Hot new baked ice cream emporium opens on Steeles

After operating online since 2017, Ruru Baked, a specialty ice cream maker, has expanded, opening up shop in Markham’s Pacific Mall.

Although they no longer sell out in mere minutes, opening weekend back in April seemed to be indicative of the company’s ongoing success.

“This was our craziest weekend ever,” reads a post on Ruru’s Instagram page. “We were nervous and excited, we scooped our hearts out.… To be honest, I didn’t anticipate the impact it would have.”

Luanne Ronquillo started Ruru Baked six years, selling (and selling out of) pints of delicious custard-based ice cream, before opening the first brickand-mortar location at Bloor and Lansdowne.

For those not in the ice cream know, custardbased ice cream — also known as French style — is denser and creamier than regular ice cream, which usually tends to be more on the lighter and airier side.

Ronquillo started off serving decadent flavours like the banoffee pie — a creamy banana ice cream, with buttery graham cracker crust crumbs and caramel swirl; passionfruit — made with chunks of banana bread and hints of cream cheese icing; as well as condensed milk + red bean, which all remain bestsellers.

The menu now boasts more than 70 unique and delicious flavours, featuring outlandish combina- tions that work remarkably well.

Must-try scoops include the brown butter + honey + sage, which is the perfect balance of nutty and fragrant brown butter combined with pure honey and a hint of sage for added earthiness.

For those who are fans of a sweet and savoury combo, the everything bagel is a fun take on how sometimes weird, unexpected things can actually be amazing. Made with cream cheese ice cream and chunks of oniony and garlicky sweet seedy crumble, Ruru promises it’s weird but in the best way.

For the youngins’ — or the children at heart —seasonal flavour Real Kid is inspired by the classic Laura Secord flavour Super Kid and features a combination of blueberry, strawberry and banana ice cream.

Along with ice cream, the newest location carries Ruru Baked merch, including hoodies, T-shirts and toques and treats like Furikake Bits and Bites — Ruru’s spin on the classic Furikake Chex Mix — that’s baked in a buttery coating and tossed with roasted seaweed. Products from Spice Girl Eats and Sssoaps are also available.

If one of your favourite flavours sells out — which it probably will — not to fret: new stock arrives every Wednesday and Friday.

Ruru Baked is located at 4300 Steeles Ave. E., Markham. —Jennifer Schembri