Several months ago, I set out on a mission to try 31 ice cream places in North Texas before National Ice Cream Month in July. I started this when temperatures in Dallas were in the 60s, which are obviously no longer in the 60s. I daresay this list comes just in time for a good cooling.
For someone who technically can’t have lactose, I do love ice cream. I prepared myself for this experience: I entered every parlor with trepidation and dairy pills. My tastebuds and stomach were constantly caught in a delightful tornado. Every scoop of ice cream was a bittersweet moment of joy and gut-wrenching regret, proving that sometimes, love hurts.
Brain freezes are nothing to me now. I eat ice cream faster than the sun can melt it. And that lactose problem? I think I fixed it.
In honor of July, here are 31 places in North Texas for every day of National Ice Cream Month. There’s a mix of dairy and dairy-free options, including shaved ice and paletas. (Ice cream is a flexible category, for this list. It’s more like frozen treats.) Have at it and unleash the ice cream connoisseur within.
The list below is in alphabetical order. My top 10 ice cream places are at the bottom. Skip to it here.
Mango and strawberry bingsu at Wicked Snow in Carrollton.
Nataly Keomoungkhoun
Azucar Ice Cream Company
This Miami-based ice cream shop is only going to be around through the end of July, as far as we know, and that’s a bummer, because it offers delicious Cuban ice cream right in the heart of Bishop Arts. A popular flavor is the creamy café con leche, an espresso base with Oreo bits. Vegan and dairy-free options available. 269 N. Bishop Ave.
Baldo’s Ice Cream & Coffee
The scoop shop by SMU has a rotating menu of classic flavors like mint chip, salted caramel, and cookies and cream. It’s also a café, so you can grab an affogato to-go, too. Vegan and dairy-free options available. 6401 Hillcrest Ave., Ste. 102.
Beth Marie’s Old Fashioned Ice Cream
This old-school ice cream parlor in Denton has a rotating menu of ice creams that include traditional and seasonal flavors. The ice cream is made in a machine from 1927 that pumps out 10 gallons of ice cream in less than 20 minutes. There are three locations—two in Denton and one in Carrollton—and they also sell to other ice cream shops in North Texas. 117 West Hickory, Denton.; 2900 Wind River Ln., Ste. 148., Denton.; 1020 W. Main St., Carrollton.
BigDash Ice Cream & Pastries
Find Middle Eastern-style ice cream here, including the popular Arabic ice cream. It’s stretchy—almost as if it’s been whipped—rolled, covered in pistachios, and has a sweet, floral flavor. The freezer also has loads of ice cream by the scoop, and the shop is filled with treats like baklava. Vegan and dairy-free options available. 888 S. Greenville Ave. Ste. 140., Richardson.; 2693 Preston Rd. Frisco.
Botolino Gelato Artigianale
Dallas’ favorite gelato shop is derived from a gelato-trained shop owner who creates perfect scoops every time. There’s no bad choice at Botolino, because each tiny scoop you shovel is a burst of flavor. Vegan and dairy-free options available. 2116 Greenville Ave., 5959 Royal Ln., Ste. 622.
Cauldron Ice Cream
Whether in a cup, cone, or puffy waffle (AKA the puffle), the ice cream from this popular chain is made to order with the liquid nitrogen method. The Cauldron, made with vanilla-cinnamon ice cream, has Oreos whipped into it for an extra sweet treat. Vegan and dairy-free options available. Multiple locations.
Cocktail Creamery
There are more than 90 impressive flavors of boozy ice cream at this shop, which has a large space to match the menu. The ice cream is about 4 to 4.5 percent alcohol by volume, so it’s not intended for anyone under 21 (unless a parent is accompanying). Spirits of all kinds can be found in their ice cream flavors, like the London Fog, a deep floral treat with a gin base. Vegan and dairy-free options available. 214 E. Louisiana St., McKinney.
Cow Tipping Creamery
What started as an ice cream food truck in Austin later evolved into a storefront in Frisco with soft serve ice cream and delectable toppings. Classics like vanilla and chocolate are guaranteed to have a spot on the menu, but there’s also a special weekly flavor to try. 3685 The Star Blvd., Ste. 201, Frisco.
Dolly Llama
The specialty here is waffles à la mode (with Blue Bell!), but you can also have a scoop on its own, a solo waffle with toppings, a bubble waffle cone, or a shake. Vegan and dairy-free options available. 2817 Howell St., Ste. 210.
Encanto Pops
Mouthwatering paletas of all kinds are made in-house with dairy and dairy-free options. My favorite is a water-based paleta, like watermelon or lime, with a drizzle of chamoy and lots of Tajin. (Story time! The day I tried these paletas, I immediately went to the grocery store to try to recreate the lime-chamoy-tajin pop on my own. It’s not the same; just go here.) Vegan and dairy-free options available. 831 W. Davis St.
The Gelato Cone
Although it’s a local chain, the Gelato Cone didn’t start out that way. The shop was a family-owned company in Europe in 1956 and moved to the U.S. in 2017 with a shop in Allen. Five stores across Dallas, Allen, and Plano now serve delicious gelato and sorbet flavors. Vegan and dairy-free options available. Multiple locations.
Henry’s Homemade Ice Cream
The Plano ice cream shop has been standing since 1992 after moving from Philadelphia, and summertime here means the shop is always bustling. Henry’s provides its popular ice cream to more than 700 caterers, restaurants, hotels, and other retail shops, and for good reason: scoops here are perfectly creamy and sweet. 3100 Independence Pkwy., Plano.
Howdy Homemade
There’s a sweet story to match the sweet scoops of this shop: founder Tom Landis started Howdy Homemade with the goal of hiring people with special needs. He opened his first shop in Dallas, and the concept ballooned to 10 more across the country. Employees learn about leadership and have the structure to pursue greater opportunities. The ice cream is also a great perk for visiting. Dairy-free options available. 12300 Inwood Rd., Ste. 200.
Hypnotic Emporium Ice Cream
The ice cream at Hypnotic Emporium comes from Beth Marie’s Old Fashioned Ice Cream in Denton, and they’re just as delicious in East Dallas. Try a scoop or in a shake, and grab a bag of candy on your way out. 9005 Garland Rd., Ste. 150.
Ked’s Artisan Ice Cream & Treats
The freezers at Ked’s are filled with frozen dairy goodness with a range of unique flavors like durian, Persian delight, and malai. Ked’s also serves two special South Asian treats: Kulfi, a creamy popsicle in the shape of a cone, and falooda, an ice cream-based dessert with vermicelli, jellies, seeds, and nuts. Vegan and dairy-free options available. 6205 Coit Rd., Plano.; 12990 Eldorado Pkwy., Ste. 120, Frisco.
La Super Ice Cream
In Oak Cliff, La Super has dozens of tubs behind the counter of scoopable treats, but on the other side of the store are four deep freezers’ worth of paletas of all kinds. Vegan and dairy-free options available. 539 Jefferson Blvd.
Local Creamery
Hidden away in Plano’s Lakeside Market is this gem of a store, which serves some of the tastiest dairy and dairy-free treats in town. Ice cream is made in small batches that gets turned into sundaes, ice cream sandwiches, floats, and more. Try the seasonal, dairy-free Campfire Vibes: a coconut cream-based confection with toasted marshmallows and dairy-free chocolate chips. Vegan and dairy-free options available. 5805 Preston Rd., Ste. 598, Plano.
MELT Ice Creams
The popular Fort Worth-based chain churns its ice cream with extra butterfat for the creamiest bites imaginable. There are four locations across North Texas, but pints are also available in Central Market and Whole Foods. Gluten-free and dairy-free options available. Multiple locations.
Milk • Cream
The specialty here is an extreme sweet treat: a doughnut stuffed with ice cream. Your choice of a glazed or plain doughnut is warmed up and packed with cold ice cream for a dessert that plays with all your senses. Add your choice of toppings, like cereal bits, for an extra crunch. 5420 Ross Ave., Ste. 160.
Milkytreats Ice Cream
The ice cream scoops here can also be tucked into a doughnut, though the ice cream rightfully stands alone in taste and quirkiness. Black Velvet is colored with activated charcoal and mixed with red velvet cake. The Cookie Monster is a neon blue vanilla ice cream with chocolate chip cookies. You’ll likely want to sample them all. 7000 Independence Pkwy., Ste. 104d, Plano.
Morgan’s Ice Cream
Ice cream dreams come true at Morgan’s Ice Cream with its Strawberry Magic, a best seller that lives up to the name. It’s fresh strawberry ice cream with bits of chewy buttercake mixed in, and it’s absolutely delectable. Vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free options available. 321 S. Main St., Fort Worth.; 102 NW Renfro, Burleson.
Palmieri Café
Though it’s known for coffees and Italian pastries, Palmieri also has a classic selection of gelato, including pistachio, Stracciatella, and espresso. 920 S. Harwood St., Ste. 100; 307 N. Bishop Ave.
Parlor’s Handcrafted Ice Creams
Parlor’s is as local an ice cream shop can be. Ingredients are sourced from local farms and retailers across North Texas. The result is a deliciously coveted ice cream the locals keep coming back for. The Milk and Cookies is a great example, with its milky base and cookies made with dough from Candor Bread in Oak Cliff. 6465 E. Mockingbird Ln., Ste. 465.
Picolé
It’s paletas galore at Picolé. Its deep freezers are filled with all kinds of dairy and water-based paletas, though there are also alcohol-infused paletas for a boozy treat. Special flavors include margarita, the filled strawberry cheesecake, and the bright pink dragon fruit. Vegan and dairy-free options available. 415 W. Davis St.; 2656 Main St.
Pokey O’s Cookies & Ice Cream
Blue Bell lovers, rejoice. Pokey O’s first smooshed Texas’ most-loved ice cream between two cookies in 2006, and they don’t show signs of stopping. The shop has grown into a fleet of food trucks and catering, serving ice cream cookie sandwiches for the masses. 3034 E. Mockingbird Ln.
pure Milk & Honey
All of the soft serve ice cream at pure Milk & Honey is sweetened with local honey. The dairy flavors use organic milk, while the dairy-free options use coconut milk. Elevate your treat as a sundae by adding bananas, chocolate chips, and more. Dairy-free options available. 5321 E. Mockingbird Ln., Ste. 135.
Sugar Pine Creamery
Soft serve here leans into East and Southeast Asian flavors, like Thai tea, taro, and pandan coconut. There are also options to swirl flavors together, if that’s your thing. The flavors change every two weeks, so the menu stays fresh. Dairy-free options available. 6832 Coit Rd., Ste. 270B, Plano.
Sweet Firefly
Sweet Firefly is a Richardson classic, and loyal customers often come in to get a sampling of its rotating menu. They do more than just ice cream, too. Offerings also include cakes, and during the holidays, a cool ice cream pie. Vegan and dairy-free options available. 2701 Custer Pkwy., Ste. 810., Richardson.
Tongue in Cheek
A good ice cream parlor should always have delicious ice cream, but not every ice cream parlor has indoor swings to sway on while you eat your treat. The menu has 28 rotating flavors and eight vegan flavors. A personal favorite is the delightfully floral vegan lavender honey. Vegan and dairy-free options available. 526 W. Arapaho Rd., Richardson.; 3505 E. Park Blvd., Plano.
Wicked Snow
Wicked Snow serves bingsu, a popular South Korean milk-based dessert that consists of shaved ice with toppings like fruit, red beans, syrup, and condensed milk. It’s different from traditional shaved ice or a snow cone thanks to the milk base, which gives it a creamier texture. 2625 Old Denton Rd., Ste. 546., Carrollton.
Zero Gradi
Downtown Dallas can delight in this gelato shop that serves hand-churned gelato and pretty pastries. The dessert shop is part of the Gradi family and is linked to pizza restaurant 400 Gradi just a few doors down. Dairy-free options available. 2000 Ross Ave., Ste. 170.
My Top 10 Ice Cream Shops in Dallas-Fort Worth
For weeks I spent time shuffling this list in my brain, and even after all this time, I can still individually think and reminisce about what I tried at each of these ice cream shops. Here are my top ten ice cream places:
- Parlor’s Ice Cream, 6465 E. Mockingbird Ln., Ste. 465.
- Botolino, 2116 Greenville Ave.
- Encanto Pops, 831 W. Davis St.
- Morgan’s Ice Cream, 321 S. Main St., Fort Worth.
- Tongue in Cheek, 526 W. Arapaho Rd., Richardson.
- Local Creamery, 5805 Preston Rd., Ste. 598, Plano.
- Picolé, 415 W. Davis St.
- Azucar Ice Cream Company, 269 N. Bishop Ave.
- Ked’s Artisan Ice Cream & Treats, 6205 Coit Rd., Plano.
- BigDash Ice Cream & Pastries, 888 S. Greenville Ave., Ste. 140., Richardson.
Author
