A guide to the best ice cream spots in Boulder
Honestly who doesn’t like ice cream?
Calling all my ice cream connoisseurs: this post is for you. Whether you’ve been to a few or none of these great spots, I’ll give you the low down on each! Boulder has so many great food options, but it can be tricky to figure out which ones are going to give you the most bang for your buck — especially when it comes to dessert. Personally, if you knew me really well you’d know I’m insanely addicted to ice cream. The dining halls at CU do offer a variety of desserts, but if you’re looking for the real deal you may need to venture outside of campus (which is honestly not such a bad thing). Here are the best ice cream shops Boulder has to offer — celebrate the arrival of spring with a cold treat!
Sweet Cow
With many locations (but only in Colorado), this place will not disappoint. They change their flavors every week and even have some with alcohol in them. All their ice cream is made in-store daily and have quirky and unique names like Fruity Pebbles, Luck of the Irish and E.T. Phone Home. Along with their ice cream, they have incredible ice cream sandwiches and cakes as well as cute apparel and a free sticker with every purchase. One bonus: is that they are also all about supporting the environment with their eco-friendly cups and utensils.
Glacier’s Homemade Ice Cream
Voted “Best Ice Cream in Boulder”, you really can’t go wrong with Glacier’s. They have up to 1,000 different flavors, with a new one each week. If you didn’t think there could be any more insane features, they are also known for making their flavors with locally sourced ingredients free of corn syrup and GMOs while offering gluten-free and vegan options! Along with ice cream, they have gelato, ice cream sandwiches the size of your face, and candy. If you’re like me with no car in college and don’t feel like bothering somebody to drive you, they usually have a cart along Pearl Street as well.
Ben & Jerry’s
When in doubt, always go to Ben & Jerry’s! This location in Boulder has almost every one of their flavors along with Greek frozen yogurt and sorbet. If you haven’t tried Jimmy Fallon’s flavor called “The Tonight Dough” you are seriously missing out. So far my favorite time to go is after dinner on a warm night so you can sit outside on a bench at the Pearl Street mall, watching people walk by. Yet if it’s too cold to make the trek, an added bonus is they are featured on the Hungry Buffs website, which will deliver straight to your dorm.
Lindsay’s Boulder Deli at Haagen Dazs
What could be better than a deli shop connected to an ice cream store? Nothing! I remember always eating the little Dixie cups of Haagan Dazs as a kid, so going to this store will never be a letdown. It includes all of your favorite flavors and yet again if you are just too busy to go to the actual store, they are also featured on Hungry Buffs as well so order up!
If any family members are in town for the weekend, ice cream is almost always my go-to after a good dinner — you really can’t go wrong with any of these delicious choices. If you’re still struggling to decide, there’s only one solution: Go to all 4.
And if this post hasn’t made you hungry yet, watch this yummy video from Glacier’s Homemade Ice Cream. It shows one of their employees creating one of their most popular flavors: Funky Donkey, which is made of peanut butter ice cream, Oreos and a homemade fudge swirl.