10 Best Ice Cream Shops in Santa Cruz

Marianne's Ice Cream Ice Cream Shop • $
1020 Ocean St, Santa Cruz

Customers` Favorites

Ice Cream Sandwiches
Blueberry Cheesecake
Lavender Ice Cream
Pineapple Coconut
Coffee Ice Cream
German Chocolate
Coffee Almond
Cookie Dough
Almond Fudge
Strawberry

“Wall-to-wall ice cream flavors to rival Willy Wonka. Bring a friend, loved one, or family members to share in the best sundaes experience and memories. I highly recommend the 'Epicenter' on the menu. Staff is generous with the portion-sizes and very customer focused.“

4.6 Superb158 Reviews
Donnelly Chocolates Ice Cream • $$$
1509 Mission St, Santa Cruz

Customers` Favorites

Almond Chocolate Caramel Ice Cream Bar
Chocolate Dipped Oreo Cookie
Salted Caramel Ice Cream Bar
Salted Carmel Bar

“When we drove by we saw a sign that said, "World's best ice-cream bars" (the movie Elf came to mind with the 'world's best coffee') so we took the challenge. I have to say, all of us agreed, we had never had a better ice cream bar, than that offered by Donnelly Chocolates. Don't miss it.“

4.8 Superb62 Reviews
Pacific Cookie Company Ice Cream • $
1203 Pacific Ave, Santa Cruz

Customers` Favorites

Chocolate Chip Cookie
Ice Cream Sandwich
Assorted Cookies
Almond Cookie

“Love Pacific Cookie Company they are truly the best cookies in town other than my homemade cookies I make. The renovations that they have done to the store on pacific garden mall which is the flagship store are beautiful. I just love the colors and it just brightens up the place. You can't go wrong with any of the cookies. My favorite is still just the chocolate chip, but the almond joe and dr.midnight are all in my top 3 rotations every time I go. I also like that they still have bags of days olds that you can purchase for a discounted rate and trust me they are just as good a day or so later. All you have to do is wrap them in a wet paper towel and put them I. The microwave for about 15-20 seconds and they are perfect.“

4.5 Superb96 Reviews
The Penny Ice Creamery Ice Cream Shop • $
913 Cedar St, Santa Cruz

Customers` Favorites

Pint - Tahitian Vanilla Bean
Gluten Free Cone Cone Only
Dark Chocolate Sorbet
Toasted Marshmallows
Raspberry Chocolate
Chocolate Ice Cream
Toasted Almonds
Strawberry Pink
Ice Cream Cone
Root Beer Float

“Only Ice Creamery in Danta Cruz that makes the ice cream in house from locally farmed organic ingredients. Therefore, flavors change seasonally. Very small place so line goes out the door, but moves quickly.Parking: There’s a parking garage a short walk away.“

4.4 Superb121 Reviews
The Penny Ice Creamery - Pleasure Point Ice Cream Shop • $
820 41st Ave, Santa Cruz

Customers` Favorites

Tahitian Vanilla Bean

“My son wanted at that marshmallow topping I've been telling him about. An outpost of the Santa Cruz legend, Penny Creamery, we found street parking and popped into this very small ice cream shop. $5.50 for a golf ball size $6.50 for a baseball size. Pricey, but they use fresh and quality ingredient. The mint chip tastes as if you are eating fresh mint! The lovely lady helping us was friendly, although definitely a bit sparse on the marshmallow topping. It was just a quick dollop and I think a wee bit more would have went a long way. The waffle cones at no extra charge are delicious and a great compliment to the creamy ice cream. Overall, really rich and smooth ice cream. A delicious treat, albeit a bit pricey for price/size.“

4.3 Superb65 Reviews
Cruz Creamery Ice Cream Shop • $$
815 Ocean St, Santa Cruz

Customers` Favorites

Banana Split
Hot Fudge

“On the way back from a quick gym sesh to my apartment u decided to make a pit stop at Cruz Creamery out of curiosity as I've always passed by while going to and from the gym. Inside it's big and spacious with lots of seating arrangements for the enjoyment of your sweet treat of choice. What caught my attention was the very large selection of fruity sorbets. After taking a glimpse at all of the ice cream flavors, the worker let me know that they also serve frozen yogurt. I'm a hoe for yogurtland so this was exactly what i needed to cure my cravings. The flavors i chose weee the chocolate and peanut butter frozen yogurts. The only thing i found disappointing was that the chocolate came out in a thinner melted consistency than the peanut butter flavor. The best part about frozen yogurt for me has to be the toppings and they have all of the classic favorite toppings such as, popping boba, fresh fruit, crushed candy, and you dven get the option of a syrup that you can drizzle over on top of everything. I can't wait to visit again and try more of what they have to offer.“

4.3 Superb50 Reviews
Top A Lot Yogurt Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt • $
738 Water St, Santa Cruz

Customers` Favorites

Strawberry Strawberry Orange
Frozen Yogurt with Toppings
French Vanilla Yogurt
Smore Flavor
Euro Tart

“This is an absolute gem! From its inviting atmosphere to its wide array of flavors and toppings, every visit is a delightful experience. The staff is always friendly and helpful, making sure you get exactly what you crave. Whether you're a fruit fanatic or a chocolate lover, their selection caters to every palate. Plus, their commitment to using quality ingredients shines through in every spoonful. Top A Lot Frozen Yogurt truly raises the bar for frozen treat establishments. Highly recommended!“

4.3 Superb47 Reviews
Pleasure Point Juice Juice • $
3520 Portola Dr, Santa Cruz

Customers` Favorites

Island Bowl

“Four stars with the potential for 5 stars. Went on a whim today for a quick post workout mini meal. It's located on Portola right next to 'Over the Hill Saloon'. Do NOT use the Saloon parking lot. There are a handful of spots on the street and lots more if you turn down 38th and walk the half block back. It's a large indoor space that I feel could be utilized better, although it does make it feel roomy. It was a beautiful day so I enjoyed my açaí bowl outside. There is also a taco truck outside if you're with someone who isn't into açaí or smoothies. I had the 420 bowl, I forgot to tell them no honey so it was a little sweet for my preference. I was a little disappointed that it came in a plastic togo container. Being just a few blocks from the ocean I would expect something more sustainable. It would be wonderful if they switched to a corn based compostable plastic or paper. I would love to see protein powder as an add on too. It's pretty standard for açaí places and I was a little disappointed they didn't offer it (especially since I had just completed a workout). The woman who took my order was quick and efficient, there wasn't much chit chat - it was definitely more 'take your order'. I would love to see this place adjust those few things I mentioned or consider them. I think both options would be a crowd pleaser. I live closer to Samba Rock so they will still be my go to but I'm glad I tried this for when I'm on that side of town.“

4.2 Good45 Reviews
Carousel Cones Ice Cream Shop •
400 Beach St, Santa Cruz

“delicious soft serve exactly where you're going to crave it - at the beach! spent the day on the sand and then headed for cones. we tried ordering the waffle cone sundae, but they misheard us, and we ended up with the one that comes in cup. would have preferred less plastic. ah, well. it was still good, if not a comically large amount of soft serve... that we managed to finish :)“

4.8 Superb12 Reviews
Mission Hill Coffee & Creamery Coffee Shops • $
1101 B Pacific Ave, Santa Cruz

Customers` Favorites

Sorbet

“Both the service and the ice cream flavors were so on point. It was such a warm day and hot inside this place, but the women working were SO friendly and kind and gave us samples of everything. The Turkish coffee is sublime, and the mint chip was really good too. My husband had scoops of both. I enjoyed a chocolate milkshake with the dark chocolate ice cream. Would definitely go back!“

4 Good51 Reviews
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