Highest-rated ice cream shops in Boulder by diners
Highest-rated ice cream shops in Boulder by diners
Nothing makes people quite as happy as a trip to the ice cream shop. Thankfully, there are endless options offering enough goods to tantalize anyone's palate. Across the U.S., nearly 17,800 ice cream shops serve up tasty treats to satisfy Americans' cravings.
While most of us would agree that there's no such thing as bad ice cream, there are still elements that keep customers coming back to one ice cream shop over another. A sense of newness and surprise are two big draws. Shop owners aim to please by using quality ingredients to experiment with new mashups—consider the rising trend of ice cream combined with pie. Some put unique spins on global treats, like Japanese mochi and Italian gelato. Others create giant Instagram-ready concoctions that become the highlight of social media.
Consumers have learned that smaller scoop shops may be more adaptive to real-time reactions, which means embracing new concepts, such as delicious dairy-free options. They can also ditch chemicals and give plant-based food coloring a try to see how it resonates with their customers.
But where artisanal shops really shine is in their ability to push the envelope to create amazing new flavors and limited-edition offerings that have customers eager to not miss out on what's next.
Seasonal ice creams feature fresh ingredients and flavors that evoke a particular time of year. Partnerships with local businesses can result in crave-able combinations highlighting local specialties. Many local shops also dabble with exotic flavors—savory ice cream, anyone?
To find out who's scooping up the best options, Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated ice cream shops in the Boulder area using data from Yelp. Data is as of June 24, 2025.
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 20 reviews and within a 10-kilometer radius of Boulder were considered. Also, in an effort to highlight independent businesses and local chains, those with more than 10 locations nationally, based on our Yelp data, were not included.
#16. DQ / Orange Julius
- Rating: 2.9/5 (22 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 685 30th St. Boulder, Colorado
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, fast food, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#15. Good Times Burgers & Frozen Custard
- Rating: 3.0/5 (75 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2050 26th St. Boulder, Colorado
- Categories: Burgers, fast food, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#14. Shake Shack Boulder
- Rating: 3.2/5 (63 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1680 29th St. #1288 Boulder, Colorado
- Categories: Burgers, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, fast food
- Read more on Yelp
#13. Häagen-Dazs
- Rating: 3.9/5 (182 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1148 Pearl St. Boulder, Colorado
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Juice Bars & Smoothies, Desserts
- Read more on Yelp
#12. Lindsay's Boulder Deli
- Rating: 4.0/5 (137 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1148 Pearl St. Boulder, Colorado
- Categories: Delis, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#11. Que Rico
- Rating: 4.2/5 (36 reviews)
- Address: 1855 29th St. Boulder, Colorado
- Categories: Desserts, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#10. Ripple Pure Frozen Yogurt
- Rating: 4.2/5 (124 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1682 30th St. Boulder, Colorado
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#9. Van Leeuwen Ice Cream - Boulder
- Rating: 4.3/5 (48 reviews)
- Address: 1750 29th St. Ste 1304 Boulder, Colorado
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#8. Gelato Boy
- Rating: 4.4/5 (313 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1433 Pearl St. Boulder, Colorado
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Gelato, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#7. Sweet Cow
- Rating: 4.4/5 (64 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 669 South Broadway Boulder, Colorado
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Desserts
- Read more on Yelp
#6. Gelato Boy
- Rating: 4.5/5 (115 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1021 Pearl St. Boulder, Colorado
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Gelato, Coffee & Tea
- Read more on Yelp
#5. Glacier Home Made Ice Cream & Gelato
- Rating: 4.5/5 (217 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 3133 28th St. Boulder, Colorado
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Gelato
- Read more on Yelp
#4. Sweet Cow
- Rating: 4.5/5 (420 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 637 Front St. Louisville, Colorado
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Desserts
- Read more on Yelp
#3. Sweet Cow
- Rating: 4.6/5 (214 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2628 Broadway St. Boulder, Colorado
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Desserts
- Read more on Yelp
#2. Heaven Creamery Boulder
- Rating: 4.6/5 (22 reviews)
- Address: 2525 Arapahoe Ave. Unit H-6 Boulder, Colorado
- Categories: Desserts, Creperies, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#1. Mc2 Ice Cream Truck
- Rating: 4.7/5 (42 reviews)
- Address: 8001 Arista Place Broomfield, Colorado
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Desserts, Food Trucks
- Read more on Yelp
