Houston’s Top 10 Ice Cream Shops

Updated July 2026

It’s not a hot take to claim that Houston is a mecca for food lovers – the best of every kind, style and flavor of food a person can imagine. Ice cream is no exception. I’ve scoured the internet and reached out to every Houstonian I know who loves ice cream, and I’ve compiled all of the city’s favorite ice cream shops. But these aren’t just any scoop shops. Houston has its very own array of locally owned and operated ice cream outlets that beat out all of the rest and here they are.

>>> TOP HOUSTON SCOOP SHOPS <<<

Sweet Bribery {250 West 19th St. Houston, TX 77008}

Sweet Bribery is located in the Heights which means it’s easy to access by foot and that parking is limited. The shop is bright and colorful. The benches outside are a perfect shade of pink that offers a glimpse of what the interior will look like. The inside is as fun as the flavors and options they offer. They are local to Houston and everything is made in-house. With flavors like Space City Orange, Lemon Thyme and Miso Caramel, it’s a great spot for anyone with adventurous taste buds. They also offer classics like Cookies ‘N’ Cream. With both Vegan and Gluten Free options, this is also a great date night spot with their very own House churned frose and Vanilla and Nitro Stout float.

Cosmic Ice Cream Co. {8207A Long Point Rd, Houston, TX 77080, 937 W. Bay Area Blvd, Webster, 9240 Broadway St, Pearland, 5400 Bissonnet, Suite 12, Bellaire}

Now with four locations in Spring Branch, Webster, Pearland and Bellaire, Cosmic Ice Cream is a tried and true Houston favorite. If you visit the Spring Branch location you can enjoy your ice cream inside or outside while window shopping. With family friendly restaurants on either side of the ice cream shop, it’s a great spot to get dessert after dinner. The Chocolate Milk & Cookies is my favorite ice cream flavor currently available on planet Earth.

Cloud 10 {711 Heights Blvd, Houston, TX 77007, 3201 Louisiana St. Suite 100, Houston, TX 77006}

This Houston local offers hand crafted small batch ice cream and sorbets in the Heights and Midtown. No artificial flavoring, no extracts, no additives, just the freshest premium ingredients and unique flavors to boot: Cafe Sua Da, Earl Grey Lemon, and Toasted Rice to name a few. Check out their new layered ice cream collection, now available in-store only.

Flower & Cream {2617 W Holcombe Blvd Suite B, Houston, TX 77025, 3515 Dallas Suite 700, Houston, TX 77019, 401 Franklin St, Houston, TX 77201}

Small batch premium ice cream with unique flavors and locally sourced ingredients are the cornerstone of this Houston gem. With dairy free, gluten free and and vegan options available, give their Unicorn Tracks, Raspberry Tres Leches or Kahlua & Cookies a try at one of their three locations.

Underground Creamery {1010 N Shepherd Drive, Houston, TX 77008}

These small batch and hand packed ice cream pints by Josh Deleon are Houston’s only direct to consumer e-commerce ice cream concept that is known to sell out almost immediately. Here’s the deal as I understand it: Follow Underground Creamery on Instagram or drop your phone number in the Shop tab to stay updated on the upcoming drop time. Watch the countdown timer and place your order, then pickup your order at the posted pickup times. Consistently called one of the best ice cream shops in Houston right now, put Underground Creamery on your summer bucket list. iykyk

Honeychild’s Sweet Creams {600 North Shepherd Drive, Houston, TX, 77007}

Locally sourced and all natural/organic ingredients sets Honeychild’s frozen custards apart from the pack. With seasonal flavors like Peach Cobbler, Sweet Tea, and Creamed Corn, there’s no better place in Houston to get the local flavors you love in a cold, sweet, custard delivery system.

Fat Cat Creamery {1225 W 34th St, Houston, TX, Hobby Airport Gate C-27}

Fat Cat Creamery, completely women owned and operated, makes everything from their ice cream to their mixed in goodies from scratch in small batches with unique flavors. On top of sustainable ice cream production, they even go as far as to use only environmentally-friendly and compostable packaging, from sugar cane fiber cups, to compostable spoons and agave straws. You can find Fat Cat Creamery at their Parlour in Garden Oaks, as well as gate C-27 at Houston’s Hobby Airport.

milk + sugar {1848 Westheimer Rd, Houston, TX 77098, 1324 N Shepherd Dr Ste 110, Houston, TX 77008, 5172 Buffalo Speedway, Houston, TX 77005}

On top of classic ice cream flavors with a modern twist, milk + sugar specializes in fun house-made “mix ins” like brownie chunks, cake bites and seasonal flavors. Think cereal milk ice cream with toasted frosted flakes and sweet cream ice cream with red velvet tres leches. They surely have something for everyone – just don’t you dare ask for vanilla.

Space City Cow {4628 E NASA Pkwy, Seabrook, TX 77586}

Veteran owned and operated Space City Cow brings the space themed ice cream parlor to the Houston Bay Area, just 1-2 miles from Johnson Space Center and Kemah Boardwalk. With everything from small batch Caramel Praline King Cake to dairy free options like Strawberry Mango and Lemon Sorbet, everyone can find what they’re looking for whether you’re just out for the afternoon, or making a special visit to the Houston Bay Area.

Friendswood Scoop Shop {901 S Friendswood Dr., Friendswood, TX 77546}

After spending a fun morning exploring the Fairy Trail or cooling off in the splash pad at Stevenson Park, take a short walk over to Friendswood Scoop Shop for a scoop of their small-batch ice cream made daily with local ingredients. Located in Friendswood’s second-oldest building, The Bales/Glines House, the interior is designed to take you back to the nostalgia of a 1920’s scoop shop, complete with a restored mechanical horse ride.

Tarascos {13932 Westheimer Rd., Houston, TX 77077}

I have a confession to make; I have lived in Houston for almost 11 years and I did not know about Mangonadas until researching for this post. Oh my goodness, have I been missing out. This naturally dairy-free and vegan treat starts with mango sorbet, is topped with fresh mango and finished with Tajin and chamoy sauce, and is the most perfectly refreshing treat on a hot summer Houston day. Along with mangonadas, hand crafted paletas, and fruit tacos, Tarascos offers over 60 flavors of ice cream inspired by the vibrant tastes of Mexico.

Magnolia’s {8000 Park Place Blvd., Houston, TX 77087, 6421 Brady St., Houston, TX 77011}

Speaking of Mangonadas, I was would be remiss if I didn’t mention Magnolia’s Ice Cream & More. Specializing in outside of the box chamoy specialties like The Grinch {lemon lime sorbet with spicy chamoy gummy bears}, they also serve all kinds of variations on the classic mangonada, italian ice and ice cream.

Popston {3401 Harrisburg Blvd Ste B, Houston, TX 77003}

If we’re talking about sweet treats besides ice cream, Popston has to be at the top of the list. Serving the Houston area since 2016, they opened their first “brick and mortar” in 2022 and have been serving up hand crafted gelato and sorbet popsicle combinations ever since.

Please Note: While we make every effort to crosscheck current links and various business details on our guides, we always encourage you to do the same before making final plans. If details are missing or incorrect, please let us know so that we can make every attempt to correct them.