Best ice cream shops, gelato, ice pops and more cool treats in Palm Beach County
Summer is definitely here. In fact, if a season could be anywhere with a vengeance it's summer in South Florida. Not content with being merely hot, South Florida summers throw in more than enough humidity to turn the walk from your house to your car into the equivalent of an hour-long hike through most rain forests.
Yes, you've heard all the tricks to "beating the heat," stay hydrated, avoid outdoor activities between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. (more like 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. during July and August), wear loose fitting clothes, a hat and blah, blah, blah.
There's another — much sweeter — way to not only make all that heat tolerable, but maybe even beat it into submission: Seek out nearby restaurants and other purveyors of icy treats for ice cream, gelato, shaved ice, ice pops and more.
Don't think of this as indulging. These frozen treats are weapons in maintaining your sanity. That shaved ice is purely a means of hydration.
No doubt, these oases of cooling decadence are everywhere. But to begin to build your beat-the-heat first aid kit, here are 12 excellent options for keeping your cool in the sweetest way possible:
Rosa Ice Cream
In business for nine years, Rosa Ice Cream is owned and run by David Hoyuela.
Originally from Spain, Hoyuela has been making his own ice cream for decades. Learning the trade working in his family's ice cream business, he would accompany his father to fetch milk. Hoyuela said he would tell his father that milk from one cow in particular produced the best ice cream. That cow's name was Rosa.
Hoyuela said Rosa Ice Cream makes all of its ice cream in house, using only natural ingredients and no salt or eggs. The shop offers more than 30 flavors at a time.
Rosa carries the basics such as vanilla, chocolate, strawberry and pistachio, but his staff also ventures outside the box with varieties including apple crisp, horchata, red wine, avocado and even goat cheese with honey.
Two of Rosa's most popular ice creams are carrot cake and peanut butter. They also make a special ice cream for Guanabanas called "VT." It has cookie dough, brownie, chocolate and caramel and is very popular. In addition to ice cream, customers can indulge in fresh fruit popsicles, fresh fruit beverages and more.
Information: 1695 W. Indiantown Road, Jupiter. 561-201-5505; instagram.com/rosaicecreamjupiter
Locals Shaved Ice
Just had a great summer surf session, paddle or beach run near the Juno Pier? Locals Surf Shop in the Bluffs Square Shoppes plaza has just what you need.
What does a surf shop have in common with icy, sweet goodness? Usually, not too much, but inside Locals Surf Shop visitors can find the Locals Shaved Ice stand.
Using a machine called a "Snowie," the surf shop produces ultra-fluffy ice that is the perfect vehicle for any one of 24 flavors. These range from standards like grape, cherry and orange to the super cool like cotton candy, pink bubble gum, Bahama mama or tiger's blood (it's actually strawberry/coconut, but we prefer 'tiger's blood!').
Shop and stand owner Jimmy Moren said his wife always wanted to run a shaved ice stand and after seeing one in action about two years ago, they thought "how hard could it be?" and went for it. The rest is icy cold, tasty history.
Information: 4050 US 1, Jupiter. 561-624-6006; localsshavedice.com
Matty's Gelato Factory
No list of Palm Beach County sweet treats would be complete without mention of this Juno Beach gem. Matty's has dozens of flavors, made fresh daily, ranging from the not-so-wild (though wildly popular) coconut, and strawberry, made with strawberries imported from Italy, to the slightly more complex chocolate, coffee, mascarpone, their most popular flavor. Other delicious, refreshing flavors include cannoli, key lime, lemon sorbet, toffee crunch and many, many more.
Matty Cairo has owned and operated his gelato shop with his wife for seven years. He learned his craft working with two Italian immigrants in Connecticut. They taught him well: Since moving back to the Sunshine State (he grew up in Port St. Lucie), Cairo has garnered one accolade after another. In 2019, his shop was named best in the state on Yelp!
Information: 867 Donald Ross Road, Juno Beach. 561-557-3539; mattysgelatofactory.com
Chulados
The family behind Palm Beach Gardens’ popular Taco Chula street-food spot opened the Chulados ice cream and paleta shop just steps away in October 2023.
The gourmet scoop ice cream, sorbet and paletas are made for the shop by local ice cream confectioner David Hoyuela of Rosa Ice Cream shop in Jupiter. He sweetens his treats naturally without added sugar or preservatives.
Expect flavors such as pi?a colada, coffee, cheesecake, strawberry, watermelon and my hand-down favorite: banana praline. You’ll also find a selection of specialty coffees and other desserts at the colorful shop.
~Liz Balmaseda
Information: 10800 N. Military Tr., Suite 106, Palm Beach Gardens. 561-530-7755; chulados.com
Sprinkles Ice Cream & Sandwich Shop
Quite possibly the "Godfather" of ice cream in Palm Beach County, this iconic shop has been serving up refreshing sweet treats for 40 years.
If you've ever ridden a bicycle on, run, walked or skated the Lake Trail in Palm Beach, this spot can be the perfect way to cool off. Go ahead, you've earned a scoop or two or three of ice cream ranging from black cherry to dulce de leche to butterscotch bomb to Smurf. In addition to ice cream, which can be enjoyed in cups or fresh-made waffle cones, Sprinkles also offers milkshakes, root beer floats, sundaes, smoothies and Italian sodas (filtered bubble water with flavored syrup).
In addition to sweet treats, this Palm Beach hot/cool spot has been a celebrity magnet over the years. Martha Stewart, Brooke Shields, Susan Lucci and more have stopped by the store.
Information: 279 Royal Poinciana Way, Palm Beach. 561-659-1140; sprinklespalmbeach.com
Piccolo Gelato
This hidden gem on Via Mizner between Peruvian and Worth avenues in Palm Beach features gelato, sorbetto and cakes. Their gelato and sorbetto are made fresh daily, in small batches, using locally sourced ingredients including hormone-free milk and cream from grass-fed Florida cows.
The gelato flavors are pretty amazing, with dozens of options including hot cocoa with marshmallows, frozen cappuccino, red velvet, blueberry, salted caramel, tiramisu and many more. For sorbettos, there's lemon, mango, peach, passion fruit mimosa and plenty of others to choose from. Vegan options are available.
Information: 66 Via Mizner, Palm Beach. 561-814-5966; piccologelatopb.com
Peachwave
Opened in 2022, this Clematis Street frozen yogurt and gelato shop can offer the perfect, cooling balm when you're rocking the streets of downtown West Palm Beach.
They offer up to 12 flavors of yogurt and gelato daily, with 50 topping options ranging from fresh fruit, to popping bobas, to whipped cream — all prepared fresh, in-house every morning.
Though the frozen treats are served in cups and cones, it's the cones that are more tempting, being made fresh, not daily, but hourly. Heaven in a cone (or at least a taste of it).
Information: 428 Clematis St., West Palm Beach. 561-766-1584; peachwaveyogurt.com
Angie's Epicurean
Even if you're avoiding gluten and/or dairy, you don't have to miss out on the cooling, tasty treats. Sweet treat salvation is at hand at Angie's Epicurean at CityPlace in downtown West Palm Beach.
This pop-up location by The Wishing Tree crafts its ice creams using cashews and coconut milk and features nearly a dozen flavors — from staples like vanilla, chocolate and strawberry to varieties including mango lassi, passion fruit & basil and pistachio. You can also choose from eight different toppings and multiple sauces to take those flavor combinations on bigger journeys.
The wife and husband team of chef Angela Fernandez and Dylan Finger began working on their recipes in 2017 and spent two years perfecting them before going public at Wynwood in 2019. They have since expanded and have been operating their pop-up out of a vintage French truck at CityPlace for nearly two years. Finger said it's their most popular location.
Information: The Square, 700 S. Rosemary Ave., West Palm Beach. thesquarewestpalm.com
Carvel
Though there are many Carvel shops around country, there's only one that's independently owned, by the same family for over 50 years. Owner Gina Mejia-Scoppa said they will officially celebrate 51 years this October.
Located on Dixie Highway in West Palm Beach, it's more than a landmark; it's part of Palm Beach County history. With two massive cones standing like sentinels, it is a beacon for all the frozen (and semi-frozen), sweet goodness in this world and is absolutely a stopping point.
Whether doling out scooped or soft-serve treats, they've helped the good citizens of West Palm Beach stand tall against the oppressive forces of heat and humidity for decades.
Information: 5901 S. Dixie Highway, West Palm Beach. 561-588-7853; locations.carvel.com
More: Beat the heat in Palm Beach County: From splash pads to pools
Mimi's Creamery and Coffee
Independently owned and operated by Mimi Prophete and her daughter Whitney, this family-friendly, Lantana gem features world-famous Bassetts Ice Cream.
They offer more than 20 flavors, served in bowls as well as in sugar, waffle and cake cones. Whitney said that their salted caramel pretzel and coffee fudge truffle are the two most popular.
In addition to ice cream, Mimi's also serves 10 varieties of Italian ice along with acai bowls, banana splits and more.
Information: 103A South Third St., Lantana. 561-530-7655; mimiscreameryfl.com
The Boardwalk Italian Ice & Creamery
This family owned shop opened in 2015 and was recently named to The USA Today 10Best Readers' Choice Award for the Best Ice Cream Shop. It was the only shop in Florida to make the list and came in at number six.
Located on North Federal Highway in Boynton Beach, The Boardwalk Italian Ice & Creamery is owned by Joseph Hurtuk III and his wife Michelle, their daughter Amanda Hurtuk and Joseph's parents, Joseph II and Barbara Hurtuk.
All of The Boardwalk's ice cream is made inhouse, in small batches, with three standard flavors and an impressive 21 rotating flavors. Those standards include chocolate, vanilla and strawberry. The rotating flavors, however, are where things start to get interesting and where Joseph III unleashes his culinary creativity.
Some of the more recent creations have included "vanilla black raspberry flake, brownie brittle, mint flake, Kahlua almond fudge and Fruity Pebbles."
Those 24 flavors are served in cups, sugar cones, cake cones, waffle cones and waffle cups.
Information: 209 N. Federal Highway, Boynton Beach. 561-600-9593; instagram.com/the.boardwalk.ice
More: USA TODAY's Readers' Choice awards names Boynton Beach ice creamery among nation's best
Morelia Gourmet Paletas
With locations in Boca Raton and now West Palm Beach, this shop features Mexican paletas.
Similar to popsicles, but bigger, these frozen treats are small-batch made and feature 100% natural ingredients. Morelia has 16 to 18 varieties at a time and they include mainstays as well as seasonal options.
Some of the flavors include passion fruit sorbet, chocolate hazelnut, dulce de leche filled with dulce de leche, banana filled with Nutella and many more.
Information: 125 Via Naranjas, Boca Raton. 561-672-1055; 7036 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach. 561-787-3661; paletasmorelia.com
Venchi
Opened on Jan. 31 at the Town Center at Boca Raton, this chocogelataria is renowned for its Italian chocolate and gelato.
Featuring hundreds of chocolate recipes, dozens of gelato flavors, their signature "Gelatoshakes", crepes, coffee, hot chocolate and more, the Boca Raton shop is the internationally-known brand's first store in the Sunshine State.
Though all of the chocolate is made at the Venchi facility in Cuneo, Italy, and shipped in a temperature-controlled environment to outlets around the world, the gelato is made fresh at the store daily. Waffle cones also are crafted daily using an Italian recipe.
Mark Ellis, Venchi's chief commercial officer, said the gelato is made in small batches, with no artificial ingredients and that the time from production to consumption is never more than two to three days, he said.
In addition to cups, cones and even takeout, their gelato can be mixed into their signature "Gelatoshakes", which might be the perfect compliment to our warm South Florida weather.
Information: 6000 Glades Road, Boca Raton. us.venchi.com/store/boca
More: Gourmet Italian chocolate, fresh gelato await at new Town Center at Boca Raton destination
Eddie Ritz is a journalist at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach him at [email protected]. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: The best ice cream, gelato, shave ice shops Palm Beach County
