Frozen Treat Guide Orlando
MY TOP PICK
Midnight Sun Ice Cream
Back in 2015, at a random visit to the Tasty Tuesday food truck night, I found a life-changing treat: Lavender - Ricotta - Candied Kumquat Ice Cream Sandwich. If I only had one option for ice cream for the rest of my life, Midnight Sun would win easily. No one does it like them. People throw around the word artisan a lot, but the creations of Jocelyn and Levi deserve that title and more.
Currently, the only place you can get happily bloated off their goods is at the Deland Farmer's Market on Friday nights from 6PM - 9PM. I promise you, it is worth your gas money. Pro Tip: The market itself is a great Friday night getaway. Check their Instagram for the current market schedule.
MATCHA LOVERS
Matcha Cafe Maiko
The newest Matcha cafe to hit Orlando is serving up some authentic matcha that comes from Uji Japan. While you can get a simple matcha latte, they serve up premium matcha ice cream and ice cream concoctions shaved ice like the Uji Kintoki, and parfaits.
MATCHA HOUSE TEA AND CREAMERY
The owner of some other Mills 50 favorites like Poke Hana and Chi Kin were the first to bless us with a Matcha café. Along with matcha lattes and teas, you can also enjoy Matcha soft-serve and sundaes. Pictured below is the “matcha lover” which has coconut jelly, lychee fruit, and mochi.
SHAVED ICE
Hanalei Shaved Ice
Brandy and her Hawaiian shaved ice trailer have taken hold of Orlando with no signs of slowing down. Her authentic background in Kauai, where her family is originally from, comes through in her hospitable spirit and her creations. Menu items like Thai Tea, Banana Pudding, Sour Sop, Lychee Lilikoi, and Earl Grey are pleasing crowds every weekend.
SNOWBEAN CAFE
If you haven't heard of Patbingsu head over to Snowbean Cafe. It's a popular Korean dessert which consists of shaved ice with sweet toppings such as chopped fruit, condensed milk, among other things. I got green tea (matcha) shaved ice with sweet and crunchy cereal and condensed milked. Think matcha cereal and go grab a bowl to enjoy out by their lake view!
JEREMIAH’S ITALIAN ICE
This local chain just keeps growing and I think it could be because cookie butter gelati and chocolate soft serve is one of the greatest combinations known to man. Pictured below is horchata gelati paired with vanilla soft.
Other Shaved Ice Spots
VEGAN FRIENDLY
DaJen Cafe & Creamery
Queen of the vegan chefs, Jenn Ross not only makes amazing vegan dishes with a Jamaican twist, but she also makes her own vegan ice "irie" cream. From her strawberry irie cream to her peanut butter milkshakes, I promise that you will NOT miss dairy one bit. Don’t just go for ice cream, get the full experience.
Greenery Creamery
Grab vegan ice cream here along with regular dairy flavors. Popular for their insta worthy ash cones, this small shop offers flavors like ube, matcha, blueberry lavender and orange honey saffron. Get out of your cookies 'n cream comfort zone and try something new here. It's located in the bottom of the 420 building on Church Street and street parking it easiest here. They also have a second location inside Henry’s Depot in Sanford. Pictured below is the ube and matcha flavors on a ube cone.
BUBBLE WAFFLES
PALETTE ICE BUBS + ICE CREAM
Palate Coffee Brewing has been in Sanford for a few years now, but they recently opened a new space across the street from their cafe for a sweeter purpose. Their small shop has ice cream and the popular Bubble Waffles. You can create your own, or choose from their signature creations.
I.CE.NY
We've seen a surge in rolled ice spots around town, and I.CE.NY is one option located in Baldwin Park. Create your own mixture with toppings of your choice, or go big with a Hong Kong bubble waffle. Pictured below is a concoction of Thai iced tea ice cream, Pocky sticks, fruit loops and chocolate drizzle. If waffles aren't your thing you can choose a brownie or cookie as your baked good. Take your treat just a few steps outside to enjoy while overlooking Lake Baldwin.
Bambu
Over in the Westside Crossings shopping center you'll find Bambu desserts and drinks with several options for smoothies, Vietnamese coffee, popsicles, boba, and Hong Kong waffles with ice cream, among other items. Go pick a chair, sit proudly on it, and treat yo self.
BLENDED BISTRO + BOBA
There’s a few spots for ice cream in College Park but Blended Bistro is the only place you can get a Bubble Waffle. Choose between Vanilla and Chocolate and add your desired toppings and drizzles.
POPSICLES/PALETAS
FRUTAMIX
You might have FrutaMix on your radar due to the Birria taco craze, but frozen treats await you here as well. Whether it’s a fresh Mangonada or one of their many paletas, their Ocoee location is a great cool down pit stop.
LA PALETTE ARTISAN POP BAR
Way down OBT in South Orlando, you might miss them little gem of a pop store, but you give it a visit. They not only have a very wide variety of pops, but they cater to the masses with dairy free, sugar free, and of course more indulgent pops, so everyone in your group can find something. Pictured below is the Strawberry Nutella which not only has a Nutella swirl, but also a chocolate backing as well. This pop was $4.
Strawberry Nutella Pop
POP BAR
It's a good thing that the Pop Bar came to the Prime Outlets, cause it's the perfect way to dull your parking rage. The pops are basically gelato on a stick, however there are fruit sorbet flavors as well. They will cost you around $5.
THE POP PARLOUR
At the Pop Parlour you can choose between fruity, creamy, and boozy. There is the location downtown near Lake Eola, perfect to grab during the Sunday Farmer's Market or the location on the UCF campus.
CLASSIC ICE CREAM
Kelly's Homemade Ice Cream
Kelly's Homemade ice cream continues to reign supreme now with four locations (with more to come)! Her banana pudding, Mexican Chocolate, Alligator Tracks, and Rose Almond Pistachio are some of my favorite flavors. She continuously has new seasonal options to keep guests engaged. Pictured below is cinnamon crunch + birthday cake and I barely lived to tell the tale of how good this combo was.
West Orange Creamery
Whether you want a simple scoop of ice cream, an egg cream or an ample sundae, this relatively new spot in Ocoee is a great spot to gather with plenty of indoor and outdoor patio seating. The owners struck a nice balance of an old-fashioned soda fountain with classic branding and modern fixtures. On my first visit I ordered a 16 oz milkshake ($5.50) with hazelnut ice cream, whipped cream and of course a cherry on top.
Frozen Cow Ice Cream
If you love ice cream but aren't a fan of bovine growth hormones (shouldn't that be all of us) head to Frozen Cow Ice Cream. Located in Winter Garden off of Vineland Road, Frozen Cow boasts ice cream from Florida free-range cows, no high fructose corn syrup, and the use of only pure sugar cane. It's a bright and clean space perfect for taking a gaggle of kids after they've ran through the splash pad in downtown. The creation below is a doughnut ice cream sundae best split with friends for half the guilt.
ORANGE BLOSSOM CANDIES + CREAM
This is a newer, family-owned shop in Montverde that is serving up sweet Florida charm. Check out the specialty milkshakes like Orange Blossom, Frosted Lemonade, and Lavender Vanilla.
Wondermade
Famously known for their marshmallows, Wondermade now uses their space in historic Downtown Sanford as a full dessert cafe. Walking through the downtown area is supremely better with a "smores popsicle" or "Krispwich" in hand. Even if you don't go for something instaworthy, their flavors are sure to please with unique options like avocado and cornbread ice creams.
UNIQUE TREATS
JR Tropical Ice Cream
This local ice cream shop indulges in Latin flavors like Guanábana, Tamarind, and Sweet Corn. Often served in their signature coconut shell (not pictured they were out), these ice creams are creamy and refreshing and give you a nice break from the standard flavors everyone has. If you like the basics, they have some of those too at both their Goldenrod and Kissimmee location.
FROSTVILLE CHAMOYADAS
If you don't know what Chamoyada is, it's a Mexican dessert that you may or may not love. It is essentially a combination of chamoy sauce, shaved ice, chili powder, fruit chunks and a tamarind straw. However that is just one of the many options you can get at this hole-in-the-wall in Apopka off of O.B.T. The other item I tried was a delicious fruit cup topped with strawberry ice cream.
Limbhelados
Limbers are a traditional Puerto Rican dessert and this spot in Kissimmee has just about every flavor imaginable. You can choose from two sizes and scoop (or lick) yourself in a euphoric state of brain freeze. On my visit, the owner was so generous allowing me to sample so many flavors I almost filled up on those alone. Guava and cheese and coquito were my final selections and they even stayed frozen the entire 40 minute drive home.
Taglish
You can buy a pint of Ube ice cream at Trader Joe’s or you can support a local business and go get a halo halo. Over inside Lotte Market, Chef Michael Collantes serves up some of the best Filipino food in town and that includes this traditional dessert of shaved ice, Ube ice cream, sweet milk, jellies, and fruit.
Ice & Bites Cafe
Ice & Bites serves delicious taiyaki with ice cream, as well as fanciful affogato. Pick your choice of ice cream (I got lavender) and get a mug full of it topped with cotton candy and two pocky sticks and your espresso on the side. Additionally they have Sno, boba teas, milk teas, and other ice cream creations.
Dulce Pecado
Adding a waffle to ice cream? Genius move. Over at A La Carte, you’ll find one of their permanent trucks that serves up lots of cold concoctions. From decadently topped waffles, over-the-top milkshakes, and slushies you’ll find something cool and indulgent here.
Other spots:
Coqui Snacks
Sago Tea Bar
GELATO
GELATO-GO
Gelato-Go has locations in Florida and New York, and our local shop sits pretty on Park Avenue. I’m happy to report that their gelato is rich and creamy, and not at all icy or bland. The flavors run the spectrum so whether you want something light and fruity or deeply chocolate you’ll be satisfied. You can of course try before you buy. If gelato isn’t calling your name they have coffee and pastries as well.
For the full experience you can ask for extra chocolate topping and record in slow-mo as it rains all over your gelato. This isn’t actually the most instagrammable scoop they serve, but the mix of hazelnut and coffee is quite delicious.
Monte Gelato
In Altamonte Springs, aka the corridor of chains, you will get a slight break from corporate owned eateries with this authentic Italian locally-owned gelato shop. There is a pizza place right next door (I haven’t been able to confirm if it’s the same owners) making it a great spot for dinner and dessert. The gelato is delicious with a nice variety of flavors.
LUCCIANO’S
Known for their pink and glitzy spot in the Florida mall with flying pigs, Lucciano’s is not a local gelato spot, but rather an International chain (that’s why it’s in the Florida Mall). Pictured here is the Pistachio ice cream pop, which honestly wasn’t good for the $8 price tag and the whole place feels like it exists solely for the gram, but if you are a fan of gelato and near the mall you can go investigate for yourself.
Other spots for Gelato:
SOFT SERVE
Twistee Treat
I know I'm not blowing anyone's mind by adding Twistee Treat to this list, but I have to because it was the only place I ever got ice cream from growing up. The only item I have ever ordered is the vanilla soft serve dipped in butterscotch coating and it's perfect every time.
Domu
If you are at the East End Market later in the day and are looking for a cold treat you can head into Domu and ask the bartender for their current flavor of their rotating soft serve ice cream flavor. They've had matcha, taro, black belgium chocolate with activated charcoal just to name a few flavors. Leave room after you indulge in the KFC wings for a swirl.
Other spots for Soft Serve:
SLURP IT
Twisted Sugar
Want some Dole Whip without going to Disney? Over at Twister Sugar in Clermont they are known for cookies, but they also have ice creams and “twisters” which are basically ice cream smoothies in flavors like From Dole Whip to Frozen Hot Chocolate and even Butterbeer.
La Isla del Frappe & Puchungui's Pinchos Orlando
La Isla del Frappe is a large food trailer, practically a full restaurant on wheels that parks at Goldenrod and E. Colonial. While you can get actual food like tostones, mofongo, and burgers, I'm a little addicted to their amazing frappes. As you approach the colorful trailer you will see a grid of the over 40 types of frappes. So many options stuffed with chocolate covered strawberries, Swiss Cake rolls and rainbow sour strips and the additional candy of your choosing. If you visit on the weekends be prepared to wait, they tend to garner long lines. Pro Tip: The chocolate base is substantially better than the vanilla in my humble opinion.
Pop Culture Shoppe
This ice cream soda bar sits inside a video game shop/lounge in Clermont and it has married someone of my favorite things together. Classic video games, 90’s nostalgia, and treats. The Soda float creations are themed and can come with or without ice cream.
HEALTHY-ISH
PURPLE OCEANS SUPERFOOD BAR
Technically, this isn’t ice cream, but these frozen açaí scoops are the next best thing, allowing you to feel a little bit better about this indulgence. At any of their Orlando locations you can order frozen açaí in a bowl with toppings, or on top of a buckwheat waffle with fresh fruit. If you want to bypass the waffle, their bowls are amazing served plain or even in half of a pineapple. For optimal aesthetics visit the Florida Mall location where they have an adorable airstream.
SOHO JUICE COMPANY
Another healthier alternative is the soft “swerve” at Soho Juice Company. Made with coconut and plant-based proteins, this is a great non-dairy alternative.
Rolled Ice Cream
Mr. Cool Ice Cream
This particular spot is on I-Drive (the quieter end) has plenty of rolled ice cream flavors and options. Rolled ice cream is much lighter than traditional ice cream so it's a great alternative for something light when you have a sweet craving. Pro Tip: This particular location is right near some terrible tourist shops littered with Florida memorabilia that you really need to walk through just for fun.
Other spots for Rolled Ice Cream:
All photos were taken by me and cannot be used without my permission. All food was paid for by me, this is not a sponsored post and I was not paid to include any business within this round-up.