ORLANDO, Fla. – Ice cream is a treat that can be enjoyed all year round, although the volume produced during the hotter months signals otherwise.
The majority of ice cream and other frozen desserts in the U.S. are made between March and August, with July being the busiest month of all, according to the Department of Agriculture.
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Many Americans have memories of their pastel green mint chocolate chip scoop dripping down their waffle cone at the height of summer or cooling down with their sprinkle-covered chocolate and vanilla soft-serve twist.
Ice cream tends to scream nostalgia, but the range of available flavors has evolved since the days when the dessert was mainly limited to vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry. Of course, that doesn’t mean those aren’t still top-tier choices.
According to a May 2024 survey of 2,200 American adults by the International Dairy Foods Association and Morning Consult, the top 10 ice cream flavors today are still the three classics (vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry, in that order) followed by butter pecan, cookie dough, cookies and cream, mint chocolate chip, chocolate chip, rocky road, and peanut butter or peanut butter cup.
Nowadays, many ice cream shops offer fresh combinations and ingredients you may never have imagined could be made into ice cream, concoctions like black sesame cookies and cream or honey lavender.
Some ice cream shops boast flavors with even more unheard-of ingredients and combinations, like the savory tarragon olive oil or pineapple with pink peppercorns.
Ice cream creators have also expanded into rethinking frozen yogurt, soft serve, and vegan options. Dairy-free folks no longer have to order the only sorbet on the menu.
There are nondairy milk ice creams made from plant-based milks like oat or almond and other plant-based products like avocado or sunflower butter.
And then there are the toppings, one of the best parts about getting a scoop at your local shop. Pour on the condensed milk or dulce de leche. Sprinkle bits of honeycomb or your favorite childhood cereal.
Ice cream shops everywhere have made it their job to serve up the smoothest, creamiest, and most crave-able options. To find out who’s doing the best job of it, Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated ice cream shops in Orlando using data from Yelp. Data is as of June 14, 2024.
Businesses were selected using Yelp’s ranking system, which calculates an adjusted rating value that takes into account the number of ratings as well as the rating score itself. Only businesses with at least 10 reviews were considered.
Also, in an effort to highlight independent businesses and local chains, those with more than five locations nationally, based on the Yelp data, were not included.
Read on to determine where you’ll get your next cup or cone from! Note: The photos in this article are stock images and do not necessarily depict the specific ice cream shops listed or the items they serve.
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#22. Foxtail Coffee - Hunters Creek
- Rating: 4.5/5 (67 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 13651 Hunters Oak Drive Ste 101 Orlando, Florida
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, coffee & tea, coffee roasteries
- Read more on Yelp
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#21. Smith's Homemade
- Rating: 4.5/5 (28 reviews)
- Address: 4789 South Orange Ave. Fort Gatlin Plaza Orlando, Florida
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
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#20. Bacio Ice Cream Shop
- Rating: 4.6/5 (84 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 8734 Lee Vista Blvd. Orlando, Florida
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
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#19. Forty Carrots
- Rating: 4.6/5 (13 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 4152 Conroy Road Orlando, Florida
- Categories: juice bars & smoothies, ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
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#18. Mike's Italian Ice
- Rating: 4.6/5 (26 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 4546 South Semoran Blvd. Orlando, Florida
- Categories: desserts, ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
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#17. Twistee Treat LBV
- Rating: 4.6/5 (219 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 11947 South Apopka Vineland Road Orlando, Florida
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
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#16. The Greenery Creamery
- Rating: 4.7/5 (519 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 420 East Church St. Unit 112 Orlando, Florida
- Categories: desserts, ice cream & frozen yogurt, vegan
- Read more on Yelp
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#15. The Pop Parlour
- Rating: 4.7/5 (59 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 4214 East Plaza Drive Orlando, Florida
- Categories: coffee & tea, ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
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#14. Kelly's Homemade Ice Cream
- Rating: 4.7/5 (208 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1817 South Ferncreek Ave. Orlando, Florida
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, desserts
- Read more on Yelp
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#13. Kelly's Homemade Ice Cream
- Rating: 4.7/5 (535 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3114 Corrine Drive Orlando, Florida
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, food trucks
- Read more on Yelp
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#12. Thirsty River Bar
- Rating: 4.7/5 (11 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2901 Osceola Pkwy Animal Kingdom Orlando, Florida
- Categories: bars, ice cream & frozen yogurt, american
- Read more on Yelp
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#11. Smallcakes Orlando
- Rating: 4.8/5 (76 reviews)
- Address: 9650 Universal Blvd. Ste 113 Orlando, Florida
- Categories: desserts, cupcakes, ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
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#10. La Palette
- Rating: 4.8/5 (25 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 12720 South Orange Blossom Trl Ste 24 Orlando, Florida
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
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#9. Sampaguita
- Rating: 4.8/5 (346 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1233 East Colonial Drive Orlando, Florida
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, filipino
- Read more on Yelp
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#8. Joury Ice-Cream & Cafe
- Rating: 4.8/5 (104 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 457 Avalon Park South Blvd. Ste 200 Orlando, Florida
- Categories: creperies, ice cream & frozen yogurt, desserts
- Read more on Yelp
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#7. Adam's italian ice
- Rating: 4.8/5 (39 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 12447 South Orange Blossom Trl Orlando, Florida
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, gelato, desserts
- Read more on Yelp
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#6. Freeze Your Brain Shave Ice
- Rating: 4.9/5 (48 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 8433 International Drive Orlando, Florida
- Categories: shaved ice, ice cream & frozen yogurt, food trucks
- Read more on Yelp
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#5. Midnight Sun Ice Cream Sandwich Co.
- Rating: 4.9/5 (25 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: Orlando, Florida
- Categories: desserts, ice cream & frozen yogurt, food trucks
- Read more on Yelp
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#4. Mr Freeze Ice Cream
- Rating: 5.0/5 (10 reviews)
- Address: Orlando, Florida
- Categories: food trucks, ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
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#3. Kiwi Coffee Cafe
- Rating: 5.0/5 (10 reviews)
- Address: 2207 East Michigan St. Orlando, Florida
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, coffee roasteries, desserts
- Read more on Yelp
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#2. Sorbet King
- Rating: 5.0/5 (11 reviews)
- Address: Orlando, Florida
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
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#1. Jr Tropical Ice Cream
- Rating: 5.0/5 (28 reviews)
- Address: 1461 North Goldenrod Road Ste149 Orlando, Florida
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
This story features data reporting by Karim Noorani, writing by Chia-Yi Hou, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 237 metros.