The Guinness World Record You Didn't Know Baskin Robbins Broke

Not everyone attempts to break a world record to celebrate their birthday, but when you're the largest ice cream company in the world you set lofty goals to establish your frozen treat street cred (via Feedough). On September 13, 2005, in celebration of the company turning 60, Baskin-Robbins broke the Guinness World Record for the largest cup of ice cream, creating a colossal vanilla ice cream scoop tipping the scales at 8,865 pounds. Baskin-Robbins accomplished the superlative feat at their headquarters in Canton, Massachusetts, according to the World Record Academy.

Baskin-Robbins was flexing their birthday biceps to prove a point — ice cream is here to stay. Ice cream makers in the U.S. produced more than 1 billion gallons of ice cream in 2020, an increase of 6% over 2019, per International Dairy Foods Association. And that's despite the coronavirus pandemic plaguing the country throughout most of 2020 and at least temporarily shuttering a number of ice cream stores (via Zagat).

With 7,800 locations worldwide and 2,500 located in the U.S., Baskin-Robbins is equipped with an ice cream arsenal massive enough to build towering monuments to their success. However, some records aren't made to be broken and you probably lack the resources at your disposal to erect a 9,000-pound behemoth of an ice cream sundae. So, if it's more modest portions you seek, you can learn how to whip up your own homemade ice cream. 

Just be careful to avoid these common mistakes and you can enjoy the cool, creamy goodness of this sweet dessert while basking in the pride that comes with mixing and churning it yourself. And the good news is that no heavy machinery is required to lift these scoops. Or if you prefer to have someone else do the work, you can always consult our guide to the best ice cream shops in every state, and plan a pilgrimage during which you can indulge in a wide assortment of creative flavor concoctions from Prickly Pear to Caramel Apple Pie.