Top 10 options for premium scoops
With summer right around the corner, prime ice cream season is too. And did you know that eating ice cream doesn’t just taste good but can have health benefits too?
According to Michigan State University ice cream, “contains essential nutrients that your body needs. It is a good source of calcium, which is crucial for maintaining strong bones and teeth.”
They also said that, “ice cream provides vitamins like A, D, and B12, contributing to better immune function and overall health.”
With these benefits in mind, I wanted to find the best ice cream places around. I focused on smaller businesses and ordered chocolate or as close as I could get to it at each place to give a fairer comparison and the smallest size. I also interviewed some Minnehaha Academy students to hear about their favorite places.
Nice Cream
If you love Dairy Queen’s soft serve but want to support a small business, Nice Cream is the spot. It has simple flavors of chocolate, vanilla or a twist (with unique vegan options too). I got a chocolate cake cone with bananas and edible glitter (which is free with every order) which totaled to be $5.60. The ice cream itself was standard soft serve but the toppings made it really special. They have an abundance of options such as PB Monster cookie dough, toasted marshmallows, fruity pebbles, gummy bears, puppy chow, fruit options, etc, etc. So if you come here load up on the toppings because at Nice Cream that’s what it’s all about.
Conny’s Creamy Cone in St Paul
The next shop is a cute little soft serve place on Dale Street in St. Paul. The whole place has a nostalgic vintage vibe – even the prices are vintage. I ordered a chocolate cone for only $2.99. They had 34 different flavors too! Special flavors do cost a bit extra though but only $3.88 which still beats all the other shops. The chocolate cone wasn’t too sweet but more of a cocoa taste. I also tried an Amaretto flavor which was my favorite. If you like funky flavors and your summer job didn’t pan out this is the place for you.
Milk Jam Creamery
Milk Jam Creamery, on Lyndale Avenue, is known for their unique flavors and milk options. For $9.27 I got a split single with black and PB vs. Everybody. PB vs everybody is banana peanut butter w Oreo chunks. Black is the closest thing to original chocolate ice cream I could find. It’s dark cocoa. I was blown away at the first taste. It has a unique, almost grainy texture that I loved. And only after licking the cup clean did I hear it was vegan! This place remains on my mind weeks later. The price is steep but 100% worth it.
Pumphouse
Pumphouse Creamery, located on 48th and Chicago, is known for its small batched, locally sourced, creative flavors. It’s all been made by one woman for its 22 years of business, Barb Zapzalka, the owner. She intentionally gets ingredients from local Minnesotan farmers for the best quality too. They have a wide range of flavors from next level classics like chocolate, vanilla, and fresh strawberry to lemon infused olive oil and sea salt to lucuma (which is a Peruvian fruit). I got a speckled milk chocolate for $4.74 which is a very reasonable price. It was a perfect milk chocolate flavor which is hard to find and had small chocolate pieces in it too which provided just the right amount of crunch. This place is my go-to and I really recommend it.
Mrs. Desserts and Kumpir
If you’re looking for something more unique, Mrs. Desserts and Kumpir is the place to go. It’s a European and Mediterranean dessert place with two locations, one on lake street close to school, and another in NE Minneapolis on 22nd Ave. Their ice cream is special in the way that it’s rolled. I ordered a medium peanut butter n banana because they didn’t have any simple chocolate, for $8.50. As I watched the employee flatten it out, chop up toppings, and mix them in, I also noticed they had an abundance of other delicious desserts like cheesecakes, cannoli’s, kunafeh, macarons, tres leches, and all the Dubai Chocolate desserts you can dream of. The ice cream itself was delicious. I noticed the fresh mix-ins made it way more flavorful than other ice creams. So if you’re craving a fun sweet treat after school try going to Mrs. Desserts and Kumpir.
Sebastian Joe’s
Sebastian Joe’s is a classic spot in South Minneapolis. It’s a personal favorite of senior Josephine Johnson too.
Johnson said, “first of all, they’re open late, which is beautiful because you can go and they’re open until like 1 am which is really nice.”
So if your ice cream cravings hit later this is the spot.
”I really like their Nicolat Avenue Pothole ice cream,” Johnson said, she always gets that when she goes to Sebastian Joes.
“It’s like a super chocolate ice cream. It has chocolate, caramel, heath bar chunks, and fudge truffles, and fudge swirl with sea salt. So it’s very chocolatey, but it’s also kind of salty.” Said Johnson.
So if you’re looking for a place with flavors that always hit the spot try Sebastian Joe’s.
Cold Stone
Cold Stone has many locations all around the twin cities making it a popular pick for people at Minnehaha Academy.
“I really love Cold Stone, I go there quite often.” Said Sophomore Hasset Kenaw.
“I usually get Oreos mixed with cookie dough and vanilla, and it’s so yummy.”
Kenaw said she loves how fresh it is because “they like mix it together in front of you, and it’s just so satisfying”. Cold Stone also says on their website that they make it fresh in every store. They also have many options for the ice cream itself like sundaes, milkshakes, and Silk – an almond milk frozen dessert. This fresh variety makes Cold Stone a great option.
Adele’s Frozen Custard
Adele’s is located a bit further than the other ice cream options, in the picturesque city of Excelsior. They serve a couple flavors of custard with tons of topping options. I ordered chocolate custard with brownies on top for $6.86 which is a pretty average price. The place had a cheerful energy with really nice customer service. They also did not skimp on the brownies; some almost fell off there were so many! The custard was creamy, smooth, and not too sweet. Overall I really enjoyed it and I recommend visiting Excelsior Bay nearby for the perfect summer vibe.
Cold Front
Located across the street from Cretin-Durham Hall lies a cute blue ice cream shop called Cold Front. They have scoops, sundaes, a coffee bar, and a vintage soda fountain. I got the split single with Zanzibar chocolate and their award winning strawberry icecream. They don’t make it themselves but use an ice cream brand called chocolate shop. The chocolate was dark and rich, and not too sweet which I loved. The strawberry had frozen strawberry chunks which was good but overall pretty standard. It ended up costing $6.15 which is a bit pricey but it does give you a lot. Overall, this place was cute, tasty, and the perfect sweet treat after dinner.
Sweet Science
Located in Edina on 50th and France, Sweet Science is a unique ice cream spot that styles their ice cream in a sciency way. Sophomore Olivia Bergeson said that, “Sweet Science has a unique variety of ice cream flavors that you can’t find anywhere else,”
On their website it lists flavors like pineapple passion fruit mango sorbet, cayenne caramel brownie, carrot cake, and berry crumble.
”The ice cream is creamy, smooth, high quality and inclusive options make Sweet Science a great place to get ice cream.” Said Bergeson.