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Long, hot summer days are here and to help make them a little more bearable, we've updated our frozen desserts guide. From boozy snow cones and milkshakes to ice cream donut sandwiches and $100 sundaes, there are plenty of ways to alleviate the heat. So grab some friends and chill out with a sweet treat at one of the following 20 spots.
Read MoreOhio’s popular ice creamery Graeter’s has finally landed in the Chicagoland area. Its first shop in Northbrook is dishing out signature chocolate chip flavors like Black Raspberry, Bourbon Pecan, Peanut Butter, Toffee and more, all handcrafted using the company’s noted French Pot process. [Photo: Graeter's]
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With warm days upon us, Homestead on the Roof is an ideal spot to hang out and enjoy the weather. The frozen treats are twists on classics you’ll remember having as a kid: a frozen banana, an ice cream sandwich, boozy pops like pina colada and peach mojito, and a fancied-up Drumstick featuring Nutella and vanilla ice cream and candied hazelnuts. [Photo: Thrillist]
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Bring some friends and go big or go home with the Terrace’s $100 Sundae. The monstrous dessert—enough to feed a group—is loaded with 20 scoops of ice cream and toppings such as macerated strawberries, chocolate crunch, pistachio nougat, mascarpone cream, chocolate sauce and more. Make sure you come with an appetite. [Photo: The Terrace at Trump]
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Gene Kato shows that he’s not only a master of robata grilling but also at shaving ice. Here, he makes his version of kakigori, a Japanese shaved ice dessert made with fruit puree, milk and sugar. The restaurant uses a hand-cranked machine to produce flakes of ice and the flavors change seasonally with strawberry being the current offering. [Photo: Barry Brecheisen]
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Bill Kim’s Asian-inspired barbecue restaurant serves some of the finest soft-serve ice cream in town. You can order it in plain vanilla or as a twist on the classic PB & J with peanut butter crunch and huckleberry jelly. [Photo: Barry Brecheisen]
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Lakeview’s favorite mom and pop custard shop features famous concretes loaded with mix-ins and flavorings. You can customize your own or go with one of the signature creations like the top-selling Elvis, a delicious combo of vanilla custard, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup and bananas. [Photo: Scooter's Frozen Custard]
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It only seems natural for our favorite childhood delights to grow up as well and that’s just what Punch House’s adult-friendly, boozy snow cones do. Shaved ice can be covered with any of the bar’s punches for a different kind of approach to frozen cocktails. [Photo: Marc Much]
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The new late-night Lincoln Park spot offers Taiwanese-style shaved snow. Choose a flavored snow—Fruit Lover, Coconut, Green Tea and Pina Colada are just a few options—and watch as it’s shaved in front of you and finished with toppings and drizzles. The result is a light, creamy and refreshing dessert unlike anything else you’ll find around town.
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Isla has been making a name for itself on the North Side with authentic Filipino fare. You’ll definitely want to end each meal with the traditional Halo-Halo dessert, a medley of shaved mixed with fruits and sweet beans and topped with purple yam ice cream and leche flan. [Photo: Isla Pilipina]
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This retro-style custard shop delights with frozen concretes and shakes. Choose your own toppings to blend into the treats or pick one of the favorites like the OMG (vanilla or chocolate custard with Celestial Kitchens’ peanut butter fudge brownie pieces and shot of hot fudge) and Crazy cake (frozen custard mixed with Flirty cupcake). [Photo: Edgeville Buzz]
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From brambleberry crisp, goat cheese with red cherries, wildberry lavender, to even whiskey and pecans, the possibilities at the ever-popular Ohio ice cream shop seem never-ending. However, if you have trouble deciding on which flavors to go with, Jeni's will let you taste test as many as your heart desires. [Photo: Jeni's]
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Merging both worlds of savory and sweet, this River North doughnuttery delivers ice cream donut sandwiches containing its daily, homemade flavors of gelato. [Photo: Facebook]
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In business since 1921, Margie's Candies is a Chicago treasure. The ice cream sundae variations are timeless, tasty, and massive. If you've never been to this old school parlor, get there right this instant. [Photo: Margie's Candies]
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Jessica Oloroso’s beloved gelato café offers intriguing flavors like Mexican hot chocolate, goat cheese cashew caramel and sesame fig chocolate chip. The ultimate treat though comes in the Whiskey Gelato Bar—whiskey gelato dipped in milk chocolate and rolled in candied bacon. [Photo: Black Dog Gelato]
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Merging high-quality ingredients and the milk of pasture-fed Bianca Piemontese cows, Chef Alciati pioneered a technique that produces a rich and creamy soft-serve gelato. Signatures flavors include, "fior di latte," "nocciola," "pistacchio," "crema vaniglia," "cioccolato", and seasonal dairy-free sorbets. [Photo: Marc Much]
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Owned and operated in the Bridgeport neighborhood, Sugar Shack still owns the title of offering the only loaded, "funnel cake sundae" in the city. In addition, this local creamery shack serves a plethora of soft-serve and hand-scooped ice cream flavors, blizzard concoctions, and the traditional banana split sundaes. [Photo: Facebook]
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No list would be complete without the Original Rainbow Cone. A delicious creation of strawberry, Palmer House (New York Vanilla with cherries and walnut) and pistachio ice cream topped with orange sherbet, it’s a Chicago classic that never fails to please. [Photo: Facebook]
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Head over to 25 Degrees' to slurp on the boozy ice-cream shake lineup. Contenders such as the "Cinnashake," "NOLA," "Turkish Latte" and "Guinness Shake" are only some of the grown-up drinks at this River North burger hangout. [Photo: Facebook]
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This family-owned West Loop creamery with a great outdoor patio serves its hand-crafted frozen treats with a side of sassy Irish flair. Cone uses only Irish dairy in untraditional flavors like the "Arthur Guinness," made with Guinness and Irish soda bread, "Bailey's Irish cream," and the "Irish breakfast" served with Jameson and cornflakes. [Photo: Cone Gourmet Ice Cream]
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A Southside staple since 1901, head to Gertie's for throwback ice cream sundaes, floats, malts, banana splits, phosphates, and more. [Photo: Lindy's Chili]
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Ohio’s popular ice creamery Graeter’s has finally landed in the Chicagoland area. Its first shop in Northbrook is dishing out signature chocolate chip flavors like Black Raspberry, Bourbon Pecan, Peanut Butter, Toffee and more, all handcrafted using the company’s noted French Pot process. [Photo: Graeter's]
With warm days upon us, Homestead on the Roof is an ideal spot to hang out and enjoy the weather. The frozen treats are twists on classics you’ll remember having as a kid: a frozen banana, an ice cream sandwich, boozy pops like pina colada and peach mojito, and a fancied-up Drumstick featuring Nutella and vanilla ice cream and candied hazelnuts. [Photo: Thrillist]
Bring some friends and go big or go home with the Terrace’s $100 Sundae. The monstrous dessert—enough to feed a group—is loaded with 20 scoops of ice cream and toppings such as macerated strawberries, chocolate crunch, pistachio nougat, mascarpone cream, chocolate sauce and more. Make sure you come with an appetite. [Photo: The Terrace at Trump]
Gene Kato shows that he’s not only a master of robata grilling but also at shaving ice. Here, he makes his version of kakigori, a Japanese shaved ice dessert made with fruit puree, milk and sugar. The restaurant uses a hand-cranked machine to produce flakes of ice and the flavors change seasonally with strawberry being the current offering. [Photo: Barry Brecheisen]
Bill Kim’s Asian-inspired barbecue restaurant serves some of the finest soft-serve ice cream in town. You can order it in plain vanilla or as a twist on the classic PB & J with peanut butter crunch and huckleberry jelly. [Photo: Barry Brecheisen]
Lakeview’s favorite mom and pop custard shop features famous concretes loaded with mix-ins and flavorings. You can customize your own or go with one of the signature creations like the top-selling Elvis, a delicious combo of vanilla custard, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup and bananas. [Photo: Scooter's Frozen Custard]
It only seems natural for our favorite childhood delights to grow up as well and that’s just what Punch House’s adult-friendly, boozy snow cones do. Shaved ice can be covered with any of the bar’s punches for a different kind of approach to frozen cocktails. [Photo: Marc Much]
The new late-night Lincoln Park spot offers Taiwanese-style shaved snow. Choose a flavored snow—Fruit Lover, Coconut, Green Tea and Pina Colada are just a few options—and watch as it’s shaved in front of you and finished with toppings and drizzles. The result is a light, creamy and refreshing dessert unlike anything else you’ll find around town.
Isla has been making a name for itself on the North Side with authentic Filipino fare. You’ll definitely want to end each meal with the traditional Halo-Halo dessert, a medley of shaved mixed with fruits and sweet beans and topped with purple yam ice cream and leche flan. [Photo: Isla Pilipina]
This retro-style custard shop delights with frozen concretes and shakes. Choose your own toppings to blend into the treats or pick one of the favorites like the OMG (vanilla or chocolate custard with Celestial Kitchens’ peanut butter fudge brownie pieces and shot of hot fudge) and Crazy cake (frozen custard mixed with Flirty cupcake). [Photo: Edgeville Buzz]
From brambleberry crisp, goat cheese with red cherries, wildberry lavender, to even whiskey and pecans, the possibilities at the ever-popular Ohio ice cream shop seem never-ending. However, if you have trouble deciding on which flavors to go with, Jeni's will let you taste test as many as your heart desires. [Photo: Jeni's]
Merging both worlds of savory and sweet, this River North doughnuttery delivers ice cream donut sandwiches containing its daily, homemade flavors of gelato. [Photo: Facebook]
In business since 1921, Margie's Candies is a Chicago treasure. The ice cream sundae variations are timeless, tasty, and massive. If you've never been to this old school parlor, get there right this instant. [Photo: Margie's Candies]
Jessica Oloroso’s beloved gelato café offers intriguing flavors like Mexican hot chocolate, goat cheese cashew caramel and sesame fig chocolate chip. The ultimate treat though comes in the Whiskey Gelato Bar—whiskey gelato dipped in milk chocolate and rolled in candied bacon. [Photo: Black Dog Gelato]
Merging high-quality ingredients and the milk of pasture-fed Bianca Piemontese cows, Chef Alciati pioneered a technique that produces a rich and creamy soft-serve gelato. Signatures flavors include, "fior di latte," "nocciola," "pistacchio," "crema vaniglia," "cioccolato", and seasonal dairy-free sorbets. [Photo: Marc Much]
Owned and operated in the Bridgeport neighborhood, Sugar Shack still owns the title of offering the only loaded, "funnel cake sundae" in the city. In addition, this local creamery shack serves a plethora of soft-serve and hand-scooped ice cream flavors, blizzard concoctions, and the traditional banana split sundaes. [Photo: Facebook]
No list would be complete without the Original Rainbow Cone. A delicious creation of strawberry, Palmer House (New York Vanilla with cherries and walnut) and pistachio ice cream topped with orange sherbet, it’s a Chicago classic that never fails to please. [Photo: Facebook]
Head over to 25 Degrees' to slurp on the boozy ice-cream shake lineup. Contenders such as the "Cinnashake," "NOLA," "Turkish Latte" and "Guinness Shake" are only some of the grown-up drinks at this River North burger hangout. [Photo: Facebook]
This family-owned West Loop creamery with a great outdoor patio serves its hand-crafted frozen treats with a side of sassy Irish flair. Cone uses only Irish dairy in untraditional flavors like the "Arthur Guinness," made with Guinness and Irish soda bread, "Bailey's Irish cream," and the "Irish breakfast" served with Jameson and cornflakes. [Photo: Cone Gourmet Ice Cream]
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