No matter the season, a sweet, cold treat can turn an ordinary day into something special. Whether you’re cooling off after a sunny afternoon at the park or just craving something delicious, Austin is packed with places serving up ice cream, sno cones, gelato, milkshakes, and more. Here’s our go-to guide for where to grab a refreshing treat around town—fun for the kids, and let’s be honest, fun for the grownups too.

Ice Cream, Gelato & Frozen Yogurt
Also, check out our full list of ice cream and non-dairy ice cream in Austin!

— Amy’s Ice Creams
It’s hard not to think immediately of Amy’s Ice Creams when thinking about cold treats. With so many locations around town, you’re never too far away from their delicious local ice cream.

— Andy’s Frozen Custard
Andy’s offers a variety of custard (extra-thick ice cream) flavors in just about any form you could want. This includes ice cream sundaes, banana splits, shakes, malts, floats, or custard by the scoop.  Andy’s also offers seasonal goodies like key lime pie, pumpkin pie, apple pie, candy cane, Andy nog, and more.

— Besame
With pop-up locations at Meanwhile Brewing and Littlefield’s, Bésame serves small-batch, chef-inspired ice cream in creative rotating flavors like honey-roasted strawberry and burnt basque cheesecake. They also offer dairy-free options and ice cream flights—follow them on Instagram for the latest scoops.

— Dolce Neve
This south Austin sweet spot offers gelato, hazelnut spread, and so much more!

— Frozen Rolls Creamery
Frozen Rolls Creamery is not your ordinary scoop situation.  Frozen Rolls offers their delicious confections in hand-rolled form, Thai style.  And it’s delicious.  The best part is watching your ice cream concoction get mixed and scraped into rolls – well, or maybe the best part is eating said concoction.  We’ll let you be the judge.  Check out our Do512 Eats experience at Frozen Rolls here!

— Gati
Is it possible to make delicious ice cream from only four ingredients? Gati proves it is!  With more than 40 rotating flavors, all vegan and gluten-free, Gati Ice Cream accommodates ice cream lovers with different tastes. If you’re looking to try ice cream flavors out of your comfort zone, we suggest the coconut ash and Japanese red bean flavors!

— Jeni’s
Jeni’s mission is to make better ice creams and bring people together, and they have been incredibly successful at doing exactly that!  Without the use of synthetic flavorings, dyes, or off-the-shelf mixes, Jeni’s specializes in building their delicious ice creams from the ground up. With flavors ranging from raspberry rose jelly donut to fluffernutter, and even cold brew with coconut cream, you’re sure to find a flavor suitable for every taste bud.

— Lick
Lick bills itself as providing “honest ice creams,” so you better believe it’s no lie when we tell you their product is straight-up delicious. They offer everyday, seasonal, and vegan options, guaranteeing there’s something for everyone, while flavors run the good-tasting gamut, ranging from fancy takes on dark chocolate (accentuated with olive oil and sea salt) to roasted beets and fresh mint.

— OMG Squee
100% gluten-free Asian American desserts?!  Count us in. OMG Squee serves the best gluten-free and Asian-inspired desserts in Austin.  If you’re looking to beat the heat, their soft serve is the way to go. You can’t go wrong with any of their daily soft serve flavors, but if you’re looking for a more decadent soft serve, check out their Taiyaki, a stuffed mochi Belgian waffle in a cute fish shape filled with soft serve and toppings of your choice. 

— Pinkberry
As one of America’s favorite fro-yo chains, there are currently two Pinkberry locations in Austin, and you can check them out here.

— Sandy’s Hamburgers
An old Austin classic, Sandy’s isn’t just a favorite for burgers, but also for their awesome soft serve.  Open since 1946 and located centrally on Barton Springs Rd, this walk-up window and drive-through is always bustling with happy customers. Get yourself a dipped cone, sundae, shake, or malt.

— The Baked Bear
If you’ve ever dreamed of concocting your own ice cream sandwich from lots of yummy options, this place is for you.  First, you choose your top & bottom from 11 freshly made cookie options.  Next, select the ice cream you want sandwiched in the middle, and go crazy with additional toppings.  Flavors include birthday cake, cookie dough, mint chip, toasted s’mores, and more. The Baked Bear also offers hot fudge sundaes and ice cream cones.

— Yard Milkshake Bar
Yard Milkshake Bar offers the option to get scoops of ice cream in a cone or cup, but they really knock it out of the park with their iconic specialty milkshakes. Whether you’re sharing one with the whole family or just enjoying one by yourself, you can’t go wrong with any one of their 20+ delicious flavors.  The milkshake jar is included which is perfect to keep as a memory or to create your specialty milkshake!

More Ice Cream Spots to Check Out:

• Baldinucci
• Zeds Real Fruit Ice Cream
• Gelatoro 
• Gelato Paradiso
• Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream
• Cups & Cones ATX

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Sno Cones
Also, check out this round-up of our favorite Sno Cone spots in ATX!

— Bahama Buck’s
Bahama Buck’s is a snow cone chain featuring ribbon-shed ice and an internationally inspired menu. They offer more than 90 flavors, and you can have multiple syrups in one cone. Done right, this means a tasty one-of-a-kind combo in every styrofoam cup – get creative! Bahama Buck’s also has smoothies, bowls, shakes, and sodas.

— Casey’s New Orleans Snoballs
You might have questions like “Who is Casey?” or “How does New Orleans do snow cones differently?”  You’ll find those answers here. Meanwhile, we’re going to cut to the chase and turn the focus toward their 60+ flavors (featuring made-in-house simple syrup), and two classic picks in particular: chocolate and cream.

— Fairy Freeze 
Add a little magic and whimsy to your day with the delicious icy concoctions at Fairy Freeze. With locations in Austin and Hutto, as well as options for private parties and block ice, check out Fairy Freeze’s hours and locations here.

— Hana Organic Shave Ice
This Hawaiian-style shave ice stand serves fluffy, finely shaved ice drenched in organic, dye-free fruit syrups and topped with fresh fruit. Open Tuesday–Saturday (12–7 pm) and Sundays (12–5 pm), Hana is a colorful, refreshing treat that’s perfect for kids and parents craving a naturally delicious cool-down on a warm day.

— Jim Jim’s Water Ice
Our kids go nuts for Jim Jim’s. This cold treat is blended so fine that it’s got a very soft texture. Since 1994, this shop has been “keeping Austin ‘kool’”, and will continue to do so this summer! Stop by their pick-up window on East 6th St. to get snow cones, ice cream, and pints to go.

— Kawaii’s Shaved Ice
Imagine you’re at the beach and you stop along the road at one of the shops for an ice-cold sweet treat. Now, look again, you are in the heart of Round Rock at the cutest little shaved ice stand. Have a seat at one of the tables covered with tiki umbrellas!  You can walk up or drive through Kawaii Ice for your sweet treat.

— Shaved Ice Island
Creative gourmet shaved ice is what you can find at the Shaved Ice Island. They offer flavors from traditional to gourmet, and even a mystery flavor — you won’t know what it is until you try it!  They also have a red-hot ghost-cinnamon challenge for customers who dare eat a freezing fire flavor.  Complete the challenge and you’ll earn a certificate of honor.

— Sno Beach
Marked by a sunglass-adorned snow cone (making their way…cooler…than other stands), Sno-Beach has two locations and over 60 flavors—ranging from Hawaiian to horchata—making it what, in beach terms, we’d consider pure paradise.

—  Snow Monster Lakeway
It’s ice cream. It’s shaved ice. It’s SnoMo! Fluffy like snow, creamy like ice cream. Yummy like no other. This popular Taiwanese dessert includes fruit extracts and fresh milk that are used to make colorful ice blocks. The blocks are then finely shaven with a precision shaving machine into delicious, fluffy ribbons of sno ice.

— Sweet Caroline’s Snow Shack
Another New Orleans-style snowball spot, Sweet Caroline’s offers “light, fine and fluffy” frozen treats in flavors that run the good-tasting gamut from traditional (think cotton candy) to more outside-the-cone options like red velvet cake.

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Other Cold Treats

— Bananarchy
This food truck offers bananas coated with chocolate, peanut butter, vanilla, or vegan chocolate and topped with, among other choices, nuts, Oreos, M&Ms, graham crackers, sprinkles, and cookies.

— Hat Creek Burger Co.
Our kids love their milkshakes and slushies. They have shake flavors ranging from traditional favorites like chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry, to specialty shakes like Cotton Candy and Nutella Bacon Shake.

— Blenders and Bowls
Get your fruit fix any day of the week with healthy smoothies and Açaí bowls!

Enjoy your cold treats!