Get the Scoop on These Michigan Ice Cream Shops
Satisfy your craving for sweet treats and creamy concoctions. Michigan’s most nostalgic traditions are right inside an ice cream parlor, and some of the most innovative flavors come straight from local ingredients.
Moomers Homemade Ice Cream – Traverse City
Named “America’s Best Scoops” by Good Morning America, this family-owned company makes more than 150 flavors next to their dairy farm with at least 20 on the menu any given day. Notable flavors include Cherries Moobilee and Very Cherry made with Northern Michigan black and tart cherries.
Sherman’s Ice Cream – South Haven
They’ve been churning one batch at a time since 1958. You can’t miss this shop, which is topped with two iconic blue cows. After a day on the beach, try popular flavors like Mackinac Island Fudge and the SuperScoop of Blue Moon, Black Cherry and Vanilla ice creams.
House of Flavors – Ludington
Visit this Guinness World Record holder that served the world’s longest ice cream dessert. Here you can taste homestyle comfort food that ends with an ice cream treat like a Mackinac Island Peanut Butter Fudge and something called the Michigan Pot Hole.
Love’s Ice Cream & Chocolate – Grand Rapids
Located in Grand Rapids Downtown Market, Love’s crafts ice cream and sweet treats for everyone with dairy, non-dairy and vegan varieties. Try their Madcap Coffee ice cream created from the famous local coffee shop or bright flavors like Dreamy Strawberry.
Sadie’s Ice Cream Parlor – Mackinac Island
Located inside Grand Hotel, make sure you visit this essential pit stop on your Mackinac Island vacation. It was named for Sadie, the Scottish Terrier who won the Westminster dog show in 2010. The menu features 24 flavors of the locally loved Hudsonville Ice Cream, the hotel’s renowned Grand Pecan balls, and a Grand Sundae served in a dog bone-shaped dish named “The Sadie.”
Jones Homemade Ice Cream – Baldwin
Open for 80 years, it’s known for friendly service and historical photos on the walls. Check out the building’s beloved fishing mural. Not much information on this one?
MSU Dairy Store – East Lansing
Michigan State University was the first agricultural college in the nation with its first cow arriving on campus in 1867. The MSU Dairy Store is a beloved source for all things dairy, including rotating ice cream flavors like Leelenau Black Cherry and Spartan Swirl.
MOO-ville Creamery – Nashville, Ionia, Zeeland and Eaton Rapids
Using fresh milk from its own dairy farm, MOO-ville makes more than 80 flavors on-site, offering up to 40 at a time in its dipping cabinets. Turn a straightforward flavor into a MOO-valanche flurry by customizing it with your choice of mix-in ingredients.
Guernsey Farms Dairy – Northville
Guernsey Farms Dairy dishes up its delicious ice cream at an on-site restaurant in Northville. Third-generation farm, from old-fashioned strawberry to the Midnight Train to Traverse – a mix of Michigan sweet cherries and decadent chocolate ice cream with rich chicory coffee flavors.
Calder Dairy – Carleton and Lincoln Park
Operating since 1946 and sells scoops and more at its farm location, Calder Dairy still delivers bottled milk to your door. They have a myriad of flavors available at their locations, including classics like Chocolaty Chocolate Chip to seasonal confections like Pumpkin or Eggnog.
Blank Slate Creamery – Ann Arbor
Known for creating unusual flavors from scratch using local milk and cream, Blank Slate Creamery has been an Ann Arbor favorite since they opened in 2014. Try something new like Fresh Basil, Banana Foster or Lavender Lemon Honey. Their menu also includes a variety of gluten-free and vegan options.
Jilbert Dairy – Marquette
The Upper Peninsula’s go-to dairy has an on-site shop where you can score scoops and see bovine beauty, Jilly the giant cow. Try some of their house-made flavors at their location just outside downtown Marquette like Michigan Cherry Fried Pie and Mackinac Island Fudge.
Molly Moo’s Ice Cream Parlor – St. Ignace
Experience delicious ice cream with waterfront views on East Moran Bay at this seasonal favorite. Try one of Molly Moo’s popular flavors like Mackinac Island Fudge flavors while enjoying views of the island in the distance. Also: Donut sundae! And the bright Blue Moon.