What do you think?
Rate this book
Ice Cream Queen: Flavors from Black America's Past, Present, & Future
A celebration of Black culinary history, creativity, and joy—with 100 wildly inventive homemade ice creams, sorbets, and nondairy flavors.
For generations, Black ice cream makers and entrepreneurs have shaped American food culture—yet their stories have been buried deep. With every ice cream flavor Lokelani Alabanza creates, she pays tribute to their legacies, shedding light on Black culinary history.
Her recipes include Parmesan, which dates back to at least the mid-1800s when Alabanza’s ice cream fairy godmother, Sarah Estell, was making it at her ice cream saloon at 89 N. Cherry Street in Nashville; a brightly hued Juneteenth Sorbet made with raspberries, hibiscus, and lime; Gin and Juice, a boozy watermelon favorite; an earthy Sorghum; and a tart Buttermilk Plum.
Designed for home cooks of all skill levels, Ice Cream Queen builds on simple bases for recipes that range from refreshing and fruity to adventurous and decadent. Whether you’re a history buff, dessert lover, or kitchen experimenter, this cookbook offers something entirely Ice cream as an act of memory, identity, and Black excellence.
For generations, Black ice cream makers and entrepreneurs have shaped American food culture—yet their stories have been buried deep. With every ice cream flavor Lokelani Alabanza creates, she pays tribute to their legacies, shedding light on Black culinary history.
Her recipes include Parmesan, which dates back to at least the mid-1800s when Alabanza’s ice cream fairy godmother, Sarah Estell, was making it at her ice cream saloon at 89 N. Cherry Street in Nashville; a brightly hued Juneteenth Sorbet made with raspberries, hibiscus, and lime; Gin and Juice, a boozy watermelon favorite; an earthy Sorghum; and a tart Buttermilk Plum.
Designed for home cooks of all skill levels, Ice Cream Queen builds on simple bases for recipes that range from refreshing and fruity to adventurous and decadent. Whether you’re a history buff, dessert lover, or kitchen experimenter, this cookbook offers something entirely Ice cream as an act of memory, identity, and Black excellence.
264 pages, Hardcover
Published June 16, 2026
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
June 26, 2026
I'm somewhere between four and five stars on this one. It's probably a four and a half stars for me. The author is obviously a talented pastry chef and ice cream maker, with some wonderful flavor combos presented here. There are beautiful photographs throughout, some historic and some of the equipment and ice cream. And the history is amazing to read, even if you don't intend to make any of the recipes. That said, her primary vanilla ice cream base is egg heavy, and although she offers an alternative coconut nondairy ice cream base and some sorbet and sherbet recipes that are egg-free, the primary base is called for in the vast majority of recipes. All the recipes require an ice cream machine -- no granita recipes that can be frozen and scraped from a pan here. She is a professional chef, so she occasionally calls for rare and pricier ingredients to get the right flavor (though I totally appreciate the number of recipes that could be made with what a common home baker probably has on hand or could get at a local grocery). And I greedily would love more photos. If you already have an ice cream machine, aren't allergic to eggs or are comfortable playing with the coconut alternative, and are looking for some new flavors to try, I highly recommend checking out this book!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
WOW WOW WOW
I absolutely loved this book! Not only are there beautiful photos that accompany many of the recipes, there's an incredible variety of ingredients and flavours to try. There are base recipes, including non-dairy, that most flavours start with, so it's easy to create some of the more exciting and interesting flavours (like sweet potato pie, cream cheese & pepper jelly, and honey-almond brittle!)
There's also plenty of information about the importance of major ice cream ingredients like sugar, salt and vanilla in transatlantic enslavement. I think we often forget about the lengths people went to in order to collect these resources. There's also a list of early American Black ice cream shops, retailers and manufacturers, pharmacies that sold ice cream- its interesting to read about!
Definitely pick this one up if you like making ice cream at home, or just want an interesting read about the history of ice cream in the United States.
I received a free ebook copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.
I absolutely loved this book! Not only are there beautiful photos that accompany many of the recipes, there's an incredible variety of ingredients and flavours to try. There are base recipes, including non-dairy, that most flavours start with, so it's easy to create some of the more exciting and interesting flavours (like sweet potato pie, cream cheese & pepper jelly, and honey-almond brittle!)
There's also plenty of information about the importance of major ice cream ingredients like sugar, salt and vanilla in transatlantic enslavement. I think we often forget about the lengths people went to in order to collect these resources. There's also a list of early American Black ice cream shops, retailers and manufacturers, pharmacies that sold ice cream- its interesting to read about!
Definitely pick this one up if you like making ice cream at home, or just want an interesting read about the history of ice cream in the United States.
I received a free ebook copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
What an incredible cookbook. It's rich with history, culture, technique, and visuals.
This book offers some of the most fascinating and unique ice cream flavors I've ever seen. I love the way Alabanza weaves in the history of key ingredients into the headnotes. Many of these ingredients have deep roots in Black culinary history. This book honors the Black community, the African diaspora, and their influence on ice cream - from enslaved African producing sugar for European colonizers to Black cooks to Black ice cream makers. It's a food history that hasn't been cleansed to make it more palatable. Instead, it makes you face history in its most honest form, making it all the more powerful a tool for food studies scholars. I have to get this for our cookbook library at work.
I received an advanced digital copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.
This book offers some of the most fascinating and unique ice cream flavors I've ever seen. I love the way Alabanza weaves in the history of key ingredients into the headnotes. Many of these ingredients have deep roots in Black culinary history. This book honors the Black community, the African diaspora, and their influence on ice cream - from enslaved African producing sugar for European colonizers to Black cooks to Black ice cream makers. It's a food history that hasn't been cleansed to make it more palatable. Instead, it makes you face history in its most honest form, making it all the more powerful a tool for food studies scholars. I have to get this for our cookbook library at work.
I received an advanced digital copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.
June 17, 2026
This isn’t just a cookbook; it’s an archive of joy. Loke's attention to detail, her respect for every name and face that appears within these pages, and the weaving of so many stories into one tale is nothing short of magnificent. It feels full of hope while not shying away from the hardships and stolen ideas of Black people across the world throughout centuries—and now, everyone will know their names.
It also really inspires you to get in the kitchen and make some ice cream. 10/10. Highly recommend.
It also really inspires you to get in the kitchen and make some ice cream. 10/10. Highly recommend.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The synopsis for this book, about the author carrying on Sarah Estell’s work is what drew me to this book. It was, to me, about preserving history and remembering as well sharing some delicious ice cream recipes. This was a win-win for me and hubby and I have started to gather ingredients to make a few of the flavors as we try to work our way through them all. They are all delicious so far and we can’t wait to say we’ve tried them all!
June 17, 2026
This is not only a great story but a meaningful piece of art. The richness in color, depth of detail behind every recipe and overall feel are both joyful & fun. This is more than a coffee table book (although it looks perfect there) and perfect for sharing with kids of all ages. Making the recipes in Lokelani’s book will be a treat for the whole family this summer!
June 27, 2026
#nETgALLEY Lokelani Alabanza #Expected 16 JunE 2026
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews