12 ice cream shops that Alabamians love

When every day is hotter than the last, a sweet treat always sounds good.

That’s why our friends at This is Alabama recently asked their followers where the best place to get ice cream in the state is, and the responses did not disappoint. From shoppes offering one-of-a-kind flavors like Big Spoon Creamery to no-fuss, walk-up dairy bars like Kreme Delite and so many more, there’s no shortage of places to satisfy your sweet tooth in Alabama.

You can see some of the ice cream spots suggested below, and you can see all of them on the This is Alabama Facebook page.

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Peach cobbler topped with a scoop of peach ice cream at Peach Park in Clanton, Ala.(Bob Carlton/[email protected])

Peach Park

Clanton

It’s hard to beat a scoop of Peach Park’s homemade ice cream on a hot day, which is probably why the Clanton eatery is so popular with locals and tourists alike during the summer months. While their peach ice cream made from fresh Chilton County peaches is always a good choice, they offer a variety of other ice cream flavors as well as cobblers, pies, cakes and more. Just grab your favorite sweet treat before taking a walk through Peach Park’s adjoining gardens and browsing the local goods and produce in its market for an afternoon well spent.

Mobile's best ice cream: Our top 5 — Double scoop of pretty much any ice cream in a waffle cone at Cammie’s Old Dutch Ice Cream Shoppe? Yes, please! (Photo by Michelle Matthews/[email protected])

Cammie’s Old Dutch Ice Cream Shoppe

Mobile and Fairhope

Originally opened in 1969, Cammie’s Old Dutch Ice Cream Shoppe has been serving up lots, and we do mean lots, of ice cream. With two locations in Mobile and a third shop in Fairhope, you can have your pick of 47 ice creams, including classic flavors as well as some unique ones like bear claw, blueberry cheesecake, Creole, moosetracks and more, made on site and served at the old timey parlor that has become a beloved part of The Port City’s history.

Trowbridge’s Ice Cream and Sandwich Shop

Florence

Speaking of old-fashioned ice cream parlors, Trowbridge’s Ice Cream and Sandwich Shop in Florence has been serving up scoops of its sweet and creamy ice cream for more than a century. The family-owned creamery is known for its signature orange pineapple ice cream, created by Paul Trowbridge in 1918 and listed as one of the “100 Dishes to Eat in Alabama Before You Die,” but you can have your pick of a variety of flavors on the menu.

Blue Bell Creameries

Sylacauga

We’ve all picked up our share of Blue Bell ice cream out of the freezer section of our local grocery store, but what about trying it fresh where it’s made? At the ice cream parlor at Blue Bell Creameries in Sylacauga, you can try an assortment of the brand’s most popular flavors as well as a few specialty flavors you’d be hard-pressed to find anywhere else before taking a tour of the production facility to see how it’s made (and then go back to the parlor for another scoop or two, of course).

Mr. Gene’s Beans

Fairhope

You don’t have to choose between satisfying your sweet tooth or coffee craving at Mr. Gene’s Beans in Fairhope — you can have both! For more than 30 years, Mr. Gene’s Beans has been serving loyal customers and visiting first-timers a variety of ice creams and other sweet treats. One of the most popular items on its menu is the Fairhope Float, which combines a French vanilla frozen yogurt with an iced mochaccino before being topped with whipped cream.

Blue Ribbon Dairy Farm

Tallassee

Blue Ribbon Dairy is a family-owned dairy farm known for offering its customers fresh milk that’s straight from the cow to the carton in 24 hours, but that’s not all they offer. The farm is also open for tours, and while there, visitors can buy pints and half-pints of ice cream, made in small batches on site from its milk, to take home or enjoy under their picnic pavilion. The flavors available vary, but whatever ice cream you end up with, you can assume it will be good.

Durbin Farms Market

Clanton

Another spot in Clanton you can get your sweet fix with some homemade ice cream is Durbin Farms Market, which offers 24 flavors made using fresh fruits and other ingredients. If you can’t decide what kind to get, try their signature peach pecan ice cream. They use their own local peaches, which happened to be sold in the market alongside other produce and goods, and folks have been known to come from all over the state just to get a scoop or two.

Big Spoon Creamery

Birmingham, Homewood and Huntsville

Big Spoon Creamery may have started off more than 10 years ago as a pop-up shop in owners’ Ryan and Geri-Martha O’Hara’s driveaway, but today, it’s one of the state’s most popular ice cream shops with locations in Birmingham, Homewood and Huntsville. The creamery serves handmade artisanal ice cream using local and seasonal ingredients to create unique flavors like sweet corn blackberry, caramelatto, watermelon margarita sorbet and many more.

Kreme Delite

Athens

If you’re looking for an old-fashioned, walk-up dairy bar that’ll serve you some seriously good ice cream, Kreme Delite in Athens is where you need to go. Open since 1951 and a beloved spot by generations of families, Kreme Delite is a no-fuss spot that offers a simple menu, serving a variety of soft serve flavors in cups, dipped cones, milkshakes, sundaes and more. One popular pick is their signature upside-down banana split, but really there’s no wrong choice.

Payne’s Sandwich Shop and Soda Fountain

Scottsboro

Payne’s Sandwich Shop and Soda Fountain in Scottsboro’s courthouse square has been in business for more than 150 years and is a beloved landmark thanks to its eclectic menu, which features a variety of ice cream flavors to pick from as well as sweet treats like the popular Elvis sundae, which consists of vanilla ice cream, sliced bananas, peanut butter, whipped cream and, of course, a cherry on top.

Matt’s Homemade Ice Cream

Gulf Shores

If you want to have plenty of flavors to choose from, make sure to plan a trip to Matt’s Homemade Ice Cream in Gulf Shores. A tradition for many families during their annual beach trip, Matt’s offers more than 60 custom ice cream flavors — including Creole praline, carrot cake, banana pudding, extreme brownie and many more — as well as sundaes, banana splits, milkshakes and other sweet treats.

Lookout Mountain Creamery

Fort Payne

Lookout Mountain Creamery in Fort Payne is a fun and eclectic spot where customers can satisfy their sweet tooth with a wide selection of ice creams to pick from, including flavors like blueberry cheesecake, chocolate pecan and many more in addition to the tried-and-true classics, as well as other decadent desserts like cakes, cookies, pies, ice cream sandwiches and more. Whatever you order, it’s all made fresh and in house.