Ice cream tastes great year-round. Doesn’t matter if it’s hot, cold or in between. Give us a scoop, or two (OK, three). Thankfully, our state delivers the goods by the tub.

On our quest to find the best food of every kind in Alabama, AL.com staff picked the best ice cream spots in Birmingham, Huntsville, Mobile and the entire state.

Read their amazing and freezingly refreshing picks below.

BENDY’S COOKIE’S & CREAM

Cahaba Heights: 3029 Pump House Road, Suite 109 Vestavia Hills, AL 35243

Trussville: 220 Main Street, Suite 100, Trussville, www.eatbendys.com

We love ice cream, but what about its companions cake, bananas, cookies and brownies? If cookies are your choice, Bendy’s Cookies & Cream is the place for you.

Walk into the parlor and you’ll see two chalkboards: One for ice cream flavors, the other for cookies of the day. Bendy’s has a rotating menu. The current summer ice cream lineup includes Strawberry Buttermilk and Ooey Gooey Cake (Bendy’s also has non-dairy and vegan options including Lemon Cream and Thin Mint). Cookie flavors include chocolate chip and white chocolate blueberry. (Note: The best way to keep au courant with the flavors is to visit the Bendy’s website, Instagram, or Facebook page).

An ice cream sandwich — a scoop of ice cream in between two cookies ― will run you about $6.50 before tax. (Feel like making your dessert a little more delectable? Pick two different cookies) Want the full Bendy’s treatment with fewer carbs? Order a scoop of ice cream with a cookie on the side. If you’re looking to take the party home and flex your creative muscle with a do-it-yourself experience, Bendy’s has a freezer of ice cream pints and cookie dough.

Order this: Ice cream sandwich in celebration of strawberry season: Strawberry Buttermilk ice cream between two oatmeal cookies. — Shauna Stuart

BIG SPOON CREAMERY

4000 3rd Ave. South, Birmingham; 927 Oxmoor Road, Homewood; 201 Jefferson Street North Suite J, Huntsville

Sometimes life’s most enjoyable moments can be the most fleeting. Take, for example, Big Spoon Creamery. The artisan ice cream shop has a delectable rotating menu of ice cream and ice cream sandwiches, but some of the parlor’s most delicious options are their limited edition creations.

Last year, Big Spoon wowed fans with its rendition of the Choco Taco, posting the goods to its Instagram account just months before Klondike officially confirmed it would discontinue the classic beloved ice cream snack. Was it a The Simpsons-style prediction? We can’t tell, but what we do know is Big Spoon’s creation gave us the chance to collectively drown our nostalgic sorrows and pay tribute to the end of an era (well.. kind of. Klondike later said the Choco Taco may return down the line.) But while the ice cream brand that jilted us plays with our feelings, Big Spoon stepped in to console and entice us with multiple iterations of the Choco Taco, including a Christmas cookie dough rendition and a Valentine’s Day creation with taco-shaped cones dipped in white chocolate, filled with vanilla ice cream and meticulously topped with square chunks of sugar cookie dough, sprinkles, and brown sugar.

Big Spoon Creamery has been a favorite in Birmingham for nearly a decade, and for good reason. First off, Big Spoon smells delicious (think baked goods, sugar, and sweet cream). For those who like to play favorites, it’s best to have at least two preferred ice cream flavors of choice. Big Spoon’s menu is seasonal, so some flavors, such as cereal milk, have a limited time on the menu.

Order this: The Cinnamon Toast Crunch ice cream with brownie bites. — Shauna Stuart

BLUE RIBBON DAIRY FARM

5290 Chana Creek Road, Tallassee; www.blueribbondairyal.com

People from all over central and south Alabama love Tallassee’s Blue Ribbon Dairy Farm. It’s not just because field trips to the farm include pony rides and watching the cows get milked; it’s because of the ice cream. You can get samples of the sweet treat during your visit and buy pints and quarts of it on-site to take home with you. There are more than 15 flavors, so you’ll definitely find one you love. (If you can’t make it out to Tallassee, you can also purchase Blue Ribbon ice cream, milk and other products at some grocers.) If you want to know exactly where all the ingredients come from and want super-fresh, delicious ice cream, then you’ll want to try Blue Ribbon Dairy Farm.

Order this: The cookies and cream ice cream is superb, and while you’re at it, purchase the cookies and cream milk (if available) for a doubly chocolate treat. –– Haley Laurence

CAMMIE’S OLD DUTCH ICE CREAM SHOPPE

2511 Old Shell Road, cammiesolddutch.com

Twenty-five years ago, Cammie Wayne bought the former Widemire’s Old Dutch Ice Cream Shoppe from Edwin Widemire, who’d been her boss at her first job when she was 16 years old. She has reigned as queen of the ice cream scene in Mobile ever since, making 700 gallons a week with the help of her husband, Larry Wayne, at their creamery on Halls Mill Road, where she has opened a second location. But that original, cheery yellow building at the corner of Old Shell Road and Florida Street in Midtown, a former Texaco station before Widemire opened his ice cream shop in 1969, has become a Mobile icon. Cammie offers some 47 flavors in the shop (Creole Praline is the most popular) and supplies 25 other shops and restaurants as well as 25 local grocery stores with her products.

Order this: The Banana Split is a classic on Cammie’s menu, and on Sundays she sells 60 to 100 of them. — Michelle Matthews

THE COZY COW

100 Church St. S.W., Huntsville, facebook.com/TheCozyCow

The Cozy Cow is located on the northeast tip of Big Spring Park’s main side. The Huntsville Museum of Art is just a Hail Mary football chunk away. Cozy Cows patio’s so close to Big Spring Park’s lagoon you could peg a duck with your leftovers, if you’re the type of soulless bastard who does stuff like that to animals. It’s both a perfect location for this business and the perfect business for this location. Opened in 2013, The Cozy Cow name’s perfect too. The space is snug and the décor’s overtly cow-themed. Whatever time of day, they have fuel that fits here. Coffee, sandwiches, soups, salads, wraps, etc. There’s an array of cold treats too, including smoothies, ice cream, parfaits, malts, milkshakes, a banana split and sundaes.

Order this: Cozy Cow’s decadent brownie sundae is built on a house-made brownie chassis, topped with your choice of ice cream, syrup, nuts and, if you so desire, whipped cream. — Matt Wake

CRESTWOOD PHARMACY & SODA FOUNTAIN

5502 Crestwood Blvd Suite A, Birmingham, www.facebook.com/bhamrx

Thinking about ice cream in America may drum up scenes of the soda fountain — ice cream parlors sporting marble bars lined with metal chairs and a soda jerk behind the counter. Their popularity was widely fueled by pharmacists who used their knowledge of chemistry to expand the role of the drugstore. Fountain drinks— beverages with carbonated water, often combined with medicinal extracts and effervesced drugs— were used to cure ailments. So when Taylor Trammell wanted to open his own pharmacy, his vision was a classic soda fountain. The result: Crestwood Pharmacy & Soda Fountain.

The ice cream from Crestwood Pharmacy comes from Cammie’s Old Dutch Ice Cream Shoppe in Mobile. After some difficulty finding an ice cream vendor for the soda fountain, Trammell decided to google “best ice cream in Alabama.” The search led him to an article on AL.com and after digging through comments, Trammell saw the name Cammie’s Old Dutch. He called up the shop, spoke to the owner, and the rest was history.

Crestwood Pharmacy has a menu of at least eight ice cream flavors — the current rundown includes pistachio almond, blueberry, cheesecake, salted caramel, and Hurricane — chocolate ice cream with a chocolate core.

Customers can find a selection of drinks in the fridge next to the soda fountain counter including kombucha from Birmingham-based Better and Harvest Roots. If you’re in the mood for an ice cream beverage, pick one of the drinks to make a float. Crestwood Pharmacy also offers classic soda fountain libations including egg creams, phosphate sodas, and Lime Rickeys.

Order this: Try a twist on a classic ice cream float — a kombucha float with Better kombucha or Harvest Roots kombucha. Pair the kombucha with vanilla or fruit-flavored ice cream. — Shauna Stuart

EDGEWOOD CREAMERY

936 Oxmoor Road, Homewood; bhamcreameries.com

Look, I love a good community ice cream place, and Edgewood Creamery is the perfect local spot. It’s located near SAW’s BBQ and several other popular restaurants so it’s easy to pop in for dessert after dinner. It offers shakes and cakes, but my favorite is obviously the ice cream. It’s rich and creamy, the way ice cream should be. (Note: Edgewood Creamery is owned by Jay Connor, who also owns Mountain Brook Creamery. It could just as easily be on this list, but we gotta keep it down to 10.)

Order this: You can never go wrong with a scoop of pistachio ice cream in a waffle bowl. — Haley Laurence

JEFE PALETAS

5301 Cottage Hill Road, facebook.com/JefePaletas

Fabian Leon, who grew up working in his parents’ Mexican restaurants in Mobile, opened Jefe Paletas (“popsicle boss”) almost two years ago. Specializing in artisanal popsicles, this colorful spot has since built a cult following. Available in 40-some-odd flavors, the popsicles are either cream-based (such as Mexican cinnamon chocolate with Nutella filling, arroz con leche and others) or water-based (think strawberry basil, watermelon mint and many more). In addition to popsicles, Jefe Paletas offers homemade ice cream and sorbet as well as savory snacks like chicharrónes and esquite. One of the most popular items, the sweet-spicy mangonada, is also available in other fruit flavors like strawberry, watermelon and lime. Don’t miss the creative crepe combinations, which typically sell out on the weekends.

Order this: Jefe Strawberrynada with strawberry sorbet, bits of fruit, lime juice, chimoy and tajin topped with “a little extra”: an assortment of gummy candies and a popsicle of your choice. There’s a lot going on in this one. — Michelle Matthews

KREME DELITE

401 W Washington St., Athens

Kreme Delite is nostalgia at its finest. The walk-up dairy bar looks exactly the same as it did when it opened in 1951, and the food is just as tasty too. You can find your typical dairy bar items there – hot dogs and pretzels – but the stars of the show are definitely the sweet treats, including the ice cream and sundaes. If you’re looking for a big menu, this isn’t for you. But if you’re looking to connect with the community (Kreme Delite is a local favorite) and eat a dipped cone, Kreme Delite is perfect.

Order this: The upside-down banana split. The popular concoction is made in a plastic cup, so it’s easier to eat. (It’s also delicious, of course.) — Haley Laurence

LA NUEVA MICHOACANA

104 Green Springs Hwy, Suite 110, Birmingham https://www.facebook.com/LaNuevaMichoacanaBhm

There are several stories about the origin of paletas. For instance, the blog Amigo Foods lists two narratives about the birth of Mexican ice pops, including one that dates back to legend: Servants of Aztec emperors would mix ice with fruit and to make a delicacy for the rulers. The site Nuestro Stories lists an origin story that dates the Mexican treat back to the 30s and 40s when Rafael Malfavon, a native of Michoacan, opened the first paleteria, or paleta shop, after encountering popsicles during a visit to the United States.

One name that is synonymous with the growth of paletas is La Michoacana. While the origins of the Mexican specialty shops are complicated, the term is often used to refer to family-owned paleterias.

On Green Springs Highway in Homewood, La Nueva Michoacana, the ice cream shop and paleteria helmed by Juan Sanchez, boasts a massive menu. A gigantic freezer in the colorful shop houses more than 20 flavors of frozen treats, but the masterpieces are the paletas, from the paletas de crema — milk-based pops including fresca con crema (strawberries with cream), and rompope (rum raisin) — and the paletas de agua, water-based pops including tamarind, and mango con chile.

Order this: Yogurt paleta with kiwi, strawberry, peach, and oats. — Shauna Stuart

LA SABROSITA ICE CREAM SHOP

3702 Lorna Rd, Hoover, orderlasabrositaicecreamshop.com

There’s something truly delectable about the mangonada, the Mexican frozen treat made with a combination of frozen and juicy ripe mangoes, chamoy, and Tajín seasoning.

It’s one of the specialties at La Sabrosita Ice Cream Shop in Hoover. Husband and wife team Victor Olivas and Maria Soto opened the shop in River Oaks Village Shopping Center nearly a decade ago. La Sabrosita, which means “Little Tasty” in Spanish, pays homage to Mexican ice cream shops and sports a massive selection of frozen treats. First, there’s the ice cream. Flavors include mango, coconut, chocolate, and vanilla. You can outfit your order with an assortment of toppings from coconut flakes and chocolate candies to nuts and gummies. If you put in a special request can put in a special request for fresh fruit toppings, such as strawberries or pieces of mango.

Then, there’s the menu of paletas– ice pops made with fruits and sugar and a selection of shaved ice or nieves, including chocolate, limon (lemon) and fruta seca (dried fruit).

If you’re not in the mood for a frozen treat but still have the taste for something sweet, La Sabrosita offers 10 flavors of bubble tea, (including passion fruit, mango, and guanabana), freshly squeezed juices, agua fresca, and tornados— fruit cups filled to the brim with pineapple, mango, jicama, orange, chamoy and Tajín.

Order this: Take your mangonada up a notch with a scoop of coconut ice cream. — Shauna Stuart

MATT’S HOMEMADE ICE CREAM

701 Gulf Shores Highway, Gulf Shores facebook.com/MattsHomemadeIceCream

There are a few Alabama beach traditions I adhere to every visit: I gotta get a cheesy photo underneath Souvenir City’s giant shark head, and I have to get ice cream after a hearty seafood dinner. And Matt’s is the place to go. The shop offers a variety of ice cream flavors, plus sundaes, floats and banana splits, and candy as well. It’s been open for almost a decade now and bonus: It’s open until midnight, so you can get your ice cream fix late.

Order this: Get a double scoop and load up with two flavors. — Haley Laurence

OSCAR MOON’S MILKSHAKE SHOP

3414 Governors Drive S.W. #505, Huntsville, oscarmoons.com

Besides twinkle-toed gangster Vincent Vega and “Pulp Fiction” moll Mia Wallace, no one knows what that Five Dollar Milkshake she ordered at Jack Rabbit Slim’s tasted like. But I can tell you the $7.50 milkshakes at Oscar Moon’s in Huntsville, are, in Vega-speak, “pretty f–king good.” Located at popular dining/entertainment hub Stovehouse, Oscar Moon’s serves, as they like to say, “shakes with soul.” Setup like a hallway-sized vintage diner, they sling craft sodas, floats, ice cream and sundaes. But milkshake’s in the business name for good reason. Signature flavors include bourbon chocolate pecan, cookies & cocoa and chocolate covered strawberry cheesecake.

Order this: The Alabama peach pie shake. Peach ice cream dusted with cinnamon and sugar, and jazzed with house-made whipped cream, Ghirardelli caramel drizzle, peach preserves and graham cracker crumble. The flavors are complex without being overstuffed. A smooth, sweet, escape. — Matt Wake

PAYNE’S SANDWICH SHOP AND SODA FOUNTAIN

101 E. Laurel St., Scottsboro; facebook.com/PaynesontheSquare

Payne’s may be one of northeast Alabama’s most revered landmarks. The soda fountain celebrated 150 years of business in 2019, and it’s a favorite among locals. Co-owner Lisa Garrett told AL.com’s Bob Carlton, “It’s the cornerstone of this town. It really is. Everybody has a memory of Payne’s.” And with food like this, it’s impossible not to love Payne’s. It’s menu is filled with sandwiches, hot dogs and salads, but ice cream is the star. Take a seat at the old-fashioned soda fountain and order up a sweet treat – you won’t be disappointed.

Order this: The Elvis sundae. Vanilla ice cream is topped with sliced bananas and peanut butter, and it’s perfection. Go ahead and get whipped cream and a cherry while you’re at it. — Haley Laurence

READ: 8 old-fashioned Alabama soda fountains that take us back in time

PEACH PARK

2300 7th St. S., Clanton; facebook.com/peachparkclanton

Peach Park is an Alabama icon. It’s the ultimate bucket list item. It’s a well-known direction. (“I’m going to the beach, I’m probably about 10 miles from the Peach Park exit.”) If I meet an Alabamian who hasn’t stopped by at least once, I immediately ask them a zillion questions, starting with, “What do you mean you haven’t been to Peach Park? Why haven’t you been there? Are you sure? Do you know true happiness?”

Peach Park opened in 1980, according to the Encyclopedia of Alabama, and since then, it’s been a must-stop for Interstate 65 travelers because it has a little bit of everything. It’s partly a restaurant. You can order barbecue, daily specials and a lot of country fixins’ and chow down. It’s also a farmers’ market – there’s some locally grown produce there you can purchase. Peach Park is also a gift shop. There are T-shirts, trinkets and other goods you can buy. And of course, there’s the dessert. You can purchase pie, cobbler and homemade ice cream to eat there or take on your way. (Did I mention there’s space outside to relax and enjoy your meal?)

In other words: It’s probably the Buc-ee’s of parks.

And although Peach Park is all these things, it’s most famous for its homemade ice cream. Its strawberry and cantaloupe ice cream is fantastic, but it’s Peach Park, after all, and the peach ice cream is a top 10 Alabama food. It’s just wonderful.

Order this: The peach ice cream on a cone. Don’t mess with a classic. — Haley Laurence

PEPPERMINT GELATO & CAFE

5951 Old Shell Road, facebook.com/peppermintmobile

Located in a cozy house across from the University of South Alabama’s Mitchell Center, Peppermint is a new addition to the ice cream scene in Mobile. Its menu is simple: You choose from 12 daily flavors of gelato (pistachio, raspberry white chocolate and peach cobbler were recent offerings), and you decide whether you want one, two or three scoops. The friendly staff is happy to give samples. There’s also a case filled with fresh pastries like baklava, walnut cupcakes and brightly colored macarons, Turkish coffee and an assortment of teas. You can take your selections outside to the covered porch, or enjoy them in the serene inside dining room, where you might linger over a chess match. Proprietor Mahin Ghavamian, whose family has operated the nearby Food Pak International market since 1991, named Peppermint after her adorable granddaughter, Pepper.

Order this: Sample what looks good and order at least two scoops of two different flavors of gelato. — Michelle Matthews

PIZZELLE’S CONFECTIONS

2211 Seminole Drive S.W., Railroad Room #4, Huntsville, pizzellesconfections.com

The second you walk into Pizzelle’s Confection, you know this is gonna be fun. Willy Wonka, bats, the grim reaper, and David Bowie mingle on the walls. House in a row of exterior spaces at Lowe Mille, Pizzelle’s is known for their knockout chocolates, including the “Sexyback,” a salted caramel/dark chocolate creation. (I worship their dark-choc-almonds-coconut-and-sea-salt candy bar “Mommy Dearest.”) Founded by sisters Caitlin Lyon, a former technical writer, and Michelle Novosel, a former bakery manager, Pizzelle’s also does eclairs, mini-cakes etc. They also do a mean house-made ice cream. (As rad as Cozy Cow’s sundaes and Oscar Moon’s Milkshakes are, they use Blue Bell ice cream to make those.)

Order this: Pizzelle’s usually offers only around eight or so ice cream flavors at a time, but they switch ‘em up. Trust your instinct and eyes on what to get. Or do like I did and ask the nice employee taking your order for a suggestion. I recently did scoops of coffee cacao nibs and banana pudding, both dripping with backyard-made-charm-meets-art-school-flair. — Matt Wake

SAM & GREG’S PIZZERIA GELATERIA

116 Southside Square, Huntsville, samandgregs.com

It’s hard to imagine downtown’s courthouse square without Sam & Greg’s. Sixteen years ago, married couple Greg and Sam (short for Samantha) Hathorn (yep, no “w” in their last name) went from working in software development to developing distinctive pizzas and gelatos. (Their “Cajun” pizza is confetti-ed with andouille sausage, shrimp, crawfish and jalapeno. Although Sam & Greg’s didn’t make my top 5 Huntsville pizzas list a couple weeks ago, they were close — and they’re totally worthy.) Back in the day, Sam Hathorn spent her senior year abroad in Italy, which later informed Sam & Greg’s boot-country culinary focus. After losing their original Northside Square location lease in 2018, Sam & Greg’s pressed pause for a year. They reopened on the square’s Southside in 2019, bigger and better than ever.

Order this: The house-made gelato flavors rotate. If peanut butter gelato’s on the dance card that day, do that. Of the constant flavors, the birthday cake gelato will make you feel like a kid again. — Matt Wake

SNO DASH

3240 Dauphin St., facebook.com/SnoDashMobile

Lan Nguyen opened Mobile’s first rolled ice cream shop in 2017, with plans to offer several locations. But today, Sno DASH – named for Nguyen’s son, Dash – and its sister business, DASH Poke Co., operate in one spot in a busy strip mall on Dauphin Street near I-65. Watching the rolled ice cream being made on an ice-cold plate is a mesmerizing process that’s part of the fun of getting a frozen treat here. The thin slices of ice cream, expertly rolled and stacked in a cup, can be blended and topped with cookies (like Oreos and Nutter Butters), cotton dandy, Nutella, cheesecake, fresh fruit, candy bars (Snickers, Reese’s and more) and cereal (Fruity Pebbles, Cocoa Puffs, etc.) – in other words, all the good stuff, in seemingly endless combinations. Sno DASH also offers soft-serve ice cream and ultra cheesecake milkshakes as well as a variety of shaved ice.

Order this: S’mores, with graham crackers mixed into rolled ice cream topped with more graham crackers, a Hershey’s chocolate miniature, toasted marshmallows and chocolate syrup. It’s like camping, only much cooler. — Michelle Matthews

SUZY’S POPS

Lowe Mill, 2211 Seminole Drive S.W. Ste. 2060, Huntsville, suzyspops.com

There’s been a few notable local businesses born at Greene Street Market. But Suzy’s Pops was the first to really break big in Huntsville. Suzanne Naumann, a former technical writer and stay-at-home mom, thought popsicles might be the next cupcakes. In other words, the next traditional treat to be given a foodie makeover. Flavors like raspberry hibiscus and peach basil. In 2011, she started Suzy’s Pops as a vendor at Greene Street, a charming, makers-centric weekly outdoor market downtown. Starting with just a tent and small freezer, by 2014 Suzy’s Pops was popping enough to open a second-floor space at arts center Lowe Mill. During busy hot months, they move thousands of popsicles a week.

Order this: The peach basil ice pop is comprised of peach chunks and nectar, sugar and lemon in sweet suspended animation. The titular basil’s ground, so it’s subtly distributed throughout. — Matt Wake

TRAEPAY’S CAFE

3295 Bel Air Mall, Unit B, facebook.com/TraePaysCafe

TraePay’s isn’t an ice cream shop as such, but stay with me for a minute. Named for owner Crista McCants’s sons (whose likenesses are featured in the logo), TraePay’s is a success story that started with a food truck and evolved into a brick-and-mortar restaurant at the Dillard’s end of Bel Air Mall. They referred to themselves as “gluttony corner” on Facebook, and it’s the delicious truth. Specializing in all kinds of unapologetic junk food – nachos, fries and tater tots topped with pretty much anything you could want, sno-ball-flavored pickles, pickled eggs, grape salad and deep-fried candy bars are among the offerings – TraePay’s also has an amazing assortment of New Orleans-style sno-ball flavors as well as gigantic sno-bowls that combine finely shaved ice with fruit, cheesecake bites, syrups, whipped cream and much more.

Order this: The Strawberry Crunch Sensation is a bestseller for a reason: It’s a strawberry and wedding cake sno-ball topped with diced fresh strawberries, strawberry shortcake ice cream pieces, drizzled with sweet cream. — Michelle Matthews

TROWBRIDGE’S

316 N. Court St., Florence

Trowbridge’s is steeped in history – the soda fountain has been a downtown Florence staple since 1918. It’s popular with locals and people who travel to the Shoals for its rich musical history. (Wynonna recently made a stop there.) Trowbridge’s is known for its simple-but-delicious sandwiches – think pimento cheese, egg and olive, and tuna – and it’s must-try ice cream treats. The most famous is the orange pineapple ice cream, which the Alabama Tourism Department named in its “101 Dishes to Try in Alabama Before You Die” list. Trowbridge’s ice cream supplier recently discontinued the flavor, but the owners have been working diligently with another dairy farm to get the recipe right. They’ve finally got the recipe where they want it to be, and it’s available again.

Order this: The orange pineapple ice cream, of course. — Haley Laurence

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28 Alabama pizza places you must try (and what to order)

21 Alabama barbecue joints you must try (and what to order)