You scream, I scream, we all scream for ice cream in Washington, DC! It doesn’t have to be summer for me to grab a scoop (or two). But with the hot summer weather we have, all of us need a place to head to for a quick cool off which also involves a sweet treat. There’s nothing like a good scoop of ice cream or an ice cold popsicle.
Did you know Maryland has nine dairy farms that offer fresh, delicious on-farm ice cream? Together, they make up the “Maryland’s Best Ice Cream Trail.” Visit each creamery and get a trail passport stamped to be named Maryland’s Ice Cream Trail Blazer! Sounds like a delicious summer bucket-list item.
THE. BEST. (#notanad) Always a line, definitely worth waiting in, enough said, go and get some scoops, many scoops and report back.
Homemade cookies from original recipes and hand-scooped on site, cookies are made with the highest quality ingredients and baked fresh from scratch every day, so you can imagine the aroma flowing from Baked Bear! You can choose your base (brownie, doughnut and/or cookies), then your ice cream flavor followed by toppings and sauces. Don’t forget to ask to have it pressed if you want a warm end result. Recipe uses an all-natural mix made only with rBGH-free cream, pure cane sugar and natural stabilizers.
An old-fashioned dairy store serving ice cream, milk shakes, milk and cookies at Eastern Market. Do you want to take some ice cream home with you after hanging out at Union Market? No problem. They have 3 full freezers stocked with ice cream.
I found out about ICJ because of the mouth-watering Instagram photos everyone posts and then I realized you can order from UberEats! The best flavors come from the best ingredients. They use only all-natural cream and milk from a local creamery, just 50 miles from our scoop shop in Washington, DC. and are proud about the small-batch technique – just a few gallons at a time; allowing to create the highest-quality product and the freshest flavors.
Brought to you by the owners of Surfside & Jetties. Walk up to an outdoor ice-cream stand (attached to the take-out hut) and grab delicious scoops and toppings.
The creators behind Little Red Fox bring you house-made ice cream, milkshakes, cake and cupcakes. Stop in for a scoop of small batch ice cream, or place an order for a one-of-a-kind custom cake.
The very first Thai-inspired ice cream establishment in the state of Maryland and now in Virginia. Handcrafted rolls made with no preservatives or stabilizers, so you know it’s fresh; add toppings to your bowl.
A market that has most everything you need at a higher price but you feel like you live in Mayfield when you walk in. They have a freezer of about 8 flavors to order scoops from and milkshakes are available also as well as a freezer of novelties.
Handcrafted ice cream is their passion. They start the process by combining fresh milk and local ingredients from nearby farms. Using a freezing agent, liquid nitrogen, then freeze the ice cream on the spot in front of guests, creating the freshest handcrafted cup of ice cream you can get.
This family business, open since 1985, is well-known for the owner’s surly demeanor and delicious, homemade ice cream. With classic flavors like cookie dough and unique flavors like Key West chocolate, there’s something for everyone here.
A Georgetown staple. This extensive sweets shop is complete with homemade fudge and chocolates—in addition to ice cream. The specialty here is the one-of-a-kind ‘blend ins’ with homemade ice cream. It’s not a place for the indecisive as they have a chalkboard full of flavors like peanut butter chip, vanilla cherry and our favorite, coffee oreo. Keep in mind that the kiddie-sized cup is very large—about 2 scoops of ice cream.
This summer, you’ll find some exciting new additions at this custard shop. Stick with what you know and get Wisconsin-style frozen custard in vanilla or chocolate every day, or try the flavor of the day. Tollhouse cookie and toasted almond are both on the schedule; see all the upcoming flavors of the day here. They’ll also be offering homemade marshmallows and sorbet this summer along with puppy pops—a treat for your dog!
This ice cream brand, which is sold around the NE corridor, is made right here in D.C.! They even have a small shop where you can go for freshly made, hand-crafted ice cream. They’ve got the classic flavors as well as some unique flavors like Guinness, Rice Pudding and Cotton Candy Gummy Bear.
Captain Cookie and the Milkman
What started as a food truck serving milk and cookies and ice cream sandwiches, now has 3 food trucks you can hunt down in the city or hire for an event. For those of us who can’t make it to a truck stop, there are 2 actual locations you can visit. They also deliver!
Jetties
Serving Gifford’s ice cream, Jetties is not just an ice cream shop, but also well-known for delicious sandwiches and salads. It’s the perfect place to grab lunch followed by a scoop for dessert, with the option of adding toppings like sprinkles and crushed oreos to your cone.
Italian soft serve gelato: your choice of Tahitian vanilla or strawberry sorbetto. Sounds boring but I promise you will want to go back the next day for another!
Bôn Matcha is committed to serving the Washington, D.C. area with the authentic flavors and ingredients of their Asian heritage, in new and familiar ways, and thereby add just a few more pages to the great book of flavor that is this great nation. Check out their soft serve including a vegan flavor option.
Reader Recommended:
Sarah’s Handmade
Carmen’s Italian Ice
Oldies but Goodies:
Dolcezza Gelato
Milk Bar
Dolci Gelati
Pitango Gelato
Godiva
Ben & Jerry’s
YogiBerry
And for those who enjoy a nice, cold popsicle we didn’t forget you– Your first stop should be the rooftop at the Watergate for popsicle spiked ‘poptails’.
All original recipes made with fresh ingredients. Flavors rotate constantly as they run out. These can also be found at various Farmer’s Markets and food trucks, check site.
Originally from Mexico, the owner, Julia has been inspired by tropical flavors and refreshing treats. She fell in love with paletas, also known as Mexican ice pops, and was inspired to share her love for their unique flavors by starting her own company, Maracas Ice Pops.
A small-batch, hand-crafted ice pop company, specializing in natural fruit and juice ice pops, coffee ice pops and alcohol infused ice pops. FrutaPOP is the first of it’s kind to contain healthy, natural ingredients without any added sugars. All of the alcohol-infused ice pops, also known as “POPTAILS” contain 5% ABV or less. You can order in quantities of 12, 24, 36 & 48. Order online and use code: BELTWAYBAMBINOS for 15% your order!!!
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