Sara Crocker
Audio By Carbonatix
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Everyone loves ice cream, right? If not, we have some serious questions. But for fans of the creamy, cold, refreshing treat, there’s nothing like a big scoop on a hot day. Here in Phoenix, where triple-digit days abound, we are also lucky to have plenty of excellent ice cream parlors churning and scooping delicious frozen treats.
This list goes slightly beyond the bounds of traditional ice cream to include gelato, lactose-free ice cream and soft serve. In our books, these categories of frozen treats all satisfy ice cream cravings and deserve a mention.
When you next find yourself screaming for ice cream, head to these 10 Valley shops for a scoop.
Enjoy gelato with an almost fluffy texture at Allora.
Sara Crocker
Allora Gelato
6990 E. Shea Blvd., #106, Scottsdale
Allora Gelato arrived in Scottsdale in November 2024, taking inspiration from Italian gelaterias while applying a culinarian’s touch to flavor combinations. Options have included mesquite honey lavender gelato made with local honey and a tangy ricotta gelato studded with bits of ripe Croatian fig. These artisan flavors are offered alongside popular mint cookies and cream, chocolate brownie and strawberry dulce, a gelato that uses a tres leches-esque milk base and fresh berries. It’s a perfect pairing with Allora’s hazelnut and orange zest gelato, which tastes like a nutty chocolate-orange. For first-time visitors, start at the iPad screens just inside to select how you want your gelato, be it one scoop or two, in a cup, gluten-free cone or as a cold brew float. Then, join the queue for the gelato counter, where you can sample small spoonfuls of Allora’s beautifully made, creamy gelato. It has a light-as-air, whipped quality that’s evident while the team behind the counter artfully shapes scoops into cones and cups. Each order is finished with a crisp wafer. With such attention to ingredients and details, this gelateria draws a line for good reason.
At Cream of the Crop in Gilbert, ask for your ice cream creme brulee style for a crackly, caramel shell.
Cream of the Crop
Cream of the Crop
3000 E. Ray Road, Bldg. 6, #103, Gilbert
Tucked inside Barnone, a collection of businesses housed inside an old storage barn in Gilbert, you’ll find Cream of the Crop. A rainbow-colored neon sign beckons customers to enter the small space and take a look inside the freezer case. A small but mighty selection of ice cream flavors waits to be made into sundaes, scoops and Cream’s special creme brulee treats, where a topping of sprinkled sugar is blow-torched into crackly caramel perfection.
Gelato Cimmino serves an all-Italian experience in Old Town Scottsdale and Gilbert.
Chris Malloy
Gelato Cimmino
7140 E. Main St., Scottsdale
339 N Gilbert Road, Gilbert
Old Town Scottsdale has many options for frozen treats. But Gelato Cimmino is one of the very best. This classic Italian gelato shop is bright and airy, with two large freezer cases full of flavors. Take your time and sample a few, savoring the difference between the dark chocolate and milk chocolate or hazelnut, pistachio and Nutella. Opt for something bright and fresh like the lemon, raspberry or cantaloupe. The shop has a location in Gilbert, so Southeast Valley residents can sample the flavors closer to home. The company’s owners hail from Torre Del Greco, Italy, and have imported ingredients and techniques to make their standout treats. A coffee menu offers espresso and affogato options. Order a bottle of Acqua Panna Italian natural spring water to sip alongside the creamy gelato and strong espresso to complete the experience.
The Mango Sticky Rice ice cream at LIX Uptown is the perfect way to beat the heat.
Tirion Boan
LIX Uptown Ice Cream
3343 N. Seventh Ave. #3
LIX Uptown, a small joint in the Melrose District, is one of the most fun ice cream shops in town. For starters, there’s an inflatable character — sometimes a unicorn, other times a mushroom — perched on the roof. Inside, colorful murals swirl around the walls and customers can try their hand at Ms. Pac-Man. The ice cream itself is killer. Most of the flavors lack dairy or lactose, but you’d never tell by the taste. The mango sticky rice swirl is the perfect antidote to Phoenix heat and the Turkish Coffee will brighten your day. This spot is also the perfect after-dinner destination, as it stays open late. Stop by for a scoop until 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and until 8 p.m. on Sundays.
Provided by Novel Ice Cream
Novel Ice Cream
1028 Grand Ave., #6
40 N. Macdonald #2, Mesa
Dive into some unconventional ice cream flavors at Novel, an ice cream joint with multiple hidden shops in the Valley. The original is located in a tiny building on Grand Avenue. Another is nestled at the end of a small alley in Mesa. And soon, Novel is set to open in Peoria and Tempe. All of the locations pack a big punch of flavor, with options including creations like peppermint mocha and peanut butter and jelly. The ice cream shop also frequently collaborates with other local businesses, so make sure to check the seasonal specials. Kick your ice cream creation up a notch by asking for a Dough Melt, a warm doughnut stuffed with your favorite ice cream flavor. Want a waffle instead? Just order the Leslie Knope. Need more convincing? Last summer, Novel was named the best ice cream in America.
Flavors rotate weekly at Onyx. We love the sweet and creamy Thai Tea swirl.
Tirion Boan
Onyx Ice Cream
5813 N. Seventh St., #102
From the outside, Onyx Ice Cream looks dark, almost closed, save for a glowing neon “open” sign. Open the door, and the moody vibe continues. Exposed wood beams and black-and-white walls are lit by thin light bars of dancing LEDs. Neon accents adorn the space, along with a lush plant wall and photo backdrop. Where the shop is anything but dark is in its ice creams. These brightly colored swirls of soft serve come in electric purple, orange, pink and green. The cones themselves are jet black. At Onyx, which opened on Seventh Street in January 2025, the desserts are not only visually stunning, they are delicious too. Flavors rotate each week, but we’re partial to the sweet, earthy Thai Tea and the ube, a nutty flavor with hints of warm vanilla. Elevate your colorful treat one step further by adding a toasted marshmallow rim to the cone.
Sara Crocker
Petersen’s Ice Cream and Cafe
Mulitple locations
When you walk into Petersen’s Ice Cream and Cafe, you’ll be greeted with the vintage sights, sounds and sweet aroma of a traditional parlor. A person-sized ice cream cone with a strawberry scoop stationed out front lets you know you’ve arrived. Baby pink and white stripes decorate the walls inside, and a soundtrack of doo-wop bops croons around the shop. Petersen’s nostalgia isn’t manufactured. The ice cream chain got its start in Chicago in 1919. Like so many Midwesterners, Petersen’s has made a home in the Valley with four locations in Gilbert, Scottsdale and Peoria. The freezer case brims with kid-friendly options, including the multicolored, fluorescent Superman ice cream. Petersen’s hasn’t forgotten about the adults with flavors like tart marion blackberry, dark-chocolatey Bear Claw or toffee ice cream laced with Tennessee whiskey.
When asked if you want the surprise at Scoop & Joy, say yes.
Tirion Boan
Scoop & Joy
10135 E. Vía Linda C112, Scottsdale
Scoop & Joy is a little bit of a hike for most residents of the Valley. But it is so worth the drive. Located east of State Route 101 in North Scottsdale, this ice cream shop serves a massive amount of flavors and treats, including Dole Whip and baked goods. Pro tip: When the server asks if you want a surprise, say yes. Then your ice cream will transform into a cute character with Animal Cracker ears, marshmallow eyes, and an Oreo cookie smile, the perfect treat for the kid in all of us.
The Playdough flavor at Scooptacular is a sweet and colorful treat.
Evie Carpenter
Scooptacular
5150 W. Baseline Road, #102, Laveen
4730 E. Indian School Road, #113
4600 N. Central Ave.
Laveen’s best-kept secret might just be Scooptacular, a small but cheery ice cream shop featuring fun and interesting flavors. At this suburban strip mall ice cream destination, you’ll find made-in-house ice cream including birthday cake, bubble gum, caramel white mocha and Camelback crunch, a brown sugar ice cream with praline crumbles. Our favorite might be Scooptacular’s Playdough, a simple but fun-looking flavor made with three different colors of sweet cream-flavored ice cream. The shop also serves shaved ice, ice cream cakes, sundaes and milkshakes. A second location of Scooptacular serves scoops in Arcadia and for those looking for a treat closer to downtown Phoenix, Scooptopia, a small shop on Central Avenue, serves a wide selection of Scooptacular’s flavors.
Sweet Republic is a Valley favorite.
Jacob Tyler Dunn
Sweet Republic
Multiple locations
Sweet Republic got its start in 2008 on Shea Boulevard before adding locations in uptown Phoenix, Tempe and, most recently, Old Town Scottsdale to its roster. Each of these modern, colorful shops brings the local company’s handmade flavors to lines of fans. The large cases hold a mix of staple flavors, such as strawberry buttermilk and brownie fudge swirl, and seasonal treats. All of the flavors can be enjoyed in a cup or cone, or fancied up into a decadent sundae or milkshake. Our favorite addition is Sweet Republic’s fluffy, square marshmallows, which servers add to scoops and gently blowtorch for a perfect summer combo of ice cream and s’mores.
