You may not realize this, but July is National Ice Cream Month. A whole month to celebrate the cold drippy goodness that is ice cream!
In an effort to bring you, our valued readers, a list of some of the best ice cream spots in our fair city, I made the HUGE sacrifice of testing out some places around town. It was rough, let me tell you. So rough. But my waistline and I muddled through just for you.
So here it is.
Oh, and be sure to check the bottom of this post for places you can get free or great deals for National Ice Cream Day on July 20!
Morelia Ice Cream Shop
This amazing ice cream shop is like none other! Located in Forest Acres, this shop sells Mexican paletas. What is a paleta, you ask? Let me just tell you…- Pick your popsicle flavor.
- Choose your dipping (chocolate, hazelnut, cookie butter).
- Pick your topping (Oreo crumbs, peanuts, pistachios, M&M’s, and more!).
- Enjoy your AMAZING hand-crafted treat!
360 Treats
The first thing I thought when I walked into 360 Treats was how cute and fun it looked. This little shop, located at 2018 Taylor St. in downtown Columbia, did not disappoint. Their main attraction is rolled ice cream Yes, you read that right, ROLLED ice cream. I met the owners of 360 Treats, who were very friendly, and they walked me through their process in making the rolled ice cream.
Here’s what they do:
- You pick your ice cream flavor, drizzle, and toppings.
- They put the ice cream in liquid form on top of a cold metal platform, where they push it around until it becomes firm.
- Once firm, the ice cream is flattened and then rolled up and placed into your cup. It’s then topped with your drizzle and toppings.
It was such a fun process to watch! I’ve never seen any other ice cream place do something like this. I got lavender flavored ice cream with coconut flakes and a honey drizzle. It was amazing! I will definitely be going back again.
Scoopy Doo Gelato
Looking for ice cream with an Italian twist? Try Scoopy Doo Gelato!
National Ice Cream Day Deals and Freebies! (July 20)
- Dippin’ Dots:Free mini cups at participating locations, during a two hour window at franchise locations. Plus, the first 100 people in line will score a super cool, souvenir take home cup, in addition to the free mini cup of Dippin’ Dots. Check the Dippin’ dots website for locations near you.
- Dairy Queen:Free Dilly Bar for DQ Rewards members with any $1+ purchase. Exclusively through the DQ app and website, DQ rewards members can enjoy the delicious sweet treat (one per fan) from July 14 to 20. Download the app to join the rewards program and get your free Dilly bar!
- Insomnia Cookies:Free cup of ice cream (two scoops) with any purchase for rewards members.
- Marble Slab Creamery:Every Sunday in July, Marble Slab loyalty members will receive surprise offers valid for seven days. And on National Ice Cream Day, July 20, loyalty members will receive a free small ice cream offer, valid for seven days
- Popsicle: The Popsicle ice pops brand is offering customers a chance to celebrate National Ice Cream Month with buy-one-get-one-free offers at Target, Publix and Kroger all July long.
- Burger King: Free soft-serve ice cream with any $1 purchase to Royal Perks members
- Cold Stone Creamery: Special offers for My Cold Stone Club members. Check your local location for details.
- Petco: The pet store chain is offering pets a chance to get in on the National Ice Cream Day deal action, with free pup cups of ice cream in-store, courtesy of participating brands, on July 20.
