Ice cream is increasingly a dessert for < b>all seasons.

The classic pairing ice cream – summer gives way to seasonal adjustment and even with the cold you love to enjoy a good homemade ice cream.

Eating an ice cream during the winter months is not just a cuddle for our taste buds but it is also good for the health of body and mind.

In fact, ice cream makes us happy because it stimulates the production of serotonin, the “happiness hormone”, and is also a source of energy with many useful nutrients especially during the winter , a period in which the immune system is put to the test.

For an artisan ice cream shop, vary the assortment of flavors based on seasonality is essential not only to offer customers new tastes but above all to testify to the freshness and quality of the ingredients.

Proposing customers in your display window an offer of tastes that varies between summer and winter is a sign of creativity and authenticity.

For those looking for inspiration to update the flavors to offer in their ice cream shop, let’s discover some of the ice cream trends among news and confirmations< span style="font-weight: 400;"> for this winter.

The trends that are confirmed: ice creams “without”, seasonal products

Let’s start with the trends that are also confirmed for this winter.

Some are closely linked to seasonality while others have been establishing themselves for a few years and seem to know no arrest.

In winter, homemade ice cream reinterprets some of the typical flavors of this season , to offer an always genuine product.

This is how combinations are born that match the climate and temperatures: orange with walnuts, chestnut with bay leaf, ginger and cardamom, pear and cinnamon, marron glacé.

With the arrival of winter, moreover creamy flavors are preferred with a “return” to the great classics such as chocolate, perhaps in an extra dark version or combined with orange peel, dried fruit, chestnuts, spices, persimmons and pears.

The trend relating to km 0 is also confirmed, therefore the origin of the raw materials used for artisan ice cream. In fact, the awareness continues to spread among many consumers that the use of local raw materials equals higher quality.

Some examples in Italy are the Prosecco or fregolotta flavor in Veneto, the myrtle flavor in Sardinia, Vin Santo ice cream in Tuscany and those with walnuts and figs from the Cilento in Campania.

Another increasingly growing trend is that of “without” ice cream: gluten free, vegan and lactose free.

Flavors that no longer represent a niche in Italy but a consolidated reality to satisfy customers who request ice creams made with vegetable ingredients or with alternative preparations due to intolerances or ethical issues.

Fruit and vegetables, together for a healthy ice cream

An ice cream that combines fruit and vegetables. This is one of the new trends, halfway between innovation and well-being.

Unpublished flavors rich in character, which respect health and physical shape, two fundamental elements that meet the needs of a consumer who is increasingly attentive to what he chooses to eat.

The main ingredients are fruit such as mango, papaya, pineapple, which meet vegetables such as carrots, celery, lemon. Local spices also play an important role in creating a healthy mix but at the same time really tasty.

Together with vegetables, flowers are proposed in combination with classic fruit flavors to create new and tasty mixes.

This is how lemon and carrot ice creams (and sorbets), chamomile flowers, violet, lavender, tomato, basil and strawberry, pumpkin are born.

Aromatic herbs and essential oils: ice cream becomes aromatic

Another strong trend this year are flavors made with herbs – fresh or in infusions – spices and essential oils to fill a food that for its temperature rarely gives intense smells.

The goal is to experiment to amaze customers more and more. So a simple coffee taste is transformed with the addition of lemon essential oil, a mix of tropical fruit is enriched with new nuances with vanilla, ginger juice and Timut pepper and the dark chocolate becomes more persuasive through the meeting with truffle honey and lemon zest. Whatever taste, the great constant is the care in the search for raw materials and the desire to prefer local products.

Mixology meets ice cream

The desire for contamination emerges from the trends of this 2019 between the world of ice cream and that of food & beverage elements, among which we also find alcohol and cocktails.

The mixology, which is experiencing its moment of glory, expands its influence and also enters the universe of ice cream.

Very interesting, especially at the end of a meal, a distillate-based sorbet such as gin and tonic or the inclusion of gin in a raspberry and rosemary flavour. Another growing trend is ice cream pairing, i.e. ordering gourmet ice creams to be enjoyed during happy hour and paired with your favorite drink such as a sour beer-based spritzbeer, which creates an interesting contrast with the savory aftertaste of the ice cream .

There is no lack of ice cream reinterpretations of some classic drinks such as the Americano and Negroni or even the Milano-Torino.

Creativity wins among the ice cream trends

Given the considerable consumption of ice cream even in winter, it is important to know what the market trends are, to be inspired and have guidelines to follow in creating flavors for your own artisan ice cream parlor . Beyond fashions, the rewarding factor is as always creativity and experimentation. Especially during the colder months of the year, when ice cream is experienced as a moment to pamper yourself, study and try new flavor combinations, it allows every ice cream parlor to stand out compared to the competition to earn a special place in the hearts of consumers.