With temperatures regularly topping 100 degrees for four to five months each year, ice cream is a Tucson food group. I spent a good amount of time seeking out the best ice cream in Tucson. There are plenty of options, although sadly, no Whitey’s Ice Cream, which will forever be my favorite. We have classics like Baskin-Robbins, Culver’s custard, and lots of local spots. I had to throw some regional specialties in here as well, which aren’t technically ice cream, but are guaranteed to keep you cool on a hot summer day in Tucson!

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The Screamery

I first visited the Screamery on a Tucson food tour. The Screamery ice cream is made from 100% grass-fed milk and cream. Frequently ranked as the best ice cream in Tucson, the Screamery has classic flavors like vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry, but what really makes the Screamery special is the unique lineup of flavors such as Sweet Cream Honeycomb, Bourbon Brittle, and Berry Basil Screamsicle. If you’ve got a group and want to really splurge, check out the Ice Cream Nachos, the Flight of Ice Cream, or the Farmhouse: eight scoops of ice cream with a warm cookie and brownie, plus unlimited toppings! You can also buy Screamery Ice Cream at Whole Foods in Tucson, Phoenix, and Flagstaff.

The Screamery has 4 Tucson-area locations and 2 in the Phoenix region.

HUB Restaurant & Ice Creamery

The Screamery’s biggest rival is most likely Hub Ice Cream Factory. Since I last visited, the Hub has combined its ice cream shop with the restaurant, so you can get the full menu of “elevated comfort food” along with delicious ice cream. The old HUB ice cream shop was my favorite of all the Tucson ice cream shops I visited.  Unique flavors include Whiskey Almond Brittle and Vegan Chocolate.

HUB Restaurant and Ice Creamery is located downtown at 278 E Congress Street.

Frost Gelato

Several people suggested Frost Gelato when I mentioned I was looking for the best ice cream in Tucson. I finally stopped into the La Encantada location to see what all the hype was about. I loved all the fun flavors, like Strawberry & Champagne, or Watermelon with little chocolate seeds. Of course, I had to try the coconut gelato – the small size was the perfect refreshing treat on a 110-degree day. There are also several sorbet flavors for an lighter treat. You can even order a gelato cake.

Frost has ten locations across Arizona, New Mexico and Austin, including three locations in Tucson.

Whole Foods Mochi Bar

The Whole Foods Mochi Bar is not unique to Tucson, but I can’t believe how many people still don’t know about Mochi! I’ve been buying it at Trader Joe’s forever and was super stoked when Whole Foods rolled out Mochi bars across the country. What is mochi ice cream? It’s a little ball of ice cream, wrapped in a rice dough ball. It sounds weird, but it’s so good, and they are bite-size, so unlike Ben & Jerry’s, mochi offers easy portion control! I’ve always bought the strawberry flavor at Trader Joe’s, but Whole Foods has fun flavors like green tea, red bean, coffee, and mango. (Note: some Basha’s stores also have mochi now, too!)

Eegee’s

I can’t mention frozen summer treats in Tucson without mentioning Eegee’s. It’s literally one of the first recommendations I received when I arrived here last fall. It took me a few months, but I finally gave it a shot. Eegee’s is a fast-food chain serving up sub sandwiches, French fries, and Eegees. What’s an Eegee? I liken it to a Slurpee, but I guess that’s blasphemy around here. An Eegee is a frozen fruit and ice concoction that comes in fun seasonal flavors like Prickly Pear. It was pretty yummy, and there were chunks of real strawberries in there, so it was very refreshing. Luckily, there is practically an Eegee on every corner, so you won’t have trouble tracking one down! Hard pass on the food for me, though. Nothing special.

Sadly, this unique lactose-free ice cream shop closed in 2022. It was a great option for lactose-intolerant ice cream fans. Cashew Cow made non-dairy ice cream from cashews. It was a unique flavor with an ice cream texture, so hopefully someone else opens a lactose-free and vegan option in the future!

It seems like there are a lot of new ice cream options since I last stayed in Tucson. I’ve got quite the list for my next trip; I may just crown one of these the best ice cream in Tucson.

• Bella’s Gelato on Speedway looks incredible! They have Gelato milkshakes and Italian classics like Affogato. They also have a food truck that can be rented out for parties.
• Chill on Sunrise has taken over Sundaze Yogurt and serves soft-serve yogurt, Thrifty ice cream, and dozens of concoctions like shakes, floats, and sundaes.
• Frozen Delight is not new; it’s the oldest family-owned ice cream shop in Tucson. They serve frozen yogurt, ice cream and vegan options, too!