12 Best Ice Cream Shops in Santa Cruz

“They make the best ice cream in town, with over 100 flavors to choose from“

“Stumbled on this little oasis while walking the ‘mean streets’ of Santa Cruz. All kinds of flavors and friendliness here. Wouldn’t surprise me to see a banana slug flavor! There’s outdoor seating to enjoy your cone or cup in the sun. My kid loved his double dark chocolate.

Grok says:

The Penny Ice Creamery is a beloved artisan ice cream shop in Santa Cruz, California, renowned for crafting small-batch ice cream, sorbets, and treats entirely from scratch using local, organic, and seasonal ingredients sourced from nearby farmers, ranchers, and foragers. Founded in 2010 by chef Kendra Baker—a UCSC alum with a passion for sustainable, farm-fresh desserts—and her partner Zachary E. Davis, it’s the only ice creamery in Santa Cruz (and one of the few in Northern California) with its own on-site dairy processing equipment, allowing full control from pasteurization to churning without pre-made bases, stabilizers, or preservatives. This commitment to sustainability extends to using 100% recycled, biocompostable packaging and even repurposing egg whites from their custard base into daily-made marshmallow meringue (torched fluff topping). Flavors rotate frequently, blending classic comforts with adventurous twists inspired by the Central Coast’s bounty—think wild-foraged herbs from the Santa Cruz Mountains or produce from local farms. It’s expanded from a single downtown spot to multiple locations, including recent Bay Area outposts, while maintaining a hippie-rooted, community-focused vibe that earned it a shoutout from Vice President Joe Biden in 2010 for its local impact.“

“very good ice cream. right by the water. the flavors change so something new almost every time. makes for a good selection“

“the legends were true. They are one of the best chocolate ice cream bars I’ve tasted. Rich chocolate and a lot thicker than the chocolate on Häagen-Dazs bars. The vanilla ice cream is also very rich. Chocolates can be expensive and you can easily spend over $50 for a sample box. It’s great as gifts. Got lots of parking in the back.“

“Ice cream was very good and really creamy! Servers are very friendly 🙂“

“The staff here is always fantastic and I'm so grateful to have this place in the neighborhood. We only go every few months but each time we do it's a wonderful experience. I won't say it's the best quality fro-yo I've ever had, but it's tasty and extremely fairly priced.“

“Toasted marshmallow topper 👍🏽“

“During our 2 night mini vacation in Monterey this week, Feb 2 & 3, 2023, we bought a package of these cookies from a liquor store, on Lighthouse Avenue and now consider them to be our all-time favorite cookie.“

“Chocolate Dipped Sandae (7$)The "Chocolate Dipped Sandae" that has ice cream between two crackers is a good try. It costs 7.09$ and you can choose between "Almonds" or "Peanuts" in the Sandae. We chose Almonds and liked it.“

“Santa Cruz local instution. This is a legacy NorCal small business chain. If you're not vegan you need to be supporting these people. The employees in Santa Cruz are respectful, efficient and maybe not earning a living wage required for the rents here. They work very late on the weekends until 3am. Shop local is up to YOU.“

“After 10 years we came to Santa Cruz and walked the Pacific Avenue downtown. We decided for the Cold Stone Creamery and it was delicious. Either in the cup or the cone, we've gotten Chocolate and Coffee Lovers' mix and it was stellar with a pinch of Mint flavor. Even our Frenchie loved to taste it too.“