Highest-rated ice cream shops in Albany by diners
Highest-rated ice cream shops in Albany 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 the Albany 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 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!
#21. Lickety Split
- Rating: 3.2/5 (35 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 589 Columbia Tpke East Greenbush, New York
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#20. On the Farm
- Rating: 3.2/5 (39 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 273 Troy Schenectady Road Latham, New York
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Burgers, fast food
- Read more on Yelp
#19. The Ice Cream Shop
- Rating: 3.5/5 (22 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2113 Central Ave. Schenectady, New York
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#18. 16 Handles
- Rating: 3.5/5 (37 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 380 Route 9W Glenmont, New York
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Desserts, Juice Bars & Smoothies
- Read more on Yelp
#17. Berry & Berry
- Rating: 3.6/5 (35 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1 Crossgates Mall Road Albany, New York
- Categories: Shaved Ice, Bubble Tea, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#16. Frank's Ice Cream
- Rating: 3.6/5 (51 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 496 Albany Shaker Road Ste 3 Loudonville, New York
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Italian, American
- Read more on Yelp
#15. Kurver Kreme
- Rating: 3.6/5 (128 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1349 Central Ave. Albany, New York
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#14. Control Tower
- Rating: 3.8/5 (46 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1050 Troy Schenectady Road All 4 Fun Latham, New York
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Mini Golf
- Read more on Yelp
#13. Mac's Drive-In
- Rating: 3.8/5 (59 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 648 3rd Ave. Watervliet, New York
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Burgers, Hot Dogs
- Read more on Yelp
#12. Nocturnal Cookies
- Rating: 3.9/5 (66 reviews)
- Address: 5 Clinton Sq Albany, New York
- Categories: Desserts, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#11. Guptill's Ice Cream
- Rating: 4.0/5 (151 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1085 New Loudon Road Cohoes, New York
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#10. Stella's Creamery & Cakes
- Rating: 4.0/5 (23 reviews)
- Address: 2013 State St. Schenectady, New York
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Patisserie/Cake Shop, Hot Dogs
- Read more on Yelp
#9. 16 Handles
- Rating: 4.1/5 (31 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 593 North Greenbush Road Rensselaer, New York
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Juice Bars & Smoothies, Desserts
- Read more on Yelp
#8. Jim's Tastee Freez
- Rating: 4.2/5 (59 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 58 Delaware Ave. Delmar, New York
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Juice Bars & Smoothies, Hot Dogs
- Read more on Yelp
#7. Scoups Homemade Ice Cream
- Rating: 4.2/5 (89 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 566 Albany Shaker Road Albany, New York
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#6. Emack & Bolio's Ice Cream
- Rating: 4.4/5 (216 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 366 Delaware Ave. Albany, New York
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Toy Stores, Chocolatiers & Shops
- Read more on Yelp
#5. Duck Donuts
- Rating: 4.5/5 (109 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 579 Troy Schenectady Road Latham, New York
- Categories: Donuts, Coffee & Tea, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#4. Snowman
- Rating: 4.5/5 (159 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 531 5th Ave. Troy, New York
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#3. The Grandstand
- Rating: 4.7/5 (20 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 1268 High Bridge Road Schenectady, New York
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Desserts, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#2. The Dutch Udder Craft Ice Cream
- Rating: 4.7/5 (132 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 282 River St. Troy, New York
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#1. Eggcellent
- Rating: 4.7/5 (35 reviews)
- Address: 1660 Western Ave. Albany, New York
- Categories: Desserts, Bubble Tea, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
