Highest-rated ice cream shops in Denver 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 Denver 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.
#28. Van Leeuwen Ice Cream - Denver
- Rating: 4.3/5 (67 reviews)
- Address: 1459 Larimer St. Denver, Colorado
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#27. Ay Guey Mexican Snacks
- Rating: 4.3/5 (26 reviews)
- Address: 3947 East 120th Ave. Ste B Denver, Colorado
- Categories: desserts, ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#26. Sweet Cooie's
- Rating: 4.4/5 (249 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 3506 East 12th Ave. Denver, Colorado
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, chocolatiers & shops
- Read more on Yelp
#25. High Point Creamery
- Rating: 4.4/5 (407 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 215 South Holly St. Denver, Colorado
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, coffee & tea
- Read more on Yelp
#24. Heaven Creamery Cherry Creek
- Rating: 4.4/5 (89 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 299 Milwaukee St. Denver, Colorado
- Categories: gelato, ice cream & frozen yogurt, waffles
- Read more on Yelp
#23. Gelato Boy
- Rating: 4.4/5 (43 reviews)
- Address: 4044 East 8th Place Denver, Colorado
- Categories: gelato, ice cream & frozen yogurt, waffles
- Read more on Yelp
#22. Little Man Ice Cream
- Rating: 4.4/5 (2806 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2620 16th St. Denver, Colorado
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#21. I Scream Gelato - Lowry
- Rating: 4.4/5 (89 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 63 North Quebec St. Ste 109 Denver, Colorado
- Categories: gelato, ice cream & frozen yogurt, desserts
- Read more on Yelp
#20. Da Sauce
- Rating: 4.5/5 (59 reviews)
- Address: 2907 Huron St. Ste 104 Denver, Colorado
- Categories: pizza, ice cream & frozen yogurt, sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
#19. Sweet Cow
- Rating: 4.5/5 (226 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1882 Old South Pearl St. Denver, Colorado
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, desserts, food trucks
- Read more on Yelp
#18. Sweet Action
- Rating: 4.5/5 (47 reviews)
- Address: 1061 South Gaylord St. Denver, Colorado
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#17. Little Man Ice Cream Central Park
- Rating: 4.5/5 (82 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 10175 East 29th Drive Denver, Colorado
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#16. Nuggs Ice Cream
- Rating: 4.5/5 (294 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 5135 East Colfax Ave. Denver, Colorado
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, desserts
- Read more on Yelp
#15. High Point Creamery
- Rating: 4.5/5 (184 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2669 Larimer St. Denver, Colorado
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#14. The Inventing Room Dessert Shop
- Rating: 4.6/5 (377 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 4433 West 29th Ave. Ste 101 Denver, Colorado
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, desserts, pop-up restaurants
- Read more on Yelp
#13. Sweet Cow
- Rating: 4.6/5 (575 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3475 West 32nd Ave. Denver, Colorado
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, desserts
- Read more on Yelp
#12. Neveria La Mexicana
- Rating: 4.6/5 (69 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 7506 East 36th Ave. Denver, Colorado
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#11. Mamacita's
- Rating: 4.6/5 (53 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 920 South Federal Blvd. Denver, Colorado
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#10. Right Cream
- Rating: 4.6/5 (35 reviews)
- Address: 2423 South Downing St. Denver, Colorado
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#9. Em's Ice Cream
- Rating: 4.6/5 (38 reviews)
- Address: 2829 Fairfax St. Denver, Colorado
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, food trucks
- Read more on Yelp
#8. Inside Scoop Creamery - Denver
- Rating: 4.6/5 (207 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1535 Platte St. Denver, Colorado
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#7. Rosie's Ice Cream
- Rating: 4.7/5 (16 reviews)
- Address: 4999 West 44th Ave. Denver, Colorado
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#6. Grandma's Sweet tooth
- Rating: 4.8/5 (20 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 9656 Washington St. Denver, Colorado
- Categories: candy stores, ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#5. Walia Creamery
- Rating: 4.8/5 (56 reviews)
- Address: 1119 Syracuse St. Denver, Colorado
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, ethiopian
- Read more on Yelp
#4. Scoops
- Rating: 4.8/5 (44 reviews)
- Address: 2247 Kearney St. Denver, Colorado
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#3. Sweet Sweetz Ice Cream & Desserts
- Rating: 4.9/5 (69 reviews)
- Address: 2325 East 28th Ave. Denver, Colorado
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, desserts
- Read more on Yelp
#2. MyKings Ice Cream
- Rating: 4.9/5 (67 reviews)
- Address: 2851 Colorado Blvd. Denver, Colorado
- Categories: desserts, ice cream & frozen yogurt, shaved ice
- Read more on Yelp
#1. Sweet Izzy
- Rating: 5.0/5 (22 reviews)
- Address: 3003 East 3rd Ave. Ste B Denver, Colorado
- Categories: desserts, vegan, 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.
