Last summer, I romped around New England playing the sweaty tourist. Somewhere in Vermont, my family discovered maple creemees — those impossibly smooth soft-serve cones made with maple syrup and often finished with rainbow sprinkles. We had one every day. Washington doesn’t do creemees, but the local ice cream scene more than makes up for it. From creamy vegan scoops to Japanese soft serve, here are six cool stops you’ll want to chase on hot afternoons.
Baiten Bakery
Capitol Hill
This Japanese sweets shop is attached to Tamari Bar, a Japanese pub (izakaya), and the cold treats are absolutely worth a separate stop — or a visit after dinner. The soft serve comes in vanilla with syrup options like roasted green tea, yuzu, or black sesame. Go all in with a special sundae layered with matcha custard, Pocky sticks, hojicha jelly, kinako mochi, sweet red beans, and a meringue topping. There’s also decadent frozen cookie sandwiches and fresh fruit sandwiches layered with whipped cream. Baiten is always crafting new sundaes and offering limited-edition specials, so it’s worth checking back often. It’s one of the sweetest summer escapes in the city — no passport required.
Sweet Alchemy Ice Creamery
University District, Capitol Hill, Bellevue, Ballard
Owner Lois Ko, a former UW art student, opened the shop in 2016 and sources organic dairy from Fresh Breeze in Lynden, with milk often going from pasture to cone in just a week. Flavors include Aztec chocolate, blueberry lavender, Thai iced tea, Persian rose, and cookies and cold brew — all made with house-crafted bases, sauces, and cones. This summer, look for a collaboration with Rainbrew that turns makgeolli (fermented rice wine) into a rich, milky, slightly yeasty ice cream that’s deep, delicious, and unlike anything else in town.
Spice Waala
Capitol Hill, Ballard, Columbia City
Everyone knows Spice Waala for the Indian street food and community focus, but the soft serve deserves attention too. Flavors like sweet milk, chai, mango, and rose cardamom (the one that started it all back in 2021) rotate through. It’s ridiculously good and way more interesting than your standard vanilla swirl. You can call ahead to find out which flavor is being served each week.
Hellenika Cultured Creamery
Pike Place Market; West Seattle, U-District, Queen Anne farmers markets
Run by an Ellenos Greek Yogurt co-founder and his siblings, this shop serves what it calls cultured gelato — sweet, tangy, probiotic-packed, and super creamy. Flavors include ube coconut, honey macadamia, and vanilla malt. A reusable canteen is also available, knocking the price of a pint from $23 to $13. It’s easy to refill whenever you’re headed downtown. You can also find pints at PCC, Metropolitan Market, and other stores around the region. You won’t find anything quite like it. I’ve tried.
Frankie & Jo’s Ice Cream
Capitol Hill, Ballard, University Village
Seattle’s go-to vegan scoop shop always has unexpected ice cream flavors in the case, such as brown sugar vanilla, date shake, carrot cake, tahini snickerdoodle cookie, or salty caramel ash. There are also bright, fruity sorbets. Co-founders Autumn Martin and Kari Brunson Wright launched the company in 2016, and it’s now B Corp certified, meeting high standards for sustainability and sourcing. Everything is vegan, gluten-free, soy-free, and non-GMO — and still creamy and delicious.
Molly Moon’s Handmade Ice Cream
Various locations
The new waterfront shop is reason enough to stop by, but the summer flavors seal the deal. Orange creamsicle delivers a hit of nostalgia and is especially refreshing with a drizzle of hot fudge. The dreamy strawberry rhubarb sorbet is dairy-free and best on a waffle cone. This is the company’s 10th location, opened in May at the new Waterfront Park. Like its other shops, it sources 90 percent of ingredients from around the Pacific Northwest. No better excuse for a walk along the water.
