Summertime is drawing to a close, school is back in session, and the days will be getting shorter.  But before the sun sets on the summer fun, take a tour of these iconic cold concoctions that have been putting Orange County on the map.  From nationally known to locally craved, this is a list of some of the most memorable cold treats of the summer you can only find in the Orange

Afters Ice Cream: Milky Bun

No one can deny the catapulted dessert dynasty thats been created through the success of the Milky Bun.

Co-owners Andy Nguyen and Scott Nghiem have created a new kind of dessert culture, a following for the record books.  Each new store opening starts with a bang and the success continues to ooze from all the locations.  The Milky Bun is a hot and cold mash up where warm donut meets cold uniquely flavored ice cream.  The ice cream flavors vary from a delicate jasmine to a bright blue “cookie monster” and the masses top their buns with their favorite cereal or cookie combo.  

Also, we cheated -- as of this post, Afters has opened a Long Beach, CA location, which puts it in LA county as well.

Pop Bar: Build Your Own Popsicle

“Instagramability” is not really a word, but it should be, and it defines a generation of Popbar customers. 

Pop Bar has revolutionized popsicle customization. The process is infectiously easy: find your favorite pop flavor, half dip it (because that what the cool kids do), and top it with caramel corn or any of the other nutty “poppers” they have for you.  

Most importantly, make your Instagram followers envy your style by finding a really fun backdrop for your custom popsicle. Check @Popbar's instagram for some inspiration! Also, there's a Popbar location in New York, so we may or may not have lied about this list yet again. Last one -- I swear!

Snow Monster: Cotton Candy Soft Serve + Macaron Ice Cream Sandwiches

Its very rare that you hear of a young dessert company having their own R&D headquarters, but the master minds at Snow Monster take the ice cream business seriously.  

Snow Monster's Macaroon Ice Cream Sandwich put their little snow creature brand on the map, and the simplicity of their design ethos have made them a popular cold dessert destination in Orange County.  After the success of their macaroon ice cream sandwich, the cinnamon roll sandwich, their mind-bending cotton candy soft serve soon followed.  The floating soft serve is nestled in a cotton candy cloud, a treat for the eyes and the mouth.

Milk Bar: Rainbow Bar

The nostalgic pairing of cereal and milk finds epic new form at Milk Bar.  

The Rainbow Bar is one of their staple items that uses Fruity Pebbles to sandwich your choice of ice cream. Also known for their creative and colorful milk tea flavors, Milk Bar has made a serious imprint on Instagram.

Chunk N Chip: Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches

In the busy ice cream sandwich industry, it's no longer kosher to be normal--it's all about great, original craft flavors, and Santa Ana, CA's Chunk N Chip does just that.  

One-time food truck owner Claudia Gonzalez took her hard hitting cookie recipes and married them with fun ice cream flavors to open up shop at one of Orange County's premier food halls, the 4th Street Market.

Snow Station: Vanilla Snow, Pound Cake, Fruity Pebbles, Granola & Condensed Milk

Born from the need for a dairy free, vegan dessert with a creamy texture, Snow Station prides itself on filling a need in the dairy saturated dessert market.  

Snow Station uses a soy base and creates a giant mountain of angel-hair-pasta-like strings of flavored ice ribbons.  You can then top with your favorite syrup, cereal, or marshmallows. It's almost like Italian ice and soft serve had a baby and made a dessert wet dream.

Crepe Coop: Ice Cream-filled Crepes

How do you turn a classical French dessert like a crepe into an acceptable summer Californian treat? Give people the chance to make it their own with ice cream!  

The crepe, has never had the same life and excitement as it does now.  

Crepe Coop has created a fluffy, pancake-like cone that gets filled with ice cream and tops it with the most popular fruits, cereals, cookies, and nuts.  What you get is a picture worth a million words, swirls of color and design in a tasty tornado of flavor.

Creamistry: Liquid Nitrogen Ice Cream

A real “Wow” for your friends, Creamistry turns cream into ice cream in seconds.

They use liquid nitrogen to quickly freeze your cream or sorbet base into a soft and rich dessert.  Watch the magic happen right in front of you as you choose your own adventure through a tour of ingredients and end with a chilly treat that you’ll love.