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Red flowers spill from baskets and boxes. Colorful shutters frame windows. Storefronts are shaded by charming awnings. The scene is perfect for eating Quebec City ice cream. The streets are crowded. Everyone wants to walk the cobblestone streets of this World UNESCO Heritage site. Weaving through bodies like a human game of Tetris, I spot the sign. I immediately weave right, determined to reach the shop. It wasn’t on my list, but I can’t pass up the chance to try goat milk ice cream. Sometimes the best ice cream is unplanned ice cream.
The pairing of French Culinary traditions and a commitment to agriculture makes Quebec City, Canada, an ideal place for ice cream enthusiasts.
Ferme Audet
We’ve tasted cow milk ice cream, coconut milk ice cream, sheep milk ice cream, and even buffalo milk ice cream. Goat milk ice cream was still on our try list, so when I spotted the sign while wandering in the Quartier Petit Champlain, I had to stop. The shop’s red trim and ice cream window art caught my attention. The inside of the shop has an understated, cheerful appearance. The goat milk ice cream is a soft serve style. The menu is simple. You can get vanilla, chocolate, or swirl. We divide and concur. I got a cup of vanilla, and Shannon got a cup of chocolate. The goat milk comes from the shop’s own farm. The vanilla is real vanilla, and the chocolate is made from Belgian chocolate. The flavors are fresh and straightforward. The ice cream is smooth, creamy, and light.
Cow’s milk ice cream can settle heavy in your stomach. Goat milk and buffalo milk ice cream are light and airy. They don’t settle heavy at all. This is good and bad. Good because you don’t feel luggy after eating a full dish or cone. Bad because you could eat several dishes before wondering, have I had enough ice cream? In addition to ice cream, Ferme Audet also sells soaps, lotions, and cheeses, all made from their farm’s goat milk. Ferme Audet was a great first eating Quebec City ice cream stop. If you have never tried goat milk ice cream, make it a goal.
Cows
Cows was at the top of my eating Quebec City ice cream list. Did it make the top of my list because the milk comes from cows that live on Prince Edward Island? Yes. If you don’t know, I am a huge Anne of Green Gables fan. When I saw that this popular Canadian ice cream chain had a location in Quebec City, I had to visit. The other thing that made this a must-visit was the fun.
Cows leans hard into their brand. Their ice cream counter is surrounded by a gift shop. Many of their ice cream flavors have cow- themed names.
Unable to resist the whimsy, I got the Gooey Mooey. The Gooey Mooey is burnt sugar ice cream, English toffee marble, caramel cups, and chocolate flakes. The ice cream was creamy.
My chosen flavor was good for an entire day’s worth of sugar. It was sweet. You could taste the quality in the individual ingredients. I could eat handfuls of the caramel cups. I appreciated Cows’ embrace of Prince Edward Island and Anne fans.
If you love delicious ice cream, whimsical, creative flavors, theming, and Anne of Green Gables, stop by Cows during your Quebec City trip.
Cassis Monna & Filles
***This ice cream was provided by Cassis Monna & Fillies and Quebec City Tourism. All opinions are my own.
The microclimate of Orleans Island in Quebec, Canada, is perfect for growing black currants. Originally used to make spirits, Cassis Monna & Filles black currant farm expanded their offerings. They now create currant inspired baked goods, savory dishes, sauces, dressings, and ice cream.
There is an area on the property where you can learn about currant farming and Cassis Monna & Filles’ black currant farming history.
The tray of treats is a dazzling sight. Cassis Monna & Filles famous black currant-vanilla softie, set atop black currant slushie.
The slush and ice cream are a ravishing shade of purple. The currants add a deep flavor, mixed with a touch of sweetness and a splash of tartness. I immediately lament that I cannot access this delectable treat anytime.
The picturesque atmosphere adds to the experience. Picnic tables and Adirondack chairs are spread across a healthy green lawn. Breaks in the surrounding trees offer glimpses of the St. Lawrence River.
We stop at Cassis Monna & Filles as part of an Orleans Island tour. We must move on to our next location, but I could easily spend an entire afternoon enjoying the restaurant, shop, dairy bar, and views at this inspiring, family-run farm.
Running out of time on our Orleans Island tour, we didn’t get a chance to sample the ice cream at Chocolaterie de I’lle d’Orleans. As I compiled my eating ice cream in Quebec City list, this was highly recommended by locals.
Chocolats Favoris
Feeling accomplished after a rainy hike at Jacques Cartier National Park, we needed a reward. There is no better reward than ice cream. After a quick glance at my eating Quebec City ice cream list, I discover that the Chocolats Favoris location on Rue Saint-Jean is a short walk from our hotel.
One of the greatest childhood disappointments was asking,
“Can we get ice cream?” and hearing the response,
“We have ice cream at home.”
Everyone knows home ice cream never tastes as good as shop/stand ice cream. This is when Great Aunts come in clutch. My Great Aunt Francis lived next to the Custard Shack. As a kid, you knew a visit to Great Aunt Francis’ house would include non-home ice cream. The Custard Shack was known for their vanilla custard cones dipped in chocolate. The liquid chocolate and frozen custard would form an instant shell. When a Great Aunt is buying, you take advantage of all the ice cream goodness you can get. Of course, I always wanted the chocolate shell cone. The moment you bit into the top of the shell, it would shatter into multiple pieces. The pieces not immediately caught by your mouth would tumble to the ground. On a hot day, melted vanilla custard would cascade from the shattered shell, and tiny waterfalls of ice cream dripped everywhere. It took skill to simultaneously manage the shell and the melting ice cream. Shell ice cream cones were a troubled mess. As an adult, they are one of my least favorite versions of ice cream.
Chocolats Favoris is known for their chocolate shell ice cream cones. Since we are committed to trying Quebec City ice cream, we stroll down the charming Rue Saint-Jean until we spot the shop’s bright red awning. We are suddenly overcome with choices. Displayed behind glass are multiple flavors of chocolate dip.
You can choose milk chocolate flavors like salted caramel, hazelnut praline, and s’mores. There are dark chocolate options, white chocolate options like cotton candy and cookies and cream, and two rotating “surprise” flavors. Expecting to order a basic chocolate shell cone, we now have decisions to make. Dark chocolate is Shannon’s go-to. I pick the salted caramel. The staff dips our cones into the liquid chocolate with the skill of a gifted artisan.
It is ice cream and a show. The shell is glossy. It’s picture perfect. Informed by childhood memories, we hold the cones at a distance as we bite into the top of the cone. It’s astonishing. The shell does not crack. It’s thinner and softer than the shells we’ve experienced. We now have mouthfuls of tasty vanilla soft serve mixed with creamy, wonderful chocolate. Taking a second bite, we admire how the shell snugly holds the ice cream. There is no cracking and zero dripping. Where have these chocolate dipped cones been all of our lives? Desperately in need of a post-hike shower, we are delighted to walk and eat without leaving a trail of broken pieces and melted ice cream.
Chocolats Favoris provides a memorable ice cream experience. If you avoid chocolate dipped soft-serve because of past sticky experiences, be sure to taste the Chocolats Favoris difference.
With French influences, farm culture, and commitment to using quality ingredients, Quebec City is an ideal destination for ice cream enthusiasts. Goat milk, quality chocolate, Canadian cows, and produce straight from the farm made the ice cream we tried impressive. My only regret is that we didn’t have the chance to try more.
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