Peak summer sunshine calls for a scoop of ice cream, and when you don’t have time to make it from scratch—though you really can’t beat homemade peach ice cream—Texas-born Blue Bell is a mighty fine second choice.
Southerners have loved Blue Bell for over a century, since a group of businessmen decided to try their luck in Brenham back in 1907. Today, this classic ice cream and its myriad flavors dot every grocery freezer aisle. Even Southern chefs swear by it. But as all good things must come to an end, we tend to get attached to flavors that only come around in a blue (bell) moon. (Have y’all heard that Cookie Cake is back?)
One of these Blue Bell flavors that fans have been pining over for 14 years—yes, over a decade—is the simple yet delicious Homemade In The Shade. This nostalgic Blue Bell flavor, as well-documented on Reddit, quickly became a household staple when it was first introduced in 2011.
It was the perfect scoop: Blue Bell’s top-selling Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream combined with a swirl of rich chocolate fudge sauce that added texture plus a slight bitterness to perfectly complement the creamy-sweet base. But in 2015, it went back into the vault.
And now, eagle-eyed fans are spotting it back on freezer shelves. So far, the ice cream has been seen at Walmart, H-E-B, and Albertsons in the Southwest. Blue Bell confirmed that the flavor returned to store shelves a few weeks ago, available in the half gallon and pint sizes for a limited time.
Fans are already rushing to their local grocery store to find a gallon or two of this beloved ice cream. And online, folks are flooding social media with excited comments about the flavor’s return. “The best ice cream ever! They need to keep it as a permanent flavor!” one happy fan wrote.
“My favorite Blue Bell of all time, finally coming back!!!” another added. Some newer Blue Bell aficionados were trying the flavor for the first time to rave reviews, as well. “My new favorite, 10/10,” one user wrote. “I bought some last night and [ate] the whole pint immediately.”
In all the excitement surrounding the ice cream flavor’s return, it has also been pointed out that Homemade In The Shade is very similar to Blue Bell’s limited-time Tin Roof ice cream without the peanuts. So if you’re out of your Tin Roof stock, you just might stumble upon your new favorite summer dessert.
Though Southerners can typically get their favorite Blue Bell offerings shipped directly to them, it appears that Homemade In The Shade might be, for now, only available in stores. So if you see a gallon of this in-demand ice cream, it might be your best shot at a scoop.
Earlier this summer, Blue Bell announced that they brought back another summertime essential, Orange Swirl, to help Southerners beat the heat. Whether you enjoy with a spoon, on a cone, or melting over a skillet cookie, you won’t want to miss out on the best of this Texas ice cream brand.