It’s ice cream season in Seattle! Any ice cream is good ice cream but we gathered up the very best options in the city for you in this convenient guide. If you need dairy-free options, don’t worry: we included places with vegan ice cream in Seattle on this list. And if you’re looking specifically for soft serve ice cream, we have an entire separate guide to the best soft serve in Seattle.
Read on for our recommendations for the best ice cream in Seattle!
1. Bluebird Ice Cream, Phinney Ridge
Bluebird makes small-batch ice cream with unique flavors such as Maple Hickory and Almond Poppy. You can also get craft beers and sodas there! They do have vegan and gluten-free options as well. In the summer you can look for them at Seattle farmers markets in addition to their scoop shop on Greenwood Avenue. Note that they are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.
Address: 7415 Greenwood Ave N, Seattle, WA 98103
2. Creamy Cone Cafe, Rainier Beach
This family-run and Black woman-owned cafe in Rainier Beach offers espresso drinks, sodas, ice cream, and house-made waffle cones. The must-try item on the menu here is the affogato: a mix of ice cream and espresso! They have dairy-free ice cream flavors as well. Kids age 12 and under get their first topping for free here. Note that they’re closed Sundays and Mondays.
Address: 9433 Rainier Ave S, Seattle, WA 98118
3. Fainting Goat Gelato, multiple locations
What’s the difference between ice cream and gelato? We say “who cares”—they’re equally delicious. This popular gelato shop has locations in Fremont, Wallingford, and Madison Valley. All three locations are open daily.
4. Full Tilt, Columbia City
Full Tilt is a great spot to get ice cream with the whole family. You can enjoy ice cream, arcade games, and beer at this retro ice cream shop that used to be a local chain with multiple locations. There is now just the Columbia City location remaining open after owner Justin Cline passed away in 2024, so be sure to visit and have some ice cream in honor of his legacy. Note that Full Tilt is closed on Mondays.
Address: 5041 Rainier Ave S #105, Seattle, WA 98118
5. Frankie & Jo’s, multiple locations
Frankie and Jo’s is beloved in Seattle for their vegan and gluten-free ice cream. They have standard flavors plus unique ones like Salty Caramel Ash and Beet Strawberry Rose, all made with a coconut milk or oat milk base. They have scoop shops in Capitol Hill, Ballard, and University Village in the U District. Note that the Ballard shop is closed Mondays and Tuesdays.
6. Husky Deli, West Seattle
This family-owned deli has been in West Seattle since 1932 and is open daily. They have over 40 flavors of ice cream, ranging from classics like cookie dough to unusual flavors like Swiss chocolate orange and licorice. They also have milkshakes, malts, sandwiches, and cold cuts.
Address: 4721 California Ave SW, Seattle, WA 98116
7. Laina’s Handmade Ice Cream, Rainier Valley
Laina’s is an small-batch ice cream counter located inside Stone House Cafe in Seattle’s Rainier Valley neighborhood. They make everything for their ice cream from scratch on-site. They always have a fun rotating flavor of the month such as Maple Bacon. And they do offer non-dairy options. Note that Laina’s is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.
Address: 9701 Rainier Ave S, Seattle, WA 98118
8. Lil’ Tiger Ice Cream, Lake City
If you’re looking for a good ice cream spot in North Seattle, head to Lil’ Tiger in Lake City. They make everything from scratch using fresh, local ingredients. Their menu always has exciting handcrafted flavors such as apple strudel and ube—and they have an ongoing rotation of two dairy-free flavors. They’re open daily from 2:00 to 10:00 p.m.
Address: 12348 Lake City Way NE, Seattle, WA 98125
9. Molly Moon’s, multiple locations
Of course we have to include Molly Moon’s Homemade Ice Cream, one of the quintessential Seattle ice cream shops. Their menu has 15 flavors (four of which rotate) and they always have two dairy-free options—plus fun toppings like a seasonal matcha hard shell. Locals love the Salted Caramel and Honey Lavender. Their original scoop shop is in Wallingford, but they also have shops in Capitol Hill, Queen Anne, and more locations. They’re opening their 10th location this May in Seattle’s Waterfront Park.
10. Salt & Straw, multiple locations
It’s very kind of Portland to share their beloved Salt & Straw ice cream with Seattle. They’re known for some quirky flavors like Pear and Blue Cheese but they have more standard flavors too; their Salted, Malted, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough is a best-seller for a reason. They have dairy-free and gluten-free options as well. There are scoop shops in Capitol Hill, Ballard, and Kirkland—and soon they’ll be opening a new location in Pike Place Market.
11. Shug’s Soda Fountain, Pike Place Market
Shug’s is a retro ice cream parlor where you can really treat yourself with decadent sundaes, floats, malts, ice cream cocktails, hot cocoa, and espresso drinks. Their menu features Lopez Island Creamery ice creams and sorbets. They also have a second location in West Seattle if you’d rather not compete with the summer wave of tourists at the market.
Addresses: 1525 1st Ave (Pike Place Market) and 3800 California Ave SW (West Seattle)
12. Sweet Alchemy Ice Creamery, multiple locations
This woman-owned ice creamery is all about sustainability and creative flavors. They scoop small-batch, organic ice cream made from scratch at three locations in Seattle that are all open daily: U District, Capitol Hill, and Ballard. (There’s also a Bellevue location and five convenient pint pickup locations.) In addition to classics like strawberry, they create many globally-inspired flavors such as Persian Rose, Toasted Black Sesame, Thai Iced Tea, and Masala Chai. You’ll find several vegan options here as well. You can also order a custom ice cream cake for special occasions!