Highest-rated ice cream shops in Phoenix by diners
Ice cream is a treat that can be enjoyed all year round, although the volume produced during the hotter months signals otherwise. The majority of ice cream and other frozen desserts in the U.S. are made between March and August, with July being the busiest month of all, according to the Department of Agriculture.
Many Americans have memories of their pastel green mint chocolate chip scoop dripping down their waffle cone at the height of summer or cooling down with their sprinkle-covered chocolate and vanilla soft-serve twist. Ice cream tends to scream nostalgia, but the range of available flavors has evolved since the days when the dessert was mainly limited to vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry.
Of course, that doesn't mean those aren't still top-tier choices. According to a May 2024 survey of 2,200 American adults by the International Dairy Foods Association and Morning Consult, the top 10 ice cream flavors today are still the three classics (vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry, in that order) followed by butter pecan, cookie dough, cookies and cream, mint chocolate chip, chocolate chip, rocky road, and peanut butter or peanut butter cup.
Nowadays, many ice cream shops offer fresh combinations and ingredients you may never have imagined could be made into ice cream, concoctions like black sesame cookies and cream or honey lavender. Some ice cream shops boast flavors with even more unheard-of ingredients and combinations, like the savory tarragon olive oil or pineapple with pink peppercorns.
Ice cream creators have also expanded into rethinking frozen yogurt, soft serve, and vegan options. Dairy-free folks no longer have to order the only sorbet on the menu. There are nondairy milk ice creams made from plant-based milks like oat or almond and other plant-based products like avocado or sunflower butter.
And then there are the toppings, one of the best parts about getting a scoop at your local shop. Pour on the condensed milk or dulce de leche. Sprinkle bits of honeycomb or your favorite childhood cereal.
Ice cream shops everywhere have made it their job to serve up the smoothest, creamiest, and most crave-able options. To find out who's doing the best job of it, Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated ice cream shops in Phoenix using data from Yelp. Data is as of June 14, 2024.
Businesses were selected using Yelp's ranking system, which calculates an adjusted rating value that takes into account the number of ratings as well as the rating score itself. Only businesses with at least 10 reviews were considered. Also, in an effort to highlight independent businesses and local chains, those with more than five locations nationally, based on the Yelp data, were not included.
Read on to determine where you'll get your next cup or cone from!
Note: The photos in this article are stock images and do not necessarily depict the specific ice cream shops listed or the items they serve.
#29. Snowtime
- Rating: 4.4/5 (78 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 4905 East Ray Road Ste 101 Ahwatukee Foothills Towne Center Phoenix, Arizona
- Categories: coffee & tea, shaved ice, ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#28. Churn
- Rating: 4.4/5 (1171 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 5223 North Central Ave. Phoenix, Arizona
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, desserts, candy stores
- Read more on Yelp
#27. Milk Run
- Rating: 4.4/5 (663 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1702 West Camelback Road Phoenix, Arizona
- Categories: coffee & tea, bubble tea, ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#26. Water Mart
- Rating: 4.5/5 (11 reviews)
- Address: 10855 North Tatum Blvd. Phoenix, Arizona
- Categories: water delivery, ice cream & frozen yogurt, shaved ice
- Read more on Yelp
#25. Sweet Republic
- Rating: 4.5/5 (492 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 6054 North 16th St. Phoenix, Arizona
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#24. Antojitos Mi Pueblo Restaurant
- Rating: 4.5/5 (28 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 505 West Dunlap Ave. Ste H Phoenix, Arizona
- Categories: shaved ice, ice cream & frozen yogurt, mexican
- Read more on Yelp
#23. Scoopwell's Dough Bar
- Rating: 4.5/5 (269 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 100 East Camelback Road Ste 164 Phoenix, Arizona
- Categories: desserts, ice cream & frozen yogurt, bakeries
- Read more on Yelp
#22. Chris' Water & Ice
- Rating: 4.5/5 (17 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1334 East Chandler Blvd. Ste 2 Phoenix, Arizona
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#21. La Flor De Michoacan
- Rating: 4.5/5 (11 reviews)
- Address: 1644 East Southern Ave. Phoenix, Arizona
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, desserts
- Read more on Yelp
#20. Alebrije
- Rating: 4.6/5 (46 reviews)
- Address: 10171 North 19th Ave. Ste 7 Phoenix, Arizona
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, shaved ice, desserts
- Read more on Yelp
#19. Brimley's Water & Ice
- Rating: 4.6/5 (19 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 3415 West Glendale Ave. Ste 24 Phoenix, Arizona
- Categories: water stores, shaved ice, ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#18. Jonny Creams Ice Cream
- Rating: 4.6/5 (23 reviews)
- Address: 4001 East Bell Road Phoenix, Arizona
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#17. Soda Jerk
- Rating: 4.6/5 (268 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 5350 East High St. Ste 109 Phoenix, Arizona
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, desserts
- Read more on Yelp
#16. Frost Gelato at the Biltmore
- Rating: 4.7/5 (405 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2502 East Camelback Road Phoenix, Arizona
- Categories: gelato, ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#15. AZ Pops
- Rating: 4.7/5 (114 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 5050 North 7th St. Phoenix, Arizona
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#14. Neveria Y Taqueria Yesi
- Rating: 4.7/5 (21 reviews)
- Address: 2541 North 32nd St. Phoenix, Arizona
- Categories: tacos, ice cream & frozen yogurt, ramen
- Read more on Yelp
#13. Scooptopia
- Rating: 4.7/5 (229 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 4700 North Central Ave. Ste 105 Phoenix, Arizona
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, bubble tea, shaved ice
- Read more on Yelp
#12. Valley Ice Cream Shop
- Rating: 4.8/5 (62 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2250 North 16th St. Phoenix, Arizona
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, shaved ice
- Read more on Yelp
#11. Sweet Crimes Candy Vault
- Rating: 4.8/5 (20 reviews)
- Address: 114 West Adams St. Phoenix, Arizona
- Categories: candy stores, ice cream & frozen yogurt, desserts
- Read more on Yelp
#10. Lix Uptown Ice Cream
- Rating: 4.8/5 (144 reviews)
- Address: 3343 North 7th Ave. Ste 3 Phoenix, Arizona
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#9. Peace Cream
- Rating: 4.9/5 (280 reviews)
- Address: 15414 North 19th Ave. P2 Phoenix, Arizona
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, coffee & tea, desserts
- Read more on Yelp
#8. Neveria Los Tio's
- Rating: 4.9/5 (10 reviews)
- Address: 3923 East Thomas Road Phoenix, Arizona
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, juice bars & smoothies
- Read more on Yelp
#7. Raspados Solaris
- Rating: 4.9/5 (175 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 9204 North 7th St. Unit 6 Phoenix, Arizona
- Categories: desserts, shaved ice, ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#6. Novel Ice Cream
- Rating: 4.9/5 (1177 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1028 Grand Ave. Ste 6 Phoenix, Arizona
- Categories: desserts, ice cream & frozen yogurt, donuts
- Read more on Yelp
#5. Jokers Ice Cream And Italian Ice
- Rating: 4.9/5 (13 reviews)
- Address: 18400 North 19th Ave. Ste A Phoenix, Arizona
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#4. The Scookie Bar
- Rating: 4.9/5 (13 reviews)
- Address: 901 North 1st St. Ste 100 Phoenix, Arizona
- Categories: desserts, food trucks, ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#3. Antojitos La Super Phx
- Rating: 4.9/5 (16 reviews)
- Address: 8040 North 27th Ave. Phoenix, Arizona
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#2. CHILL Water + Ice Cream
- Rating: 5.0/5 (14 reviews)
- Address: 111 East Dunlap Ave. Ste 21 Phoenix, Arizona
- Categories: water stores, ice cream & frozen yogurt, ice delivery
- Read more on Yelp
#1. Old School Ice Cream Bus
- Rating: 5.0/5 (11 reviews)
- Address: Phoenix, Arizona
- Categories: food trucks, ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
This story features data reporting by Karim Noorani, writing by Chia-Yi Hou, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 237 metros.