7 Essential, Must-Eat Ice Creams in L.A.

L.A.’s ice cream landscape is rich with creative-bordering-on weird dessert concoctions. Sure, a classic banana split is cool, but have you tried a sundae in a sweet bun? Or soft-serve topped with butterscotch Rice Krispies? These L.A. spots are serving stuff you have to try.

1. The Milky Bun from Afters Ice Cream

Pasadena

A photo posted by Afters Ice Cream 🍦 12pm-12am (@aftersicecream) on Feb 2, 2017 at 8:35pm PST

The Milky Bun is a warm glazed doughnut-like sweet roll encasing ice cream flavors like jasmine milk tea. Cookie Monster, with cookie chunks, is as blue as its namesake.

2. Avocado Ice Cream from Creams & Dreams

Santa Monica

A photo posted by Anthony (@freshair) on Mar 4, 2016 at 6:36pm PST

What would you say to avocado ice cream made with liquid nitrogen? What about the maiz con queso flavor slathered between two M&M cookies? All ice creams are available as affogatos at this Santa Monica scoop shop.

3. Dragon’s Breath from Chocolate Chair

Los Angeles

A photo posted by Taylor Stephens (@mrtaylorstephens) on Feb 4, 2017 at 4:08pm PST

The K-Town spot offers ice creams, fresh-fruit shaved ices, and coffee drinks. But it’s the Dragon’s Breath—fruity balls frozen with liquid nitrogen—that will have you blowing cold air.

4. Butterscotch Rice Krispies from Magpies

Los Feliz

A photo posted by Stacey Sun (@thestaceysun) on Jul 9, 2016 at 2:24pm PDT

Warren and Rose Schwartz swirl up flavors that change daily, such as yuzu-honey and vegan corn-almond. Among the childhood-centric toppings at this Silver Lake shop is Butterscotch Rice Krispies.

5. The Babee from Honeymee

Various Locations

A photo posted by HONEYMEE Ice Cream (@honeymeeicecream) on Jan 17, 2016 at 6:02pm PST

This cheerful SoCal chain concocts combinations of creamy soft-serve, fresh honeycomb and drizzles of raw liquid honey. The Babee—a sweet bun filled with soft-serve and a topping of your choice—takes dessert to the next level.

6. Halo-Halo from L.A. Rose Cafe

Hollywood

A photo posted by Arnold Gatilao 🐶🍴 (@inuyaki) on Oct 28, 2016 at 8:15pm PDT

Ube fudge and cooked saba bananas top the kitchen sink-size halo-halo at this East Hollywood spot. Palm fruit seeds, jackfruit, and dulce de leche ice cream are a texture riot.

7. Cotton Candy Sundae from CottonHi

Koreatown

A photo posted by CottonHi (@cottonhi) on Mar 2, 2016 at 2:36pm PST

First, take a picture. After all, this is no ordinary ice cream sundae. It’s a cultural and architectural wonder, brought to you by a bright and airy pastel-hued K-pop parlor—its huge front window plastered in neon-colored liquid-chalk graffiti.