Where to Find Ice Cream in Boston for Every Mood

A Treat for Every Occasion

15 exemplary ice cream delights for whatever the mood.

For When Nostalgia Calls: J.P. Licks

Remember when your biggest concern in life was deciding among mini peanut-butter cups, gummy bears, marshmallow sauce, and hot fudge on your ice cream (or getting them all)? Relive your childhood by indulging in the classic toppings bar at this homegrown chain, which has been around for 40-plus years. Also classic: a robust frozen yogurt selection, which long preceded—and has since outlasted—the various froyo trends of the 1990s and 2000s.

17 locations around Greater Boston, jplicks.com.

Your New Creamsicle Obsession: Cedar Hill Dairy Joy

Sure, the cult-followed javaberry flavor (a coffee-raspberry swirl) gets top billing at this outdoor-only ice cream stand in Weston, which has been going strong for 60-plus years, but for us, the dreamy creamsicle is synonymous with sun and summer. Sky-high twists of orange-and-vanilla soft serve beckon us west of the city, while the whimsical collection of rocking horses known as Ponyhenge, a few minutes drive away, make it doubly worth the trip.

331 North Ave., Weston, 781-894-2600, facebook.com/dairyjoyweston.

The Blizzard, All Grown Up: New City Microcreamery

From “gravies” dubbed “hawt fudge” and “razzle dazzle” (raspberry) to “funks” (toppings) like “cosmic crunch” (white-chocolate-coated Trix), everything at New City feels a little Wonka-esque. The magic continues with the customizable milkshakes, which have countless flavor-and-topping possibilities and an ultra-smooth texture thanks to the liquid nitrogen used in the ice-cream-making process. Ditch your Oreos-blended-into-vanilla order this summer, and instead, decide which mix-ins go best with seasonal flavors like Dubai chocolate or chipotle-mezcal ice cream.

28 Main St., Hudson, 617-945-0279; 403 Massachusetts Ave., Central Square, Cambridge, 978-333-7144; 534A Boston Post Rd., Sudbury, 978-261-5236; newcitymicrocreamery.com.

Splits & Sweet Scoops: Ron’s Ice Cream & Bowling

Celebrate two New England traditions in one—candlepin bowling and ice cream—at Hyde Park mainstay Ron’s, which has been around since the 1970s. A nostalgic banana-boat sundae or a scoop of peanut butter explosion is sure to fuel your competitive spirit at this family-friendly, beginner-friendly 10-lane alley. Keep it in mind for party-planning purposes, too—ice cream cake, pizza, and bowling is a no-brainer. (There’s a Dedham location, too, minus the bowling.)

1231 Hyde Park Ave., Hyde Park, Boston, 617-364-5274, ronsicecream.com.

Instagram’s Favorite Cone: Taiyaki NYC

If the camera eats first, it’ll be more than pleased with a visit to Taiyaki NYC—as will you, because the trendy mini chain delivers taste as well. Its namesake fish-shaped cone (with a red bean or custard filling) comes filled with pastel swirls of soft serve in flavors such as matcha, strawberry, and mango. Make it even more photogenic by turning it into a unicorn with sprinkles, ears, and a little gold horn.

119 Seaport Blvd., Suite B, Seaport District, Boston, 617-531-3514, taiyakinyc.com.

The Double-Handed Frappe: Crescent Ridge

We’ve spent many a summer night waiting in a long line at this suburban dairy bar, and for good reason: Crescent Ridge knows how to make a darn tasty frappe. Order the “extra thick” version for an almost impossible amount of ice cream blended into a smooth, indulgent drink—peppermint stick is our choice, but there are more than 40 other options. Can’t make the trek to Sharon? You can also enjoy your spoon-required frappe at the creamery’s Boston Public Market outpost.

100 Hanover St. (Boston Public Market), Downtown Boston; 407 Bay Rd., Sharon, 781-784-2740; crescentridgedairybar.com.

Forget Florence: Delini Gelato

Why fly to Italy for the richest, creamiest gelato when you can find it right here in West Roxbury? Delini founder Viktoria Petkova’s obsession with simple, organic ingredients—no artificial colors or preservatives here—builds the groundwork for impossibly fresh-tasting flavors like Sicilian pistachio and caramelized banana. When possible, local sourcing is emphasized, too—take the tasty honey lavender with Tyngsborough-based Carlisle Honey and lavender from the Cape. That’s amore.

5 Bellevue St., West Roxbury, Boston, 617-826-8066, delinigelato.com.

Toscanini’s micro ice cream cake. / Photo by Nina Gallant / Styling by Madison Trapkin

Personal-Cake Paradise: Toscanini’s

Any day can feel like your birthday when you snag one of Toscanini’s grab-and-go micro ice cream cakes, meant to feed one or two sweets lovers. Two layers of ice cream—happily, Toscanini’s fan-favorite B3 (brown butter, brown sugar, brownies) is one of the options—sandwiches a chocolate wafer cookie and is surrounded by a thin layer of frosting, and the whole thing gets topped with a generously festive covering of sprinkles. Happy whatever-you’re-celebrating!

899 Main St., Central Square, Cambridge, 857-777-7899; 159 First St., East Cambridge, 617-491-5877; tosci.com.

Midnight’s Sweet Spot: The Scoop N Scootery

It’s late at night and you desperately want—no, you need—an ice cream sundae, but your favorite Netflix show is calling: Yeah, we’ve been there. Enter the Scoop N Scootery, a genius service that offers an astounding 55-plus sundaes for delivery around Greater Boston as late as 2 a.m. If none of the prefab options appeal to you, you can design your own masterpiece, choosing among 20 ice cream and froyo flavors, a sundae “core” or two (such as a “peanut butter tunnel”), frostings and flavored whipped creams, and more than 40 toppings, from blueberry-muffin crumble to crushed cannoli shells. Very sweet dreams, indeed.

112 Massachusetts Ave., Arlington, 781-777-2830; 75 Linden St., Allston, Boston, 617-208-8016; 22 Water St., East Cambridge, 617-945-0716; thescoopnscootery.com.

The Dairy-Free Dream: FoMu

The creaminess in FoMu’s vegan-friendly ice creams comes from coconut milk rather than cow’s milk, but even the dairy faithful can’t deny the decadence of this local company’s frozen desserts (not to mention the other dairy-and-egg-free baked goods, including cookies and ice cream cakes). Sink your spoon into flavors such as cold brew, grasshopper pie, and birthday cake at FoMu’s three Boston scoop shops, or at countless local restaurants and shops that buy the brand wholesale. Or try making your own version at home with help from FoMu founder Deena Jalal’s cookbook, appropriately dubbed Incredible Vegan Ice Cream.

200 Faneuil Hall Sq. (Quincy Market), Downtown Boston, 857-277-1408; 655 Tremont St., South End, Boston, 617-982-7955; 140 Brookline Ave., Fenway, Boston, 857- 284-7229; fomuicecream.com.

Honeycomb Creamery’s s’mores ice cream taco. / Photo by Nina Gallant / Styling by Madison Trapkin

Taco Tuesday: Honeycomb Creamery

Choco Tacos have nothing on this Cambridge shop’s ice-cream-filled shells, which come in supremely creative flavor combos. Varieties rotate frequently, so you might find lemon crème tacos one week (vanilla waffle shells full of lemon ice cream, dipped in lemon white chocolate, topped with lemon-shortbread bits) or chocolate-covered strawberry another week (chocolate waffle shells with strawberry ice cream and jam, dipped in dark chocolate, topped with sprinkles). Whatever’s on offer, it’ll be a guaranteed fiesta.

1702 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, 617-714-3983, honeycombcreamery.com.

A Matchariffic Buzz: Matcha Café Maiko

Prefer to get your daily caffeine fix in dessert form? Sure, you could order an affogato somewhere, but we prefer the gentler buzz of earthy matcha and its roastier cousin hōjicha at this delightful Boston franchise of a Hawaii-based Japanese dessert café. Try pillowy twists of matcha-strawberry soft serve, for example, atop an iced matcha latte, or go wild with the shop’s specialty sundae, which tops soft serve (hōjicha-ube, perhaps?) with mochi balls, matcha sponge cake, adzuki red beans, and more.

115 Jersey St., Fenway, Boston, 617-322-5360, matchacafe-maiko.com.

Van Leeuwen’s marionberry cheesecake ice cream. / Photo by Nina Gallant / Styling by Madison Trapkin

Flavor Lab: Van Leeuwen

This New York–based chain’s bonkers collabs grab headlines—Hidden Valley Ranch or Kraft Macaroni & Cheese ice cream, anyone?—but it’s the creative-but-not-too-weird flavors that we love best. Options like lemon-poppy-seed muffin, dulce de leche brownie, and buttermilk-berry cornbread, each featuring a custardy, egg-yolk-filled base, have fueled the company’s massive national expansion. Here in Greater Boston, we already have four—going on six—outposts.

Seaport District, Harvard Square, and other locations, vanleeuwenicecream.com.

Gerly’s birthday-cake ice cream. / Photo by Nina Gallant / Styling by Madison Trapkin

Nut-Free Scoops: Gerly’s Ice Cream

Ordering ice cream with a nut allergy can be stressful, both for the customer and the person behind the counter. But there’s never any anxiety at this Somerville scoop shop (formerly Tipping Cow), where every flavor is 100 percent nut-free, from the Oreo mint and dark chocolate–sea salt to the sweet-savory fig-and-goat-cheese. Sweetening the deal for ice cream aficionados with allergies? Several membership options for monthly pints or unlimited scoops.

415 Medford St., Somerville, 617-835-8267, gerlysicecream.com.

Fruit Flex: Far Out Ice Cream

Boston hadn’t experienced New Zealand–style ice cream before Far Out Ice Cream blasted onto the scene in 2021, but we’re thrilled that the ultra-creamy, fruity delight has made its way here from Down Under. Hard ice cream is blended to order with frozen, locally sourced fruit, with a sweet result closer to soft serve—the best of both worlds. The must-try flavor is the signature Kookaberry: vanilla ice cream blended with raspberries, blueberries, and strawberries. Top it with dark chocolate flakes for the ideal pairing.

419 Harvard St., Brookline; 401 Park Dr. (Time Out Market Boston), Fenway, Boston; 100 Cambridgeside Pl. (Cambridgeside), East Cambridge; 617-487-8102, farouticecream.com.

Favorite Flavors

We surveyed eight ice cream shops to settle, once and for all, what flavors this city really wants in a cone.

Nature’s Sugar High

In first place, flavors showcasing sweet, juicy fruits and berries take the cake, accounting for 29 percent of top sellers in our data set. Honeycomb’s sweet-corn-and-blackberry-jam, Gerly’s fig-and-goat-cheese, Far Out Ice Cream’s peach cobbler, and more were among their respective shops’ most popular picks.

The Caffeine Chronicles

Coffee- and tea-related ice creams tied for second place with classic flavors (see “Old-School Still Rules” below), each representing 18 percent of top sellers, with Van Leeuwen’s coffee affogato, FoMu’s Earl Grey shortbread, and Honeycomb’s hōjicha-and-maple-taffy among the favorites.

Old-School Still Rules

It wasn’t too surprising that the classics are quite popular. We counted vanilla (including Honeycomb’s brown-sugar vanilla), chocolate (including Gerly’s dark chocolate–sea salt), and chocolate chip (including the Italian version, stracciatella) as tried-and-true scoop choices, with this set of flavors tying the caffeinated ones above for second place.

Innovation Nation

Boston loves creativity: Of 36 top-selling flavors in our dataset, there were only a handful of repeats. Everything else was unique to its shop, from FoMu’s strawberry-rhubarb pie to Delini’s caramelized banana. And more than a quarter of the flavors were seasonal but still cracked the top-seller list at their shops.

This article was first published in the print edition of the June 2025 issue with the headline: “Ice Cream Season”