The 5 Best Places For Ice Cream Around Summit County

Few desserts fit a mountain-town afternoon as naturally as a cold scoop after a hike, bike ride or stroll through downtown. The possibilities stretch well beyond familiar chocolate and vanilla, with small-batch recipes, Italian-style gelato and rotating flavors giving dessert shops plenty of room for creativity. Best of Summit readers can find sweet stops throughout Summit County where a cone, cup or frozen treat provides a simple finish to a day in the mountains.

Higgles Ice Cream

Higgles Ice Cream traces its beginnings to a small ice cream cart that founder Anna Higgins opened in Breckenridge in 2012. The business grew from that mobile operation into a local producer focused on handcrafted ice cream made in Colorado. Higgles creates its products in small batches and emphasizes carefully selected ingredients, with flavors that range from familiar favorites to more distinctive combinations. The company also makes dairy-free choices, expanding the selection for customers with different dietary preferences. Its evolution from a Breckenridge cart into a dedicated ice cream business keeps the brand closely connected to the mountain community where it started.

I Scream Gelato

I Scream Gelato brings an Italian-inspired approach to frozen dessert in downtown Breckenridge. The shop prepares gelato in small batches and rotates flavors, allowing the display case to change while maintaining a mix of traditional and creative choices. Its offerings extend to dairy-free sorbetto, providing an alternative for guests who avoid dairy. The business also incorporates espresso into its menu, pairing coffee with the rich texture and concentrated flavors associated with gelato. That combination gives customers several ways to make the stop their own, whether they want a single flavor, a combination of scoops or coffee alongside dessert.

Summit Scoops

Summit Scoops operates inside Bluebird Market, Silverthorne's community-oriented food hall. The setting brings multiple independent food concepts together under one roof, allowing a frozen dessert to become part of a larger meal or an easy stop on its own.

Abbey's Coffee

Abbey's Coffee is a locally owned Frisco coffee shop that pairs its beverage program with food and sweet treats. Coffee remains central to the business, with espresso drinks, brewed coffee and other café beverages giving customers options throughout the day.

Foote's Rest Sweet Shoppe

Foote's Rest Sweet Shoppe occupies a distinctive place within Frisco history. The Foote family has roots in the community stretching back generations, and the property associated with the business preserves a connection to the town's past while serving visitors looking for something sweet. The Sweet Shoppe offers ice cream along with candy and other treats, combining the appeal of an old-fashioned confectionery stop with a historic Main Street setting. That connection between dessert and local heritage gives a visit a character different from a conventional ice cream shop, making the experience as much about Frisco tradition as the treat itself.

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