Air conditiooning is a human right in Florida, but it cools you from the outside in, and as any real Floridian knows, the only solution to really cooling off in the summer is to start from inside your tummy and work your way out. Like an ice cream Care Bear.
Don’t know where to start? Check out my personal picks for the best frozen treats in the Orlando area.
Courtesy: The Social Photo Club
GREENERY CREAMERY
The Greenery Creamery is one of my favorite places to grab a pint (a non-beer pint that is). They were one of the first artisan creameries in town to specialize in their own in-house recipes rather than serving up store-bought brands like Haagen-Dazs or Ben and Jerry’s. They specialize in dairy and non-dairy recipes like speculoos and mint Stracciatella, but one of my constant go-tos is the Black Ash Coconut, which is dark as a witch’s black cat and as refreshing as a midnight ocean breeze.
SAMPAGUITA
The Greenery Creamery also happens to have a bigger and better sister concept in Mills 50 called Sampaguita, which specializes in Filipino treats and sweets. They serve up fun and fanciful flavors with gorgeous colors, inspired by folklore and family stories, like the soy sauce butterscotch with umami, notes of soy and Maldon salt sweetened with brown sugar and vanilla. If color and vibrant flavors scare you, you can keep it simple with the mango peach pie or rocky road, but you’d be missing out on the complex deliciousness of the jackfruit chili nut or the ube latte.
CRISPY CONES
Idaho-based Crispy Cones just opened an outpost in the Hourglass District, just south of downtown Orlando. They specialize in Czech-style chimney cake ice cream cones, which are basically cinnamon- and sugar-covered croissant-like structures that are lined with a savory spread like Nutella or peanut butter before being filled with ice cream and topped with something extravagant like Oreos. These are a bit more of meal than a sneaky treat so comehungry.
LA MICHOACANA ORLANDO
La Michoacana Orlando is all about high-quality traditional Mexican desserts, with a logo inspired by the women of the Mexican state of Michoacan on the west coast. They serve modern takes on old-school Mexican foods like bolis (frozen ice cream pops that come in a tube), paletas (popsicles made with natural fruits like strawberry, mango or Sicilian pistachio), and ready-to-eat ice cream cups.
Courtesy Charlie’s Bakery & Creamery
CHARLIE’S BAKERY & CREAMERY
Charlie’s Bakery has been around since 1971, serving up delicious baked goods for over 50 years in the Conway neighborhood. It sold to new owners in March 2022, who added “and Creamery” to the name and the offerings with their own house made ice cream that uses a higher percentage of cream and fats than any other ice cream shop in the area, making a rich, dense product that really stands out against the competition.
CHILLIN TACOS
Courtesy Wafu
If you’re a regular at Orlando City Soccer games, you may have seen Chillin Tacos Ice Cream Taqueria, plopped over by Section 135. They roll all over the Orlando area serving at weddings, festivals, birthdays and a million private events that are too tough to keep track of, but they’re definitely worth a stop if you see them. They serve small-batch liquid nitrogen ice cream tacos, which are like an ice cream sandwich I guess, but different. Because taco. They pride themselves on their simple ice cream base recipe of milk, cream, sugar and a dash of salt, because it uses fewer stabilizing additives to keep it from melting—that’s where the liquid nitrogen comes in. The flavors range from classic vanilla to s’mores with added fluff, so don’t be afraid to get messy and try something new.
WAFU
Wafu, the popular (and adorable) Japanese waffle maker in East End Market, is known for its innovative soft-serve ice cream offerings, served in a special fish-shaped waffle. The waffles are tender just like how your mom used to make them and filled with a variety of fillings like custard and Nutella and matched perfectly with their in-house flavors of cherry blossom, green tea, black sesame or ube. Don’t sleep on their house made strawberry milk if you need something to wash down the waffle.
KRUNGTHEP TEA TIME
Krungthep Tea Time isn’t your granny’s tearoom. It’s located in a basic white building with a bare concrete floor, with nothing competing with the food for attention. The menu is Thai fusion with a variety of Thai teas and Anchan drinks to wash down Southeast Asian-inspired sandwiches like green chicken curry and a panang pulled pork. The high-hat desserts are where it’s at though. I’d love to be able to recommend a few things like the floats or the strawberry cheesecake, but I can’t seem to bring myself to get anything other than The Witch, an upside-down waffle cone with vanilla bean ice cream, fresh berries, berry syrups and crushed peanuts.
WONDERMADE
Just north of Orlando in downtown Sanford you’ll find one of Oprah’s favorite things, the artisan marshmallow-makers at Wondermade. Besides their artisan ‘mallows, you’ll find their incredible handcrafted ice creams with unlikely but still tasty flavors like avocado, cornbread and maple bacon. To be clear, those were three different flavors, but nothing’s stopping you from putting them all together in a cup except the judgment of your peers.
KELLY’S HOMEMADE ICE CREAM
And no roundup of Orlando frozen treats would be complete without a mention of Kelly’s Homemade Ice Cream. The brand started with a little neighborhood spot in Audubon Park and has expanded to locations across the city. Kelly, the company’s namesake, grew up near dairy farms, and everything they do has a vibe of small town ‘Merica goodness. The menu has core flavors that are always available like vanilla or Key Lime Pie, but the seasonal specials are the most interesting; this summer, they have a Nutella Swirl and a Lemon Cookie that I’ve been mashing together in my cup and I have to say, it’s pretty decadent.
Courtesy Koko Kakigori
KOKO KAKIGORI
There’s a dessert speakeasy in Mills 50 that everyone is talking about right now called Koko Kakigori. In case you couldn’t guess, it specializes in kakigori, a Japanese shavedice dessert using shaved ice topped with ice cream, yogurt and fruit syrups. This concept is owned by local artists and ceramicists, and it shows in the presentation of their desserts, which all come out of a tiny kitchen looking like gorgeous works of art. Flavors range from vegan ube coconut to a tart tangerine. The shop is located in a tiny home behind the Michelin-recognized Kaya Filipino restaurant and has random hours so be sure to check their schedule on Instagram before just showing up. They also only let one person inside to order at a time so be prepared to stand outside for a few hot minutes.