Highest-rated ice cream shops in Boulder by diners
Nothing makes people quite as happy as a trip to the ice cream shop. Thankfully, there are endless options offering enough goods to tantalize anyone's palate. Across the U.S., nearly serve up tasty treats to satisfy Americans' cravings.
While most of us would agree that there's no such thing as bad ice cream, there are still elements that keep customers coming back to one ice cream shop over another. A sense of newness and surprise are two big draws. Shop owners aim to please by using quality ingredients to experiment with new mashups—consider the rising trend of . Some put unique spins on global treats, like Japanese mochi and Italian gelato. Others create giant Instagram-ready concoctions that become the highlight of social media.
Consumers have learned that may be more adaptive to real-time reactions, which means embracing new concepts, such as delicious dairy-free options. They can also ditch chemicals and give plant-based food coloring a try to see how it resonates with their customers.
But where artisanal shops really shine is in their ability to push the envelope to create amazing new flavors and limited-edition offerings that have customers eager to not miss out on what's next.
feature fresh ingredients and flavors that evoke a particular time of year. Partnerships with local businesses can result in crave-able combinations . Many local shops also dabble with exotic flavors—, anyone?
To find out who's scooping up the best options, compiled a list of the highest-rated ice cream shops in the Boulder area using data from . Data is as of June 24, 2025.
Businesses were selected using Yelp's ranking system, which calculates an adjusted rating value that takes into account the number of ratings as well as the rating score itself. Only businesses with at least 20 reviews and within a 10-kilometer radius of Boulder were considered. Also, in an effort to highlight independent businesses and local chains, those with more than 10 locations nationally, based on our Yelp data, were not included.
#16. DQ / Orange Julius
- Rating: 2.9/5 (22 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 685 30th St. Boulder, Colorado
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, fast food, Burgers
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#15. Good Times Burgers & Frozen Custard
- Rating: 3.0/5 (75 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2050 26th St. Boulder, Colorado
- Categories: Burgers, fast food, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
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#14. Shake Shack Boulder
- Rating: 3.2/5 (63 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1680 29th St. #1288 Boulder, Colorado
- Categories: Burgers, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, fast food
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#13. Häagen-Dazs
- Rating: 3.9/5 (182 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1148 Pearl St. Boulder, Colorado
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Juice Bars & Smoothies, Desserts
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#12. Lindsay's Boulder Deli
- Rating: 4.0/5 (137 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1148 Pearl St. Boulder, Colorado
- Categories: Delis, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
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#11. Que Rico
- Rating: 4.2/5 (36 reviews)
- Address: 1855 29th St. Boulder, Colorado
- Categories: Desserts, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
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#10. Ripple Pure Frozen Yogurt
- Rating: 4.2/5 (124 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1682 30th St. Boulder, Colorado
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
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#9. Van Leeuwen Ice Cream - Boulder
- Rating: 4.3/5 (48 reviews)
- Address: 1750 29th St. Ste 1304 Boulder, Colorado
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
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#8. Gelato Boy
- Rating: 4.4/5 (313 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1433 Pearl St. Boulder, Colorado
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Gelato, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
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#7. Sweet Cow
- Rating: 4.4/5 (64 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 669 South Broadway Boulder, Colorado
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Desserts
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#6. Gelato Boy
- Rating: 4.5/5 (115 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1021 Pearl St. Boulder, Colorado
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Gelato, Coffee & Tea
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#5. Glacier Home Made Ice Cream & Gelato
- Rating: 4.5/5 (217 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 3133 28th St. Boulder, Colorado
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Gelato
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#4. Sweet Cow
- Rating: 4.5/5 (420 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 637 Front St. Louisville, Colorado
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Desserts
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#3. Sweet Cow
- Rating: 4.6/5 (214 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2628 Broadway St. Boulder, Colorado
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Desserts
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#2. Heaven Creamery Boulder
- Rating: 4.6/5 (22 reviews)
- Address: 2525 Arapahoe Ave. Unit H-6 Boulder, Colorado
- Categories: Desserts, Creperies, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
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#1. Mc2 Ice Cream Truck
- Rating: 4.7/5 (42 reviews)
- Address: 8001 Arista Place Broomfield, Colorado
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Desserts, Food Trucks
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