You can tell a lot about a person from their ice cream flavor of choice. Birthday cake? You’re still a seven-year-old at heart. Mint chocolate chip? You actually enjoy brushing your teeth in the morning. Coffee? You’re chronically sleep deprived.

Since 2008, when the first Little Man opened inside of a 28-foot milk can in the Highland neighborhood, founder Paul Tamburello and his team have crafted more than 1,000 flavors ranging from classics like chocolate and strawberry to unconventional, happy accidents like Salted Oreo Cookie (which was mistakenly created when the chef poured salt into the mixture instead of sugar). Over the years, some scoops like Space Junkie (a black raspberry base, with brownies and a marshmallow swirl) and Pumpkin Chip have developed devoted fanbases while others just don’t seem to get the love they deserve.

So, we’ve rounded up some of the creamery’s lesser-known concoctions we crave. Whether you’re visiting the quintessential can in LoHi or stopping by Little Man’s newest location in Littleton, which opened in October, these are the flavors that should fill your next waffle cone.

Rough & Ready Chocolate

A Littleton shop exclusive, Rough & Ready Chocolate is made with Little Man’s signature rich chocolate ice cream, packed with fudgy brownie chunks, and finished with a smooth fudge swirl. Paying homage to the town’s industrial roots, it’s named after the Rough & Ready Flour Mill, which was originally built in 1867 by Littleton’s founder, Richard Little. The shop itself includes several subtle nods to the town’s history, including the logo of Littleton’s original 1884 creamery.

Pistachio Orange Blossom

Scoop of green ice cream in a cone topped with two pistachios
Pistachio Orange Blossom incorporates local alfalfa honey from Sweet Tooth Farms. Photo by Harry Warters

Tamburello’s current favorite, this fairly new flavor only hit stores about a year ago. Made with a pistachio base, orange juice, and local alfalfa honey from Sweet Tooth Farms, this ice cream balances earthy nuttiness with light citrus notes. The orange and honey provide a subtle sweetness that doesn’t overwhelm the pistachio, but puts a playful twist on a classic flavor.

Salted Cream Cheese Ube

Cup of purple ice cream topped with waffle cone chips
Little Man plans to add Salted Cream Cheese Ube to all its locations this year. Photo by Harry Warters

This collaboration between Little Man and global eatery Linger combines the sweet, nutty flavor of ube—a purple yam popular in Filipino desserts—with a salted cream cheese swirl and house-made ube shortbread cookies. This confection was originally exclusive to Little Man’s LoHi location to promote next-door neighbor Linger’s Friday brunch special (Little Man patrons who purchased the ice cream could earn a free mimosa or cocktail with their purchase). It was so popular during its limited run that Little Man plans to roll it out to all of their shops this year.

Blackberry Honey Goat Cheese

Bowl of light purple ice cream and blackberries and a bowl of honey
Blackberry Honey Goat Cheese is like a scoop of blackberry cheesecake. Photo by Harry Warters

Inspired by seasonal fruits and local ingredients, Blackberry Honey Goat Cheese strikes a harmonious balance between savory and sweet with its surprising blend of tart blackberry, tangy goat cheese, and alfalfa honey. The result is reminiscent of a blackberry cheesecake. It first came about while the team was experimenting with unique flavor combinations during the launch of the Little Man Ice Cream Factory on West Colfax. If you’re searching for something satisfying but not sickeningly sweet, this is the ideal scoop.

Boilermaker

Can of Fat Tire Ale beside an ice cream cone
Boilermaker is a collaboration between New Belgium Brewing and Little Man. Photo by Harry Warters

If you’re itching for a strong drink but your kids are screaming for ice cream, order this twist-ee take on a classic cocktail. Modeled after the boilermaker beverage, which combines a shot of whiskey with a glass of beer, this flavor is only found at the Old Town Churn shop in Fort Collins. It blends homemade whiskey caramel ice cream with local Fat Tire ale from New Belgium Brewing, paying tribute to Fort Collins’ rich brewing history and Little Man’s long relationship with the brewery.

Turbulence

Hand holding an ice cream cone in front of an airplane
Turbulence is a mixture of charcoal chocolate ice cream with chocolate pretzels and vanilla ice cream with marshmallow swirl. Photo by Harry Warters

We never thought we’d say it, but we love Turbulence. We don’t mean the kind that rattles your airplane when it comes in for a landing at DIA, though. We’re talking about the magical mixture of charcoal chocolate ice cream with chocolate pretzels and vanilla ice cream with marshmallow swirl that together make up Turbulence, a flavor commonly found at Little Man’s Central Park shop. The air-travel-inspired scoop is inspired by the shop’s location near the former Stapleton International Airport; this outpost will reopen in spring 2025.

Lemon Lavender Poppy Seed Sorbet

Vegans deserve dessert, too. Luckily, Little Man is known for its wide variety of options that are free from animal products, like this light and airy sorbet that brings together lemon and lavender with poppy seeds for a gratifying crunch. Made with lavender oil and butterfly pea flower tea to give it a natural purple hue, this flavor combines floral sweetness with the tartness of lemon for a surprisingly complex flavor profile.

Sara Rosenthal
Sara Rosenthal
Sara Rosenthal is a freelance writer based in Denver focused on hospitality, restaurants, real estate, and art.