The 5 Best Places To Get Ice Cream In Sunny Santa Cruz

When it comes to foodie destinations in California, you might think of places like Los Angeles, which has a lot of can't-miss restaurants, or Yountville, the so-called "culinary heart" of Napa Valley. Santa Cruz — tucked along the Central Coast at the northern end of Monterey Bay — probably isn't the first place that comes to mind.

But if you have a sweet tooth that is best satisfied with a good scoop of ice cream, Santa Cruz should definitely be on your radar. For a relatively small city of just over 62,000 people, it offers a surprising number of artisanal ice cream shops with flavors to suit nearly any palate.

As with any food, personal taste varies. Still, each of these spots has built a strong reputation over the years, so there's a good chance you'll at least find a new favorite — or perhaps rediscover a classic.

Growing up, one of my favorite flavors was mint chocolate chip. I usually got it from larger chain shops, where it's typically dyed vibrant green. So when I first tried it at The Penny Ice Creamery – made with real mint and no artificial coloring — I was skeptical. But it turns out the "real" version is so much better: subtler, but still packed with flavor. I haven't gone back to the artificially colored version since.

At The Penny Ice Creamery, everything is made "completely from scratch using local, seasonal, and organic ingredients." Alongside classics like mint chip and vanilla bean, the shop rotates in more unusual flavors such as  lime cardamom cherry crisp, honey lavender, and candy cap mushroom. It also partners with local roaster Verve Coffee Roasters on flavors like coffee chocolate almond praline. You can even top your cone with toasted marshmallow fluff for an extra-indulgent experience.

The shop opened in 2010. In 2011, co-owners Kendra Baker and Zachary Davis attended the State of the Union address (and sat next to Michelle Obama) after receiving a Small Business Administration loan that helped launch the business. A video about their story went viral and caught the attention of then-Vice President Joe Biden, leading to the invitation. From its flagship downtown location, the business has expanded to multiple locations, including two in Santa Cruz — one on 41st Avenue in Pleasure Point, aka "the jewel of Santa Cruz" — as well as the Picnic Basket near the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk.

Lenore and Tom Becker opened Marianne's Ice Cream in downtown Santa Cruz, naming it after their daughters, Mary and Anne. Today, the shop produces more than 100 flavors and remains a local favorite (apparently, Alfred Hitchcock was a fan). The business has stayed in family hands since opening. Sam and Dorothy Lieberman took over in 1958, and Sam developed more than 200 flavors over the years. Ownership later passed to Kelly Dillon and Charlie Wilcox.  "I love it when folks who came with their grandparents back in the 1940s and '50s bring their grandkids and great grandkids today," Dillon told the Santa Cruz Sentinel.

You can order Marianne's ultra-creamy, silky ice cream by the scoop, cup, in sandwiches, or by the quart at shops and regional grocery stores. Lines can get long on warm weekends, but service is typically quick, and the wait is worth it. The flavor options can be overwhelming, but it's hard to go wrong with any of them. There's even some dairy-free options, so pretty much everyone can find something to love here.

One of my favorite flavors is Otter 841, a cinnamon-caramel ice cream with snickerdoodle dough chunks. Not only is it delicious, but it has a fun community connection. The name references a sea otter that made headlines in 2023 after repeatedly approaching surfers and grabbing boards. The otter became a local legend — and now has a scoop in its honor.

Polar Bear Ice Cream opened in the colorful seaside village of Capitola in 1975, just a short drive from the heart of Santa Cruz. It also has a presence on Santa Cruz's Westside, making it a natural addition to this list. The shop is owned by the same group behind Marianne's, though the ice cream is produced separately. "We feel like we're stewards [of Polar Bear]," co-owner Kelly Dillon told the Santa Cruz Sentinel. "We're stewards of the tradition and keeping it going." 

While not all ingredients are locally sourced, the shop incorporates regional products when possible. If you've spent some time in the area, you'll recognize some of the businesses supplying the shop with tasty ingredients, including Pacific Cookie Company, which provides the cookie dough, and Gizdich Ranch, where the seasonal olallieberries are grown. The Chubby Cub chocolate is one of the best I've ever had — rich without being overly sweet. Another favorite is the Bear Paw sandwich: oatmeal cookies filled with ice cream and dipped in chocolate. It's an ideal treat to take down to the beach, especially in Capitola.

You can also find Polar Bear Ice Cream at Ice Cream on Fair, which serves as the production facility for both Polar Bear and Marianne's — making it easy to compare the two.

Mission Hill Coffee & Creamery in downtown Santa Cruz is a one-stop shop for a caffeine and sugar boost. Founder David Kumec opened the shop in 2010 with a focus on organic, locally sourced ingredients. He described the mission to Good Times Santa Cruz as "the sweetest way to make people happy through food."

Mission Hill is another place pushing the envelope with ice cream flavors, offering creative options like blueberry goat cheese and popcorn. I'm a particular fan of both the strawberry and Turkish coffee flavors, and I like having the option to customize the scoops with sprinkles, marshmallows, toasted almonds, and more. Adding the mini peanut butter cups to the Turkish coffee is a real treat.

In addition to ice cream and sorbet, the shop offers affogatos, milkshakes, and iced coffee floats. There are also baked goods, including individual pies and macarons, as well as house-roasted coffee.

It's admittedly a bit touristy, but few things beat a soft-serve ice cream from the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk on a warm day. One of the best spots is Carousel Cones, next to the historic Looff Carousel. Order your ice cream in a freshly made waffle cone, or get it dipped in chocolate to slow the melt. 

The stand dates back to 1975 and has a colorful, nostalgic feel. While the rides at the Boardwalk cost money, it's free to wander around, making it an easy stop before heading to the beach. The shop also sells treats like chocolate-dipped frozen bananas and the "sandae," a chocolate ice cream sandwich on graham crackers, dipped in chocolate and sprinkled with almonds.

Honorable mention for Boardwalk ice cream goes to Tiki Hut Treats, known for pineapple soft serve and shaved ice.

The research for this piece actually started — in a way — when I was a child. My family would make homemade ice cream in the backyard with a hand-crank machine, and that experience — working with fresh, local ingredients — helped shape my sense of what makes great ice cream.

When I moved to Santa Cruz, I didn't realize how much that early interest would carry over. Over time, I made a point of trying as many local spots as possible. That process led me to these five places, which I feel confident are among the best in the city. In each case, the ice cream is made in-house or locally, and all of these shops are tried and tested — not just by me. They also have strong reviews on platforms like Yelp, Google, and Tripadvisor.

I focused on places that primarily serve ice cream, which meant leaving some worthy spots off the list. Honorable mention goes to Izzy's Ices for Italian ice. And while I chose places that have been around for a while and have truly stood the test of time, a newcomer to watch is Gran Gelato Caffè, which opened downtown in March 2026 and makes fresh gelato.