Trendy Soft Serve Ice Cream

Soft serve ice cream is an American classic that traditionally comes in vanilla, chocolate and a twist of those two flavors. With its rise in popularity, an expansion of flavors and new ways to make this favorite treat even more exciting are in demand. Companies are creating their own flavors, making gigantic cookie sandwiches and even creating vegan options. Traditionally, soft serve was a dessert found in ice cream shops and fast food places, but with the rise of innovative new creations, even the fanciest of restaurants are adding this treat to their dessert menu.

Why is Soft Serve so Amazing?

Firstly, soft serve preparation is fairly easy. A chef mixes up her own batter, pours it into the machine, selects the churning speed and within minutes, delicious creamy soft serve ice cream is available for consumption. The only maintenance a soft serve machine requires is cleaning at the end of the night to make sure everything remains sanitary. This popular dessert also produces minimal waste because the batter can remain in the machine for a few days at a time. Soft serve can be twirled quickly into a variety of fancy designs and topped with anything your mind can imagine — and did we mention that it is believed to be healthier than hard serve varieties? This is because of its lower fat content, which is one of the primary factors contributing to soft serve’s light, creamy texture.

Artisanal Soft Serve

Ice cream chefs around the globe are pushing the boundaries of artisanal soft serve flavors. If you can imagine it, they have probably created it. Some of today's most up-and-coming flavors include:

• Black Sesame
• Wasabi
• Lavender
• Pina Colada
• Matcha Green Tea
• Tahini
• Cilantro
• Peanut Butter
• Rose
• Maple
• Amaretto
• Crème de Menthe
• Rum
• Pumpkin

Ice cream chefs are also trying to introduce more local flavors into their menus. They are searching local farmers markets looking for the next hit flavor for every season.

Funky Cones

Soft serve's composition makes it easy to fit into a variety of fancy and funky cones. Forget the traditional boring waffle cone. Places in the U.S. are now serving up Hong-Kong inspired Puffle cones, which are made from a sweet egg-based batter on a specialize griddle. Canceling out the low-fat content of soft serve, they may not be the healthiest of options, but they are proving hard to resist. Other options pushing the boundaries of what we call ice cream include black cones, rice Krispie cones, donut cones, bubble waffle cones, pretzel cones, cookie cones, fruity pebble cones and crepe cones.

The Swirl

Toppings are always a fun option, but ice cream shops that want to give their customers something extra are taking the twist to a whole new level. Traditionally, twisted soft serve ice cream was comprised of chocolate and vanilla flavors, but ice cream shops are now offering a variety of twist flavor combos. Not everyone enjoys having something crunchy on their ice cream. Swirls give those topping-free ice cream lovers the option to expand their taste buds without needing to load up on the toppings.

Variety of Topping Choices

With the influence of social media, today’s culture is always looking for the most Instagram-worthy toppings. From glitter sprinkles and cotton candy to an entire cookie, people are traveling all over to get that social media-worthy picture. Not just for aesthetic reasons, artisanal ice cream chefs across the globe are trying to find new ways to make traditional and not-so-traditional toppings more interesting. Potato chips, toasted meringue and sesame brittle are just some of the many new topping options being introduced into today's palate. Traditional hard shells and sauces for soft serve are now a thing of the past. You can get a variety of flavors, and a few select shops even offer to cover your soft serve ice cream with gold leaf.

Vegan Options

People that keep up with today's health trends are always looking for healthy alternatives to their favorite treats. Vegan soft serve is not only a healthier option but gives everyone the opportunity to enjoy ice cream regardless of their dietary preferences. Vegan soft serve ice cream can be made from soy, rice, nut and even hemp-based batters, then dressed up with a variety of animal product-free toppings. Soft serve ice cream trends may be pushing boundaries for years to come. You never know which exciting soft serve ice cream option will appear next.