Cinnamon toast, kettle corn, Mexican hot chocolate, bacon chipotle—these are just a few of the distinctive flavors of homemade ice cream offered at Sweet Things Ice Cream Shoppe in Katy.

All ice cream at Sweet Things is made in the store, with fresh ingredients and natural flavors, said owner Suzanne Lankford.

To make peach pie ice cream, for example, Lankford said she first bakes a peach pie and then pours the entire pie into the ice cream. For birthday cake ice cream she makes a sheet cake, frosts it and decorates it with sprinkles and then cuts it into pieces before putting it into the ice cream. Strawberry ice cream is made with six pounds of fresh strawberries for a two-and-a-half-gallon batch.

"We try to stay away from [artificial] flavorings," Lankford said. "We try to do as much as we can ourselves. It's a way to be creative every day."

Sweet Things rotates most of its ice cream flavors each week for variety and to keep up with seasonal favorites. However, the shop always has five flavors—sweet cream, chocolate, strawberry, vanilla and its most popular flavor, cinnamon toast.

Sweet Things also occasionally offers beer-flavored ice cream using local brews, and their coffee ice cream is a customer favorite, made with fresh coffee. Sweet Things offers at least one sorbet, sherbet and yogurt daily and one no-sugar added ice cream choice as well. Most of their ice cream is gluten-free.

Lankford encourages customer suggestions on flavors. One customer recommended avocado ice cream, which they made, and another suggested black walnut.

"Our ice cream is completely different than store bought or chain brands—it's homemade," said Jennifer Rico, Sweet Things manager and Lankford's daughter. "We're offering something you can't get anywhere else."

Ice cream at the store is sold by the ounce (56 cents an ounce) and customers are welcome to buy as little or as much as they want, combining as many flavors as they wish.

Sweet Things also offers smoothies made with fruit as well as iced coffee drinks. They also sell birthday cakes and pies. Last Thanksgiving, they sold 80 pies.

In addition, the shop makes its own hot-fudge sauce and chocolate syrup and makes and sells its own vanilla extract.

A Katy resident for the past two decades, Lankford started the shop four years ago.

Lankford said she enjoys being a part of the community, and she has many regular customers she has gotten to know through her business. A local couple, who had their first date at her store, was engaged there as well.

Lankford also gives back to the community when she can, she said. As a stay-at-home mom when her children were young, she was involved in Katy ISD. She has continued her dedication to the schools by donating thousands of free cone coupons to students each year, serving ice cream at various school events and hosting spirit nights for schools.

"It's a fun business," Lankford said. "Ice cream elicits a happy emotion. It's a very unique business, where everyone who comes in is happy. They're getting a reward."

Weekly specials

Monday and rainy days—free sprinkles

Tuesday—two small sundaes for $5

Wednesday—50 cents off waffles cones

Thursday—drink special

Friday—free stamp on a frequent customer card with a $5 purchase

Rotating flavors

Coffee

Banana

Wedding cake

Mexican hot chocolate

Bacon chipotle

Cherry

Mint chip

Oreo

Cookie monster

Peach pie

Kettle corn

Beer

Cheesecake

Black walnut

Blueberry yogurt

Sorbet

Sherbert

Thin mint

Sweet Things Ice Cream Shoppe

1251 Pin Oak Road, Ste. 125

Katy 281-391-5423

www.sweetthingsnkt.com

Hours: Sun.–Thurs. noon–9 p.m., Fri.–Sat. noon–10 p.m.