Nothing says summertime like ice cream. July is National Ice Cream Month and there’s no better way to fight off Arizona’s sweltering temperatures than to grab a cone or dish of your favorite flavor. Here are nine Metro Phoenix ice cream shops that are bound to give you a brain freeze.
Sweet Republic
Sweet Republic, in Scottsdale and Phoenix, handcrafts its ice cream in-store in small batches. They use Arizona dairy products and there are no artificial flavors, colors, preservatives or hydrogenated oils in anything they make. Some of their more than 20 flavors include matcha green tea, sesame and peaches and cream. Milkshakes, vegan sorbet, and to go pints are also available.
Scoop and Joy Lounge
Scoop and Joy in Scottsdale is best known for creating adorable little faces out of candy, cookies, and pretzels on the top of your ice cream (just say yes when they ask if you’d like a surprise!) They serve Lappert’s ice cream from Hawaii plus boba tea, Dole whip, coffee and homemade baked goods; you can also buy pints.
Churn
Churn — with locations in Gilbert and Phoenix — is a classic ice cream shop with retro vibes. They have dozens of rotating flavors, ranging from classics like rocky road to the unique goat cheese, honey, and pistachio. Add one of 15 toppings options to make it your own. Churn also sells baked goods and old-fashioned candy and toys and pints and quarts of ice cream.
Nomadic Ice Cream Rolls
If you’re tired of the typical ice cream cone, try an ice cream roll from this hip shop in Glendale. Choose a base, fillings, and toppings, as watch as ice cream rollers create a custom concoction. Or pick one of Nomadic’s many creatively-named flavors – like His Dudeness, which has a vanilla mocha base, Reese’s cookies, Reese’s, banana and salted chocolate caramel syrup.
Sugar Bowl
With its bright pink exterior and colorful lettering, the Sugar Bowl is easy to find in Old Town Scottsdale. This traditional ice cream parlor and diner was opened in 1958 and still features retro booths and the original soda fountain. They serve it all – floats, milkshakes, malts, sundaes, splits, parfaits, and their signature Camelback soda, which is made with old-fashioned soda. Pints and quarts of ice cream are also available.
Novel
Novel is among the Phoenix ice cream shops that regularly debuts limited-time, inventive ice cream flavors, like the Hangry Honey Bee – salted sweet cream with raw honey and chocolate-covered honeycomb – and the Ron Swanson – an egg custard base with maple syrup, whiskey caramel sauce and candied bacon. You can choose to have your ice cream served in a warm donut bun or a European waffle sandwich. Novel also sells two dog-friendly flavors.
Udder Delights
Udder Delights’ ice cream is made daily with local milk. They have a variety of delicious flavors, such as cherry chip, cinnamon, salted caramel and butter pecan. Three types of cones are available, as are root beer floats, milkshakes, dairy-free sorbets, pooches-n-creams for dogs and pints and quarts to go. Located in Gilbert, Udder Delights also sells milk, butter, and cheese from its dairy farm, Superstition Farm, and has an ice cream truck, bike, and tent that you might find at festivals and events around town.
Nami
If you’re looking for vegan ice cream, look no further. Nami’s unique ice cream treats are made with unrefined cane sugar and the company’s signature organic soy and coconut milk tSoft tServe ice cream. Banana cream pie, chai tiramisu, and cookies and cream are just a handful of the yummy flavors Nami offers. They also serve breakfast, brunch, pastries, coffee and take n’ bake cookie dough, all of which are vegan.
Mary Coyle Ol’ Fashion Ice Cream
Mary Coyle’s butterfat ice cream and waffle cones are made on the premises. Simple and classic flavors, such as butter pecan, cotton candy, and black licorice, can be made into cookie sandwiches, sundaes, milkshakes and banana splits. Their signature dishes, showboats, have retro names like Twin Chips “Right Off the Old Block” and Hot Copper Roof “It Leaks Caramel.” Pints and quarts to go are also available.
