It would be an understatement to say I have been on my fair share of college visits in the past few months. While traveling in and around various university campuses, past the libraries, the dorms, and the quaint, family-run diners in town, I have taken notice to one overlooked common thread—every school has its favorite ice cream shop.
As a mere Pre-Frosh, I looked to friends, fellow Spoon writers and other platforms of social media to help me gather a list of the best ice cream shops in 30 college towns across America.
Whether you are a perspective student (like me) looking for something sweet to break up monotonous info sessions and campus tours, or a current student searching for a treat between classes—I've got the scoop on where to go.
1. Brown University: Three Sisters - Providence, RI
This diner and ice cream shop is famous for its unique flavor Kulfi, which won second place and the people's choice award in the Rhode Island Food Fights Ice Cream Throwdown.
2. Columbia & NYU: Ample Hills Creamery - Manhattan, New York
Creative flavors are freshly churned everyday and stuffed with home-baked mix ins like ‘gooey butter cake’ and ‘caramel crack’ at this Brooklyn and Manhattan-based creamery.
3. Cornell: Purity Ice Cream - Ithaca, New York
In addition to the famous on-campus Cornell Dairy Bar, Ithaca is home to this small-batch shop, which is known around Central New York as the 'Ice Cream Of the Finger Lakes.'
4. Dartmouth: Morano Gelato - Hanover, New Hampshire
Morano Gelato aims to create the freshest of frozen treats for its customers, producing 16 authentic Italian flavors (and creative twists on the traditional) from scratch each morning.
5. Duke University: The Parlour - Durham, North Carolina
What started as a ice cream bus that created chaos on campus, has grown into a full blown parlor (literally) that still attracts lines out its door and is voted a Duke student favorite for its inventive ice cream flavors.
6. Emory University: The Yogurt Tap - Atlanta, Georgia
Believe it or not, the fro-yo served at The Yogurt Tap is far more superior than the chain-store treat that has become anything but special in the recent years. It's pouring out flavors like almond butter, black cherry vanilla, Nutella and so many more.
7. Georgetown University: Thomas Sweet - Georgetown, Washington, D.C.
Now famous for being an Obama favorite, this Mecca of all things sweet has more than enough ice cream flavors to choose from—but if you happen to be unable to choose a flavor of your liking, Thomas Sweet offers a 'blend-in' option, where you can pick any combination of toppings to mix into your scoop.
8. George Washington University: Dolcezza - Washington, D.C.
Ever wonder why there was a recent uprising of hip gelato spots in the ice cream world? Dolcezza 'made gelato cool again.' Plus, with half the fat and half the calories of normal ice cream, it's basically healthy—right?
9. Harvard & MIT: Toscanini’s -Cambridge, Massachusetts
The New York Times named Toscanini’s "The Best Ice Cream In The World'—if that's not enough incentive to check out the shop next time your near Harvard or MIT, then I don't know what is.
10. Johns Hopkins University: The Charmery - Baltimore, Maryland
11. Northwestern University: Andy's Frozen Custard - Evanston, Illinois
While many more ice cream options can be found down Lake Shore Drive, Evanston boasts some enticing frozen treats of its own. Try out one of Andy's special custard concretes like the "James Brownie Funky Jackhammer" (vanilla or chocolate frozen custard blended with creamy peanut butter and brownies, then filled with hot fudge) to get a true taste of the Midwest.
12. Penn State University: Berkey Creamery - State College, Pennsylvania
An integral part of PSU's agriculture program, Berkey Creamery, located right on campus, makes such impressive ice cream that Ben and Jerry (Yes, THE Ben and Jerry) took a class there to improve their skills. Stuck on which flavor to choose? Spoon Penn State has got you covered.
13. Princeton University: The Bent Spoon - Princeton, New Jersey
Rated among Travel & Leisure's "America’s Best Ice Cream Shops," The Bent Spoon showcases some of the most imaginative ice cream flavors in the nation. They rotate through over 550 artisanal flavors, which is only one of the many reasons why there is always a new raving review of the shop in the press, and why one passionate spooner wrote a whole article about it.
14. Stanford University: CREAM - Palo Alto, California
Two warm, fresh-baked cookies stuffed with a few scoops of cold, freshly churned ice cream—need I say more? This Stanford must-have specializes in our favorite type of sandwich, offering 10 different types of cookies (including "Creamfetti," "Carnival" and trusty ol' "Double Chocolate Chip") and over two times the amount of ice cream flavors.
15. Syracuse University: Gannon’s Isle Ice Cream - Syracuse, New York
Gannon's simply dominates the Syracuse ice cream scene—so much so that the husband and wife namesake team has been winning "Syracuse's Best Ice Cream" every year since the awards inception.
16. The University of Chicago: Bobtail Ice Cream - Chicago, Illinois
Set in an old-fashioned shop, Bobtail is famous for both its concoctions that are mixed with coffee (ice cream lattes, anyone?) and its funky flavors that are infused with alcohol, like the "Signature Sunset" (Merlot ice cream, dark chocolate chips) and the "Lakeview Barhopper" (Dutch cocoa ice cream blended with Jack Daniels®).
17. The University of Colorado: Sweet Cow - Boulder, Colorado
The art of the ice cream sandwich is perfected at Sweet Cow, and they serve up great scoops too. Furthermore, the owner, who also happens to be a Boulder graduate, makes sure that the environment at the shop is always fun and happy, creating an overall experience that keeps customers coming back again and again.
18. The University of Florida: D’Lites Emporium - Gainesville, Florida
Students at UF rave over D'Lites—not only is it a shocking 12 ½ calories per ounce but their flavors of the week range anywhere from 'Samoas,' to 'Caramel Fudge Éclair,' to 'Snickers Cheesecake.'
19. The University of Maryland: Maryland Dairy - College Park, Maryland
Offered in the Student Union at UMD, and celebrating its 90th anniversary this year, the ice cream at 'The Dairy' or Maryland Dairy contains 14% butterfat, which explains its signature creamy texture.
20. The University of Pennsylvania: Capogiro & Basset's - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
UPenn's Philly setting, filled with endless great choices for a frozen treat, made it too difficult to choose a single best spot for this list, and I figured the more ice cream the merrier, right?
Stop by Capogiro for farm fresh gelato that happens to be named the number one ice cream in the entire world by National Geographic.
Also be sure to visit Basset's to get a taste of an institution that has been a Philly staple since 1861, and is known as America's oldest ice cream shop—it's been around for five generations of owners, and there has got to be good a reason for that.
21. Tulane University: Creole Creamery - New Orleans, Louisiana
You may have some difficulty deciding which of the unique flavors you want to order at this Diner, Drive-Ins and Dives featured shop (ever tried Lavender Honey?), but never fear—Creole Creamery offers a four or six mini scoop sampler to ease the ordering anxiety of even the most indecisive customers.
22. UNC - Chapel Hill: The Yogurt Pump (YOPO) - Chapel Hill, North Carolina
As any UNC student will tell you, it's very rare to see 'YOPO' without a line around the corner. However, as any students will also tell you, the wait is certainly worth it. Flavors change daily but the low prices and delicious fro-yo stay constant.
23. University of Miami: Whip ‘n Dip - Coral Gables, Florida
Whip ‘n Dip is a South Miami classic—a forever dependable neighborhood sweet shop that serves up low-fat (18 calories an ounce!), 'lite' cream in flavors like Nutella, Salted Caramel and Toasted Coconut, along with full fat ice cream, fresh baked cookies and more types of toppings than you could dream up.
24. University of Michigan: Blank Slate Creamery - Ann Arbor, Michigan
The owner of Blank Slate is actually an UM alum. They serve your scoops in homemade waffle cones or cookie sandwich-style, and they offer a flavor called Wolverine Tracks (like your standard moose tracks but infinitely better—featuring handmade fudge & Justin's Organic Peanut Butter Cups). They also have chalkboard walls and tables so you can get creative while you chow down. On top of all that, they even use locally-sourced ingredients.
The list of reasons for why you need to go to Blank Slate could go on and on—but I'll stop there so you can discover for yourself why this Ann Arbor newbie has become an instant classic.
25. University of Southern California: The Bigg Chill - Los Angeles, California
Given the perpetual sunshine in Southern California, it is not hard to find good ice cream on almost any corner in LA. The Bigg Chill, however, still stands strong, and continues to be the most Instagrammed, amidst the ever-changing ice cream trends. And yes, macaroon or churro ice cream sandwiches, donut milky buns and ice cream tacos can also all be found in the Golden State.
#SpoonTip: Top your twist with their vegan cookie dough—you won't be disappointed, and neither will your Instagram followers.
26. University of Texas, Austin: Cow Tipping Creamery - Austin, Texas
Cow Tipping Creamery has begun a new revolution in the ice cream world—and their weapon of choice goes by the name of 'Stackers.' This game-changing take on a sundae layers toppings, soft serve, sauces and baked goods in a parfait-style so that the customer gets a little bit of everything in each bite.
Next on CTC's agenda? Housemade donut cones filled with brown sugar hot fudge, cold brew coffee soft-serve and coffee soil. BRB, drooling.
27. University of Wisconsin: Babcock Dairy - Madison, Wisconsin
Produced on campus in UW Madison's own Babcock Hall Dairy Plant, Babcock dairy ice cream is a Badger favorite that is close to home. Find the unanimously loved ice cream at The Daily Scoop in Memorial Union (UW Madison's student center) and be sure to sample flavors paying tribute to the University such as 'On, Wisconsin!' and 'Badger Blast.'
28. Vanderbilt: Jeni's - Nashville, Tennessee
With four locations across Nashville, and the newest store in Hillsboro Village, there is never an excuse to not be eating Jeni's. Food & Wine Magazine once said, "No one else makes ice cream like Jeni Britton Bauer." Given both the Vandy student body praise and national admiration for this place, I believe it.
29. Washington University in St. Louis: Jilly's - St. Louis, Missouri
Jilly's Cupcake Bar and Jilly's Ice Cream Bar are located not far from campus in the city of St. Louis, but luckily WashU students don't even have to leave their dining hall to try scoops of the Cupcake War winner's frozen specialties.
Served at Ibby's in the Danforth University Center, Jilly's ice cream flavors range from 'Get Lucky,' (stuffed with Lucky Charms) to 'Reese's Chunkage.'
30. Yale: Ashely's Ice Cream - New Haven, Connecticut
"The Frisbees" at Ashely's (the beautiful mess pictured above) contain eight scoops of ice cream and ten toppings—enough to feed you and a few friends or maybe just you—considering how good the Ice Cream at Ashely's is known to be.
Recipient of the title of "New Haven's Best Ice Cream" for 29 years in a row, it's no surprise that Ashley's often serves famous Yale alumni and New Haven's celebrity visitors.