Frozen custard comes from the "Custard Capital of the World", Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where it's sold more than anywhere else around the globe. It is a gourmet ice cream treat made with eggs, cream, and sugar, and it originated from Coney Island, New York, when it was a popular carnival treat. As the popularity of frozen custard grew, it quickly spread to the Midwest. As there is far less air added than in other similar treats, the result is a thick and dense custard with tons of flavor. A lot of frozen custard fans believe it is better than ice cream since it is served before being refrozen and mantains a soft, yet heavy consistency, so it is a unique regional treat in which you can really feel the difference when talking about flavor.
Flan de coco or coconut flan is a delicate dessert that is popular in Colombia, Costa Rica, and parts of the Caribbean. It is typically made with eggs, coconut milk, condensed milk, cream, vanilla extract, and flaked coconut. The dessert is usually baked in small ramekins with caramel on the inside, so when flan de coco is inverted, it has a nice caramel layer on top and on the sides. Before serving, the dessert is often topped with flaked coconut.
This classic American dessert is prepared with caramelized brown sugar that is blended with a creamy mixture of butter, milk, and eggs. When cooked, it transforms into a thick, velvety custard which is traditionally served well-chilled, merely topped with a dollop of whipped cream. Although not much is known about the origin of this creamy delicacy, the term butterscotch was originally used to refer to the famous English confectionery created in 1817, but today it mostly describes various sauces or custards produced by cooking sugar and butter.
Natilla al ron is a traditional custard originating from Cuba. It’s usually made with a combination of cream, flour, sugar, eggs, whipped cream, and dark rum. The cream, sugar, flour, and eggs are stirred over medium heat until the mixture thickens. Rum is added, and the mixture is cooked for a few more minutes. The pot is taken off the heat and placed in a bowl filled with ice to stop the cooking. The mixture is cooled and left to chill in the refrigerator for an hour. Whipped cream is folded into the mixture and natilla al ron is poured into glasses that are chilled for an hour in the fridge before serving. If desired, ladyfingers can be inserted into each glass of custard.
The New Mexican sundae is a dessert originating in Las Cruces, New Mexico, where it is made by topping vanilla frozen custard with a sweetened green chile sauce and salted pecans. It is associated with a local frozen-custard and hot-dog stand that introduced the combination in the late 1990s, drawing on the region’s access to Hatch-area green chiles and locally grown pecans while working within the familiar American ice-cream sundae format. Its creation reflects the intersection of regional produce and diner-style desserts, presenting a way to incorporate a well-known local ingredient into a recognizable treat. Preparation begins with vanilla frozen custard, chosen for its dense texture and slower melt compared to standard ice cream. The green chile topping is made by roasting mild green chiles, removing the skins and seeds, and simmering them briefly with sugar and a small amount of liquid until they form a spoonable sauce. After cooling slightly, the chile mixture is poured over the custard, allowing the contrast between warm or room-temperature sauce and cold frozen base to be maintained. Salted pecans are added last, providing a crisp element that contrasts with both the custard and the chile mixture. The balance of sweet, spicy, salty, and creamy components depends on keeping each element distinct until serving. The sundae is eaten at local frozen-custard shops and small restaurants in and around Las Cruces, usually as an afternoon treat or as a dessert after casual meals. It is often paired with beverages such as iced tea, lemonade, or simple soft drinks that complement the mixture of sweetness and heat without competing with it. Some diners accompany it with light cookies or plain pastries to offset the richness of the custard and the spice of the chile topping.
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For the “Top 5 North American Custards” list until May 15, 2026, 284 ratings were recorded, of which 215 were recognized by the system as legitimate.
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