What Flavor Is Tin Roof Ice Cream, Anyway?
Some ice creams have names that give you absolutely no clue whatsoever about what's inside the carton, and there are few better examples than tin roof ice cream. It certainly doesn't taste like a tin roof or even a tin spoon.
This craveable ice cream creation features vanilla ice cream with swirls of fudgy chocolate sundae sauce and a smattering of roasted peanuts dipped in chocolate shell. Some modern versions even include marshmallow crème.
Originally created as a sundae between 1916 and the 1930s (depending on which source you consult) at the Potter Sundry by Harold Dean "Pinky" Thayer, it most likely gets its name from the tin roof under which it was made. Such a strangely bucolic beginning is apropos given that ice cream sundaes were invented because of a bizarre law, themselves. The ingredient combo turned out to be such a hit it gave rise to other ice cream options, including Dairy Queen's Peanut Buster Parfait in addition to cake and pie recipes.
There are plenty of brands available today
Brands like Blue Bell, Blue Bunny, Breyers, and Baskin-Robbins have all created their own version of the sweet treat, with some of them, like Blue Bell, periodically introducing it to the public on a limited basis. Some stores, like Walmart and Kroger, carry the ice cream flavor even now, with brands like Turkey Hill and Kemp's being some of the most common you'll find in the store.
Of course, given the fact that it started out as a sundae to begin with, your best bet for getting ahold of this iconic ice cream flavor might be to make it yourself. For authenticity, start with a few scoops of homemade vanilla ice cream. There are many ways to make it without a machine if you don't have one. Pile it high with rivers of gooey chocolate and chocolate-covered peanuts. And for nostalgia's sake, add a few dollops of homemade marshmallow fluff and maybe a cherry or two. It'll be just like you took a trip back to an era when tin-roofed soda fountains were the place to get an ice cream sundae on a hot Saturday afternoon.