Cool It!

The true heroes of summer in simmering South Florida: air conditioning and cold desserts in all sizes, shapes and concoctions. 

Taking that first bite of a frozen treat on a hot day is not only refreshing but can transport us back in time to our carefree childhood or cherished moments with family and friends. Whether you’re a die-hard fan of universal favorites like ice cream, custard and gelato, or the adventurous type who can’t wait to indulge in one of the over-the-top inventions filling social media feeds, we’re here to break your vanilla routine. Summer is long, and we’ve created a bucket list of upgraded frozen desserts that you already love, along with some unusual ones to discover. We’ve done the work — now it’s up to you to keep the sweet indulgences from melting on a sunny afternoon.   

ICE CREAM

Ice cream’s history stretches across the globe, but the creamy treat plays a key role in America’s past from the creation of the iconic Rocky Road flavor (to comfort people during the “rocky” times of the Great Depression), to World War II when the frozen treat kept morale high for military troops. While vanilla and chocolate flavors still reign supreme, artisanal shops now craft unusual and exotic flavors like matcha, avocado and even ube, Filipino purple yams.

The Place: Jaxson’s Ice Cream Parlour 

The Scoop: This family-owned institution stays true to its original 1956 recipes, making everything in-house from the ice cream to toppings like fresh whipped cream. Boasting more than 50 flavors and famous for their towering scoops, customers favor the Oreo flavor loaded with real chunks of the cream-stuffed cookie; or the owner’s decadent invention, Linda’s Chocolate Brownie Crackle constructed with fudgy brownies and hard shell chocolate. Parties of four or more can polish off the legendary Kitchen Sink, which touts a pound of ice cream for each person. 

128 S. Federal Highway, Dania Beach; 954-923-4445; jaxsonsicecream.com

FANCY MILKSHAKES 

Gone are the days of the simple diner milkshakes showcasing strawberry or chocolate, a dash of whipped cream and a bright red maraschino cherry. Milkshakes are now towers of treats epically filled, topped and rimmed with candy, doughnuts, cookies, cake slices and cotton candy — pretty much everything dessert masters can imagine.

The Place: Bona Bona Ice Cream

The Scoop: Originating in New York, this newcomer at the Delray Beach Market makes their ice cream from scratch and has a legit obsession with the blow torch. Favorites include the Over The Rainbow shake jam-packed with rainbow cookie ice cream, rimmed with buttercream and topped with more rainbow cookies and whipped cream and the Italian Campfire shake, a decadent combo of Nutella ice cream, graham crackers and marshmallows toasted by the torch.

33 SE 3rd Avenue, Delray Beach; 561-562-7000; bonabonaicecream.com 

PALETAS

While people commonly mistake brightly colored paletas for Popsicles, the similarities end at frozen treat on a stick. The quintessential Mexican desserts found on push-carts and in stores from Mexico to Florida are bigger, free of artificial flavors and packed with fresh, natural ingredients. Most often they’re made with chunks of fresh fruit and filled with dulce de leche or, in traditional Mexican fashion, dusted with chile powder.

The Place: Morelia Gourmet Paletas

The Scoop: With locations sprinkled throughout South Florida, including the most recently opened spot in Boca Raton, the gourmet shop is known for its authentic paletas and fun pick-it, dip-it and top-it style. Made with a mixture of sorbet and gelato and offering 16 flavor options including fillings like condensed milk and dulce de leche, the handcrafted treats can be dipped in everything from torched Marshmallow Fluff to Belgian chocolate and crowned with toppings like graham crackers, Nutella drizzle and cereal. Upgrade your paleta with a waffle bowl or have it wrapped like a taco.

125 Via Naranjas, Boca Raton; 561-672-1055; paletasmorelia.com

GELATO 

Don’t let the distinct differences between this Italian staple and ice cream get lost in translation. Constructed with more milk but less cream and served at a warmer temperature for a silky texture, gelato’s lower fat content allows its intense flavors to shine. When it comes to beloved flavors, favorites include Stracciatella, which is a vanilla flavor packed with slivers of chocolate shavings, hazelnut, Amarena cherries and in-season fruits.

The Place: Angelo Elia Pizza, Bar & Tapas

The Scoop: Pizza and gelato go hand in hand, and the creaminess of Elia’s made-in-house gelato is reminiscent of what you’d find on the streets of Italy. Their gelato’s winning formula involves simple and fresh ingredients and churning at a slow rate to create a dense base that can be incorporated into a variety of flavors. Popular scoops are pistachio, Stracciatella, Nutella, hazelnut and rum raisin. Like the authentic Italian experience, this spot skips the toppings, serving the gelato in a cup or cone.

16950 Jog Road, Delray Beach; 561-381-0037; angeloeliapizza.com

THAI ROLLED ICE CREAM

Hailing from the street markets of Thailand, these creamy little rolls are made-to-order during a lively presentation. A liquid cream base is poured on a freezing steel plate and scraped until frozen solid, as different toppings are mixed in so the flavors pop in every bite. The ice cream is then crafted into tidy rolls, arranged in cups and dressed with additional add ons. 

The Place: Crema

The Scoop: Expect an entertaining show at this West Palm Beach cool spot, where the owners added a Spanish flair with  toppings like dulce de leche and condensed milk and pride themselves on a vanilla or chocolate cream base free of hormones and antibiotics. Choose from 16 variations, but top choices are the Bam Bam orchestrated with vanilla ice cream, Fruity Pebbles and condensed milk, and the Dulce de Leche featuring vanilla wafers. Order the rolls served in a bowl or wrapped in a made-in-house waffle.

310 S. Dixie Highway, West Palm Beach; 561-328-3561; cremarolls.com

BOOZY ICE CREAM                           

Carded for ice cream? It’s a glorious thing. South Florida now boasts ice cream shops infusing desserts with premium spirits, Champagne and rosé. While you won’t get a buzz, you’ll need to be 21 or older to indulge.          

The Place: Spiked Rich                                                    

The Scoop: Step inside this Willy Wonka-esque factory where a towering nitrogen tank blasts smooth, creamy ice cream, which is never served from a tub. After selecting an ice cream, yogurt or vegan base and adding toppings and sauces, your concoction can be spiked with premium spirits from Irish cream to vodka and served in a martini glass. Go big with booze-boosted milkshakes in giant lightbulbs or add shots to over-the-top sundaes. A favorite is the Strawberry Daiquiri fashioned with strawberry ice cream, cheesecake, graham crackers and two kinds of rum.

2125 S. University Drive, Davie; 954-368-3462; spikedrich.com

FROZEN  CUSTARD      

Die-hard fans of frozen custard often snub ice cream and cling to this frozen treat’s ultra-creamy texture and density, credited to a pure base of milk, cream and egg yolks. The real trick, though, is the machine used to make the custard, which works as little air as possible into the base. Served right from the machine, loyalists can’t resist the melt-in-your-mouth texture resembling soft serve.

The Place: Whit's Frozen Custard

The Scoop: Originating in the Midwest, Whit’s attributes its coveted creamy, rich custard to a French technique of using a pasteurized egg yolk, a 20% air ratio (as opposed to ice cream’s 80%) during production as well as cranking out small batches throughout the day so customers are served custard fresh from the tap. Flavor mainstays are chocolate and vanilla along with daily and weekly specials that can be jazzed up with 30-plus toppings. Specialties include the Boca Gem with salted pecans, caramel and fudge and the Hawaiian Luau — chock-full of pineapple and macadamia nuts. 

3551 N. Federal Highway, Boca Raton; 561-465-3428; whitscustard.com

ICE CREAM SANDWICHES

It’s believed the first ice cream sandwich was peddled by a pushcart salesman in the 1890s to New Yorkers during the sweltering heat. Over the years, the humble frozen delicacy of vanilla ice cream smooshed between basic chocolate rectangles has received a major upgrade. Today’s sandwiches are next-level, overflowing with ice cream of all flavors and book-ended with homemade, gourmet cookies for endless combinations.

The Place: The Baked Bear

The Scoop: The secret to this popular spot’s ice cream sandwiches: cookies are baked fresh throughout the day and then heated in the oven to create a delicious contrast between the warm, soft treat and the cold ice cream. Choose from 10 cookie varieties like the beloved Gooey Butter Cake cookie dusted with powdered sugar, which can be stuffed with signature ice cream flavors like Bear Batter (made with blue cake batter, brownies and sprinkles) to Blackberry Crumble with vanilla bean ice cream, blackberry ripple and pie crust pieces. 

2604 Sawgrass Mills Circle, Sunrise; 954-686-2909; thebakedbear.com

SHAVED ICE

The ultimate thirst quencher, shaved ice is one of the world’s oldest desserts with deep roots in Asia, where it’s found in various forms. The preparation is a big component of this treat — take the popular Japanese “kakigori,” for example, which is created by hand-cranked machines with sharp blades that shave blocks of ice into fluffy mounds or the thin ribbons and sheets of Taiwanese shaved ice known as “Bào Bīng.” The real treat is the array of syrups and adventurous flavors. 

The Place: Kasai & Koori

The Scoop: Kasai & Koori’s owners reimagined the frozen desserts they discovered on their travels around Asia by adding North American twists but kept the fun of shaving ice. Expect an entertaining show as staff hand-crank the Japanese machines to shave tall blocks of ice, raining down ice to create giant snow globes.  Spring for the Spiked Dragon Beard "Bananas On Bourbon," vanilla bourbon and salted caramel milk ice, caramelized bananas, toasted almonds and caramel sauce nestled in a warm fish taiyaki waffle. The kakigori "The Red Fox" is a favorite for strawberry fans, with strawberry shaved ice, sauce and diced strawberries and sprinkled with cinnamon streusel. 

115 NW 6th Street, Fort Lauderdale; 954-329-2551; kasaiandkoori.com