Summertime in Austin is hot, sticky, and unbearable. The best way to cool off is with a delicious scoop (or two) of ice cream, gelato, or frozen custard, from one of the many nearby stores.
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Whether you’re looking for something classic like vanilla or strawberry, or you want to try something new like salted caramel or green tea, there’s an ice cream store for you in this city. We’ve listed the best ice cream stores for you!
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Amy’s Ice Cream
Amy’s Ice Cream is a local favorite, with locations all over Austin. They have a wide variety of super premium homemade ice cream and vegan and dairy-free options. Vegans will enjoy the Mexican Vanilla, Vegan Chocolate, and occasionally they’ll make a batch of vegan coffee flavors. Their top-selling flavors include Mexican Vanilla and Belgian Chocolate, but they also have unique flavors like Zilker Mint Chip. Some of their specialty flavors are the Marshmallow Peanut Butter Cup, Matcha Snap, and Toasted Marshmallow. They’ve got locations in Houston and San Antonio. In Austin, they have 13 ice cream shops.
1301 S Congress Ave, Austin, TX 78704 amysicecreams.com
Connor’s Creamery
Get the soft-serve ice cream out of a trailer at Connor’s Creamery. Connor’s Creamery is a small ice cream shop located in the Hyde Park neighborhood of North Austin. They’ve got eight different options that include Black Raspberry, Bubble Gum, Butter Pecan, Blue Raspberry
12709 N Mopac Expy, Austin, TX 78727 connorscreamery.com
Lick Honest Ice Cream
Lick Honest Ice Cream is an ice cream shop that specializes in small-batch, seasonal, sustainable artisan ice cream. They have a wide variety of flavors to choose from, including dairy-free and vegan options. Seasonal summer flavors include peach cheesecake, peach leaf graham crunch, and blushing blueberry. In addition to ice cream, they also offer cookies, ice cream sandwiches, and ice cream cakes.
6555 Burnet Rd #200, Austin, TX 78757
1100 S Lamar Blvd #1135, Austin, TX 78704
1905 Aldrich St Suite 150, Austin, TX 78723
The Baked Bear
The Baked Bear is a California-based ice cream shop that recently opened an Austin location. They specialize in premium made-to-order, build-your-own ice cream sandwiches with your choice of ice cream, cookies, and toppings. They got options for gluten-free folks and vegans. They’re so popular they’ve got branches in 10 states and many more locations.
211 Walter Seaholm Drive Suite LR150 Austin, TX 78701 thebakedbear.com
Manolis Ice Cream
Manolis Ice Cream, Pastries, & Cakes is a Latinx family-owned and operated dessert food truck. All of the ice cream, pastries, sorbet, Italian ice, and other treats are made right inside the trucks with high-quality and fresh ingredients. The family started their business in 2018 to share our delicious recipes that mix their Colombian roots with their love for European pastries and Italian Ice Cream.
The truck is now situated in a beautiful space surrounded by oak trees with lots of seating, lights, and parking! Manolis has a jungle gym and lots of games sprinkled throughout for the kiddos! The location is pet-friendly, and seating is spaced out for social distancing. This new location gives them a space to grow and allows customers to have an incredibly unique experience while enjoying our delicious creations! Manolis has also expanded their menu options to include dairy-free, gluten-free, and vegan options. Manolis always use real fruits without fake flavors or extracts in our items and constantly improve every flavor to make sure everyone that visits leaves with a smile on their face. Whether it’s traditional Colombian juices, passion fruit ice cream, or a decadent chocolate mousse cake, anyone can come and find something in the menus that you’re sure to love!
8907 Circle Dr Austin, TX, manolisusa.com
Gati’s Ice Cream
Gati Ice Cream is in East Austin and is home to coconut milk-based vegan and gluten-free ice cream. Beyond their popular ice creams, they also function as a coffee shop. Their bakery serves up delicious banana bread, Brazilian cheese breads, and incredible gluten-free/vegan brownies.
1512 Holly st. Austin TX 78702 gatiicecream.com
Dolce Neve
Dolce Neve is an Italian ice cream shop located in the South Congress neighborhood of Austin. They are 100% Italian-owned and have won awards for their artisanal gelatos. Beyond Austin, they’ve got Houston branches. in Austin and Houston. Some rotating flavors include- Mascarpone and Figs, Cassata, Ricotta Honey and Pistachio, Goat Cheese and Pecan, Goat Cheese and Blueberry Jam, and Fromage Blanc and Apricot Jam. Further, some seasonal flavors include Organic Watermelon sorbet, Organic Cantaloupe sorbet, and Organic Mango sorbet, each one vegan.
1713 S 1st St, Austin, TX 78704
1109 E 5th St. Suite 170, Austin, TX 78702 dolcenevegelato.com
Gelateria Gemelli
If you’re looking for a delicious and unique after-dinner treat, look no further than Gelateria Gemelli. This East Austin hotspot offers high-quality gelato at a reasonable price, with flavors that are sure to please any palate. From the savory Miso Vanilla to the Olive Oil gelato, there’s something for everyone at this charming little gelato shop. And be sure to check out their handcrafted cocktails – perfect for pairing with a scoop of your favorite flavor!
1009 East 6th St Austin, TX 78702 gelateriagemelli.com
Holla Mode
Holla mode offers a unique and fresh take on ice cream. The shop uses local dairy or organic coconut milk to create its rolled ice cream flavors, such as mango and sticky rice, Thai coffee, and key lime pie. Holla mode also uses only organic produce and cane sugar to sweeten its treats. Holla mode stands out from the competition because it uses fresh, homemade liquid ingredients poured onto a frozen stainless steel surface. This creates a truly one-of-a-kind ice cream experience that Austin residents are sure to love.
1800 Barton Springs Rd Austin, TX — 78704 hollamode.com
Bésame
Bésame is one of the most recent entries into Austin’s food scene, bringing a fresh perspective on ice cream. All of their ice creams are made fresh in the same truck that they sell their scoops from, with a higher ratio of cream to milk than other ice creams. This allows for more inventive and yummy flavors like pretzel milk and strawberry jam-swirled “My Jam” or “Texas Corn.” With its creative flavors and fun atmosphere, Bésame is quickly becoming a favorite among Austinites.
Parked at Meanwhile Brewing, one of my favorite breweries in Austin.
3901 Promontory Point Dr. Austin, TX 78744
Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream
If you’re looking for an unusual ice cream experience, Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream is the place to go. This artisanal ice cream shop offers silky smooth and buttercream-bodied scoops, with melt-in-your-mouth chunky funky flavors like Bombastic Sundae Cone (an old-fashioned vanilla cone coated in crisp chocolate) and Butterscotch Popcorn. And for those with a sweet tooth, don’t miss the Buttercream Birthday Cake – Buttercream frosting, golden cake, and a rainbow of sprinkles.
4616 Triangle Ave., Suite 200 Austin, TX 78751
Taqueria la Violeta
For a unique dining experience, look no further than Taqueria la Violeta. This restaurant is housed within Beerburg Brewing and is situated across 15 picturesque acres in the Texas Hill Country. You can enjoy made-from-scratch ice cream paired with vegan and gluten-free beers. Current options include signature mushroom rocky road chocolate, dark roast coffee, and miso sesame. Top with syrups like chocolate, orange, dulce de leche, honey bourbon, and Kahlua. House-made vegan coconut vanilla ice cream is also available for those who want something a little different.
13476 Fitzhugh Rd. beerburgbrewing.com
Luv Fats
Luv Fats is a black-owned vegan and dairy-free ice cream made with coconut and avocado. Super creamy and delicious!
7135 N Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX
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DipDipDip Ice Cream
DipDipDip Ice Cream is a Japanese-inspired creamery that takes local milk, cream, and buttermilk from Hill Country Dairies. They have unique flavors like Sum Yum Yuzu, Miso-Peanut Butter & Jelly Ice Cream, Japanese Purple Sweet Potato Ice Cream, Matcha Green Tea Ice Cream, Coconut Makrut Lime Sorbet, and Caramel-Chocolate-Shitake Ice Cream. DipDipDip Ice Cream is served in a pink lemon-dipped cone or cup with a dipped waffle chip. They also offer ice cream tacos, boozy milkshakes, and assorted pints.
7301 Burnet Rd., Ste. 101 Austin TX dipdipdip-icecream.com
Thai Fresh
Thai Fresh is an Austin-based company that makes all of its ice cream with coconut milk, making it an all-vegan ice cream joint. The flavors are inspired by Thai cuisine and are absolutely amazing. Crowd favorites are the Golden Milk flavor, Black Sticky Rice Horchata, and Coconut Lime. It’s best with housemade charcoal waffle cones. The ice cream is incredibly creamy and smooth, making it a real treat to enjoy.
909 West Mary St. Austin, Texas 78704 thai-fresh.com
Taco Sweets
At Taco Sweets, you can build your own waffle-cone taco with ice cream. First, choose a shell option, which can be vanilla or chocolate. Then choose your favorite ice cream flavor: vanilla, chocolate, mint chocolate chip, cookies and cream, or strawberry. Finally, choose your choice of sauce and toppings. Classic toppings like chocolate chips and sprinkles are available or get creative with your favorite cereal or candy.
11200 Lakeline Mall Dr, Cedar Park, TX, 78613 tacosweets.com
SnoMo
SnoMo is a Taiwanese shaved ice cream store that specializes in fluffy and creamy ribbons of ice cream. You can choose from a variety of toppings, including boba, fruit, and candy. SnoMo is a hybrid between a snow cone and an ice cream cone, and it’s quickly becoming one of the most popular ice cream stores in Austin.
11220 N. Lamar Blvd #B275 Austin, TX 78753
900 Ranch Road 620 S. #A109 Lakeway, TX 78734
Sandy’s
Sandy’s is a drive-thru burger, custard, and root beer stand that serves up some delicious frozen custard. The vanilla cone dipped in chocolate is a crowd favorite, and the chocolate rimmed waffle cones filled with rich chocolate soft serve are also a must-try. You can’t go wrong with any of the cones, shakes, malts, sundaes, or floats at Sandy’s.
603 Barton Springs Rd Austin, TX 78704 sandysaustin.com
Lou’s Bodega
If you’re looking for a great place to enjoy some ice cream in Austin, Lou’s is the perfect spot. This East Austin restaurant has a fabulous outdoor patio space with turf and tables, perfect for enjoying a delicious burger or rotisserie chicken alongside your sweet treat. And if you’re feeling extra indulgent, they also serve up frozen custard!
1900 E. Cesar Chavez St. Austin, TX 78702
1608 Barton Springs Rd Austin, TX 78704
Dolce Bacio Gelato & Desserts
Dolce Bacio Gelato & Desserts is a gelato food truck that also serves up some of the best desserts in town. They are described as 100% Authentic Italian Artisan and have Master Gelato Chefs that create their gelatos and desserts from scratch with the healthiest ingredients. Their gelato is made fresh daily, and they have a wide selection of flavors to choose from, such as chocolate, pistachio, and strawberry. In addition to gelato, they also offer a variety of pastries, cookies, and cakes. Interestingly the Goat Cheese Honey Lavender is a must try, as is the passion fruit sorbet when it’s in season.
6900 Ranch Road North #620, Austin TX 78732
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