UPDATED JUNE 2014 — Ah, Texas in the summer. Porch hangs and swimming hole season is upon us, and with temperatures that are sure to get in the triple digits, a main goal for any Austinite is to simply, stay cool. Literally. Beat the heat with this list of the Best Sno-Cone and Ice Cream Stands in Austin.

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Sno-Beach Austin has been hailed by many as home to the best sno-cone around. If you’re concerned about high-fructose corn syrup, don’t be! All the flavors on the shelf are high-fructose corn syrup free, gluten-free and dairy-free! Oowee! Beware of bees, they can’t help it. The line can get pretty long but it is worth the wait! Sno-Beach has two locations, one on Guadalupe and another on Barton Springs, check ’em out, it’s not going to cool down anytime soon!

 

— Jim-Jim’s Water Ice is different than your average sno-cone. It’s creamy and rich and an ultimate refreshment. Water-Ice is a water-based product made with real fruit blended in fine ice to form a soft, velvety smooth texture. It has no fat of cholesterol and a perfect substitute for ice cream if you’re lactose intolerant. Jim-Jim’s has six locations –, one store and five concession stands.

Uncle Louie G serves up some of the yummiest Italian Ice and Ice Creams EVER out of their cute little food truck at 74 Rainey St. Louie G uses treasured family recipes using the finest ingredients like maraschino and clack cherries, pineapples, bananas and candies like Resse’s Pieces and Snickers to make their delicious frozen treats. Try the Creamsicle!

— Casey’s new Orleans Snowballs has been serving the area since 1996. Located at 808 E 51st St., they are known for their famous chocolate and cream flavors. Their 60+ flavorings have no corn syrup and only use pure cane sugar. They are open rain or shine from noon – 9 pm during the warmer months, stay up to date via their Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Cash only!

If you’re looking for some unique flavors, then Lick Ice Creams will hit the spot! With a rotating, seasonal menu that features combinations like Strawberry + Basil, Roasted Beets + Fresh Mint, Cilantro Lime and Goat Cheese, Thyme + Honey, just to name a few. Lick only uses pure, whole ingredients. The milk and cream comes from local dairy farms and they source only local farms for their ingredients. There are no artificial colors or flavors, no high fructose corn syrup or preservatives ever! Find their store front at 2032 South Lamar Blvd., or find their packaged pints at select stores.

 

— You can’t have an ice cream in Austin list and not include Amy’s Ice Creams. With 13 locations throughout Austin, there should be one near you, and you should definitely swing by. An item to try would be their Mexican Vanilla Ice Cream! You can mix it with your favorite Crush’in like Oreo cookies or Gummi Bears. There is usually a quote of the chalkboard and if you can guess what movie it’s from then you’ll get a free Crush-in! Locations are sometimes combined with Phil’s Ice House, a burger joint that always has a playscape for the kiddos.

South Austin Sno is a family-owned sno cone stand with two locations: 5300 Manchaca Rd. and 2010 S. Lamar. They play groovy music and have served their goods since 2004. Parking is easy at their S. Lamar location (can’t speak for the Manchaca locale), and they have a ridiculous amount of flavors to choose from.

— Get an “architecturally inspired” gourmet ice cream sandwich at Coolhaus, a company that started with two women with design and real estate backgrounds, who started making ice cream and cookies into “cool houses” in 2008. Follow them on Twitter to find out where their food truck will be, or you can find their goods at various establishments around Austin (Central Market, Sprouts, the Flag Mart in Hyde Park are some places that we’ve seen them). Coolhaus uses cookies and ice cream to explore endless flavor profiles.

 

 

These spots are the jam when it comes to sno cone stands or awesome ice cream in Austin!  Finish your day of running around in the heat by checking out these sweet spots.