One of the sweetest parts of summer is an outing to a local ice cream shop. Whether you’re cooling down with a shake or lounging on a bench and licking a cone, these frozen treats are hard to pass up.
The Des Moines area has its fair share of independent ice cream purveyors. Every year for the past few years we’ve put together a modest list of some of our favorites. This year we’re pulling them all together in one MASSIVE list! Happily, our ice cream roundup even includes a few newly opened spots.
For even more seasonal fun, be sure to visit our Summer Fun Guide and Events Calendar.
Indulge at one of these local ice cream shops this summer in Des Moines:
8 Degrees Rolled Ice Cream & Bobba Tea (Des Moines)
This vibrant Drake neighborhood Thai ice cream spot serves up a variety of traditional Asian flavors (including green tea) as well as American favorites like cookies and cream and s’mores. They also serve a variety of Bobba Teas, including Milk Teas, Fruit Teas and Smoothies.
Al’s Dairy Freeze (Grimes)
One of the newest establishments on this list, Al’s Dairy Freeze boasts a large menu of cold treats, using their vanilla and chocolate soft serve ice cream and rotating Dole Whip flavors. Patrons can satisfy a frozen treat craving at nearly any moment since the store is open every day of the week from 12:00 noon to 9:00 pm.
Bauder’s & Donut King (Des Moines)
There’s a reason why this vintage ice cream parlor has stood the test of time. You just can’t beat the nostalgic feel of the place, or the sweet goodness of the concoctions created behind the soda fountain. They’re famous for their Peppermint Bars they sell at the Iowa State Fair, but they can make everything from a strawberry shake to an old-fashioned chocolate soda to a hot fudge sundae.
Bean & Leaf Café (Urbandale)
Bean & Leaf Café offers soft serve ice cream flavors that run the gamut from classics like vanilla and chocolate to far more inventive concoctions. In addition, to ice cream, they offer coffee and tea beverages, snacks, and desserts with an Asian meets Midwest fusion. In addition to their brick-and-mortar locations on Hickman and Douglas, you can find them at community events through their mobile cafés.
Billy’s Ice Cream Store (Adel)
Located just off the Raccoon River Valley Trail, Billy’s Ice Cream store has served multiple generations of Adel residents. They’re known for their soft serve ice cream, including their famous lemon flavor. They also offer hardpacked ice cream. Blend either into a malt, shake or their version of a DQ Blizzard, called a Chilly Billy.
Black Cat Ice Cream (Des Moines)
Black Cat Ice Cream churns out small batch artisanal ice cream with creative flavors. They use grass fed natural dairy and ingredients sourced from local producers to create their bold flavors. They feature a rotating menu of seasonal flavors which have included Georgia Peach Molasses, Butterscotcharoo, Blueberry Lemonade Sorbet, but more standard flavors like Red Velvet Oreo are also a sure bet.
Central Standard (Waukee)
Burgers and malts are a classic combo that can’t be beat. Diners can stop in to grab a burger at this Waukee restaurant before ending with one of Central Standards’ over the top shakes complete with a lit sparkler! Pick from classics like chocolate or strawberry or try a new favorite like s’mores or birthday cake.
Classic Frozen Custard (Des Moines)
Classic Frozen Custard is dense, rich, creamy goodness. A cross between hard packed and soft serve ice cream. They offer an extensive menu of frozen custard confections, featuring sundaes, shakes, ice cream floats, and more. There is no inside seating at classic frozen custard. Make sure to load up on napkins as the custard melts fast on a hot day!
Dairy Zone (Des Moines)
This east side neighborhood gem is my favorite old school soft serve ice cream shop in Des Moines. In addition to ice cream cones, dipped cones and malts, this shop’s sundaes dazzle! My favorite is the Grasshopper! Be sure to get there by the end of October or you’ll have to wait until March to get your ice cream fix.
Ding’s Rolled Ice Cream & Crepes (West Des Moines)
Instead of scoops, Ding’s serves Thai-style rolled ice cream. These treats have taken over social media feeds because they’re so pretty—luckily, they’re also pretty tasty. Choose from several ice cream flavors and mix-ins. You’ll find Ding’s Rolled Ice Cream & Crepes not too far from the main entrance of Jordan Creek Mall.
El Michoacano Ice Cream & Mexican Food (Des Moines)
Stay cool with some refreshing agua frescas, paletas, nieves and other cool treats. If you haven’t tried at least one, you’re missing out. Your kids will love paletas, which are basically fancy popsicles, made with a number of ingredients and dipped in chocolate or other toppings. Nieve, which is the Spanish term for snow, is a water-based ice cream made with natural fruits and other ingredients. All will hit the spot on a hot summer day!
Granny’s Sweet Freeze (Des Moines)
Granny’s Sweet Freeze serves tasty ice cream in a variety of flavors from the window of its kitschy stand, which patrons enjoy at nearby picnic tables. Confections include soft-serve ice cream with optional cone dips like chocolate, butterscotch, toasted coconut, peanut butter and more, Arctic Swirls, sundaes, floats, and shakes.
Heavenly Delights (Grimes)
A Grimes staple, this family business is best known for their hand packed ice cream. No matter what kind of cool creamy treat you are craving, you will find it at Heavenly Delights. In addition to their hand packed ice cream, they also have soft serve and a large selection of ice cream novelties.
Home Sweet Cone (Waukee)
Home Sweet Come is dishing up homemade, gourmet hard ice cream in interesting flavors from their cute shop in Waukee. They have just about everything needed to indulge a sweets craving offering up malts, milkshakes, floats, cookies, brownies and a make your own ice cream sandwich option. You can also order custom ice cream pies or cakes.
I Scream Treats & More (Des Moines)
Your one-stop-shop for treats! I Scream Treats & More specializes in ice cream, gourmet popcorn, smoothies, and other tasty snacks. Located across from the children’s play area in Merle Hay Mall. They also cater weddings, parties and all kinds of events as well as do corporate orders and fundraisers.
La Premium Michoacana (Des Moines)
Open year-round, seven days a week and serving up tasty Mexican ice cream treats, this family-owned business offers a variety of exotic flavors of ice cream, agua frescas and paletas. In addition to ice cream treats, they serve up savory snacks, like elote chorreados and walking tacos.
LJ’s Burgers & Ice Cream (Des Moines)
As the name denotes, this place doesn’t just sell ice cream. LJ’s is an old-school drive-up restaurant that offers soft serve treats like cones, shakes, malts, sundaes, banana splits and Avalanches with mix-ins (like a DQ Blizzard). And if your kids just can’t get enough ice cream, you can order one of their cute ice cream cakes for their next birthday.
Mango’s Gourmet Paleta’s (Ankeny)
The main attraction at Mango’s is its paletas, homemade Mexican frozen pops in a variety of flavors. Try the mango or coconut, made with fresh fruit and fruit juice, or choose the milk-based pops in countless colors and flavors (with or without a chocolate dip and topping). They also serve up some decadent malts, sundaes, agua fresca floats and more.
Marble Slab Creamery (Ankeny)
If your little foodie loves to BTO (build-their-own) ice cream cone then Marble Slab Creamery is your yummy go-to spot. With over 75 flavors of daily made small batch ice cream and unlimited mix-ins, their cones are always made to order. It’s always interesting to see what the kids choose.
Molly’s Cupcakes (Des Moines)
This east village cupcakery offers many ways to satiate that sweet tooth. Known for their decadent cupcakes and cakes they also make some tasty homemade ice cream. The flavors offered vary daily, but definitely won’t disappoint!
Monarca – Gourmet Paletas (Ankeny & Clive)
Paletas are delicious Mexican ice cream popsicles that are sold in a variety of traditional and fun flavors. At Monarca they make their’s in small batches, from scratch and with gourmet ingredients. First you choose your favorite flavor base. You then can choose to dip it in a chocolate of your choice, top it with many different topping combinations and finally drizzle it with even more options. The possibilities are limitless.
Nosh Café & Eatery (Des Moines)
Nosh is a casual eatery concept, located in the East Village, offering frozen yogurt, smoothies, and grab-and-go meals and snacks with an emphasis on healthy, local options. It’s a perfect pit stop for a cool treat after a fun downtown Des Moines summer adventure. And, be sure to check out their froyo pies which are the perfect addition to your family celebrations.
The Outside Scoop (Ankeny & Indianola)
With shops in Indianola and Ankeny, as well as their pink ice cream trucks, The Outside Scoop has been specializing in small-batch ice cream since 2010. Their large rotating flavor menu includes ice cream standards like vanilla, chocolate and strawberry, as well as more exotic flavors like goat cheese with roasted cherry, lavender lemon crunch and sweet corn.
Over the Top – Fabulicious Ice Cream & Chocolate (Pleasant Hill)
Over the Top is a cute gourmet ice cream parlor that makes its own fresh homemade ice cream. Their 35 delicious flavors (including gluten-free options) that rotate seasonally have been super popular with local customers since 2010. In addition to ice cream, they serve up non-dairy sorbets and a variety of chocolate confections.
Paleteria La Michoacana (Des Moines)
Not strictly an ice cream shop, you can get a lot more than frozen treats at Paleteria La Michoacana. This Mexican eatery and grocery store, located just east of the Capitol, has a great selection of ice cream novelties and hand-dipped ice cream. They offer a rotating selection of standard and more exotic flavors of ice cream that you can get in a cup or waffle cone. They also have agua frescas, paletas and other ice cream novelties.
Picket Fence Creamery (Woodward)
This local creamery is using cream from their pasture raised Jersey cows to produce over twenty flavors of ice cream and other dairy products. My son and husband’s favorite flavor is hands down the Maple Bacon Ice Cream. Other tempting flavors include: strawberry, chocolate malt, thin mint and many more. Visit their on-farm store or purchase pints from local grocers like Fareway, Gateway Market, Hy-Vee and Price Chopper.
Smokey Row (Des Moines)
Belly up to the old-fashioned ice cream soda fountain inside this popular coffeehouse. Try not to drool while you read through the menu of their old school favorites like malts, shakes, sundaes, tornadoes, ice cream sodas and floats. I love their old school chocolate soda with vanilla ice cream and mile high whip cream.
Snooky’s Malt Shop (Des Moines)
Spend the day shopping in Beaverdale and then cool off at Snooky’s. A popular spot with Drake University students and locals of all ages, the cool creamy concoctions at this seasonal malt shop make it “snookilicious”! There is some indoor seating available, but to really get the full Snooky’s experience take a seat on the patio. And, don’t forget to ask for a cone for your pooch!
Sugar Shack (Altoona)
Bust out those letterman jackets because the Sugar Shack in Altoona is a retro 1950s style diner. Enjoy a burger or tenderloin and then have a malt or a banana split and pretend to be Richie Cunningham waiting for the Fonz. Oh, Happy Days.
Sweet Swirls Ice Cream (Ankeny & Bondurant)
The Thai-style ice cream roll craze continues with Sweet Swirls Ice Cream, which started as a food truck and took up permanent residence. A stop at either of these shops is as entertaining as it is delicious. When you’re there, you can watch Sweet Swirl’s ice cream chefs shape thin layers of ice cream into rolls and top them with everything from Oreos to coconut.
The Corner Sundry (Indianola)
If you’re looking for an old school ice cream parlor experience, this is the place. Located on Indianola’s square families come in to sit at or near the soda fountain and share a banana split or relax while sipping an ice cream soda or phosphate. They also serve coffee drinks and paninis.
The Creamery (Polk City)
Open since 2020, The Creamery in Polk City serves up handmade hardpacked ice cream and soft-serve ice cream, including a Dole Whip flavor at their darling shop. Frozen yogurt and slushees are also available. There’s a little something to please everyone in your crew.
Thelma’s Treats
Ice cream and cookie aficionados will both love Thelma’s Handmade Ice Cream sandwiches. Made with sweet Anderson Erickson ice cream smushed between two fresh homemade cookies they will satisfy any sweet tooth. You can pick up Thelma’s Treats from local retail shops and grocers or find them out and about at festivals and community events with their pushcart or grain bin kiosks.
Totally Rolled Ice Cream (West Des Moines)
Ice cream lovers can get their roll on at this West Des Moines spot that serves hefty portions of fresh, made-to-order rolled ice cream complete with loads of yummy toppings. In addition, to their storefront location in West Glen, you can also find them out and about with their ice cream trucks and trailers. Invite them over to your next event!
Van Dee’s Ice Cream Shoppe (Johnston)
Van Dee’s has been a popular sweet stop for many families in Johnston for generations. It’s a traditional seasonal soft serve joint. If kids order an ice cream cone they come with candy eyes. And if you have a sprinkle lover a must try is the Krunch Kote. Van Dee’s has both inside and outside seating. They also have a limited food menu.
Wendy’s Ice Cream Shop (Norwalk)
Norwalk’s original ice cream shop, Wendy’s Ice Cream shop has been serving yesterday’s classics and today’s favorites for 27 years. Choose an ice cream treat from their extensive menu and enjoy the weather on one of its outdoor benches.
Waukee Ice Cream Shoppe (Waukee)
From the blackboard menu to the swiveling stools at the small counter Waukee Ice Cream Shoppe plays up its small-town Iowa charm. With several flavors of hard and soft service ice cream, you can dream up countless creamy concoctions to fit in a cone, cup or bowl There is lots of seating inside the ice cream shoppe and they also have seating on a small patio outside.
Zombie Burger + Drink Lab (Des Moines)
Arguably one of the most popular restaurants in Des Moines, Zombie Burger specializes in what else… burgers and shakes?!? Always bringing a sense of humor and fun to nostalgic favorites their inventive shakes are no exception. How else would one explain shakes titled Human Centipeach, Zombie Unicorn or Crunch Berry?
What did we miss? What’s your family’s favorite LOCAL ice cream shop in Des Moines?
