Once upon a time, a soft serve vanilla or chocolate cone was enough to delight generations of children. Eaten before it got melted in the summer heat, it was indeed one of the simplest pleasures money could ever buy. Today, that humble dessert is finding a new audience in the city, where cafes and dessert brands are reinventing soft serves with flavours ranging from filter coffee and Milo to macha and even tiramisu.
Bengaluru’s appetite for speciality desserts has encouraged businesses to experiment with a treat closely associated with nostalgia. The same emotion was the starting point for Filter Coffee House in JP Nagar, as its co-founder Adithya KB shares on making a softy inspired by the city’s favourite beverage. “We wanted to make sure we could get the nostalgia back with an innovative twist. Once we started with the filter coffee softie, we understood that the crowd and our customers wanted to relive their past when they used to get the vanilla and chocolate softy.” The thought paved the way to flavours such as chilli guava and mango, offering customers a chance to revisit sweet memories while trying something new. Among the experiments, chilli guava was a hit, drawing curiosity and loyal fans, he notes, adding, “We have got mixed reviews, but for the folks who liked it, they love it because of the authenticity we brought in with the flavour.
At Latcha in JP Nagar, soft serves were part of the vision from the inception. Founders Rajasree Yarlagadda and Harsha Dasari wanted desserts that complemented its speciality matcha programme and introduced customers to flavour combinations that are still relatively uncommon in India. “The larger goal has always been to introduce a more elevated and globally-inspired soft serve culture to India, where premium dessert experimentation is still relatively niche,” Yarlagadda says. This led to combinations like matcha and ube (purple yam), matcha-strawberry and matcha-vanilla. If you’re wondering how matcha and ube work together, the combination balances the earthy notes of matcha and the sweet-creamy profile of purple yam.
Among the other eye-catching players in Bengaluru’s soft-serve scene is Bungeo Creamery, Indiranagar, a brand that focuses on premium soft serves and unconventional flavour combinations. “We created combinations that people normally wouldn’t expect in a soft serve, like ube and Thai tea matcha and tiramisu. We honestly thought some of them would feel weird at first, but they turned out to be our bestsellers,” says co-founder Ramya Gandhi Rajan. Unlike regular soft serves, premium soft serves use richer cream and finer ingredients instead of a high water ratio. Combined with imported Korean machines, it gives a denser, creamier, fluffier texture that’s not overly sugary, watery or melty, adds Rajan.
Brands also credit Instagram reels, customer-generated content and influencer collaborations for helping customers discover new flavours and concepts. Dilip Krishnan, co-founder and CEO, Foodsta Kitchens, believes that social media has played a major role in accelerating interest in the category. “Premium soft serve isn’t just dessert, it’s content. Bubble team and soft serve are inherently visual – the vibrant colours, textures and iconic swirl make them highly shareable,” he shares.
One of the brand’s subsidiaries, Zen Chai in Whitefield, recently launched a Milo-inspired softy, a category that leans towards emotions as much as taste. For many customers, the chocolate malt drink was a staple growing up, making the flavour instantly hit the spot, even though in a different format, Krishnan adds.
Bengaluru, where iconic, old-school ice cream parlours seamlessly rub shoulders with sleek modern creameries, the humble softy is no longer a cheap, nostalgic throwback. It has become a canvas for culinary storytelling. While traditional soft serves have long been associated with affordability, speciality versions now range from under Rs 100 to more than Rs 300 depending on ingredients, preparation and also presentation. Operators say hesitation around premium pricing has declined as they have become more curious about speciality desserts, elevated experience and international food trends. “Customers, especially Gen Z and millennials, prioritise quality and experience over price. They’re willing to invest in products that offer authenticity, nostalgia, and shareability. Customers appreciate flavours like Milo because they’re distinct and evoke emotion,” he adds.