The Mouth-Watering Flavors In Purple Cow Ice Cream

We can all agree to disagree on the best ice cream shops in the U.S., but we can't talk about the best without at least mentioning New Jersey's Purple Cow. Opened around 2010, Purple Cow was inspired by a drawing by the owners' then kindergarten-aged daughter. The original owners have since retired, but the shop continues to run as Melba Ice Creamery under the care of fellow sweets-enthusiast Joanne Canady-Brown.

Over the years, one of Purple Cow's most popular flavors has been, well, Purple Cow. This particular flavor melds together black raspberry and chocolate chips, in what one Google review described as "multi layers of fun and funky sweetness."

Though black raspberries can be mistaken for blackberries, the former is more sweet than tart, just like regular red raspberries. The chocolate chips in Purple Cow add further sweetness, and perhaps even their own hints of fruity flavor. Given the popularity of this flavor combo, it should come as little surprise that other ice cream shops have created their own twists on Purple Cow.

Residents of Lawrenceville, New Jersey, may always cherish Purple Cow as a hometown original, but the flavor has since gained fans across the U.S., with countless ice cream shops putting their own spin on it.

In Florida, for instance, Neighbors Ice Cream Parlor sells a Purple Cow flavor incorporating black raspberry ice cream and chunks of white chocolate shell. Meanwhile, Acushnet Creamery in Massachusetts has a Purple Cow with Oreo pieces. As far west as Denver, Colorado, Little Man Ice Cream also has a Purple Cow flavor using black raspberry as well as both dark and white chocolate chunks. Talk about a decadent dessert!

The point is, regardless of where you find the Purple Cow ice cream flavor or what chocolatey substitutions are made by an individual shop, the flavor — at its core — remains the same. After all, you really can't go wrong with any combination of berries and chocolate, can you?