Top 5 Places to Get Ice Cream in Palm Springs

You scream, I scream, we all scream about how hot it can get in Palm Springs during the summer. But with a multitude of ice cream parlors with incredible flavors and ice cream alchemy, it’s worth bearing the heat for. Down where it’s hot in the Coachella Valley , here’s the top five places to cool off with a scoop of ice cream in Palm Springs.

Lappert’s

In 1981, Walter Lappert opened his first Lappert’s Premium Ice Cream in Kauai, which has now grown to multiple locations in California, Arizona and Nevada. With 48 flavors to choose from every day out of 260 rotating flavors a year, Lappert’s is an award-winning, favorite hometown ice cream shop in Palm Springs. They have three locations in Palm Springs and all their flavors provide a rich, smooth, and delicious experience. Apart from their standard flavors like Caramel Coconut Macadamia Nut,  Kona Coffee, and Hawaiian Sea Salt Caramel, notable orders include their Date Shake (“Top 5 Best” Date Shake in the Coachella Valley), their “World Famous” Dole Whip Float, and an authentic Hawaiian Shaved Ice.  They also have several dairy-free, gluten-free, sugar-free, and vegan options for any dietary restrictions.

Word on the Street: Located in the heart of downtown Palm Springs, locals and visitors alike love Lappert’s for their iconic Date Shake, a popular local ingredient, and the Pineapple Dole Whip, a more accessible, affordable, and delicious version of Disneyland’s Dole Whip nearby. 

Shop(pe) | Ice Cream & Shop

Located in the Arrive hotel, owner Athalie Laguerre has curated this gift shop full of independent goods featuring local artists and bright scoops to please a wide variety of palettes. Funky neon signs that say #palmspringsisbetter and a giant ice cream cone make Shop(pe) an Instagram-able and all-around fun place to hang out. Gourmet flavors like pink ginger, campfire, cappuccino crunch, and of course, the fitting Coachella Valley date flavor, along with a few sorbet flavors like pomegranate fill up the teal case and happy tummies. They even have free toppings like mini marshmallows, M&Ms and sprinkles to zhuzh up your ice cream.

Word on the Street: If you’re looking to get out of the valley for a bit, Arrive Hotels have a few properties around the country including Austin, Memphis, and Phoenix, sans ice cream parlor but incredible restaurants and stays nonetheless.

Nitroinfusions

Customers love gawking at a bowl of milk getting hit with liquid nitrogen which then turns into made-to-order ice cream before their eyes at Nitroinfusions. By using liquid nitrogen, the air is eliminated and ice crystals are minimized so ice cream lovers get the freshest ice cream possible. Situated in Old Town, many of the recipes at Nitroinfusions were created by owner Sebastian Prieto’s grandfather at his ice cream shop in Mexico City. Unique flavors like banana lavender and roasted pistachio with olive oil make it onto their chalkboard menu with 100 percent organic ingredients. Vegan options include nitro-pops as well. 

Word on the Street: Watching the ice cream being frozen is a fun experience for the whole family so grab a few friends or your kids and watch your ice cream being made in front of you. Customers love how friendly the owners are, and mention that they will give kids little demos of the nitro. It’s a quaint space with no indoor seating, but plenty outdoor.

Kreem

LA transplant Bianca Simmon opened up this mid-mod ice cream parlor in 2018, which takes inspiration from her business endeavors in Kuwait and her own almond milk company, along with her passion for ice cream. Kreem and their all-female team serves about 10-12 flavors at a time, ranging in flavor from lemon meringue pie to s’mores and even has vegan flavors that use her homemade almond milk base. Kreem also serves Portland coffee as a complimentary duo to her ice cream. 

Word on the Street: Simonian’s unconventional flavors and ice cream artistry is a fan favorite in Palm Springs. The go-to flavor, and Simmon’s favorite, is the Lemon Meringue Pie, which frequently sells out. The preferred way to enjoy the flavor is in a freshly torched marshmallow fluff waffle cone.

La Michoacana Ice Cream 

This is the place for authentic Mexican favorites including snacks, antojitos, paletas,  and a variety of ice cream flavors. Since their first opening in 2015, La Michoacana has expanded to more than 10 locations serving  unique combinations owner Bermudez and his family have created reminiscent of what you would find on a street in Mexico. Try the cotija cheese ice cream, three-cheese ice cream blend of cotija cheese, panela cheese and cottage cheese, or take a bite of one of their 80 different paletas, the Mexican ice pops that are handmade every single day. Flavors include anything from strawberry to carrot cake to  passionfruit. If you’re with a group, you’ll want to share the Sandia Loca, a culinary concoction of salty and sweet components stuffed into a watermelon, highlighting the creativity and taste of Mexican flavors at it’s finest.Word on the Street : Fans love the family institution that is La Michoacana. Everything from chocolate dipped bananas to a spicy mangoneada take your taste buds on a tropical journey. As popular as it is, be prepared to get in line if you go there on a weekend night. It is a great place for families and kids, and they even let you try all the flavors!