I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream! From the ice cream we churn by hand at home to the familiar song of the neighborhood ice cream truck, it’s no secret that Arkansans have a passion for this sweet frozen treat. With so many options it can be hard to find the perfect scoop of ice creamy goodness, but naturally we’re here to help you avoid that (ice cream) headache…just check out the best ice cream parlors in Arkansas!
This Siloam Springs-based business was born out of a passion for ice cream and orphans. Pure Joy Ice Cream began in 2011 as a foreign-adoption fundraiser and today has grown to include shelf-space in local stores as well as its first brick and mortar ice cream shop, the Pure Joy Scoop Shop on North Broadway Street. Pure Joy sources fresh ingredients from local farmers and producers, creating delicious ice cream with bold and natural flavors.
Since 2003, Scoops has been keeping it simple with their small batches of ice cream that are slow-churned daily. Scoops Ice Cream is a Hot Springs hotspot for waffle cones paired with popular flavors like cotton candy and pralines & cream. One stop at Scoops and you’ll see why they are simply one of the best ice cream parlors in the Natural State.
With locations in Little Rock, Hot Springs, and Conway, The Purple Cow Restaurant has been painting Central Arkansas purple since 1989. While folks love its classic décor and nostalgic atmosphere, The Purple Cow is best known for its iconic purple vanilla ice cream. This old-fashioned (and purple!) diner and soda fountain is a fantastic family favorite, exclusively dipping Yarnell’s Premium Ice Cream, a Searcy-based family ice cream brand.
This magical ice cream is made in Little Rock. The community-minded Loblolly Creamery has a priority of making green and healthy choices, using local ingredients whenever possible. With signature flavors like salted caramel and Little Rock-y Road, it’s no surprise that Loblolly Creamery Ice Cream Bar is one of Central Arkansas’ favorite ice cream parlors and social gathering places.
The Sparks Café Soda Fountain at the Walmart Museum is a tribute to Sam Walton’s love of ice cream—butter pecan being his favorite flavor. Walton, of course, was the founder of the world-famous business giant known as Walmart. The servers at this old-fashioned soda fountain on Bentonville’s historic Square proudly serve Yarnell’s Premium Ice Cream, a family ice cream brand made in Searcy.
The Ultimate Ice Cream Experience starts right here with the ultimate ice cream in flavors like sweet cream, cake batter, and mint. Using its signature process, Cold Stone Creamery customizes your ice cream creations on frozen granite slab countertops. In addition to this popular Little Rock location, Cold Stone Creamery can also be found in Fayetteville and Rogers.