No matter the weather, ice cream is always the perfect sweet treat. In South Dakota, you’ll find everything from the sweetest and freshest dairy bars located on college campuses, to longtime landmarks serving up flavors made from centuries-old recipes. Whatever you’re searching for, it’s right here in South Dakota. Here are the best ice cream parlors in the state!
The founders were inspired to create Armadillos after visiting Zesto in Pierre. They opened their doors in 1996 and have had customers clamoring to get in ever since. Ice cream options include malts, shakes, sundaes, and cones. New flavors are offered every day. Non-ice cream menu items include hot dogs, foot longs, deli sandwiches, soups, nachos, paninis, wraps, and the world-famous Steamburgers.
This Sioux Falls artisanal ice cream shop serves ice cream, gourmet waffles, and shaved ice. Boki Gelato only uses the finest, freshest ingredients to create an unforgettable culinary experience. This one of the only authentic Italian gelato spots in the state. You will want to try every delicious flavor!
Rapid City’s Silver Lining Creamery creates unique flavors in-house using only the freshest ingredients. The flavors are constantly changing, so hurry in before they run out of your favorite! Their specialty is mason jar sundaes, which include ice cream layered with toppings and sauces in a mason jar. You can also buy Silver Lining ice cream wholesale. Yes, please!
Located at Mount Rushmore, this ice cream shop could not be more “South Dakota!” Memorial Team Ice Cream was named after the baseball team formed by Mount Rushmore carvers, who took second place in state competition in 1939. Life-sized photos of the carvers and their baseball uniforms are on display in the restaurant. Historically accurate ice cream is served, such as TJ’S vanilla ice cream, based on Thomas Jefferson’s original recipe from 1780. Order a cone, walk around the park, and appreciate the beauty (and deliciousness!) that can only be found in South Dakota.
With new flavors almost daily, you’ll want to stop by every day to avoid missing even one bite of these delicious treats! This cute little retro shop is always busy and with good reason. Customers favorite flavors include peach cobbler, coffee, black cherry, and strawberry. Other creamy menu items include malts, shakes, sundaes, ice cream floats, sundaes, and specialty sundaes. Check out the calendar at the restaurant or online for a complete listing of this month’s flavors.
This family-owned and operated creamery describes their team as “three cool cats living the dream, slingin’ the freshest cream.” They’re not wrong about the freshness! Specializing in both traditional and unique ice creams, Leones’ is here to satisfy your sweet tooth. They offer eight constantly rotating flavors, with one vegan flavor made with coconut milk. Some of the most unique menu items have been blueberry goat’s cheese, avocado, Spearfish Valley sweet corn, curry with peanut butter swirl, vanilla black pepper, Cycle Farm rhubarb, and many more!
Stensland Family Farms offers fresh, hand-dipped ice cream and other dairy treats. All the milk used for the ice cream is fresh from their Iowa dairy. Flavors include blueberry cheesecake, cotton candy, brownie batter, cocoa, cake batter, coconut, banana, peanut butter, pistachio, white chocolate, salted caramel pecan, s’mores, strawberry, toffee, coffee, and white chocolate peppermint. Shopping local has never tasted so good!
Twist Cone is known around the state for their Italian ice cream! Customers are known to stand outside in freezing temperatures just to get a taste of this ice cream. The service is quick and friendly. Frozen yogurt, hot dogs, Rueben sandwiches, barbeque sandwiches, and other items are also available. Be sure to ask for the candy eyes on your cone!
Inside this unassuming campus ice cream bar is the creamiest ice cream in Brookings County! With more than 60 decadent flavors of rich ice cream, you are guaranteed to find your favorite flavor. It was over a century ago that the university made its first commercial ice cream using milk from local farms. Today, the dairy plant on campus processes the milk to create their decadent treats. Flavor categories include butter, candy, cheesecake, chocolate, fruit, cookies ‘n cream, revel, variety, and sherbet flavors with several subflavors in each category. The South Dakota State University Dairy Bar has ice cream down to a science!
The first B&G Milkyway opened in 1954 as a drive-in restaurant. Since the 50s, not much has changed, and the original restaurant is still operating. The ice cream is still made in the old-fashioned way that the original owners perfected. Ice cream products served include ice cream cones, dipped ice cream cones, malts, shakes, sundaes, floats, ice cream sandwiches, and turtle bars. Come to this little shop for old-fashioned ice cream!