Ruby Jewel Review - Hand Crafted Ice Cream Wonderland

Ruby Jewel Review- Hand Crafted Ice Cream Wonderland

Written by Stephanie Siskind of Self Envy

You know what they say…there is always room for ice cream! Today was no exception as I had the pleasure of eating at one of the food staples of Portland Oregon: Ruby Jewel.

Ruby Jewel got its start over a decade ago as a highlight of the farmers’ markets in Portland, OR. Using as many local, sustainable, and organic products as possible in the area, Ruby Jewel continues to create ice cream masterpieces that delight the tongues of many locals and visitors. Run by two sisters, Lisa Herlinger and Becky Burnett, Ruby Jewel prides itself for homemade and hand-crafted frozen treats; you can taste the love behind every bite of your ice cream.

As the demand for their ice cream continues to increase, Ruby Jewel has expanded to numerous scoop shops around the city. You can find them on N Mississippi Ave, SW 12th Ave, and SE Hawthorne. Not in Portland? Not to fear! They now offer their delightful and unique ice cream sandwiches in many grocery stores nationwide.

Today, we visited the Ruby Jewel Scoop shop on Hawthorne on the SE side of Portland. We decided to try out the seasonal October flavors by ordering an ice cream tasting flight of all of them. How did we get so lucky?!? The tasting flight, served on an adorable wooden ice cream cone, offered six fall inspired ice cream flavors as well as two bonus “cow free” October special flavors.

Pumpkin Pie – This flavor included perfectly spiced pumpkin ice cream using pumpkin from Stahlbush Farms, flaky pieces of pie crust from Pacific Pie Company, and swirls of marshmallow fluff. Why eat pie and ice cream separate? Just combine them! This ice cream took me right to my childhood Thanksgiving table where my full belly magically made room for some delicious pumpkin pie with whipped cream on top. The ingredients in this ice cream were clearly homemade straight from the heart!

Seely Mint Cookies & Cream – My ice cream tasting partner said it best…”this is heaven on a spoon!” This is one of Ruby Jewel’s most popular ice cream flavors. They use fresh mint from Seely Family Farm in Clatskanie, OR. Refreshing, sweet, indulgent, and chocolatey. Need I say more?

Chocolate with Candied Orange – This ice cream was made with Ruby Jewel’s classic double chocolate ice cream and is studded with pieces of candied orange. Ahhh…the classic combination of orange and chocolate. Thank goodness for the first mastermind who decided to pair these ingredients. This ice cream flavor reminded me of the gourmet orange chocolates I had in London many years ago. We loved this one so much, we used it to make our ice cream sandwich (we will get to that later).

Candy Bar Explosion – This ice cream had a vanilla base and then was loaded with Halloween’s most sought after candy bars. I swear I immediately regressed to my happy, costumed, 7-year-old self when I ate this one. It was so exciting to bite into a chocolate chunk because I was never sure what I was going to get…kind of like trick or treating in a bowl of ice cream! What a playful, surprising scoop to eat! This one makes me want to put on a costume and go door to door for candy tonight! How old is too old for trick or treating again?!?

Peanut Butter Krispy Crunch – With a salted peanut butter ice cream, pillows of marshmallow fluff made in house, and chunks of homemade peanut butter chocolate crunch, this ice cream satisfied! It tasted like an old fashioned Nutter Butter, but better! Salty, sweet, and peanut butter! I could have eaten a whole gallon. This is a judge free zone, right?

Red Ape Cinnamon – This deep flavored ice cream lingered on my tongue after each bite. Classic cinnamon flavor made from Red Ape Cinnamon located in Eugene, OR. Not only is the cinnamon organic and sustainably harvested, but they also donate proceeds from all their sales to protect the orangutans (red apes) and their threatened habitats. So not only does this ice cream make your tummy feel good, it makes your heart and soul feel good too. Another scoop please….for the orangutans!

Next up were the “cow free” or dairy-free options:

Wicked Black Cat Ice – This one was rich, dark chocolate made with RJ’s special Mexican chocolate spice blend. Oh. My. Gosh. I had to double check that there was no dairy in this! It was bold, creamy, and cocoa infused with a fun spicy kick. I could not get enough! As a proud dairy lover, this ice cream shocked and amazed me and might have been my favorite of the day. Kudos to you, Ruby Jewel, for allowing everyone to indulge in delicious ice cream! This is a must try!

Harvest Apple Ice – A delightful sorbet made with crisp and tangy granny smith apples with a touch of sweet, spiced apple cider. It was so light and refreshing! It was like taking a drink from fresh squeezed apple cider right on the orchard. My ice cream partner and I mixed a bite of this with the wicked black cat ice and then deemed ourselves geniuses. It tasted like apple fondue! How fun!

Since Ruby Jewel is known for their ice cream sandwiches, we decided we had to try some of that too. I swear we all have a complete separate and bottomless stomach for ice cream! Thank goodness!

Famous for their unique and brilliant ice cream sandwich combinations like honey lavender ice cream sandwiched with lemon cookies or cinnamon chocolate cookies with espresso ice cream, you can trust your taste buds to the ice cream masters at Ruby Jewel and go on mini ice cream adventures all day long. However, when eating at Ruby Jewel Scoop shops, you can even surprise yourself and make your own unique combination! Just choose your cookie and your ice cream flavor, and they will make you your very own ice cream sandwich in house. How cool is that?!?

Sticking with the fall theme, my ice cream partner and I decided on a snickerdoodle cookie with the chocolate and candied orange ice cream. (Yes, it was that good…we needed more!) Wow. That’s all I can say. The fresh, crispy, yet slightly chewy cookie and creamy, cold, and soft ice cream were a match made in heaven! An ice cream sandwich is my new favorite way to eat ice cream now.

I can’t wait to go back to Ruby Jewel and experiment. They have fun sundae toppings, homemade waffle cones, and so much more. We didn’t even scratch the surface. With constantly changing seasonal flavors and endless combinations to try, you always have a new reason to visit a Ruby Jewel Scoop shop. Remember, there is always room for ice cream!