Best Ice Cream Shops Around Los Angeles: 9 Must‑Try Spots
Best Ice Cream Shops Around Los Angeles
Los Angeles (LA) has warm weather throughout the year, making it the perfect area for enjoying sweets outdoors.
Among these treats, ice cream is one of the things that captivates both locals and tourists alike!
From organic ingredients and unique flavors to eye-catching creations that’ll make your day, there are numerous ice cream shops around LA offering incredible variety.
Today, I’ll introduce you to some delicious and recommended ice cream shops around the LA area!
Let’s dive deep into each one, comparing their unique flavors, store atmospheres, and location-based concepts!
1. Ice Cream
(1) McConnell’s Fine Ice Creams
McConnell’s Fine Ice Creams was founded in 1949 in Santa Barbara, California, by Gordon “Mac” McConnell and Ernesteen McConnell.
At the time, the McConnells believed that “the best ice cream comes from the best dairy and the freshest ingredients,” and they started making ice cream with an uncompromising commitment to quality, working closely with local farmers and producers.
From the very beginning, they’ve carefully selected locally sourced milk and cream, as well as organic ingredients, cherishing the natural flavors without relying on unnecessary additives.
This traditional approach and unwavering commitment to quality has been passed down for over 70 years, and McConnell’s has grown into a craft ice cream brand from Santa Barbara that’s beloved throughout the United States.
Three Simple Ingredients
Milk & Cream: They use fresh milk and cream from cows that graze freely year-round on the rich pastures of Central California
Eggs: They use eggs from hens raised cage-free and fed organic feed locally
Pure Cane Sugar: A small amount is used for the essential sweetness in ice cream
They also use absolutely no stabilizers, fillers, or preservatives.
When I tried their ice cream, it was truly rich and creamy, with just the right amount of sweetness—absolutely delicious!
They have several locations around Los Angeles, so be sure to give it a try!
(2) Handel’s Ice Cream
This beloved shop was founded in Ohio in 1945 and now has locations throughout the United States.
They always have a wide variety of flavors featuring seasonal fruits, chocolate, nuts, and more—reportedly dozens of options!
They offer ice cream, sherbet, and frozen yogurt, with an extensive lineup that appeals to everyone—from classic “Vanilla” to “Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownie” and “Black Raspberry Chunk.”
I visited the Newport Beach location, and since the shop is right in front of the beach, it was wonderful to be able to sit on the sand and enjoy our ice cream!
The pink ice cream in the photo is cherry flavored—it’s sweet and tangy, perfect for a hot summer day!
(3) Jeni’s Ice Cream
Jeni’s originated in Columbus, Ohio, and has become known for its unique flavor offerings.
Not only is it rich and delicious, but it features unique flavors you won’t find anywhere else, like “Boston Cream Pie” and “Buttercream Birthday Cake”!
The store interior is also colorful and cute, and I appreciated how the staff took time to carefully explain each flavor.
When I visited the location near the base of Griffith Observatory, I ordered several flavors recommended by the staff—it was so much fun trying all those unique flavors!
(4) Lappert’s Ice Cream
Lappert’s is an ice cream brand originally from Hawaii, featuring many tropical-inspired flavors like Hawaiian Sea Salt Caramel!
You can feel that tropical atmosphere even around Los Angeles—highly recommended.
I visited their Palm Springs location, and it happened to be an extremely hot day with scorching sunlight, but the tropical-flavored soft serve was so refreshing and truly delicious!
This is another must-try for hot summer days!
(5) Paradis Ice Cream Seal Beach
Paradis Ice Cream, originally from Denmark, prides itself on “freshness” and “natural ingredients.”
Their flavors rotate seasonally, featuring fruits and milk-based ingredients, so you can always enjoy what’s in season.
When you taste the ice cream, it has a light texture, highlighting the natural flavors of the ingredients rather than overwhelming richness. It’s popular with health-conscious people and families with children.
The store is also clean with cute decorations, so I highly recommend it.
Since this shop is located on Seal Beach’s main shopping street, I recommend buying your ice cream and walking to the beach to enjoy it on the sand or the pier!
This time I ordered classic Oreo flavor, and it was truly rich and delicious!
(6) Dolce Gelato Laguna Beach
Dolce Gelato specializes in Italian gelato, featuring creamy, rich melt-in-your-mouth texture and the gentle sweetness unique to traditional Italian methods.
They offer rich classic flavors like pistachio and chocolate!
The luxurious experience of savoring elegant gelato while gazing at Laguna Beach’s beautiful ocean views is truly wonderful—definitely worth a visit!
2. Malibu Farm (Café)
Malibu Farm is an organic café and restaurant located on the Malibu Pier.
You can enjoy meals and coffee while overlooking Malibu’s beautiful ocean, and while they’re famous for dishes and drinks made with fresh vegetables and locally sourced ingredients, they actually sell ice cream and other sweets too.
Thanks to the café’s overall healthy concept, the ice cream isn’t overly sweet—you can enjoy the natural flavors of the ingredients.
Be sure to try their ice cream as a perfect after-meal dessert or snack!
3. Other Shakes
(1) The Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savory Feast Kitchen
Located near Universal Studios Hollywood, this place is a chocolate and sweets restaurant with an atmosphere like something out of Harry Potter’s wizarding world—fun for adults and kids alike.
Their must-try items are the rich shakes with gorgeous presentations!
Some come topped with chocolate, caramel, nuts, whipped cream, and even whole brownies or cookies!
The portions are quite generous, so sharing with friends might be a good idea!
Not only do they look amazing, but they taste incredibly rich and delicious—definitely enjoy one before or after visiting Universal!
(2) Flo’s V8 Café
This is the Cars-themed diner inside Disney California Adventure.
You can experience the atmosphere of a classic American diner, and they sell classic vanilla shakes served in adorable Cars-themed cups.
When you’re tired from walking around the park, nothing sounds better than a sweet, cold shake!
The restaurant is located where you can see the Cars attractions, so enjoy your shake while taking in the surrounding scenery!
4. Summary
When comparing these shops, here are four key points to consider:
(1) Quality and Commitment to Ingredients
While all the ice cream is delicious in its own way, McConnell’s organic ice cream particularly stood out for letting you taste the quality of the ingredients themselves!
It was incredibly creamy and rich—highly recommended!
(2) Store Atmosphere
Most shops have cute and clean interiors, but here are a few that particularly stand out:
Malibu Farm is a café in Malibu, so it was wonderful to enjoy delicious coffee and desserts while feeling close to nature by the ocean!
Paradis Ice Cream in Seal Beach had a particularly new store with attractive decorations.
(3) Taste and Flavor Characteristics
While all the shops are delicious, McConnell’s organic flavors (especially McConnell’s Organic Brownies Cookies & Fudge) were truly outstanding.
Jeni’s is also very appealing because they have so many unique and delicious flavors you won’t find anywhere else!
(4) Access and Location
Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream has multiple locations not just around Los Angeles but throughout Southern California.
Starting from their founding location in Ohio, they’ve expanded to various regions including Pennsylvania, Florida, Arizona, Nevada, Texas, Oregon, and Virginia.
It’s one of those ice cream shops you’ll often come across while visiting tourist spots!
5. Final Thoughts
Beyond the shops introduced here, there are countless ice cream shops and shake stands around LA.
However, the shops mentioned here all have strong individual characteristics and appeal—they’re all must-visit destinations that I’d recommend even for first-time visitors.
Whether you want a sweet treat during your travels, want to try local flavors, want to relax at a café with dessert, or seek a special sweets experience at theme parks and tourist spots—LA has the diversity to meet all these needs!
I hope you’ll find your favorite spot!
We also introduce other recommended tourist spots and shops on our Instagram, so be sure to check it out!
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