Best Ice Cream of the Month Clubs

Goldbelly is well known in the gourmet mail order space, and the company is all about empowering the country's best small shops and restaurants with nationwide shipping. Goldbelly might just be the best foodie hookup to emerge in modern history with a catalog stuffed with iconic foods from hundreds of the top artisans.

When it comes to ice cream, Goldbelly really delivers. The company's Monthly Ice Cream Subscription brings you an assortment of five or six different pints or 6–24 ice cream sandwiches each month from places like Humphry Slocombe, Nye's, Coolhaus, Lick Honest Ice Creams, and Nancy's Fancy to name just a few. What more could an ice cream lover wish for?

McConnell's has been in the ice cream business since 1949. For much of that time, the company made ice cream from its very own dairy, milked from cows grazed on the Montecito foothills' tender grass. The dairy cows have since moved elsewhere, and that land is now home to celebrities like Tom Cruise and Oprah Winfrey, but McConnell's still sources only the best grass-grazed milk from its dairy partners on California's central coast.

McConnell's starts with raw milk and cream, adds real cane sugar and egg yolks, pasteurizes this base, ages it for enhanced body and flavor, and then slowly churns it into the densest, creamiest ice cream available on the market. Most top ice creams contain around 14 percent milkfat and up to 40 percent air, but McConnell's boasts a whopping 18 percent milkfat and a mere 10 percent air. Now that's creamy.

Started by two cousins with big dreams and no ice cream experience, Salt & Straw has made a significant impact on the ice cream world since its founding in 2011, growing from a single cart to multiple brick-and-mortar locations in several cities—not to mention partnering with none other than box office megastar Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.

Salt & Straw's Pints Club is unique because it is available in five different formats: Seasonal Flavors, Vegan Flavors, or Gift in 3-, 6-, or 12-month options. All five clubs get you five pints of frozen goodness every month.

Seasonal Flavors focuses on monthly themes that change throughout the year, with assortments ranging from fruit-forward ice creams in the peak of summer to holiday classics in December and everything in between. Vegan Flavors include popular non-dairy flavors like Freckled Mint Chocolate Chip, and Marionberry Coconut Sherbet. The Gift packages let you select to get monthly flavors, bestsellers, or keep it a surprise, which might include some of Salt & Straw's most beloved varieties, including Chocolate Gooey Brownie, Honey Lavender, and Double Fold Vanilla.

Located in Kennebunkport, Maine, Rococo Ice Cream was founded by Lauren Guptill in 2012. Shortly after that, her operation was named the sixth-best ice cream shop in the nation by Tripadvisor for its beautiful, creative, and internationally inspired ice cream flavors.

Of all the producers on this list, Rococo has some of the most intriguing and alluring flavors we've encountered. Combinations like Goat Cheese (with Whiskey and Figs Compote), Guava and Maria Cookies, Garam Masala, Blueberry Chipotle, Nutella Cranberry, Rhubarb Sage, Horchata Rum Cake, and Lemon Pink Peppercorn guarantee that you'll experience ice creams unlike any you've ever tried.

Rococo's Golden Spoon Collective Club has the option for a one-time purchase or to enjoy an ongoing subscription, with quarterly deliveries of four pints of unique flavors, perfect for those aficionados who are obsessed with ice cream. The themed assortments of limited-edition flavors are sent out in March, June, October, and December.

Jeni's made a name for itself with its scoop shops but has grown to a brand that you can find in nearly every supermarket. With the pint club, however, you'll never have to search for your favorite pint because your ice cream shows up at your doorstep, and you get sneak peeks at new flavors before they’re released to the public. The only bummer is that you can’t order one month from the pint club before committing; Jeni's has a three-month minimum, starting at $199. The ice cream, however, is truly splendid and will definitely catch your attention, whether it’s Darkest Chocolate, Ted Lasso Biscuits with the Boss, or Everything Bagel. 

Frankie & Jo's will make you rethink anything you ever thought about plant-based ice cream. It uses real organic sugar and nuts as the base for its creamy concoctions, and all the inclusions are gluten- and dairy-free. The monthly box selection rotates, but it's not a subscription per se; recent flavors included hummingbird cake, black sesame fudge, scout's caramel cookie, and for the love of lemon. Prepare to have your taste buds wowed.

This Nebraska-based company operates scoop shops and an online ice cream club offering subscriptions in three-, six-, and 12-month increments. You can order for yourself, send a subscription, or personalize an order for a special occasion. If you love ice cream with a lot of add-ins, you'll enjoy mashups like Chocolate Cake ice cream, Cupcake Cookie Dough, or Sea Salt Caramel Brownie. Dairy-free options include oat milk–based flavors such as Caramel Latte.

Admittedly, the name Sisters of Anarchy sounds more like a punk band than an ice cream company, but this family-run business, inspired by the owner's three daughters, has been churning out farm-fresh ice cream for 30 years. There are many ways to get your hands on the company's ice cream; subscriptions come in three-, six-, or 12-month options, and you can choose either four- or six-pint variety packs based on themes, events, or celebrations. You can let the sisters surprise you with their selection, make your own six-pack, or order things like "Farmer's Delight" (with lots of berry-forward flavors like Raspberry Beret and Respect Your Elders) or the tongue-in-cheek named "Soccer Mom" with coffee-forward Overtime, or even an ice cream made with red wine grapes).