Guide to Ice Cream In Tucson

Bella's Gelato Shop is known for its artisanal gelato. The shop's signature flavors, such as Stracciatella and Pistachio, are crowd favorites, offering a creamy, rich taste that transports you straight to Italy.

Bisou Burger is a roaming Tucson food truck run by co-owners William Jacobs and Jeff Garland, both veterans of local restaurant kitchens. The truck centers on smash burgers built with house-ground chuck from K4 Ranches in Prescott, a fire-roasted poblano puree, and sautéed onions in yellow mustard. Garland bakes every fluffy bun from a high-hydration milk dough, and the duo makes their own American-style cheese by emulsifying Tillamook white cheddar with sodium citrate.

The core menu stays tight, with rotating weekly specials that have included spicy bulgogi and Valentine's Day beet burgers. A falafel burger rounds out the options for vegetarians. The truck also sells house-made ice cream sandwiches. Bisou Burger posts its locations on Instagram; follow @bisouburger for updates.

The same place that sells those glorious garlic knots also serves up house-made gelato, sorbetto, and Italian ice in six-ounce servings and by the pint. Of the 12 flavors, the specialty is lemon, which packs a sweet-tart punch.

Brucha describes itself as a high-end cafe/boba tea concept that serves batch-brewed tea and tea-pressos — they’re using espresso machines fine-tuned to brew tea at precise temperatures and pressures. They’re offering more than just tea, too, at Brucha! Aside from tea, you’ll find different coffee drinks, waffle bites, and multiple flavors of gelato — tea gelato, fruit gelato, etc.

The ultimate comfort food destination, Ceres offers excellent versions of both soft serve ice cream and pasta. The ice cream's rich, flavorful sweetness provides a refreshing complement to the savory pasta dishes. The place is also known for its cookies, which happen to go GREAT with ice cream.

In late 2023, Sundaze Yogurt harnessed new ownership and became Chill on Sunrise. The shop has a rotating menu of at least eight soft-serve frozen yogurts, nearly 10 Thrifty brand ice creams, milkshakes, malts, floats, smoothies, sundaes, and stuffed cookies! It's like Disneyland for those with a sweet tooth.

Oh, and they have ice cream for dogs! They make their own vanilla and peanut butter "pup cups."

Decibel Coffee Works at the MSA Annex operates from a converted shipping container in Tucson’s Mercado San Agustín Annex. The space feels relaxed and creative, with outdoor seating shaded by desert vegetation and accented by warm wood details. They offer a variety of seasonal drinks and pastries.

So good that it now has locations across the country, Frost was founded in Tucson by best friends Jeffrey Kaiserman and Stephen Ochoa after an inspiring visit to Rome. With the help of a master gelato chef, they create a selection of 62 gelato flavors and 56 sorbets. When choosing flavors to mix and match, consider the Marble Black Cherry with Chocolate for a flavor marriage made in gelato heaven.

Frozen Delight, established in 1990, stands as Tucson's oldest family-owned frozen yogurt and ice cream shop. They specialize in both soft serve frozen yogurt and ice cream, and offer fresh-made vegan options to boot. Grab a cup or, better yet, a waffle cone, and stack it high with ice-cold scoops!

HUB's ice cream, served inside the restaurant, is renowned for using local, organic ingredients and for its creative flavors.  Past favorites include Whiskey Almond Brittle, a unique blend of sweet and savory with a hint of whiskey, and the Vegan Chocolate, a dairy-free delight that's rich and indulgent. You've got to love a restaurant that pays such serious attention to ice cream — and plenty of people do.

The perfect spot to cool off after hiking in Catalina State Park — or after doing anything else or nothing at all —  Lick's offers a wealth of cold treat options, along with creative coffee and tea drinks and Italian sodas. You'll find such distinctive combos as bubble waffles a la mode and Hotsie's Cannoli Cream, including Honey Nut Cheerios, chocolate chips, and vanilla ice cream. You can also build your own concoctions, with a choice of house-made ice creams (vegan versions available), cereals, toppings, and drizzles.

From Big Bopper Milkshakes to banana splits and the epic Wipe Out Sundae, Little Anthony's Diner is a dessert hub here in Tucson. If you're up for the challenge, order the Wipe Out Sundae — two people can share and if you eat it all within 20 minutes you'll get it for free and an "I Conquered the Wipe Out" t-shirt.

There's always something new on the gelato menu at Noodies! The restaurant offers a rotating soft-serve gelato menu, which is a perfect addition to the menu as the warmer summer days scorch the streets of Tucson.

Treat Dessert Studio, located at 3230 N. Dodge Blvd. in Tucson, offers a bright, modern space with clean lines, natural wood accents, and a minimalist design. The open-concept layout features a display case showcasing an array of colorful pastries and desserts, creating an inviting atmosphere for guests. As an extension of Ciao Down, Treat provides a cozy spot for dessert lovers to indulge in handcrafted sweets.

Signature offerings at Treat include old-fashioned molasses cookies, mini macarons, brown butter crispies, and a variety of gelato flavors. Pastry Chef Bina Kiwaczyk crafts each dessert in-house, utilizing the studio’s pizza oven for baking, which imparts unique flavors to the treats. Additionally, Treat offers dog-friendly gelato made with organic coconut milk, honey, maple syrup, and fresh bacon, ensuring a delightful experience for all guests.

A combination water purification and ice cream shop? It makes sense. When you're here to refill your supply of filtered H2O, enjoy a scoop, cone, pint, milkshake, or smoothie made with one of 32 Thrifty ice cream flavors.  Better yet, take this opportunity to check out golas, the Indian street version of snow cones, featuring such flavors as saffron, rose, and rajbhog along with standards like chocolate and strawberry. The shaved ice is, naturally, made with purified water.