On a bright June morning, I rolled in to Little Truckee Ice Creamery at the west end of Donner Lake. Usually, I try to wait until after noon to indulge my ice cream addiction, but my assignment called for interviewing the owner, Kenny Blum, and tasting the day’s flavors before the shop opened at 1 pm.
It was a tough job, but someone had to do it.
The first scoop
In 2016, Blum purchased his Donner Lake location, and Truckee Ice Creamery served its first scoop on June 11, 2017. “So many of Truckee’s experiences are alcohol-based,” said Blum. “I wanted to create something everyone in the family could enjoy.”
Indeed, what family member wouldn’t love a cold and creamy treat after swimming, paddling, kayaking or hiking on a warm summer day?
Before starting the business, Blum attended an intensive ice cream technology program at the University of Guelph, near Toronto, to focus on making the highest-quality product.
“If I was going to make ice cream, it had to be the best,” he says.
His education paid off. People queue up for the creamery’s 25 rotating flavors — the most delectable, dreamy, creamy concoctions ever — all made from house-created recipes. When I visited, 13 flavors were available. They’re made with whey protein instead of eggs to avoid allergies and without the polysorbate 80, mono- and diglycerides, carrageenan and stabilizers typical of commercial ice cream. Embellishments — chocolate chips, fruit compotes, caramels, brownies and more — are also house-made from scratch.
Beginning with the basic
Blum started me with “the basic flavor we perfected first”— a bold vanilla with a kick.
“That comes from our organic Madagascar vanilla,” he said.
As we proceeded, I’m captivated by each flavor. Difficult as it was to choose, there’s only space to cover my favorites.
Salted Caramel: Super creamy, tangy, laced with caramel made from sugar, butter and cream.
Blueberry Honey Lavender: A yummy combo of blueberry compote – for the rich purple color – and lavender buds steeped in the dairy mix for 24 hours, then strained.
Truckee Trails: A crunchy blend of pecan brittle and brownies in a sweet cream base. A percentage of its sales goes to Truckee Trails Foundation.
Non-dairy Toasted Coconut Chip: A vegan creation made with organic coconut milk, coconut flakes and chocolate chips; this one tastes light and delightful.
Gluten-free Triple Berry Cobbler: Made with gluten-free flour, oats and a raspberry/blackberry/blueberry compote. Tastes like homemade berry crumble topped with, of course, ice cream.
Little Truckee Creamery has three locations: the Donner Lake location along with ice cream trailers in downtown Truckee at Tahoe Dave’s and in Tahoe City next to Tahoe Tap Haus. | truckeeicecream.com
