Made in Canada: You can’t buy happiness, but you can buy these four ice cream flavours

Nothing beats an ice cream cone on a hot summer day — or even a cold day, for that matter. Courtney Cook /Unsplash

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There’s no better way to cap off National Ice Cream Month than with a Canadian-made cone full of your favourite flavour. Especially if you’re still working on your quota of 4.5 litres of ice cream each year — the average total per Canadian as noted by Statistics Canada in 2023.

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While most markets have their own locally made frozen treats, here we look at some of the newer offerings and proven favourites from four well-known Canadian creameries, available at a grocery store near you. Prices vary by location.

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Chapman’s Super Premium Plus Ice Cream

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The largest independent ice cream manufacturer in Canada, Markdale, Ont.-based Chapman’s makes over 280 different frozen treats. Its Super Premium Plus line garnered accolades at the International Ice Cream Consortium conference in 2024, with its Salty Caramel Crunch taking the top spot for Best Caramel Ice Cream.

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The full collection includes: Cherry Chocolate Truffle, Cookie Dough, Cherry Cheesecake, Chocolate Cake Batter, Vanilla Honey, Peach Melba, Butter Tart, Chococlate and Brownies, Cookie Jar, The Only Strawberry, Cold Brew Coffee, Chocolate Lovers and Vanilla Trilogy.

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Bonus: All of these flavours are peanut/nut and egg free. Creating allergy friendly goods has been a priority for owner Penny Chapman (who founded Chapman’s with her husband David in 1973), since she received a call from a 10-year-old boy who could never enjoy ice cream at his birthday parties. Chapman’s has since been recognized by Anaphylaxis Canada for its peanut and nut-free red flag labelling, and is the recipient of the Susan Daglish Award for leadership and commitment to anaphylaxis safety.

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Kawartha Dairy’s The Tragically Chip

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It’s no secret what inspired Bobcaygeon-based creamery Kawartha’s new The Tragically Chip ice cream. The blend of whisky flavoured ice cream with dark chocolate chunks and black cherry ripple was crafted with the beloved band in the town that inspired one of their biggest hit tracks. Other patriotic favourites from Kawartha include Mukoka Mocha, Dockside Cappucino, Constellation, Moose Tracks and Sugar Shack Maple.

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The 100 per cent Canadian-owned brand has been operated by the same family since it was created in 1937 by Jack and Ila Crowe. At that point, the couple bought a small dairy that consisted of simple three-room building with a cold storage area that was chilled with ice cut from the lake. To this day, it receives regular fresh milk deliveries from Ontario farms.

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Foothills Creamery Whisky Caramel and Coffee Bean

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New to Calgary-based Foothills’ 80-flavour lineup are Whisky Caramel — “a warm swirl of caramel and whisky charm that sweetens the spirit with every spoonful” — and Coffee Bean, a “smooth, creamy pick me up that tastes like your favourite morning hug in ice cream form.” The indulgent entries join themed classics like All Canadian Moose (vanilla, chocolate marble and peanut butter), S’mores Campfire (toasted marshmallow, chocolate ribbon and graham crackers), and many, many more. Founded in 1969 by Don Bayrack and his business partners, Foothills Creamery continues to use old-fashioned barrel churned techniques to make its ice cream ultra rich and creamy.

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Breyers Creamery Style Neapolitan

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With every ingredient under the sun being turned into an ice cream flavour, sometimes it’s just nice to opt for the classics. Enter the comforting Neapolitan, with its timeless trio of vanilla, chocolate and strawberry. While Breyers founder William A. Breyer was a Philadelphia native, the brand set up shop in Simcoe, Ont., in the 1990s and continues to use all Canadian milk and cream and sustainably sourced vanilla beans from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms.

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