Hokey pokey ice cream is vanilla ice cream studded with small balls of golden honeycomb toffee. It is New Zealand's second most-loved flavour after vanilla, and the country's signature ice cream.

The term 'hokey pokey' for honeycomb toffee appears in New Zealand from the late 19th century. The ice cream version emerged in the mid-20th century, with solid toffee pieces. The defining moment was around 1980, when manufacturer Tip Top switched to small balls of honeycomb toffee, creating the form Kiwis know today. Hokey pokey has become a frequently cited piece of Kiwiana (the everyday national identity); the ice cream has been exported to Japan, Australia and the Pacific Islands. Tip Top still produces the canonical version, though many small NZ ice cream makers now run their own honeycomb-based flavours.

2 editor picks for Hokey Pokey Ice Cream in Auckland, ranked by editorial score. All Auckland signature dishes · Hokey Pokey Ice Cream across every city.

Learn to cook it, or eat it with a guide

Hokey Pokey Ice Cream makes more sense with someone from Auckland explaining it. These are the classes and tours we have checked, with booking links.

Book food experiences in Auckland

See all 366 bookable experiences in Auckland