Updated for Summer 2022
On a hot day, eating something sweet and frozen is a pure pleasure. Seattle doesn’t have that many hot days, but it does have a delightful array of frozen treat options to enjoy when the sun does start beating down. Whether you are reconnecting with your kids after picking them up from day camp, or taking a pit stop between weekend play activities, these times over ice cream are great moments to bond and chat with older kids. With little kids, it’s just fun to watch them get blissfully sticky. Here are some favorite spots in different neighborhoods.
Things to keep in mind: It might be helpful to pack wet wipes, particularly if the day is hot and/or the kids are young. If there is someone in your party who doesn’t eat dairy, you should call ahead to find out what the day’s dairy-free options are. My lactose-intolerant son is never going to forget the time he was 9 and he went with a friend’s family to a fancy ice cream place, only to find the only flavor he could have was cucumber. When kids walk into an ice cream place, their expectations are high, and disappointment really stings.
Downtown area
Gelatiamo
1400 Third Ave, 206-467-9563Gelato is lower fat than conventional ice cream – it is made with a greater proportion of milk. It also has less air pumped into it. The result is a dense, intensely flavored and often vividly colored treat. Gelatiamo makes its own gelatos and sorbets from scratch in its downtown shop.
Bottega Italiana
1425 First Ave, 206-343-0200This Pike Place Market business offers more than 20 flavors of freshly made gelato and sorbet. Gelato is denser than conventional American ice cream and has lower fat. The flavors are intense.
Shy Giant Frozen Yogurt
1500 Pike Place #16, 206-743-6777Also in Pike Place Market, Shy Giant serves both ice cream and frozen yogurt, and boasts an eccentric range of flavors, including such concoctions as salted popcorn and black licorice. They offer multiple vegan options.
Cupcake Royale
108 Pine St, 206-443-8674Best known for its cupcakes, this local chain makes nine flavors of ice cream, all with dairy. There is always at least one sorbet available.
Baskin-Robbins
660 Elliott Ave W, 206-284-3372A global chain with many flavors on offer, including frozen yogurt and sorbet.
Capitol Hill and Central District
Scoop du Jour Ice Creamery
4029 E Madison St, (206) 325-9562This Madison Park neighborhood landmark has a range of ice cream and several flavors of sorbet.
Salt & Straw
714 E Pike St A, (206) 258-4574The arrival of this Portland export in Seattle excited local foodies. The menu includes familiar flavors and a rotating repertoire of concoctions based on seasonal local products, and there are some tasty non-dairy options. More details here.
Molly Moon’s
917 E Pine St, (206) 708-7947 1408 34th Ave, (206) 324-0753This local favorite has an ethos of community involvement. Three examples: they give 1 percent of their sales away to charities, they host culinary classes for Seattle Public Schools, and they buy the cookies they use to make their Scout Mint ice cream directly from local girl scouts. The menu includes both standard and unorthodox flavors (Earl Grey, anyone?), and 90 percent of the ingredients come from the Pacific Northwest. There are non-dairy options.
Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt
507 Broadway E, (206) 743-8510Load your cup with any combination of soft-serve frozen yogurts or sorbets, say, boysenberry and dulce de leche, decorate with a whimsical array of toppings, say, raspberries and gummy worms, and pay for your cool treat by weight.
Full Tilt Ice Cream
328 15th Ave E, (206) 329-1206A wide range of house-made flavors, for both the adventurous and the conservative, plus a room full of pinball and arcade games. For a certain kind of kid, it’s a perfect outing. There are excellent non-dairy options, including multiple flavors of chocolate. More details here.
Frankie and Jo’s
1010 E Union St, (206) 557-4603None of the flavors have any dairy whatsoever. Everything is gluten-free, too, including the waffle cones.
Cupcake Royale
1111 E Pike St, (206) 701-9579 1101 34th Ave, (206) 701-6240Best known for its cupcakes, this local chain makes its own ice cream. There is always at least one sorbet available.
Southeast Seattle
Molly Moon’s
4822 Rainier Ave S, (206) 397-3360This local favorite has an ethos of community involvement. Three examples: they give 1 percent of their sales away to charities, they host culinary classes for Seattle Public Schools, and they buy the cookies they use to make their Scout Mint ice cream directly from local girl scouts. The menu includes both standard and unorthodox flavors (Earl Grey, anyone?), and 90 percent of the ingredients come from the Pacific Northwest. There are non-dairy options.
Full Tilt Ice Cream
5041 Rainier Ave S, (206) 226-2740A wide range of house-made flavors for both the adventurous and the conservative, plus a room full of pinball and arcade games. For a certain kind of kid, it’s a perfect outing. There are excellent non-dairy options, including multiple flavors of chocolate. More details here.
Baskin-Robbins
2001 Rainier Ave S, (206) 324-0031A global chain with many flavors on offer, including frozen yogurt and sorbet.
West Seattle
Husky Deli
4721 California Ave SW, (206) 937-2810This landmark family business in West Seattle (since 1932) serves up 40 or so flavors of ice cream, including its own originals. There are no non-dairy flavors available for scooping.
Full Tilt Ice Cream
9629 16th Ave SW, (206) 767-4811A wide range of house-made flavors for both the adventurous and the conservative, plus a room full of pinball and arcade games. For a certain kind of kid, it’s a perfect outing. There are excellent non-dairy options, including multiple flavors of chocolate. More details here.
Frankie and Jo’s Pop-Up
2758 Alki Ave SW Suite B , (206) 257-1676This Alki Beach location is open May 30 through Labor Day only. None of the flavors have any dairy whatsoever. Everything is gluten-free, too, including the waffle cones.
Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt
2620 California Ave SW, (206) 935-3816Load your cup with any combination of soft-serve frozen yogurts or sorbets, say, boysenberry and dulce de leche, decorate with a whimsical array of toppings, say, raspberries and gummy worms, and pay for your cool treat by weight.
Cupcake Royale
4556 California Ave SW, (206) 701-6266Best known for its cupcakes, this local chain makes its own ice cream. There is always at least one sorbet available.
Queen Anne
Molly Moon’s
321 W Galer St, (206) 457-8854This local favorite has an ethos of community involvement. Three examples: they give 1 percent of their sales away to charities, they host culinary classes for Seattle Public Schools, and they buy the cookies they use to make their Scout Mint ice cream directly from local girl scouts. The menu includes both standard and unorthodox flavors (Earl Grey, anyone?), and 90 percent of the ingredients come from the Pacific Northwest. There are non-dairy options.
Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt
2101 Queen Anne Ave N, (206) 216-1650Load your cup with any combination of soft-serve frozen yogurts or sorbets, say, boysenberry and dulce de leche, decorate with a whimsical array of toppings, say, raspberries and gummy worms, and pay for your cool treat by weight.
Magnolia
Nutty Squirrel Gelato
2425 33rd Ave W Unit B, (877) 738-7696Nutty Squirrel makes ice cream the Italian way, using less air and cream and more milk. The list of flavorful confections they have for sale is available on their website. There are three different vegan options.
Northwest
Parfait Ice Cream
2034 NW 56th St, (206) 258-3066Ice Cream made from scratch in this Ballard store, using local ingredients. Many flavors vary by season, but there’s always chocolate, vanilla and several other favorites, including mint stracciatella, which is mint made of spearmint from the Parfait garden and local farms, along with slivers of Theo chocolate. Fans of mint chocolate chip should definitely sample it. There are several vegan options on offer.
Bluebird Ice Cream
7400 Greenwood Ave N, (206) 659-8154This company makes ice cream from scratch and soda from scratch. If floats are your thing, this is the place for you. They reliably have at least two options without dairy. And even if you can eat milk products at will, you’ll likely be tempted by their Horchata vegan ice cream.
Seattle Pops
1401 N 45th St, (206) 547-9850Well known at farmers markets around town, this company now makes and sells its popsicles at this Wallingford store, which offers popsicle fans a greater selection, plus the option of chocolate embellishments. The menu is about evenly split between dairy and non-dairy options.
D’Ambrosio Gelato
5339 Ballard Ave NW, (206) 327-9175This Ballard store serves dense, flavorful ice cream made the Italian way, with milk rather than cream and less air. There are a selection of sorbets, made using fruit that is in season.
Fainting Goat Gelato
1903 N 45th St, (206) 327-9459 3415A Fremont Ave N, (206) 257-5267Fainting Goat serves gelato – ice cream made using Italian methods, with milk rather than cream – and sorbet, both made in its Wallingford store. True to the name, some of the gelato is made with goat milk.
Sweet Alchemy Ice Creamery
1555 NW Market St #A, (206) 858-0125This store makes its own ice cream, aiming to use as many ingredients as possible from within 100 miles. It carries some rich non-dairy flavors, made with coconut cream.
Frankie and Jo’s
1411 NW 70th St, (206) 257-1676None of the flavors have any dairy whatsoever. Everything is gluten-free, too, including the waffle cones.
Nutty Squirrel Gelato
7212 Greenwood Ave N, (877) 738-7696Nutty Squirrel makes ice cream the Italian way, using less air and cream and more milk. The list of flavorful confections they have for sale is available on their website. There are three different vegan options. Opening July 2022 in Woodinville.
Molly Moon’s
1622 1/2 N 45th St, (206) 547-5105This local favorite has an ethos of community involvement. Three examples: they give 1 percent of their sales away to charities, they host culinary classes for Seattle Public Schools, and they buy the cookies they use to make their Scout Mint ice cream directly from local girl scouts. The menu includes both standard and unorthodox flavors (Earl Grey, anyone?), and 90 percent of the ingredients come from the Pacific Northwest. There are non-dairy options.
Full Tilt Ice Cream
5453 Leary Ave NW, (206) 297-3000A wide range of house-made flavors, for both the adventurous and the conservative, plus a room full of pinball and arcade games. For a certain kind of kid, it’s a perfect outing. There are excellent non-dairy options, including multiple flavors of chocolate. More details here.
Salt & Straw
5420 Ballard Ave NW, (206) 294-5581The arrival of this Portlandia export in Seattle excited local foodies. The menu includes familiar flavors and a rotating repertoire of concoctions based on seasonal local products. More details here.
Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt
424 NE 71st St, (206) 556-3184Load your cup with any combination of soft-serve frozen yogurts or sorbets, say, boysenberry and dulce de leche, decorate with a whimsical array of toppings, say, raspberries and gummy worms, and pay for your cool treat by weight.
Cupcake Royale
2052 NW Market St, (206) 701-6238Best known for its cupcakes, this local chain makes ice cream too. There is always at least one sorbet available.
Ben and Jerry’s
7900 East Green Lake Dr N Suite 104, (206) 400-7327The one Seattle outpost of this famous ice cream chain is in Green Lake, across the street from the wading pool. They have some good non-dairy options.
Northeast
Sweet Alchemy Ice Creamery
4301 University Way NE, (206) 632-0243This store makes its ice cream on site, aiming to use as many ingredients as possible from within 100 miles. It carries some rich non-dairy flavors, made with coconut cream.
Juicy Spot Cafe
5240 University Way NEThis chain opened in summer 2018, in the University District. They make Thai ice cream rolls, confections made by spreading a mix on a supercooled surface – an “antigriddle”, they call it – then rolling it up and adding toppings. Watching how it’s done is part of the fun.
Full Tilt Ice Cream
4759 Brooklyn Ave NE, (206) 524-4406A wide range of house-made flavors for both the adventurous and the conservative, plus a room full of pinball and arcade games. For a certain kind of kid, it’s a perfect outing. There are excellent non-dairy options, including multiple flavors of chocolate. More details here.
Molly Moon’s
2615 NE 46th St, (206) 525-5140This local favorite has an ethos of community involvement. Three examples: they give 1 percent of their sales away to charities, they host culinary classes for Seattle Public Schools, and they buy the cookies they use to make their Scout Mint ice cream directly from local girl scouts. The menu includes both standard and unorthodox flavors (Earl Grey, anyone?), and 90 percent of the ingredients come from the Pacific Northwest. There are non-dairy options.
Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt
4609 Village Court NE, (206) 525-4445Load your cup with any combination of soft-serve frozen yogurts or sorbets, say, boysenberry and dulce de leche, decorate with a whimsical array of toppings, say, raspberries and gummy worms, and pay for your cool treat by weight.
