There’s not much better than delicious ice cream on a hot summer day. Check out our list of some of the best ice cream shops in the Phoenix area for a frozen treat.
Churn
Churn, located next to Windsor in North Central Phoenix, is an artisan ice cream shop. They have a nostalgic ice cream parlor feel, serving up fresh, homemade ice cream. Cone options include waffle cone, pretzel cone, sugar cone and cake cone. The menu offers ice cream sundaes, cones, milkshakes, floats, ice cream sandwiches and more. The ice cream flavor selection includes the basic chocolate and vanilla, with also some more unique flavors such as Sparkling Elderflower Sorbet and Whiskey Toffee Almond (flavors rotate).
churnaz.com
Sugar Bowl
The Sugar Bowl is a long time resident of Old Town Scottsdale, getting its start in 1958. Both a tourist hot spot and local favorite, Sugar Bowl offers that old fashioned ice cream parlor experience. They serve ice cream cones, banana splits, sundaes, milkshakes and floats. The have standard flavors you would expect at an old fashioned ice cream parlor, including chocolate, vanilla, rocky road and mint chocolate chip, as well as a monthly special flavor. Sugar Bowl also hosts ice cream birthday parties.
sugarbowlscottsdale.com
The Baked Bear
A concept that started in Southern California, The Baked Bear has made its way to Arizona, opening its first location in 2016 in Scottsdale (there are now locations in Gilbert and Tempe). This “build your own ice cream sandwich” shop is fun for kids and adults alike. Choose your cookie, your ice cream flavor and your toppings to create your own custom ice cream sandwich. The Baked Bear prides themselves on original recipe cookies, baked from scratch in house and served fresh out of the oven everyday. Their craft homemade ice cream is creamy and rich, made with the highest quality ingredients. thebakedbear.com
Mary Coyle Ol’ Fashion Ice Cream & Yogurt
Mary Coyle Ol’ Fashion Ice Cream opened in Phoenix in 1951 when Mary moved from Ohio to Phoenix. Recently relocated to Central Avenue, Mary Coyle’s serves old fashioned homemade ice cream. The Showboats seem to be one of the most popular, which are essentially delicious sundaes. An example would be The Turtle and the Hare made with butter pecan ice cream, hot fudge, caramel and crushed pecans. On the list of specialty items, the Grand Canyon is a special one indeed! This dish weighs eleven full pounds, plus whip cream and cherries – includes six toppings and peanuts on top. Mary Coyle’s also offers the standard ice cream menu items such as ice cream cones, ice cream sandwiches, banana splits, milkshakes and floats.
marycoyle.net
Sweet Republic
Sweet Republic, with two locations–one in Scottsdale, one in Phoenix–serves handcraft all-natural, made-from-scratch artisan ice cream and sorbets, sourcing local ingredients. They sell ice cream cones, sundaes, milkshakes, ice cream sandwiches and floats. Ice cream and sorbet flavors can vary by location, but you can always expect to see the standard chocolate, vanilla and mint chip. Flavors rotate, but Sweet Corn and Earl Grey Tea are favorites. They even offer a delivery service; with 72 hours notice you can place a delivery order through the store. If you simply have a late-night hankering for ice cream, you’ll need to use Door Dash or Uber Eats to get some Sweet Republic delivered to your door.
sweetrepublic.com
Creamistry
Creamistry is a made-to-order liquid nitrogen ice cream shop–quite the opposite of many of the ice cream shops on this list. They are the new age of ice cream! When their specially trained “Creamologists” inject liquid nitrogen into the mixing bowl, combining it with the ice cream mix, the liquid nitrogen quickly evaporates into a big cloud of smoke. Not only does the ice cream taste fresh and creamy, but it is also a fun experience for kids (and adults too) to watch the liquid nitrogen turn the base ingredients into ice cream right before their eyes. There are a variety of flavors to choose from as well as different ice cream “bases” to select. If you are looking for a dairy-free option, they offer a coconut milk base, or you can straight for their signature “premium” milk base. Pick your toppings and put it in a cone or a cup. There are also milkshake options. There are locations in Gilbert, Arcadia and at Scottsdale Waterfront.
creamistry.com