Churned Creamery: where freshly churned ice cream meets croissant in Tustin, California

I remember back in the 1970s when I was attending YWCA for the summer in Hawaii, we made homemade ice cream. Not with machinery, but with a barrel full of ice and salt, and a metal container with a crank on top. We loaded the metal container with the vanilla custard base and cranked until we made ice cream. The texture was similar to soft serve, but could be frozen further for a thicker ice cream.

Inside the Union Market at The District, Churned Creamery reminds me of these childhood memories. With the age of technology, the barrels have turned into stainless steel churning machines that churn the ice cream until optimum temperature is reached. You can get a cone but Churned Creamery specializes in freshly churned ice cream in a croissant.

Flakey French Custard Triangles (+$3) are flakey turnovers with a custard filling inside.

Here are some combinations I tried on for size:

CroCream™ ($5) with a single scoop of Oreo (formerly Black Cookie) ice cream ($4) topped with honey roasted peanuts and caramel sauce ($.75 for up to 3 toppings and sauces): Black Cookie ice cream is rich and creamy with a rich Oreo-like chocolate flavor. The honey roasted peanuts add a crunchy texture along with a sweet/salty balance. The croissant adds a nice buttery flavor to the mix and the caramel sauce really ties everything together. Rating: 5/5

Flakey French Custard Triangle ($3) with a scoop of Black Cherry ice cream ($4) topped with Fruity Pebbles and raspberry sauce ($.75): The Black Cherry ice cream has a strong cherry flavor. Fruity Pebbles incorporate an artificial fruity flavor, crunchy texture, and eye-popping yellow, red, green, and blue colors. Raspberry sauce adds a little bit of sweet and tart flavor notes. The custard triangle tastes like the puff pastry used in a turnover with a crispy outer shell. Rating: 4/5

Tahitian Cone™ ($1) with a scoop of Mango sorbet ($4): The Mango sorbet tastes like you’re biting into a fresh mango with bright tropical flavor. The Tahitian vanilla cone has a wonderful flavor as well – rich and almost cocoa-like. Rating: 4/5

Keep an eye out for new locations coming soon to Cypress and Canoga Park!

Atmosphere: 5 out of 5 stars

Décor: 5 out of 5 stars

Service: 5 out of 5 stars

Food: 4 out of 5 stars

For more information:
Churned Creamery   

2493 Park Ave #21

Tustin, CA 92782

+1.714.203.5226

Hours: Daily from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Parking: Free shopping center parking