When it’s too hot to function in Orlando, the best thing to do is indulge in some deliciously cold ice cream. From traditional soft serve and fruity popsicles to modern nitrogen-blasted cream and Thai-style rolls, Central Florida pretty much has it covered when it comes to this chilly dessert. Keep cool all summer long with frozen treats from these 31 essential Orlando ice cream spots.
Morelia Gourmet Paletas
3251 Daniels Road, Winter Garden, 407-943-4529
Morelia’s handcrafted gourmet popsicles bring the best of this Mexican-style frozen treat to Florida. Try traditional flavors like lime, mango and coconut or get wild with a maracuya paleta filled with condensed milk or Sicilian pistachio. Dip it in chocolate, cover it in marshmallow or dust it with some Miguelito chamoy candy powder.
Photo via Morelia Gourmet Paletas/FacebookThe Greenery Creamery
420 E. Church St., 407-286-1084
Downtown Orlando’s favorite little ice cream boutique handcrafts creamy goodness with local and organic ingredients, including milk straight from Florida cows. The vegan black ash coconut ice cream scooped into a chia waffle cone darkened with activated charcoal is not only delectable but makes for an amazing Instagram post. Add on the hibiscus crystals or “sprankles” for a yummy effect.
Photo by Rob BartlettRolled Ice Cream
Multiple locations
Beautiful ice cream rolls in various flavors and crispy taiyaki waffles are the stars at Rolled. Get a bowl and some of their fish-shaped taiyaki filled with red bean paste or Bavarian cream.
Photo via Rolled Ice CreamBefore It Melts at Boxi Park
6877 Tavistock Lakes Blvd.
One of Lake Nona’s newest culinary adventures is Before It Melts at the shipping container wonderland Boxi Park. Try old-fashioned soft serve with modern toppings like toasted marshmallows, meringue shards and chocolate pearls.
Photo via Before It MeltsQuickly Boba & Snow
3214 E. Colonial Drive, 407-270-4570
Get a colorful, custom macaron ice cream sandwich and sprinkle on your favorite toppings, or try their famous snow ice.
Photo via Quickly Boba/FacebookLa Palette
12720 S. Orange Blossom Trail, 407-251-0735
This artisan pop-bar makes delicious dairy and non-dairy popsicles like pineapple, kiwi, avocado vanilla and strawberry with condensed milk.
Photo via La Palette/FacebookJeremiah’s Italian Ice
Multiple locations
Nothing is so refreshingly cool on a hot summer day than a Jeremiah’s gelati. Their famous Italian ice is layered with delicious soft serve for a combination that’ll keep you coming back. Jeremiah’s has over 40 flavors to choose from, but you can never go wrong with the mint-chocolate Scoop Froggy Frog.
Photo via Jeremiah’s Italian Ice/FacebookKelly’s Homemade Ice Cream
3114 Corrine Drive; also 1817 S. Ferncreek Ave., 407-790-7257
If you’re craving local, handcrafted ice cream, Kelly’s is the spot. Look for classic flavors and experimental tastes like Maple Bourbon Bacon or Rose Almond Pistachio at Kelly’s Homemade Ice Cream. They have two locations and a food truck, so find the spot most convenient for you.
Photo via Kelly’s Homemade Ice Cream/FacebookCoqui Snacks
3018 Lions Court, Kissimmee, 407-846-4126
Aside from mini donuts, alcapurrias and empanadillas, Coqui Snacks is also one of the few places in Central Florida with limbers, a frozen Puerto Rican treat that’s essentially a popsicle in a cup. Limbers, though, come in unique flavors at Coqui Snacks like mantecado, Christmas coquito and parcha. (And on Sundays, sometimes they have Bacalaitos, crispy cod fritters!)
Photo via Coqui Snacks/FacebookDaJen Eats
323 E. Kennedy Blvd., Eatonville, 407-775-5791
This vegan cafe and creamery serves scrumptious desserts made with “Irie Cream,” its exclusive brand of dairy-free, Jamaican-inspired ice cream. Get the French toast with a scoop of irie cream after a nice helping of Hoax Tail Lasagna.
Photo via DaJen EatsWondermade
214 E. First St., Sanford, 407-205-9569; also North Quarter Market pop-up, 885 N. Orange Ave.
Ever had a toasted popsicle? The marshmallow experts at Wondermade serve their creations in s’mores, hot chocolate and even toasty on sticks with sprinkles. Wondermade has traditional ice cream, too, with handcrafted flavors like creams like salted caramel, avocado, cornbread and maple bacon.
Photo via Wondermade/FacebookMr. Cool Ice Cream & Boba Tea
6550 International Drive, 321-352-7977
Enjoy Thai-style rolled ice cream in flavors like Oreo, strawberry, coffee, cheesecake and more. Mr Cool Ice Cream also has Chinese boba tea with 15 different options.
Photo via Mr. Cool Ice Cream & Boba Tea/FacebookGoff’s Drive In
212 S. Orange Blossom Trail, 407-286-3421
Opened June 1948, Goff’s is Orlando’s original ice cream spot. This cute shop has been keeping it real for decades with classic flavors in variations of cones, dipped cones, shakes, sundaes, malts and banana splits. Get the walnut topping – trust us.
Photo via Samuel J./YelpGelato La Carraia
The Marketplace at Dr. Phillips, 7600 Dr. Phillips Blvd., 407-203-2880
Italian gelateria La Carraia decided to bring their 25-year-old delicious recipe for frozen treats to Orlando. If you want authentic gelato, La Carraia is the place to go.
Photo via La Carraia Florida/FacebookThe Pop Parlour
431 E. Central Blvd., also 4214 E. Plaza Drive on the UCF campus
The Pop Parlour strives to make popsicles from the freshest ingredients – they even grow their own herbs and peppers. They flash-freeze their pops for 12 minutes, making them a lot more flavorful and a lot less icy. The Pop Parlour has a ton of fruit-based and cream-based flavors, but one of their cooler options is boozy pops. Try the Cookie Butter Bourbon, Jai Alai Peach with a Cigar City IPA or Watermelon Mojito.
Photo via The Pop Parlour/FacebookMidnight Sun Ice Cream Sandwich Co.
DeLand
This cute little yellow truck serves big flavors on the streets of DeLand in the form of artisan ice cream scooped between freshly baked cookies. Spoil your taste buds with their dulce de leche and butter pecan ice cream scoop between churro cake or the saffron pistachio rose ice cream mix on cardamom shortbread cookies. You can check the calendar on their website to find their truck or stop by one of their favorite hangouts, the Artisan Alley Farmers Market in DeLand on Fridays from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Photo via Midnight Sun Ice Cream Sandwich Co./InstagramSnow City Ice Cream
8935 Conroy Windermere Road, Windermere, 407-217-7663
Where else can you get Thai-style rolled ice cream, a poke bowl and bubble tea? Snow City Ice Cream has it down, plus all the toppings you could ask for.
Photo via Haoman L./YelpAbracadabra Ice Cream Factory
520 N. Main St., Kissimmee, 407-201-2509
A Kissimmee institution, Abracadabra Ice Cream Factory uses liquid nitrogen to “flash freeze” unique ice cream combinations into chilly perfection. Try their “coquito” version, with almonds, cinnamon, coconut milk and nutella.
Photo via Abracadabra Ice Cream/FacebookThe Soda Fountain
2525 Edgewater Drive, 407-540-1006
This College Park staple serves classic ice cream scoops, sundaes and floats, but The Soda Fountain also has an adult milkshake menu where the mix alcohol and ice cream for a heavenly time. Get tipsy on $7 with the Apocalypto, a boozy combination of spiced rum, chocolate ice cream, marshmallows, cinnamon and whipped cream.
Photo via The Soda Fountain/FacebookEdy’s Ice Cream and Subs
7527 International Drive, 407-355-0508
Get a classic scoop in a cone at this I-Drive restaurant or indulge in the Tripple Scoop Sundae. Aside from ice cream, this Edy’s shop has smoothies, wraps and sub sandwiches.
Photo via Edy’s Ice Cream/FacebookGinther’s Swirls Ice Cream
11036 International Drive, 407-477-1212
A family-owned business, Ginther’s serves hand-scooped soft serves, milk shakes, malts, twirls, sundaes, splits, smoothies, floats and chillers in tons of flavors. You don’t even have to go to Disney to try their famous Dole Whip pineapple float.
Photo via Ginther’s Swirls Ice Cream/FacebookDomu
East End Market, 3201 Corrine Drive, 407-960-1228
Sonny Nguyen’s soft-serve cones are a fitting end to a delicious steaming bowl of ramen at Domu. The flavors are switched out weekly, but some favorites include guava, horchata, black belgium chocolate and Fruity-Pebbled taro.
Photo via Domu/FacebookInsomnia Cookies
131 N. Orange Ave., 407-512-9237; also 12101 University Blvd., 407-901-1873
What’s better than a warm gooey cookie at 3 a.m. The same cookie but with a scoop of ice cream à la mode. Insomnia Cookies also has a “cookiewich” option where they stuff your favorite ice cream between two yummy cookies.
Photo via Insomnia Cookies/FacebookJ-Petal
5135 International Drive, 407-866-0605
This Japanese restaurant serves Thai-style ice cream rolls in vanilla, chocolate, green tea and thai tea. Top it all off with cool toppings like mango, toasted marshmallow or condensed milk. J-Petal also offers signature Japanese crepes, milkshakes and bubble tea.
Photo via J-Petal/FacebookSeñor Paleta
Inside the Florida Mall, 8001 S. Orange Blossom Trail
Puerto Rican ice pop company Señor Paleta just opened a spot inside the Florida Mall on May 11. The popular popsicles are made daily with fresh ingredients, ranging from fruit-based desserts to creamy, milk-based treats. Señor Paleta has traditional flavors like strawberry, chocolate, lime and coconut, but they also have cool Puerto Rican-inspired concoctions like
guanábana, café con leche, turrón, and guava with cheese.
Photo via Señor PaletaFrozen Nitrogen Ice Cream
4498 N. Alafaya Trail, 407-338-3288
Frozen Nitrogen Ice Cream uses liquid nitrogen to get a creamier and denser base of ice cream, frozen yogurt and coconut milk ice cream. Top it off sprinkles, brownies, cookies or fruity cereal.
Photo via Frozen Nitrogen Ice Cream/FacebookKilwins
122 N. Park Ave., Winter Park, 407-622-6292
Chocolatey goodness reigns supreme at Kilwins. Try their original recipe cream in 32 flavors along with an espresso drink or their decadent drinking chocolate. This Park Avenue mainstay also has caramel corn, caramel apples, fudge, brittles and other yummy things covered in chocolate.
Photo via KilwinsTwistee Treat
Multiple locations
This Florida-based chain is recognizable for its giant chocolate-covered cone buildings and delicious soft-serve ice cream. Have it any way you want – cup, cone, twirled, sundae, shake or malt, with rainbow or chocolate sprinkles, nuts and candy, plus dips in chocolate, cherry or butterscotch.
Photo via Twistee Treat UCF/FacebookI.CE.NY
4954 New Broad St., 407-853-4532
I.CE.NY has set up shop in Baldwin Park selling Thai-style rolled ice cream. Mix and match the ingredients you want with an ice cream base and I.CE.NY will use two metal paddles to smash, chop and scrape everything into cute little rolls that are fun to eat.
Photo via I.CE.NY Baldwin ParkPhenomenom Nitrogen Ice Cream & Bake Shop
501 Orlando Avenue, Winter Park, 754-216-3478
This South Florida-based ice cream shop sells its nitrogen-infused creamy deliciousness, as well as fresh cookies, ice cream cookie sundaes, ice cream cookie sandwiches and even cold brew.
Photo via Phenomenom Nitrogen Ice Cream & Bake Shop/Facebook