treat with chocolate fans. 

Chubby Cheeks Creamery

This Delhi-based brand with a tongue-in-cheek name (pun intended) celebrates the simple decadence of ice cream—all their offerings are made using just milk, eggs, and cream. They make small batches of inventive flavours like fig and honey, peaches and cream, mint cookie, along with crowd-favourites like salted caramel, pistachio, chocolate, and more. 

Get-A-Way Healthy Desserts

Previously going by the name of Get-A-Whey, the home-grown brand recently appeared on Shark Tank India’s last season. Their healthy ice creams are made from low-fat skimmed milk and minimal sweeteners—you’ll find fresh skimmed milk, whey protein, and organic sweeteners on the ingredient list. Just because there are less fats and sugars doesn’t mean they skip on flavour—their indulgent offerings like Chocolate Brownie Fudge, Salted Caramel, and Keto Very Berry are sure to satisfy your midnight cravings. 

Lead image: Blanchette/Instagram