The first Saturday in February sees Philadelphians flocking to some local spots for National Ice Cream for Breakfast Day—and it’s as unique and sweet as it sounds.
This holiday began as an informal tradition in the 1960s by Florence Rappaport, a mother of six in Rochester, New York. The indulgent day has grown over the years on a global level, so much so that the Jerusalem Post reported in 2020 that 100,000 people in Israel were expected to mark the sweet celebration.
In 2025, the City of Brotherly Love will have their own ways to take a bite out of the occasion.
Philly’s own Milk Jawn has been celebrating the holiday for the past two years. This weekend, Philadelphians can find a flight of breakfast-flavored ice creams beginning at 9 a.m. at the shop’s two locations in East Passyunk (1439 E Passyunk Ave.) and Northern Liberties (946 N 2nd St.).
The flights (which cost $12 apiece) include four “super-limited” batch flavor scoops: Coffee Cake (coffee-cake flavored ice cream layered with bits of Entenmann’s cinnamon streusel crumble); Caramel Macchiato (salted caramel ice cream studded with bits of candied coffee); Maple Bacon (maple ice cream folded with handmade maple bacon toffee crunch); and Strawberry Pop-Tarts (vanilla ice cream swirled with roasted strawberry jam, royal icing, and crunchy pieces of Pop-Tarts-inspired crust crumble).
Flights also come with a waffle cone chip, and everything will be available on Feb. 1 until the venue sells out. As a release notes, vegans who want to celebrate National Ice Cream for Breakfast Day can enjoy a vegan version of the Caramel Macchiato and Strawberry Pop-Tarts as well.
Philadelphians can also head to Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams on National Ice Cream for Breakfast Day. On Feb. 1, Jeni’s shops (at 1901 Chestnut St. and 1322 Frankford Ave.) will open early (at 9 a.m.) to offer a brand-new limited-time flavor, breakfast-inspired menu pairings (including a L’affogato and Parfait special), plus fun extras like kids’ activity sheets, stickers, and exclusive swag.
The new special flavor, Blueberry Johnny Cakes, features cornbread pancakes and blueberry-maple jam in a buttery sweet cream. As the brand says, this flavor is meant to mimic the taste and feel of a “perfect blueberry pancake topped with maple syrup.”
While there, diners can also enjoy Breakfast Menu Pairings (aka breakfast-related flavors to inspire your order), the L’affogato Special (aka coffee and ice cream), plus Jeni’s new LTO ‘Parfait on the Beach’: The latter features Green Smoothie ice cream layered with mango sauce, Michele’s granola butter, and whipped cream.
To find out more information on National Ice Cream for Breakfast Day at Milk Jawn and Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams, visit milkjawn.com and jenis.com
