Though this humble shop on a stretch of 16th Street makes a wide range of sweet treats, it’s all about the paleta. Dozens of flavors fill a long case. Incandescent fruity flavors provide an antidote to the Arizona summer sun, capturing the stunning intensity of tamarind, soursop, lime, and many more. (The pro move is to grab a bunch and stock your freezer before you go.) Standard ice cream comes in flavors like eggnog and mint chip, with old-school bottled syrups at the ready for drizzling. There’s also a range of milkshakes, mangonadas, and chocolate-covered bananas.

In Phoenix’s Coronado neighborhood, Valley Ice Cream Shop outdoes its name, serving a variety of Mexican sweet treats that extend beyond ice cream. Enjoy frescas con crema (strawberries with sweet cream); fruit cups jolted with tajin; fruit-topped raspados; and chamoyadas with chamoy, strawberries, and mango. Sure, there’s your standard ice cream cups. But the move here is to go big — get that ice cream atop tres leches or scooped into the pillowy middle of a hollowed concha.

This nationally recognized ice cream shop engages in “ice cream rebellion,” making everything from scratch with high quality ingredients, starting with Arizona dairy and ending with homemade cones, sauces, and toppings. (They even sell giant homemade marshmallows.) Classic flavors are elevated — strawberry becomes strawberry buttermilk; coffee becomes Cortez cold brew, made with product from a local roastery. Rotating flavors range from fun to stunningly experimental: horchata, eclair, blueberry honey basil, even smoked salmon. Don’t miss the s’mores sundae, matcha marshmallow, or ice cream sandwiches using house-baked cookies.

With three Arizona locations (two in the Valley), this shop scoops crowd-pleasing ice cream made with local dairy. It’s all about the “Screamery Creations.” These are epic productions like ice cream nachos (using waffle chips), a flight of six ice creams, and the Farmhouse — eight scoops of ice cream teetering atop a cookie, brownie, and buttercake. Many of the flavors go just as big, like the fan-favorite Bacon and Bourbon and a heady Rocky Road.

The City Creamery is the perfect addition to Cave Creek’s Old West-style main strip, churning simple ice cream five gallons at a time. There are 16 everyday flavors plus rotating specials that diners can mix and match in a flight combination of their choice. Many keep it classic, however, with flavors like strawberry and mint chip. Nicely, this old-school creamery ventures beyond the flavors of the past, scooping prickly pear, huckleberry honey and lavender, and other newer creations. Hot fudge sundaes, malts, and milkshakes are also available.

Inspired by a revelatory gelato experience the owners had in Capri, Allora draws inspiration from Italy and beyond. Think Mexican coffee, Greek yogurt, and Croatian fig and honey. Allora uses carefully selected local and global ingredients to craft its standard flavors, releasing a new one each month. The gelato hits with freshness, intensity and ultra-creaminess. Other core flavors include rosemary olive oil and mint cookies and cream. In a rare Arizona find, Allora makes almond and pistachio granita, which gives cannoli filling flavor with crowns of whipped ricotta.

Yes, Jeni’s is an Ohio-born import with two Scottsdale locations, but it’s so quality that it warrants a spot on this list. The smell of freshly pressed cones fills the air. The scoops are whimsical: think Brambleberry Crisp, Texas Sheet Cake, and Sweet Cream Biscuits and Peach Jam. This season’s statement flavor may be its strawberry shortcake parfait, a sundae with Strawberry Buttermilk and classic Gooey Butter Cake ice creams layered with strawberry jam and whipped cream. Both locations have quickly become go-to spots for grabbing a tricked out, head-turning ice cream cone and strolling through Old Town or Scottsdale Quarter.

North Scottsdale has a pleasant neighborhood gelateria in That’s Amore. With mounds of baccio, panna cotta, pistachio, and other classic Italian flavors gleaming from the display case, this hidden gem does old-school gelato right. It also churns novel creations. Flavors like whiskey cream (like sipping bourbon) and stracciatella with black cherries and nuts (a burst of fruit flavor, chocolate, and crunch) might even surpass the classics. If you’re into affogato, pull the trigger here. That’s Amore has a higher-end espresso machine and drowns one or two scoops in rich, creamy coffee.

Tailored to kids, Scoop and Joy rotates through more than 50 flavors, so there’s always something new and exciting to try. The shop offers the usual staples, plus flavors like horchata cajeta, honeysuckle rose, and yam pecan. A variety of cones — including the likes of M&M, pretzel, and pink vanilla — add flair. Many visitors request for their ice cream to be augmented with marshmallows, cherries, chocolate chips, and other toppings so that they resemble cure animal faces. Unsurprisingly, it’s a popular spot for the little ones.  – more at eater.com