Artisanal ice cream in Marrakech: how to spot the real thing

What is an artisanal ice cream shop?

An artisanal ice cream maker makes what it sells, in small batches, from ingredients it chooses. An industrial outlet receives ready-made tubs, often made from powdered mixes or flavoured pastes, which it only has to scoop.

You can taste the difference: artisanal ice cream tastes of its main ingredient, not of a flavouring. You can see it too, if you know where to look. In Marrakech as anywhere else, a few signs help you choose.

How do you spot real homemade ice cream?

These signs work for any ice cream shop, in Marrakech or anywhere else:

• The colour. Pistachio ice cream is a slightly brownish green, not bright green; strawberry sorbet is dark red, not candy pink. A colour that is too bright often gives away a food colouring.
• The volume. Mountains of ice cream piled above the tubs stand up thanks to a lot of air and stabilisers. Artisanal ice cream usually sits flat, often in covered tubs that protect it.
• The texture. Homemade ice cream melts faster, and that is usually a good sign. Ice cream that keeps its scoop shape in the Marrakech sun generally contains a lot of thickeners.
• The menu. An artisan follows the seasons. A menu that is the same in January and August, with fruits you cannot find at that time of year, is rarely homemade.
• The answers. An artisan can tell you how their ice cream is made. Feel free to ask.

Artisanal ice cream or sorbet: what is the difference?

In its classic recipe, ice cream is made with milk or cream, sometimes eggs: that is what makes it creamy. Sorbet is made from fruit, water and sugar. It is lighter and fresher, and the fruit gives it all its flavour.

In the Marrakech heat, many people prefer sorbet for its freshness. It needs ripe, good-quality fruit: a bland fruit has nowhere to hide in a sorbet. That is why a good artisanal sorbet changes with the harvests.

Where to find artisanal ice cream in Gueliz?

At Frümee, on Rue Hassania in Gueliz, we are a slightly unusual ice cream shop: our sorbet is served in the fruit itself. Every fruit is hollowed out by hand, its sorbet is made from its own flesh, then it is closed and frozen. This is called a frozen fruit: you eat it with a spoon, straight from the fruit.

The menu has 24 fruits, from the frozen lemon to the frozen coconut, starting at 30 DH.

Our creations follow the seasons and what the harvests bring: it is one of the signs of homemade ice cream, and our menu reflects it.

Which flavours to choose when it is hot?

For freshness, the zesty family, tangy and thirst-quenching:

• Frozen lemon, 60 DH: bright, pure freshness.
• Frozen orange, 60 DH: sunny, balanced sweetness.
• Frozen mandarin, 50 DH: sweet and sunny.
• Frozen grapefruit, 70 DH: bright and bracing. Slightly bitter and refreshing.

And for something more indulgent?

The generous family, rounder and sweeter:

• Frozen watermelon, 220 DH: thirst-quenching and refreshing.
• Frozen melon, 220 DH: sweet and juicy.
• Frozen avocado, 80 DH: creamy and original.
• Frozen banana stracciatella, 90 DH: naturally fragrant.

To share between several people, the largest ones also come as a half fruit: frozen dragon fruit, frozen mango, frozen pineapple, frozen watermelon, frozen melon, frozen coconut.

How do you store artisanal ice cream at home?

Artisanal ice cream keeps in the freezer, well closed, and should come out a few minutes before serving to get its texture back. For our frozen fruits: Keep in the freezer at −18 °C. Best enjoyed within 6 months of making. Take out 5 minutes before tasting for the perfect texture.

All our tips for storing a frozen fruit.

How to order from Frümee?

Frümee, Rue Hassania, Guéliz, Marrakech. Open every day, 11:00 – 23:00.

Put your order together on the site, then send it on WhatsApp: the message is written for you, and we confirm availability, price and time slot. Click & Collect at the shop, or delivery on orders from 150 DH, free up to 5 km.

Some preparations may contain or be enhanced with flavourings. If you have an allergy or intolerance, please tell our team before ordering.

The frozen fruit menu · The café · Our gift boxes