Ice cream cones are a staple in the summer months. And while you likely take them for granted (unless you have a food allergy), there is a world of ice cream cone knowledge out there that is begging to be explored.
Ice cream is incomplete without a cone. When you combine the crunchy texture of the biscuit with your favorite ice cream flavor, the result is a treat fit for both sunny and chilly days.
However, sometimes, choosing the right cone at the ice cream parlor is much harder than choosing the ice cream flavor itself. There are just so many different options! If you have ever had a hard time deciding which cone to get for your evening delight, you have come to the right place.
This blog will serve as a guide to help you choose between the different types of ice cream cones available at your favorite ice cream parlor.
Let’s get started, shall we?
The History of Ice Cream Cones
Before we begin to discuss the different kinds of ice cream cones, let us shed light on how ice cream cones came into existence.
In 1825, European cookbooks mentioned edible cones for the first time when Julien Archambault, a French cooking expert, mentioned how to roll mini waffles into cones. In 1902 and 1903, two Italian entrepreneurs, named Antonio Valvona and Italo Marchioni, patented machines that could produce edible cones and biscuit cups.
However, the ice cream cones rose to prominence after the St. Louis World’s Fair of 1904 held in Missouri, United States. A Lebanese vendor started selling his ice cream in waffle cups he bought from the vendor next to him after he ran short on paper cups.
In the same year, Abe Doumar, a man from Damascus, took Syrian flatbread and added ice cream to it instead of adding falafel and meatballs. In 1905, he opened an ice cream stand in Cooney Island. His cones were a huge success. In the 1907 Jamestown Exposition, Doumar and his brothers sold over 23,000 cones!
After his success, Doumar purchased an iron machine that produced 20 cones per minute and opened Doumar’s Cones and BBQ in Virginia, which is still operational to this day.
The State of Missouri announced ice cream cones as the official food of the state in 2008.
10 Different Kinds of Ice Cream Cones and Their Uses
Okay, we get it, that’s too much history for you.
Now, Let’s dive right into the discussion and get you familiarized with the common types of ice cream cones available at most ice cream parlors around the world:
1. Cake/Wafer Cones
Cake cones also referred to as wafer cones, are light and airy wafer-style cup cones. They have a crispy texture and are lighter in color (more golden than brown) as compared to other cones on this list.
Cake cones go well with almost any ice cream flavor. This is because they do not have an overpowering flavor of their own. They have a very subtle taste as well as the lowest sugar content (alert: health-conscious dessert lovers!).
What makes cake cones different from other types of cones is their flat bottom. These bottoms prevent drippy leakages that make cake cones perfect for soft serves!
Cake cones are available in many different sizes (kiddy size to full double-scoop size) to fulfill a variety of needs.
2. Sugar Cones
Sugar cones are perhaps one of the most popular types of ice cream cones. We might as well call them the sugar daddies of the ice cream world!
Ice cream connoisseurs make sugar cones by combining brown sugar or molasses to the baking process. This makes sugar cones much sweeter than wafer cones.
Sugar cones are thick and crunchy, much like biscuits. The fiber and flour blend is what gives the cone its thick consistency. Because of the added brown sugar, sugar cones are darker in color than other cones.
They have a sturdy exterior and a conical shape that help prevent any drippy leaks!
Sometimes, mostly in packed commercial ice creams, the bottom end of the cone is filled with chocolate to give you an endless surprise.
3. Waffle Cones
A waffle cone is the king of all ice cream cones. While it resembles a larger sugar cone, it is softer and much fluffier since producers make it in a special press waffle iron machine.
Sweet and crunchy waffle cones are a combination of cake and pastry flours. Producers also add brown sugar or molasses to the blend frequently to give the cone its acquired taste and texture.
Like a sugar cone, a waffle cone has a conical, study exterior but a broader mouth to hold more ice cream! It has a deep, caramel-colored hue. While they have higher sugar content than sugar cones, waffles cones are an excellent source of fiber.
4. Pretzel Cones
Pretzels cones are types of ice cream cones that have risen to fame across the United States. If you are looking to delight your taste buds with a salty kick in your dessert, a pretzel cone will help satisfy your cravings!
Made from a mixture of wheat flour, salt and sugar in ideal quantities, a pretzel cone with a salty, conical exterior can perfectly complement your 1 to 2 scoop frozen treats.
Like different pretzels, there are different kinds of pretzel cones with varying shapes and tastes so that you can choose the one you like the best.
5. Waffle Bowls
Waffle bowls are not precisely cones per se, but they are popularly used as containers to serve ice cream.
A waffle bowl is used mainly for sundaes and multiple scoop creations as it has a broader mouth and can hold more dessert than any other ice cream cone.
Ice cream connoisseurs make waffle bowls using the same ingredients as those used in waffle cones.
The best part about a novelty waffle bowl is that it is really sturdy and does not get soggy, even after you are done finishing your ice cream. And, once you have eaten the ice cream, you can hog down the waffle bowl like it never existed!
6. Dipped Cones
Dipped cones basically are sugar, wafer, or waffle cones with an added feature!
To add a little bit of a kick to the dessert, ice cream connoisseurs will dip the mouth of your cone in a sauce of your choice before filling the cone with ice cream.
Most people enjoy cones dipped in milk chocolate. However, if your nearest ice cream parlor offers white chocolate, dark chocolate, or strawberry sauces, you can get your cone dipped in those, too!
7. Twin Cones
Twin cones are unique. As the name suggests, twin cones are wafer cones with two rounded mouths placed side by side on the one-pointed bottom.
If you don’t like your ice cream scoops stacked on top of one another in a cone and want to enjoy them separately, you should get a twin cone!
You can place each scoop on a different mouth of the twin cone allowing the two flavors to stand out on their own.
A twin cone will not just allow you a pleasurable 2-in-1 experience but will also look great on your Instagram!
8. Kid Cones
Among the many different kinds of ice cream cones, you might have also come across a kiddy-sized cone.
Kid cones are delightfully small-sized wafer cones. They are ideal for children because they only allow a limited serving of ice cream that is suitable for children.
They are made specifically to fit perfectly in little hands and have a flat bottom that minimizes leaks and prevents messes.
You can also use a kid cone for sampling. If you are considering offering free samples of hand-dipped or soft-serve ice cream at your ice cream parlor, a kid cone is a perfect size that definitely will make your customers happy!
9. Chocolate-Coated Cones
We’re sure you have come across dark-colored sugar or waffle cones at an ice cream parlor at some point in your life. Those dark-colored cones are commonly called chocolate-coated cones.
Made with extra chocolate, they are ideal for chocolate lovers who just can’t get enough of the ingredient!
Chocolate-coated cones are usually sugar or waffle cones/bowls with one special ingredient added to the baking process: melted chocolate. Just the sound of it makes you drool, doesn’t it?
When topped with brightly-colored ice cream scoops, a chocolate cone is not only mouthwatering but also an aesthetically-pleasing, picture-perfect sight!
10. Gluten-Free Cones
Because of the prevalence of gluten allergies and the increased awareness about the benefits of a gluten-free diet, it is vital for any up and coming ice cream parlor to offer a gluten-free cone option. This will your parlor to stay ahead of the competition and impress customers.
By using tapioca or sorghum flour instead of regular wheat flour, you can make gluten-free cone. The method and procedure remain the same.
All types of ice cream cones mentioned on this list can be gluten-free by eliminating wheat flour from the recipe.
Conclusion: Types of Ice Cream Cones
We hope you found this article on the different kinds of ice cream cones informative.
The next time you find yourself standing in the middle of an ice cream parlor thinking hard about your options, refer to this list to make a quick decision.