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Food

The best ice cream and frozen treat shops in Dallas-Fort Worth

Editor's note: This story has been updated in 2017 to include some of the buzziest new ice cream shops in Dallas-Fort Worth. Your old favorites are still on the list, too!

It's finally the season for sticky fingers and shakes. Check out our list of new and old-faithful scoop shops in North Texas where you can find a sweet treat, lickety-split. (They're listed in alphabetical order; it's too tough to pick favorites.)

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But before you get the ice cream scoop: You know about the summer's hottest cold trends, right? Start here:

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Adults, here's your list of boozy frozen delights in Dallas-Fort Worth.

Now onto the best ice cream and frozen treat shops in D-FW.

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Berrynaked

You might giggle at the name, and that's fine. Berrynaked is a popsicle shop that serves tasty treats in flavors such as prickly pear lemonade, key lime coconut and blueberry cobbler.

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At Berrynaked's new Richardson shop, they also sell fruit-based puree bowls -- which aren't ice cream, but forgive us if we think they're worth mentioning: It's a bowl of berries and superfoods, with dessert-like mix-ins available such as cookies n'cream. Yum!

  • 326 W. Campbell Road, Richardson; 5560 W. Lovers Lane, Dallas. A coming-soon stall inside Legacy Hall will be located at 7800 Windrose Ave., Plano.

Beth Marie's Old Fashioned Ice Cream

This place is famous in Denton, especially among kids. Stop into the original shop on the Denton Square; no jaunt around downtown feels complete without a scoop.

  • Two locations: 117 W. Hickory St. and 2900 Wind River Lane, both in Denton. facebook.com/beth.maries.ic.

Betty Ringer Ice Cream

Dallas's latest ice cream addition is scooping up French custard-style ice cream, and it's made start to finish from scratch. Can't decide between the shop's unique flavors such as vanilla matcha or peanut butter brownie? Owner Stephen Smith says you can't go wrong with roasted banana pudding, one of his personal favorites. Calling all vegans: You can enjoy ice cream at Betty Ringer, too! The shop always has one vegan flavor, like raspberry chocolate chip, available. Besides ice cream, the shop will also offer chocolates, cookies, caramels and other confections. Ice cream sandwich anyone?

  • 750 Fort Worth Ave., Dallas. facebook.com/bettyringericecream.

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Chills 360

Rolled ice cream is having a moment in D-FW right now; in fact, we dedicated an entire feature story to it recently. The style has permeated areas throughout North Texas, but Chills 360 in Deep Ellum was one of the first to arrive and do it really, really well; the company now has a second Chills 360 in North Texas, in Rockwall.

There can be long lines at the popular Deep Ellum shop, but customers don't seem to mind. Originating in Thailand, this treat involves sweet cream poured onto a chilled metal sheet. It's then chopped, diced and metaphorically "stir-fried" with mix-ins you choose before being rolled up into a breathtaking presentation. It's way Instagram-worthy, and that's to say nothing about the delicious taste.

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  • 2646 Elm St., Dallas; 118 E. Rust St., Rockwall. facebook.com/chills360irolls.

Gypsy Scoops

Go for Wookiee's Cookies (cinnamon ice cream with chocolate chunks and oatmeal cookies in it) at this cute Fort Worth shop. Or maybe Texas Praline if you're feeling proud. Gypsy Scoops also has two food trucks that come to you for special events.

  • 2905 Race St., Fort Worth. gypsyscoops.com.
Henry's Homemade Ice Cream is a longtime Plano fave.
Henry's Homemade Ice Cream is a longtime Plano fave.(Anja Schlein / Special Contributor)

Henry's Homemade Ice Cream

The slogan from this longtime Plano shop is "Ice cream makes you pretty." You know, they just might be right. Stop into the shop for favorites such as chocolate-almond or vanilla-peanut-butter, or keep an eye out at restaurants in D-FW; Henry's is served all over town.

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  • 3100 Independence Parkway, Plano. henryshomemadeicecream.com.

Highland Park Soda Fountain

Sure, a business that's been around since 1912 and has an old-fashioned drugstore soda fountain packs a powerful nostalgic punch. But nostalgia alone doesn't lead to a counter packed with happy regulars.  The milkshakes, floats, limeade, chocolate sodas and phosphates probably help.

  • 3229 Knox St., Dallas. highlandparksodafountain.com.
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Coleman Jones is the inspiration for and the vice president of Howdy Homemade, an ice cream...
Coleman Jones is the inspiration for and the vice president of Howdy Homemade, an ice cream store. (DMN file photo)

Howdy Homemade

It's nearly impossible not to respond with a spirited "howdy!" upon walking into Howdy Homemade in Dallas. Its cheerful employees, many of whom have special needs, welcome customers and offer samples of the many flavors. Feel free to try samples of flavors such as dreamsicle and avocado lime. But ultimately, it's the popular Dr Pepper chocolate chip — and the friendly staff — that keeps us coming back.

  • 4333 Lovers Lane, Dallas. howdyicecream.com.
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Hypnotic Emporium

Servers wear white garrison caps and colorful bowties and serve patrons at a charming bar. All of Hypnotic Emporium's ice creams are made by Beth Marie's Old Fashioned Ice Cream, a Denton-based company that ranks as a favorite for many in northern North Texas. Some of the 120 rotating ice cream flavors include campfire s'mores, cupcake, cappuccino chip and honey lavender. But don't skip the doughnut ice cream sandwiches, which make this old-timey place feel current.

  • 9005 Garland Road, Dallas. hypnoticemporium.com.
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I-CE NY

This is yet another rolled ice cream shop, and here's why it's worth a stop: I-CE NY, like Chills 360, has attracted a serious fanbase. Its parent company is in Thailand (and named I-TIM-PAD); the I-CE NY offshoot is the U.S. offshoot.

At this shop, customers pick an ice cream base flavor and mix-ins, which are then rolled into little bouquets and set inside a cup.

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  • 4430 Lavon Drive, Garland; and 2625 Old Denton Road, Carrollton.

Melt Ice Creams

They serve "happy ice cream" at Melt Ice Creams in Fort Worth. If you've been there, you probably agree, thanks in part to the bumblebee black and yellow color scheme. Flavors have cute names like Peachy Keen -- Parker County peach ice cream with oat streusel crisp -- and Cup of Texas -- creamy ice cream with Avoca Coffee Grounds from Melt's Fort Worth neighbor.

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Milwaukee Joe's

They have a flavor calendar, which is as delicious as it sounds: A monthly look at specials with names such as Killer Squirrel, Butterscotch Bliss and Cake Batter. Need a kids' birthday cake? Try the Reese's fudge ice cream cake.

  • Three locations: 1417 Main St. in Southlake; 33 Main St. in Colleyville; 901 Long Prairie Road, Flower Mound.  milwaukeejoesicecream.com.
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Starbucks Reserve Bar

"Starbucks doesn't serve ice cream," you say. Go with us here. This new Starbucks -- which has a coffee bar where people can sit and chat with baristas as if they were bartenders -- also sells four ice cream drinks with a vanilla-bean ice cream base. The most alluring might be the House Affogato: vanilla ice cream, two shots of expresso, brown-sugar syrup and cinnamon. Although, the cold-brew float is pretty enticing, too. For an extra creamy jolt (and $1 more), order the cold brew float with nitro cold brew. That's some fancy ice cream, y'all.

  • 2021 McKinney Ave., Dallas, on the first floor of the McKinney & Olive high-rise.
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Steel City Pops

Stephanie Mojonnet eats a strawberry popsicle from Steel City Pops.
Stephanie Mojonnet eats a strawberry popsicle from Steel City Pops.(Alexandra Olivia / Special Contributor)

After-dinner visits to this frozen pop shop have become such a tradition that some stores along Greenville Avenue in Dallas have signs asking customers to finish eating before coming inside. The successful shop has expanded like crazy and now has nearly 10 stores in D-FW.

Steel City's menu is divided into fruity and creamy with more than a dozen options, including pineapple-jalapeno, sweet tea, hibiscus, coffee, peanut butter and coconut. Chocolate and vanilla are available for purists.

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  • Three Dallas shops: 2012 Greenville Ave.; 9440 Garland Road; and 6025 Royal Lane. Other shops in Fort Worth, Southlake and Garland. steelcitypops.com.

Sub Zero Ice Cream

Rolled ice cream may be having a moment right now, but Sub Zero Ice Cream wants to up the ante. This national chain just opened its first location in North Texas, and owners aspire to make it a 15-shop mini-empire in a matter of years. The Sub Zero Process involves blasting cream with liquid nitrogen, which flash freezes it in about 15 seconds at -321 degrees Fahrenheit. That process, owners say, makes for creamier, smoother, more delectable dessert.

  • 3721 Justin Road, Suite 150, Flower Mound. subzeroicecream.com.

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Here's a rainbow flavored shaved ice snow cone from Sugar Mountain in Plano.
Here's a rainbow flavored shaved ice snow cone from Sugar Mountain in Plano.(Joel Prince / Staff Photographer)

Sugar Mountain

This Plano favorite specializes in shaved ice, snow shakes and snowed coffee, among other cold treats. If you're not in the mood for a snow cone, try a snow shake, which is the Sugar Mountain version of a milkshake topped with whipped cream. Coffee lovers, forgo your iced coffee in favor of snowed coffee, espresso blended with shaved ice and topped with whipped cream.

  • 909 W. Parker Road, Plano. sugarmountainsweets.com.
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Sweet Daze

Black ice cream is the thing to get at Sweet Daze, an Instagrammer's dream in Richardson. Really. The black ice cream is red velvet flavored, and our writer Aurelia Han warns that it might stain your teeth.

Sweet Daze's soft-serve ice cream comes in wacky flavors including ube (a purple yam) and fruity pebbles, dressed in pretty pastel purple and pink, respectively. Ice cream can be served in a traditional waffle cone or a glazed doughnut cone ($5.50).

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Right, you get a doughnut topped with soft serve. Get that one.

Owner Holly Nguyen, of Richardson, sprinkles Fruity Pebbles cereal soft serve at Sweet Daze...
Owner Holly Nguyen, of Richardson, sprinkles Fruity Pebbles cereal soft serve at Sweet Daze in Richardson.(Ryan Michalesko / Staff Photographer)

Sweet Firefly

Most kids in Richardson know to ask for Sweet Firefly by name; maybe that's because of the back room used for birthday parties. Find tried-and-true ice cream flavors here such as Oreo cookie crunch and mint chocolate chip.

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  • 2701 Custer Parkway, Richardson. facebook.com/sweetfireflyrichardson.

Wild About Harry's

Hot dogs and custards have kept family-friendly Wild About Harry's in business since 1996. The owners like to say "you're a kid up until the day you die," and it sure feels like it here.

  • Shops at 3113 Knox St. (at Knox/Henderson) and 111 S. Hall St. (in Deep Ellum) in Dallas. wildaboutharrys.com.
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Sarah Blaskovich, Brentney Hamilton, Aurelia Han, Ann Pinson and Shannon Sutlief contributed to this roundup. Shops that have closed have been removed from the list, like Double Dip in Frisco.

Still hungry? Check out guidelive.com/food-and-drink.

Or, if you need more ideas to entertain kids, check out our favorite family activities in D-FW.