Ice Cream Runtz Strain

Ice Cream Runtz Strain: A Dessert Cross That Tastes Like the Name

The Ice Cream Runtz strain is what happens when two of the sweetest families in modern cannabis get crossed: Ice Cream Cake, the vanilla-and-butter dessert strain, and Runtz, the candy-fruit hybrid that took over California. SeedFinder credits the cross to Lit Farms. Open a jar and you get creamy vanilla, nutty cookie dough and sugar, with a hint of candied fruit on the exhale — and a high that starts happy and tingly, then sinks into a heavy, relaxed body. It's an evening strain, not a morning one. For dessert-style flower you can actually order today, start with our THCA flower collection.

It's also a name with a few different plants behind it. Databases disagree on the parents — one lists Ice Cream Cake's own pedigree, one grower uses White Runtz instead of Runtz, and a Canadian product with almost the same name lists two different parents entirely. Below: what the breeder-linked sources actually say, how the high unfolds, what the potency numbers mean, how to grow it, and how to judge a bag.

Ice Cream Runtz Strain Genetics & Lineage

• Type: Indica-leaning hybrid. SeedFinder lists it as "mostly indica"; AllBud calls it an even 50/50; most dispensary listings label it indica-dominant.
• Breeder: Lit Farms, per SeedFinder, which lists feminized seeds. We couldn't find a release year or a breeder statement about how the cross was made.
• Parents: Ice Cream Cake × Runtz, per SeedFinder and Weedmaps.
• THC: AllBud lists 19–23%; unsourced strain guides say 22–28%; one Canadian product labeled "Ice Cream Rntz" lists 26–33%.
• CBD: negligible — AllBud lists 0–1%.
• Offspring: SeedFinder lists one direct descendant, Lit Farms' Gas Cream Runtz (Ice Cream Runtz × Lit OG).

Where the grandparents come from

Both parents are themselves crosses, and SeedFinder fills in the tree:

• Ice Cream Cake — Wedding Cake × Gelato #33, credited to Seed Junky Genetics. This is the source of the vanilla, butter and heavy, sleepy body. Wedding Cake itself is Triangle Kush × Animal Mints.
• Runtz — Zkittlez (SeedFinder writes "The Original Z") × Gelato. Runtz debuted at the December 2017 Emerald Cup and was Leafly's 2020 Strain of the Year. It brings the candy-fruit sweetness and the giggly, social front end.

Notice the overlap: Gelato sits on both sides of the family. Gelato #33 is Sunset Sherbet × Thin Mint GSC, so Ice Cream Runtz is a heavily Cookies-and-Gelato plant — which explains the dense, creamy, dessert-forward nose.

The lineage conflicts

Not every source agrees, and you should know which version you're reading about:

• AllBud lists Ice Cream Runtz as Wedding Cake × Gelato 33. That's Ice Cream Cake's own pedigree, with no Runtz or Zkittlez in it — most likely a database mix-up. A Weedmaps product listing from Flora Farms repeats the same Gelato33 × Wedding Cake line, while Weedmaps' own strain page says Ice Cream Cake × Runtz.
• Theory Wellness, a Massachusetts grower, sells its Ice Cream Runtz as Ice Cream Cake × White Runtz. White Runtz is a Cookies-released sister of Runtz, so this is a close cousin of the Lit Farms cross, not the same thing.
• Good Supply's "Ice Cream Rntz" in Canada lists The Soap × Velvet Rntz on its product page — even though the page's own web address says Wedding Cake × Gelato 33. Treat that as a separate product that borrowed a similar name.
• Iced Runtz is a different strain altogether, credited by SeedFinder to Universally Seeded. Don't confuse the two on a menu.

Ice Cream Runtz Terpene Profile

No lab-published terpene percentages exist for Ice Cream Runtz that we could verify. Weedmaps names caryophyllene as the prominent terpene, and product listings add limonene and linalool — the same top three Leafly lists for Ice Cream Cake, and close to Runtz's caryophyllene-limonene-myrcene profile. Canada's Good Supply also lists humulene and myrcene. Caryophyllene is the one with real research interest: a 2008 PNAS study identified beta-caryophyllene as a "dietary cannabinoid" that binds CB2 receptors.

• Caryophyllene: The peppery, spicy warmth under the sweetness — what Weedmaps describes as a "spicy vanilla aroma." It runs through both parents.
• Limonene: The faint citrus on the exhale and part of the happy, uplifted first few minutes, likely from the Runtz side.
• Linalool: Floral and calming, and part of why the strain winds down so easily. Ice Cream Cake lists it as a top-three terpene.
• Myrcene and humulene: Earthy and woody background notes listed on one Canadian label. Plausible, not proven.

No single terpene makes the "ice cream." The vanilla-and-butter character comes from the whole blend — spicy caryophyllene, sweet esters and soft linalool together — and it reads strongest in a fresh, properly cured jar.

Appearance

AllBud describes long, arrowhead-shaped, forest-green nugs with purple undertones, threaded with orange hairs and coated in white trichomes with a faint blue tint. Weedmaps calls the buds "very dense," olive green and violet, with "many large trichomes." That density is the Ice Cream Cake side showing — and grow guides say cooler night temperatures late in flower push more purple into the leaves and calyxes.

Aroma and Flavor

Ice Cream Runtz smells like the dessert aisle. AllBud's aroma tags read citrus, creamy, fruity, nutty, sour and vanilla, and its flavor tags read buttery, creamy, nutty, sugary, sweet and vanilla. Weedmaps describes a "creamy cookie flavor profile," a spicy vanilla aroma and a nutty, cookie-dough-and-vanilla exhale. Theory Wellness writes sweet, earthy, nutty and creamy vanilla.

The Runtz side shows up as a sugary, candied-fruit edge — strain guides mention sweet berry and a little citrus at the back of the exhale — but don't expect the loud tropical candy of Zkittlez. This is cream first, candy second. Weedmaps users also tag a faint diesel note, which fits the Cookies-and-Gelato heritage. Canada's Good Supply version adds "cake" and "a hint of popcorn."

Recreational Effects

Ice Cream Runtz is a wind-down strain. On AllBud, where it holds a 4.8 rating from 29 votes, the listed effects are:

• Happy and uplifting: the first wave — a warm mood lift and a little giggle from the Runtz side.
• Tingly: a body buzz that starts in the head and face and spreads.
• Relaxing and calming: the core of the high. Theory Wellness calls it "a calming buzz and deep relaxation for the mind and body."
• Body high and sleepy: the finish. Weedmaps users report couch-lock and late-night munchies; a Flora Farms listing describes a "full-body numbing feeling."

How the high unfolds: onset, peak and duration

• First few minutes: a quick, happy, cerebral lift — product listings say it hits fast.
• 15–60 minutes: the peak — tingly, relaxed and content, with the body getting heavier.
• 1–3 hours: a long, sinking settle. Weedmaps users call the buzz long-lasting, and at higher doses this is where couch-lock and sleepiness take over.

One AllBud reviewer says it isn't for beginners or occasional smokers, and Weedmaps recommends saving it for later in the day. Keep your evening free.

→ Experience it yourself — shop Diesel Hemp's THCA Flower

How Strong Is Ice Cream Runtz?

Ice Cream Runtz is strong, though the best-documented number is lower than the hype. The published figures:

• AllBud: 19–23% THC, 0–1% CBD.
• Weedmaps: no number, just "a high amount of THC."
• Strain guides (kindgreenbuds, JointCommerce): 22–28% THC — with no lab or source cited.
• Good Supply "Ice Cream Rntz" (Canada): 26–33% on the product label — a different plant, so take it as a ceiling, not a norm.

For context, Leafly lists Ice Cream Cake at 22% and Runtz at 21%. A well-grown Ice Cream Runtz realistically lands in the low-to-mid 20s. Its heavy reputation comes as much from the sedating, linalool-and-caryophyllene body as from raw THC.

THCA flower is labeled differently from dispensary flower: the lab reports THCA, which converts to THC when heated, plus a small amount of delta-9 THC. When you compare a batch of Ice Cream Runtz against the 19–28% range above, compare total THC on the COA, not the headline number — our guide on how to read a THCA flower COA walks through the math.

Which Ice Cream Runtz Is in the Jar? The Name Problem

"Ice Cream Runtz" is a descriptive name — two famous dessert strains glued together — and descriptive names get reused. In practice you'll run into at least four things:

• The Lit Farms cross — Ice Cream Cake × Runtz, the version SeedFinder documents, with feminized seeds and a 55–65 day flower.
• An Ice Cream Cake × White Runtz cut — what Theory Wellness lists. Similar profile, slightly different genetics.
• Ice Cream Cake under another name — when a menu says "Wedding Cake × Gelato 33," as AllBud and the Flora Farms listing do, you may simply be looking at Ice Cream Cake. With no Runtz in the pedigree, there's no reason to expect the candy-fruit edge.
• Lookalike names — Canada's "Ice Cream Rntz" (The Soap × Velvet Rntz) and Universally Seeded's Iced Runtz are separate strains.

The fix is simple: ask the seller for the lineage and the breeder. If they can't tell you, judge it on the nose — you're looking for cream and vanilla with a hint of candy, not straight earth.

Lit Farms and the Ice Cream Family

Lit Farms has built a whole line around dessert and Runtz crosses. Beyond Ice Cream Runtz, its listed strains include Fried Ice Cream (on SeedFinder), Purple Runtz (on GrowDiaries) and guides to its Cherry Ice Cream and Ice Cream Sandwiches. Ice Cream Runtz has already been used as a parent: SeedFinder lists Gas Cream Runtz, a Lit Farms cross of Ice Cream Runtz with Lit OG, which pushes the cream toward fuel. Beyond the SeedFinder entry, we couldn't find Lit Farms publishing its own notes on the strain.

Ice Cream Runtz vs Similar Strains

• vs Ice Cream Cake: the dessert parent. Ice Cream Cake is pure vanilla, butter and pepper with a sleepy, hungry body; Ice Cream Runtz keeps all of that and adds a sugary candy-fruit edge and a slightly brighter front end.
• vs Runtz: the candy parent. Runtz is fruitier, more talkative and, on Leafly, "mostly energizing"; Ice Cream Runtz is creamier and heavier.
• vs White Runtz: the parent in Theory Wellness's version — sweet, frosty and more balanced than Ice Cream Runtz's couch-lock finish.
• vs Ice Cream Cookies: same Wedding Cake × Gelato #33 base, but Ice Cream Cookies runs vanilla-mint with no Runtz in it.
• vs Wedding Cake: the grandparent — tangy, peppery vanilla and a relaxing body, with less of the cream.
• vs Lemon Cherry Gelato: our featured in-stock pick, and honestly not a twin. Both are Gelato-family dessert hybrids with a happy, relaxed body, but Lemon Cherry Gelato runs cherry and citrus where Ice Cream Runtz runs vanilla and cookie dough, and it lands a little lighter. For a heavier, sweeter-gas evening option, try Permanent Marker.

Who Ice Cream Runtz Is (and Isn't) For

Good fit: evening smokers, dessert-flavor fans, anyone who wants to unwind after work, movie nights, and people chasing appetite or sleep.

Poor fit: daytime and productivity sessions, beginners and occasional smokers — an AllBud reviewer specifically warns against it for them — and anyone who doesn't want munchies. For a creamy, Gelato-family dessert flower on our shelf, Lemon Cherry Gelato is the pick, from $69.

How to Use Ice Cream Runtz THCA Flower — and How Much

THCA has to be heated to do anything. Raw, it isn't intoxicating; heat converts it to THC (decarboxylation), which is why the method matters as much as the strain.

• Smoking (joint, pipe, bong): the fastest onset. Take one or two small hits, then wait 10–15 minutes before deciding on more.
• Dry-herb vaporizer: the best way to taste the vanilla and cream. Lower temperatures, around 350–380°F, keep the sweetness forward; 390–410°F brings out the pepper and the heavier body.
• Pre-rolls: the no-prep option — see our THCA pre-rolls.
• Homemade edibles: decarb the flower first. Edibles take 30–120 minutes to kick in and last far longer, so start low and wait the full two hours.

How much? New or occasional users: one small puff, then wait 15–30 minutes — this one creeps into the body. Regular users usually find two or three hits gives the full arc. With rosin, start with a rice-grain-sized dab. You can always add more; you can't take it back.

Medicinal Benefits

These are uses consumers report on AllBud and dispensary listings, not established clinical outcomes. Individual response varies with dose, tolerance and chemotype.

• Stress and anxiety: both listed by AllBud, consistent with the calming, happy headline effects.
• Pain, arthritis and inflammation: AllBud lists chronic pain, arthritis, inflammation, cramps and muscle spasms — the heavy body is the reason people reach for it.
• Insomnia: AllBud lists it, and "sleepy" is one of its tagged effects.
• Low appetite: Weedmaps users report late-night munchies, a trait inherited from Ice Cream Cake.

For a plain-language primer on how terpenes are thought to shape these effects, see Project CBD on terpenes. Nothing here is medical advice, and nothing on this page is intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. If you take prescription medication or have a health condition, talk to your doctor before using any cannabis product.

Side Effects and Cautions

• Dry mouth and dry eyes — the usual complaints with any high-THC dessert strain.
• Couch-lock and drowsiness — the most-reported trait at higher doses. Don't plan anything after.
• Munchies — a feature or a bug, depending on your goals.
• Anxiety at high doses — less common with this profile, but possible with any potent flower if you have low tolerance.

Is Ice Cream Runtz good for sleep? For many people, yes — it's one of the heavier Runtz crosses. Don't drive after using it, and talk to your doctor first if you take prescription medication, are pregnant or nursing, or have a heart condition.

Is Ice Cream Runtz Top Shelf? How to Judge a Good Bag

• Ask for the lineage and the breeder. Ice Cream Cake × Runtz from Lit Farms is the documented version; "Wedding Cake × Gelato 33" on the label means you're probably holding Ice Cream Cake.
• A current third-party COA naming the lab, with THCA, delta-9 and total THC. Treat 30%+ claims without paperwork as marketing. Ours are on the lab results page.
• Cream and candy. Real Ice Cream Runtz smells of vanilla, butter and cookie dough with a sugary fruit edge. Flat, hay-like or purely earthy flower is old or mislabeled.
• Dense, frosty buds — tight nugs with purple undertones and a thick white coat. Loose, airy buds don't match the strain's described structure.
• A proper cure — sticky but not wet, and the vanilla should come through the moment you break a bud.

Growing Ice Cream Runtz

Ice Cream Runtz grows like its Ice Cream Cake parent — compact, dense and resin-heavy. Breeder-level data is thin, so here's what the sources say:

• Flowering: 55–65 days indoors, about 60 on average, per SeedFinder. Strain guides say 8–9 weeks.
• Seeds: feminized only, per SeedFinder, suitable for indoor and outdoor growing.
• Yield: strain guides claim 400–550 g/m² indoors and an outdoor harvest in mid-to-late October, but no breeder figure backs that up.
• Plant shape: compact and sturdy with a moderate stretch. Top early and use low-stress training to keep the canopy even.
• Watch for mold: those dense colas trap moisture. Keep airflow strong and humidity down in late flower.
• Color: cooler nights in the last weeks bring out more of the purple.

Is Ice Cream Runtz THCA Flower Legal?

Under the 2018 Farm Bill, hemp is federally legal when it contains no more than 0.3% delta-9 THC on a dry-weight basis — see the USDA hemp program. THCA flower is sold under that rule. State laws differ and are changing, so check your state before you order. And whatever the label says, THCA flower will show up on a drug test — heated, it is THC.

Shop Premium Flower at Diesel Hemp

• Lemon Cherry Gelato THCA Flower — our featured pick — a creamy, Gelato-family dessert hybrid with a happy, relaxed body, from $69.
• THCA Flower — the full lineup, grown in Colorado by Diesel Hemp and partner farms.
• THCA Pre-Rolls — the same flower, pre-rolled.
• THCA Small Buds — same genetics, smaller nugs, better price per gram.
• What THCA flower actually is — the encyclopedia explainer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Ice Cream Runtz indica or sativa?

Ice Cream Runtz is an indica-leaning hybrid. SeedFinder lists it as mostly indica, most dispensaries label it indica-dominant, and AllBud calls it a balanced 50/50. Most people use it in the evening.

What is Ice Cream Runtz a cross of?

SeedFinder and Weedmaps list Ice Cream Cake × Runtz. Ice Cream Cake is Wedding Cake × Gelato #33, and Runtz is Zkittlez × Gelato. Theory Wellness sells a version made with White Runtz instead, and AllBud lists Wedding Cake × Gelato 33 — Ice Cream Cake's own pedigree.

Who bred Ice Cream Runtz?

SeedFinder credits Lit Farms, which also lists a descendant called Gas Cream Runtz (Ice Cream Runtz × Lit OG). We couldn't find a release year.

Is Ice Cream Runtz the same as Ice Cream Cake?

No. Ice Cream Cake is one of its parents. Ice Cream Runtz adds Runtz, which brings a sugary candy-fruit edge. If a label says Wedding Cake × Gelato 33, though, it may really be Ice Cream Cake.

How strong is Ice Cream Runtz?

AllBud lists 19–23% THC. Unsourced strain guides say 22–28%, and one Canadian product with a similar name is labeled 26–33%. Expect low-to-mid 20s from a good batch.

What does Ice Cream Runtz taste like?

Creamy vanilla, butter, nutty cookie dough and sugar, with a little candied fruit and citrus on the exhale. AllBud lists buttery, creamy, nutty, sugary, sweet and vanilla.

What are the effects of Ice Cream Runtz?

AllBud lists happy, uplifting, tingly, calming, relaxing, sleepy and a body high. Weedmaps users add a long-lasting buzz, couch-lock and munchies.

Is Ice Cream Runtz good for sleep?

For many people, yes. 'Sleepy' is one of AllBud's listed effects, AllBud lists insomnia among reported uses, and higher doses bring couch-lock.

Is Ice Cream Runtz good for anxiety?

AllBud lists anxiety and stress among consumer-reported uses, and the profile is calming. Keep the dose low, since any potent flower can cause anxiety at high doses.

Is Ice Cream Runtz the same as Iced Runtz?

No. SeedFinder credits Iced Runtz to Universally Seeded. It's a separate strain with a similar name.

How long does Ice Cream Runtz take to flower?

About 55–65 days indoors, per SeedFinder, which lists feminized seeds for indoor and outdoor growing.

Where can I buy Ice Cream Runtz THCA flower online?

Ice Cream Runtz isn't in the Diesel Hemp shop right now. Our closest everyday pick is Lemon Cherry Gelato THCA Flower — a creamy, Gelato-family dessert hybrid with a happy, relaxed body, from $69, third-party lab tested. It runs cherry-citrus rather than vanilla, so for a heavier, sweeter-gas evening option try Permanent Marker. Add a pre-roll to ship free over $75.

Related Strains

• Ice Cream Cake — the vanilla-and-butter parent of Ice Cream Runtz.
• Runtz — the candy-fruit parent and 2020 Strain of the Year.
• White Runtz — the Runtz sister in Theory Wellness's version.
• Wedding Cake — one of Ice Cream Cake's parents.
• Gelato #33 — the Gelato cut behind Ice Cream Cake.
• Zkittlez — the candy half of Runtz.
• Ice Cream Cookies — the vanilla-mint strain on the same base.
• Gelato — the dessert family on both sides of the tree.
• Lemon Cherry Gelato — our creamy, Gelato-family in-stock pick.
• Browse the Full Diesel Hemp Encyclopedia