That’s right, Minnesotans, summer is coming to an end. But it’s not over yet, so you, your friends, and your pets should delight in the sunshine until it’s gone forever!
Okay, so not forever, that’s a bit dramatic … Here are some of our reporters’ favorite spots to grab a creamy treat!
Sprinkles
Sprinkles serves soft serve ice cream, slushies, malts and more at its Roseville location Aug 10, 2025. The outdoor space attracts families in the area and is a great stop and eat summer spot. (Julio Ojeda-Zapata / Pioneer Press)
Opened on June 23, 2025, Sprinkles took over a location that had been a decades-old Dairy Queen, built in 1947, located in a mini-mall parking lot. Owners Timothy M. Hughes and Curtis Thompson said they’ve met generations of people who have come to love the location, including their future spouses. The menu offers soft serve cones, malts, slushies, shaved ice and more.
Most popular flavor: Vanilla. “I go through 100 cases every week,” Hughes said.
Most unusual flavor: Pomegranate, a fruit-flavored soft serve which doesn’t use any animal products.
Hours: Mon-Sun, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Address: 1720 N. Lexington Ave., Roseville
The Donut Trap
Proudly Black and queer owned, The Donut Trap takes inspiration from L.A. donuts and serves ice cream to pair with the sweet treats in St. Paul, Aug 10, 2025. (Julio Ojeda-Zapata / Pioneer Press)
Owned by the proudly Black and queer Bradley Taylor, The Donut Trap serves donuts inspired by Taylor’s favorite LA-based donut shop, ice cream and coffee. Taylor has a history of food experimentation with donut vending machines around the Twin Cities, including the MSP airport. They opened the storefront, June 19, 2025, with “A lot of love” and “a lot of sleepless nights.” Emblazoned with murals, the shop is tucked within a St. Paul neighborhood apart from other businesses, with plenty of room for indoor and outdoor activities.
Most popular flavor: Any ice cream donut combo
Most unusual flavor: Lemon Poppy
Hours: 3-8 p.m. Thurs, 12-8 p.m. Fri, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Sat, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sun
Address: 1350 Hague Ave., St. Paul
Nellie’s Ice Cream
Nellie’s build-your-own ice cream sandwich. (Courtesy of Daved Najarian)
Sister store to the infamous Nelson’s Ice Cream in Stillwater and St. Paul, Nellie’s specializes in custom ice cream cookie sandwiches, with a dozen ice cream flavors and half a dozen cookie options, that can be warmed in a cookie panini press without melting the ice cream. Yeah, it’s witchery for sure. The family-owned shop keeps its classic huge proportions, making it a bang for your buck. Gluten-free cookies and ice cream flavors are also available at Nellies.
Hours: Mon-Fri 2-10 p.m., Sat-Sun 1-10 p.m.
Location: 2034 Marshall Ave., St. Paul
Most popular flavor: C is for cookie
Most unusual flavor: Blackberry lavender
Selma’s
Selma’s Ice Cream Parlour, seen Aug 11, 2025 in Afton, is Minnesota’s oldest ice cream parlor, dating back to 1913 and is still operating today with over 30 flavors of ice cream. (Talia McWright / Pioneer Press)
Selma’s ice cream parlor in Afton is the oldest ice cream shop in Minnesota, opening in 1913 by a woman named Selma and her husband Ed. The couple lived in the back of the building while the front was always an ice cream business of some sort. In the 20s, it was shut down for selling alcohol, according to co-owner Rebecca Nickelson. Today, Selmas offers over 30 ice cream flavors, including an affogato option (coffee poured over ice cream). Generations of Minnesotans visit Selma’s with stories of what it meant in their childhood, now their grandchildren’s, and so on, Nickelson said.
Hours: Mon-Fri 9 a.m.-9:30 p.m.
Location: 3419 St. Croix Trail S., Afton
Most popular flavor: Award-winning Zanzibar chocolate, and This $&@! just got serious, sea salt caramel fudge, and salted cashews over vanilla ice cream
Most unusual flavor: Munchie Madness, a cake batter-based ice cream with Oreos, M&M’s, and peanut butter cups
U of M Meat and Dairy Salesroom
The University of Minnesota’s Meat and Dairy salesroom has a rich history of dairy product research that goes back to the early 1900s. Today, they serve many flavors by the pint, seen in St. Paul on Aug 13, 2025. (Talia McWright / Pioneer Press)
Meat and ice cream are quite the combo, but the University of Minnesota has a rich history of dairy product research that goes back to the early 1900s. The Meat and Dairy Salesroom sells dairy products like ice cream, many of which are made during classes and research projects, from pasteurization to flavor mixing, with milk from the campus dairy farm. They offer about 35 rotating ice cream flavors each year, from classics like cookies and cream to unique options such as sweet corn and black licorice, as well as frozen yogurt and signature cheeses like Minnesota Blue and Nuworld.
Location: 1354 Eckles Ave., St. Paul (located on the main floor of the Andrew Boss Lab of Meat Science)
Hours: Wednesdays from 2-5 p.m.
Most popular flavor: Vanilla
Most unusual flavor: Sweet corn and freeze-dried flavors (think, creamy candy)
Booms Ice Cream
Booms Ice Cream Shop in Hugo combines taxes and ice cream at a family-owned storefront that operates seasonally to appeal to both ice cream lovers and those who need help filing taxes. (Courtesy of Booms Ice Cream Shop)
Booms Ice Cream combines tax season with sweet treats, as the Korus family operates Jak Tax and accounting next door to the ice cream parlor during the winter off-season. The parlor serves 40 flavors of locally made Big Dipper Creamery ice cream during the spring and summer months. Hugo is ‘the land of 10,000 booms,’ co-owner Josh Korus said. There’s a running joke in the area that someone’s always setting off fireworks or a generator will explode, and that’s what inspired the name. Outdoor seating makes the location a perfect sunny day spot for ice cream lovers.
Location: 14869 Forest Blvd N., Hugo
Hours: Every day from 1-9 p.m. May-Sept.
Most popular flavor: Cookie Monster
Most unusual flavor: Spumoni or seasonal Maple Bacon
Treats
Treats Cereal Bar and Boba in St. Paul features ice cream creations incorporating fun cereal flavors, along with other treats like freshly-made waffles and more, seen Aug. 13, 2025. (Gloria Ngwa / Pioneer Press)
Opened in summer 2019 by owners Minh Dinh and Trisha Seng, Treats brings together two beloved favorites — ice cream and boba — in one cozy, vibrant shop. Known for their hard vanilla ice cream blended with mix-ins until it’s as creamy as soft serve, they also serve brown sugar boba, cereal-blended ice cream, and colorful waffles topped with Fruity Pebbles, s’mores, or Nutella. The bright, color-pop aesthetic draws teens and millennial moms with their Gen Z and Gen Alpha kids. The space is calm, yet lively, with small outdoor tables perfect for summer.
Location: 770 Grand Ave., St. Paul
Hours: Every day from 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.
Most popular flavor: Strawberry matcha
Most unusual flavor: Bananagram and other seasonal flavors
2 Scoops Ice Cream Eatery
2 Scoops ice cream shop on Selby Avenue in St. Paul, pictured in August 2020. (Jess Fleming / Pioneer Press)
Opened in 2020 by the White family, located in the Rondo neighborhood, 2 Scoops is one of many Black owned businesses in the area. Fresh waffle cones are made in-house and can be smelled long before entering, and pair with 18 flavors of ice cream. Its bright red walls and checkered floors are reminiscent of a classic diner aesthetic, and photos of local sports stars and leaders hang on the walls. They also serve hot dogs, pizza and soups, along with other savory foods.
Location: 921 Selby Ave., St. Paul
Hours: 12-9 p.m. Mon-Thur, 12-10 p.m. Fri-Sat, 12-7 p.m. Sun
Most popular flavor: Exhausted parent, a bourbon-spiked espresso ice cream with chocolate chip chunks.
Most unusual flavor: Banana cream pie
Grand Ole Creamery
Grand Ole Creamy is one of the Twin Cities’ oldest ice cream parlors, located on Grand Avenue in St. Paul. The storefront keeps a classic old-timey feel, seen Aug. 13, 2025. (Gloria Ngwa / Pioneer Press)
Celebrating its 35th anniversary, Grand Ole Creamery is Minnesota’s first and longest-standing gourmet ice cream shop in the Twin Cities. Family-owned for three generations, it remains a beloved gathering place where all ice cream is homemade at the Grand Avenue location. 32 flavors are typically available, including seasonals, with some—like Mack Daddy and Cookie Monster—staying on the menu year-round. The old-fashioned parlor interior adds to its charm, making it a true St. Paul tradition, drawing in families, teens, and longtime patrons.
Location: 750 Grand Ave., St. Paul
Hours: Every day from 11 a.m.–10 p.m.
Most popular flavor: Black Hills Gold, a caramel ice cream with praline pecans and Oreo cookies, which former US President Obama ordered during a visit in 2016.
Most unusual flavor: Winter wonderland, vanilla ice cream with crushed candy canes and peppermint
La Michoacana Monarca
La Michoacana in St. Paul serves Mexican-inspired paletas or popsicles, creamy ice cream and plenty of creative savory snacks, seen Aug. 11, 2025. (Imani Cruzen / Pioneer Press)
Inspired by sweet traditions from Tocumbo, Mexico, La Michoacana Monarca offers ice cream, paletas or popsicles that can be dipped and topped, along with other sweet treats like churros, aguas frescas and crepes, or savory bites like walking tacos, or an elote (Mexican street corn) ramen hot cheeto combo. This location also has tabletop games to play with friends and family while you’re visiting!
Location: 80 N. Snelling Ave., St. Paul
Hours: Mon-Fri 12 p.m.-9 p.m.
Most popular flavor: Oreo
Most unusual flavor: Mazapán, a Mexican candy, typically made with peanuts and sugar
Bridgeman’s
Bridgeman’s Ice Cream Parlor in Woodbury has a large cult following of Minnesotans who love the brand. The locally made ice cream is sold nationwide by the pint and is featured at many parlors across Minnesota, seen Aug 11, 2025. (Talia McWright / Pioneer Press)
Bridgeman’s Ice Cream Shoppe first opened in Duluth in 1936 and is now located in Woodbury, offering over 30 Minnesota-made flavors. The Duluth location, a restaurant, has created lasting memories for families over the years, according to co-owner Crystal Bakker. When guests have a special connection to the brand, it’s what’s called the Bridgeman’s story, Bakker said. The rich and creamy ice cream is sold in pints nationwide, in stores and at other ice cream parlors across Minnesota. Yes, it’s that good.
Location: 2110 Eagle Creek, Woodbury
Hours: Mon-Thur 12-9 p.m., Fri 12-10 p.m., Sat 11 a.m. – 10 p.m., Sun 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Most popular flavor: Caramelicious or Pepermint Bon Bon (they compete every year)
Most unusual flavor: Black licorice, a flavor Bethenny Frankel raves about.
Iron Ranger
A Bridgeman’s ice cream cone is held at Iron Ranger in St. Paul. (Courtesy of Iron Ranger)
Grand Avenue’s Italian-American restaurant, which features a stellar outdoor patio, converted its private dining space into a seasonal ice shop that serves Bridgeman’s ice cream, cheese curds, French fries, Bavarian pretzels, beer, wine and cocktails. Who doesn’t want a one-stop shop for dinner and dessert?
Location: 1085 Grand Ave., St. Paul
Hours: Tues-Sat 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m., Sun 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m.
Other team favorites include Conny’s Creamy Cone in St. Paul, Cold Front in St. Paul, Cup and Cone in White Bear, Icy Cup in St. Paul, Nelson’s Ice Cream in Stillwater and St. Paul, La Michoacana Purépecha in St. Paul, Micho Love in West St. Paul, Wonders Ice Cream in St. Paul and the St. Paul Corner Drug.
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