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Top Ice Cream Shops in Orlando

1. Gelato-go — Orlando

Treat your family to homemade artisan gelato, with more than 20 flavors to choose from. You can even treat yourself to an affogato al café, which is vanilla gelato mixed with Italian coffee. Pastries and smoothies are also available.

2. Ginther’s Swirls — Orlando

This family-owned ice cream shop is located on International Drive, a few miles from SeaWorld. Ginther’s has a full menu of cool treats, including soft serve cones and cups, sundaes, milkshakes, slushies, and more.

3. The Greenery Creamery — Downtown Orlando & Sanford

The Greenery Creamery is an artisanal ice cream boutique serving both traditional and vegan ice cream made from scratch. Flavors rotate daily and are posted to its Instagram stories, and include options such as Milk n’ Cookies, Blueberry Lavender, Key Lime Pie, and many more.

4. I-CE NY — Baldwin Park

I-CE NY offers one of the latest ice cream trends – rolled ice cream. Guests can customize their ice cream with a variety of mix-ins. The rolls are made by mixing the ice cream base and ingredients on a cold metal plate, chopping and smashing into a thin layer, and rolling once firm. The whole process is complete in just two minutes.

5. Ice & Bites Café — Orlando / UCF area

Ice cream with cotton candy? Sign us up! Ice & Bites’ unique ice cream creations come in a fun fish-shaped waffle cone, with toppings such as hazelnut sticks, fruit skewers, and cotton candy. Other sweet options include bubble tea and "Sno," which is flavored ice topped with fruits, nuts, and assorted toppings.

6. Kelly’s Homemade Ice Cream — Multiple locations

With three locations serving Central Florida, Kelly’s Homemade Ice Cream is a local favorite. It offers both dairy and nondairy options, and a variety of flavors, from traditional vanilla and chocolate, to unique originals such as Cookie Monster and Ore-dough. You can even try four different flavors in four mini waffle cones, known as an "ice cream flight."

7. Marketplace Stand at Disney Springs — Lake Buena Vista

You don’t have to visit the theme parks to get a Dole Whip fix. The Marketplace Stand at Disney Springs serves up the Disney signature dessert in a variety of options. Choose from the classic cup of the famous soft serve, a Dole Whip float, or Dole Whip nachos (made with waffle cone chips).

8. Orange Blossom Candies & Cream — Montverde

This mother and daughter-owned ice cream shop serves up more than 20 fun flavors of ice cream, including Key Lime Pie, Lemon, and the namesake Orange Blossom. A large variety of chocolates and sweets are also available. Grab some ice cream then head across the street to Kirk Park where you’ll find a playground shaded by canopy trees.

9. Palate Bubs and Ice Cream — Sanford

In the heart of downtown Sanford is Palate Bubs and Ice Cream. The signature dish served here is a bubble waffle filled with ice cream and your choice of toppings. There are more than 20 flavors of ice cream available, including nondairy options.

10. Scoops on 5^th — Mount Dora

Located in beautiful downtown Mount Dora, Scoops on 5^th offers 40 flavors of Hershey’s ice cream, as well as homemade caramel corn, cupcakes, cookies, and keto donuts. After enjoying a sweet treat, take a stroll down the lakefront to Gilbert Park and let the kids play on the pirate ship playground.

11. Tavares Ice Cream — Tavares

Located on Main Street in downtown Tavares, this lakefront ice cream shop offers indoor and outdoor seating as well as a nautical-themed playset outside. Tavares Ice Cream carries more than 30 flavors of Hershey’s ice cream, as well as pastries and edible cookie dough. Just across the street is Wooton Park and the Tavares Splash Pad.

12. Twistee Treat — Multiple locations

It’s hard to miss these ice cream shops as the buildings are shaped like giant ice cream cones. There are more than a dozen locations all around Central Florida, serving up homemade soft serve, slushies, sundaes, shakes, and favorites like a waffle taco and hot fudge brownie boat.

13. West Orange Creamery — Ocoee

This old-fashioned creamery and soda fountain serves Hershey’s ice cream in a variety of treats, including sundaes, banana splits, and epic milkshakes with fun toppings. Fountain remedies include ice cream sodas, old-fashioned sodas, and egg creams.

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Fifty varieties of doughnuts should satisfy any sweet tooth. 

Top Treat and Sweet for Kids Shops in Orlando

14. Donuts to Go — Sanford

Donuts to Go is our family’s favorite local donut shop, offering fresh homemade donuts, including a square glazed that is heavenly, plus an assortment of other flavors. Guests can even get a donut breakfast sandwich, and other breakfast menu options.

15. Gideon’s Bakehouse — Lake Buena Vista, Orlando

Indulge in a freshly baked, nearly half-pound cookie at this bakehouse with locations at Disney Springs and the East End Market. Cookie flavors include original chocolate chip, cookies and cream, peanut butter crunch, triple chocolate, and more. A variety of cakes is also available.

16. P is for Pie Bake Shop — Orlando

This artisan bakery offers a variety of sweet and savory pies, as well as cakes, cookies, cinnamon rolls, and more. All items are homemade with local ingredients. Daily menus are posted on its Instagram and Facebook pages.

17. Sugar Factory — Orlando

Part of the ICON Park entertainment area, Sugar Factory Orlando satisfies even the biggest sweet tooth with its full-size candy shop and over-the-top dessert menu offerings. These include sundaes big enough for two, “insane” milkshakes, and chocolate fondue. If you really want to splurge, get the world famous King Kong sundae: 24 scoops of ice cream topped with candy, cookies, lollipops, and sparklers.

18. Toothsome Chocolate Emporium — Orlando

From the outside, this themed confectionary located at Universal’s CityWalk looks like a real-life Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory. It serves up a huge variety of chocolate-inspired treats and elaborate milkshakes.

19. Voodoo Doughnut — Orlando

Also located at Universal’s CityWalk, this popular doughnut shop can get very crowded, so plan on visiting either early or late to avoid long lines. Voodoo offers more than 50 types of doughnuts every day, including Oh Captain, My Captain covered in Can’n Crunch cereal, Marshall Mathers covered with mini M&Ms, Lotta Horchata filled with Horchata custard, traditional raised glazed, and more.

20. Wondermade — Sanford

This café is historic downtown Sanford offers a variety of flavored marshmallows (as well as ice cream). Marshmallows can be served toasted on a stick, in a cup of hot chocolate, or sandwiched in a s’more. Family workshops are also offered for families to tour the kitchen and make their own marshmallows.

Photos courtesy of the shops