Dallas TX Ice Cream Guide: Budget Treats to Scoop Dreams

Sweet Treats, Small Price

Braum’s Ice Cream & Dairy Store: Affordable ice cream made with quality ingredients

Braum’s ice cream is packed with flavor at a price that can’t be beat–definitely the best bang for your buck. While you won’t find the same ambiance as some of the other top spots on the list, you can easily satisfy your sweet tooth for under $5 per person.

Baskin Robbins 31% Off All Scoops

Every 31st day of the month, Baskin-Robbins Reward members get 31% off their ice cream scoops

Sonic Drive In: American drive-in fast food chain with Happy Hour

Participating locations of Sonic Drive In offer happy hour pricing after 8pm on ice cream (not blasts). And you don’t even have to get out of your car.

We love visiting the location by Addison Airport and watching the planes take off and land while we enjoy our treats.

Costco’s Snack Bar

Pick up an oversized ice cream sundae for $2.49. Be mindful that on busy days the machine seems unable to keep pace with the volume of orders and is frequently taken out of service. Normally when we go on lower traffic days the machine is just fine, and the ice cream is a great bang for your buck.

Favorite Day, Indeed: A $5 Cartworthy Find

$5 never tasted so good with this Favorite Day’s Cotton Candy Ice Cream from Target. For about $4.99 for 1.5qt its nostalgic cotton candy flavor will transport you straight back to childhood. I stumbled upon this gem in a pinch prepping for a party, and it was an absolute crowd pleaser,

Dairy Queen

Dairy Queen is an oldie but a goodie. One of their blizzards always gives me a sense of a small town high school ice cream run. Another drive through offering if staying in the vehicle suits ones preference.

Crowd-Pleasers for the Young (and Young at Heart)

TCBY

Step back in time to the nostalgia of the 1990s ice cream shop. Cotton candy ice cream and rainbow ice cream are popular amongst elementary schoolers. More health conscious guests can indulge in multiple flavors of yogurt. TCBY offers to-go cartons and ice cream cakes available, which can be ordered in advance. Check the website of Lakewood, Dallas location for specials.

🚙 Yes, There’s a Drive-Thru!

Andys Frozen Custard

Andy’s serves up smooth, high-quality frozen custard that fans swear tastes a notch above the usual scoop shop fare. Their signature creations — called Concretes and Jackhammers — are thick, indulgent, and come with all kinds of creative mix-ins. The Klyde Warren Park location is a total win: it’s a food truck parked steps from the splash pad, so kids can run wild while you enjoy your treat. Bonus: both brick-and-mortar locations around Dallas have drive-thrus, making it a sweet and easy stop on the go.

🚙 Yes, There’s a Drive-Thru!

Pokey-O’s

Pokey-O’s serves delicious homemade cookies sandwiching a scoop of blue bell ice cream, which makes for much better ice cream sandwiches than those of the old days. This is a huge hit with elementary schoolers.

Yogurtland

There is something about getting to fill up an enormous bowl with every possible flavor and then load it with sugary toppings that makes a kid go nuts! And who doesn’t love their iconic plastic spoons. Depending on how much you fill the bowl, Yogurtland can be a budget friendly option. Personally, I do a modest size of Salted Caramel Butter Pecan, and it costs around 2 dollars. Some of my people pick up an enormous bowl and fill it with multiple toppings, and it costs around $7 for that portion.

I Heart Yogurt

The original self-serve frozen yogurt boutique still lives on at multiple locations in the Dallas area.

Paciugo’s Gelato Caffe

This is your quintissential mall counter-serve chain for gelato made on-site daily, plus coffee and frappes. There are locations at NorthPark Center and Dallas Galleria.

Marble Slab Creamery

The location at 9850 Walnut Hill Lane is a crowdpleaser with ice cream, ice cream cakes and cookies available via its partnership with Great American Cookies. There is something for everyone!

Chick-fil-A

Preschool age kids can run their wiggles out in the play area. Some locations of Chick-fil-A will let you substitute a vanilla cone for an unopened happy meal toy. Let the employee know if you prefer a kid-size cone or cup, as Chick-fil-A is often very generous with its portions.

🚙 Yes, There’s a Drive-Thru!

Scoop Dreams: The Absolute Best Ice Cream Around

Van Leeuwen: Scrumptious, mouthwatering, and too good to put down!

• The Birthday Cake flavor by Van Leeuwen was unforgettable-rich, sweet and downright delectable. After devouring a heaping bowl, I couldn’t stop thinking about it for weeks. I had to go back for another.
• The cost per person leans toward the higher end, at around $10 each. During our visit, to-go containers were available for around $12 each. If the price fits your budget, this spot is definitely worth the splurge. If not, there are plenty of other great options to explore.
• Parking can be tricky at the West Village Location in Dallas, TX. There are a handful of spots up front, but if those are taken, you’ll need to walk a bit to a nearby parking garage-where the spaces are tight. Its not the most convenient setup, especially if you’re wrangling a group of young kids.

Home-Churned: Local Favorites Worth the Hype

Parlor’s Handcrafted Ice Creams: Farm-to-scoop ice cream handcrafted in Dallas, TX

• Parlor’s Handcrafted Ice Creams serves up nostalgic flavors made with locally sourced ingredients. Grass-fed milk, pasture-eggs, and local produce make a perfect spot for those looking for a taste of the past.
• The convenient Lakewood location at Hillside Village offers plenty of parking, making it easily accessible for families.
• The friendly and welcoming staff make for a great experience.

Botolino Gelato Artigianale: Authentic Italian-style dessert in the heart of Lower Greenville in Dallas, Texas

• Its founder left his family farm in Tuscany, Italy at age 15 and settled in Dallas, TX. His style of ice cream blends the influence is his life in Texas with his heritage from Italy to create “Italo Texan”.
• Botolino Gelato marries tradition and the most advanced technology to create a delectable sweet treat worth savoring. Several non-dairy flavors are available.
• Roam around the neighborhood of the Lower Greenville location and do a little people watching in a hip Dallas neighborhood.

Pure Milk and Honey: Handcrafted ice cream made with high-quality ingredients

• Handcrafted ice cream made with high-quality ingredients. Unique flavors like honey, raspberry, and ube are used to make carefully crafted treats.
• Check out the ample selections of ice cream cake or create your own. Cakes require several days lead time, so be sure to plan in advance.

Not Your Average Scoop: Unique Ice Cream Experiences

Howdy Homemade Ice Cream: A homemade ice cream shop that harnesses the hardworking of people with special needs

• Founded by Tom Landis to give career opportunities to people with developmental disabilities. Amazing! They serve up unique flavors like Dr Pepper and Chocolate Chip.

Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams: Uniquely smooth texture and buttercream body

• Jen’s boasts seasonal flavors and creative combinations, including Brambleberry Crisp and Brown Butter Almond Brittle. The friendly and knowledgeable staff encourage sampling multiple flavors
• Perfect spot for ice cream lovers looking for a new adventure

Swirled Peace – Plant-based soft serve in Bishop Arts in Dallas, Texas

A plant-based soft serve bar that concocts all soft serve flavors with oat milk. The blend was created to be as hypoallergenic as possible and offers up a choice for dairy-free individuals.

MELT Ice Creams: A popular spot for creative flavors and a fun atmosphere

• Offers small batch dairy, non-dairy, gluten-free, and plant-based ice creams with seasonal choices like Peanut Butter Explosion and Lavender Honey

Cauldron Ice Cream: Offers a magical experience with its made-to-order, liquid nitrogen ice creamy goodness

• Made-to-order ice cream using liquid nitrogen. Their unique menu includes Puffle Cone and Brown Sugar as choices. This is a perfect spot for ice cream enthusiasts looking for a magical experience

Just Outside the Loop: Ice Cream Worth The Trip

Ready to venture a bit outside the loop? Try Churn and Bake in Plano, Tongue In Cheek or Sweet Firefly in Richardson, or Beth Marie’s in Denton.

Cold & Clever: Ice Cream’s Cool Cousins

Picolé: Serves up a refreshing take on traditional ice cream with its popsicle-style treats

• Popsicle-style treats made in small batch from locally sourced seasonal ingredients.

Bahama Bucks

Bahama Bucks offers delicious island indulgences, from shaved ice to smoothies. Whether it’s the smooth, melt-in-your mouth ice or the extreme sugar rush, kids seem to go nuts for this place.

Sno

Sno customers receive an enormous cup of shaved ice at an exceptional value.

What’s Your Perfect Scoop

Every sweet tooth is different—what’s your idea of the perfect scoop? Introduce us to your favorite spot below!