One of my favorite days approaching is National Ice Cream Day which is Sunday July 16th. With that being said I thought it would be appropriate to post some of the best ice cream shops throughout the Cape. Enjoy and if you have any favorites to add please let us know in our comment section below.
Best Ice Cream In Dennis, MA
The best ice cream in Dennis, MA is definitely Sundae School in Dennis Port, but another great option is The Ice Cream Smuggler in East Dennis. The Ice Cream Smuggler serves homemade ice cream that’s very, very good, making this a great choice. I do prefer Sundae School, but I also enjoy coming here. Portions at Ice Cream Smuggler are a little bigger than Sundae School as well.
Another option for best ice cream in Dennis is Auntie’s Ice Cream Parlor. Auntie’s is a great little old-fashioned ice cream parlor right in downtown Dennis Port, and offers lots of flavors, as well as sundaes, frappes, malts and ice cream pies.
Best Ice Cream In Harwich, MA
The best ice cream in Harwich, MA goes to Sundae School and Schoolhouse, and both of these can be found in Harwich Port. But another option is Seagulls Ice Cream in downtown Harwich Port. This is a newer place that serves great ice cream, and also has a cute little penny candy section that they allow you to use for ice cream toppings.
Best Ice Cream In Brewster, MA
The best ice cream in Brewster, MA is at Brewster Scoop, which is conveniently located in the same lot as the Brewster General Store (another one of my favorite stops to make on Cape Cod!). This cute little ice cream shack has some fun flavors on their menu like Campfire S’mores and Coconut Cheesecake Brownie, and you can also get frappes, sundaes and floats here. This is also a short stroll from the Old Manse Inn so after a delicious meal out you can always go for a walk and indulge in some ice cream.
Best Ice Cream In Chatham, MA
The best ice cream in Chatham, MA is Buffy’s, which actually closed for a short time and reopened in 2022. Chatham doesn’t actually have a lot of options for ice cream places, but even though the competition is low, Buffy’s is still a standout. Portions here are on the small side and the prices are a bit higher than average, but that’s also most things in Chatham. Overall, the ice cream is absolutely worth it just to check it out, and they can be found right on Main Street is the cutest little alpine-inspired building (just look for the adorable pink bench!).
Special Tip For Buffy’s: In the Buffy’s seating area with all the picnic tables, you’ll see a fun little whale carved into the siding of the building next door. This makes for a fun photo opp with your ice cream 🙂
Best Ice Cream In Sandwich, MA
The best ice cream in Sandwich is Shipwreck Ice cream, and this awesome little place offers lots of flavors, and has some really fun sundae options like Purple Sea Cow and Turtle Island. Their location is also great because they’re very close to Fisherman’s View restaurants (one of my favorites on the Cape!), as well as the Cape Cod Canal park. Shipwreck Ice cream is cash only.
Best Ice Cream In Centerville, MA
The best ice cream in Centerville, MA goes to Four Seas Ice Cream. This is one I actually haven’t yet tried only because the location is pretty far from where we usually stay on Cape Cod, but everyone I know that loves ice cream as much as I do has told me I have to go here, so it’s on my list to try.
Four Seas serves up homemade ice cream, and usually have a few vegan flavors on their menu. They also have food service where they offer sandwiches, mac and cheese and lobster rolls.
Best Ice Cream In Hyannis, MA
The best ice cream in Hyannis is Katie’s and Cape Cod Creamery. I’ve already talked about Cape Cod Creamery as one of the best places for ice cream on Cape Cod overall, and Katie’s is also an excellent choice. Katie’s serves homemade ice cream, and ties with Buffy’s for cutest ice cream because its housed in an adorable little pink building. Katie’s has great flavor options like Cape Cod Sand, Toasted Coconut Caramel and Coffee Reeces, and they also have vegan and gluten-free options.
If you’re feeling like a snack during your visit, Katie’s also serves hot dogs.
Best Vegan Ice Cream On Cape Cod
Sweet Izzy in Harwich Port is the best vegan ice cream on Cape Cod because everything on their menu is dairy-free and vegan. Most ice cream places on Cape Cod will offer a few flavors of vegan or dairy-free ice cream, but this is the only place with an entire menu of vegan ice cream options.
Best Soft Serve Ice Cream On Cape Cod
The best soft serve ice cream on Cape Cod can be found at Ice Cream Cafe in Orleans, and Katie’s in Harwich. Both of these places offer soft serve that’s very creamy, and not filled with too much air, so it’s very flavorful. There are lots of other places that have soft serve ice cream on Cape Cod, but these are the best that I’ve tried. Generally speaking, though, I find the hard ice cream on Cape Cod much better.
Best Allergy-Aware Ice Cream On Cape Cod
The best allergy-aware ice cream places on Cape Cod are Sundae School and Sweet Izzy. As I’ve already mentioned, Sweet Izzy is completely dairy-free and vegan, which is perfect for those who have a dairy allergy. However, you should be aware that they use nuts, and are not a nut-free facility.
Sundae School has a list of rotating flavors that are kept in a special “allergy aware” freezer, and separate scoops are also used for these particular ice creams. Depending on the food allergy you have, this will be a great option to consider, and just be sure to ask your server if these allergy-aware flavors will work for you before ordering.