If you’re looking to cool off during National Ice Cream Month, Sweet Fix Creamery in Bakersfield is serving up a rotating lineup of small-batch flavors.
Co-owner Tom Nykamp, who runs the shop with his wife, said Sweet Fix is featuring its American Road Trip series this month, with flavors including California Lemon Bar, Texas Sheet Cake, Michigan Moose Tracks, Georgia Southern Peach Cobbler and banana pudding.
“We have our own California Lemon Bar, which we’re collabing with Woolworths on. We have a Texas sheet cake, Michigan Moose Tracks We have a Georgian, Georgia, Georgian Southern peach cobbler, and we have a banana pudding.”
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Nykamp said the flavor names are largely his wife’s creation.
“It’s definitely her,” he said. “I get a little feedback, and then I make them, so it’s fun, and my kids help too.”
Sweet Fix Creamery is going on their third year in Bakersfield, Tom said, adding the shop has built a base of regular customers.
The shop’s flavors rotate monthly, meaning some favorites may not always be available. Sweet Fix’s root beer flavor, for example, is not currently in the case because “they change their flavors once a month,” according to the report.
One of the featured flavors, Michigan Moose Tracks, is a nod to Nykamp’s roots.
Michigan Moose Tracks, dear to our heart because we’re from Michigan originally,” he said.
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Nykamp said the flavor starts with a vanilla base, then adds peanut butter, fudge and mini peanut butter cups swirled together.
Nykamp said making ice cream well requires careful attention to process and ingredients.
“Definitely the science behind it, timing,” he said. “The temperatures and everything, and the right things to include in your ice cream is very important to hit those notes.”
He also said Sweet Fix focuses on natural ingredients.
“They’re all natural, so we use, you know, we use, we don’t use dyes. Everything’s homemade that we’re putting in there,” Nykamp said.
Sweet Fix also offers dessert builds using its ice cream, including a Southern banana pudding dessert cup made with Southern banana pudding ice cream, vanilla wafers, caramel and whipped cream. Tom described the ice cream as “just a banana base,” with “crushed vanilla wafers and caramel.”
Beyond in-shop service, Tom said Sweet Fix partners with other local businesses and takes its ice cream on the road for events.
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“We’ve partnered with locals to Mariscos. We’ve done Frugatti’s he said. “We’re doing new collabs right now with other companies.”
Nykamp said customers can find information about upcoming events online and on Instagram, and that the business does pop-ups, weddings and corporate parties.
He added, “This Sunday I think we’re doing a pop-up at Woolworths and Reverb.”
Sweet Fix Creamery is located next door to Trader Joe’s at the Town and Country Center. Nykamp said the shop opens at noon on weekends and closes at 11, and during the week it is open noon to 10.