It’s summertime in Bend! This means floating along the Deschutes River, paddleboarding the Cascade Lakes, and indulging in creamy treats on a hot Central Oregon day. After all, there’s no better way to cool off after a day in the sun than with some of the best ice cream in Bend, Oregon.
Ice Cream, Fro Yo, and Gelato
Do you prefer a super creamy, densely packed scoop of classic vanilla? Perhaps you prefer a milkshake, blended with your favorite cookie. Or, instead, a light and tart swirl of frozen yogurt? Whether you’re searching for sprinkles and gummy bear toppings or weighing ice cream versus gelato, we’ve got you covered!
Here, we highlight seven incredible creameries and scooperies serving some of the best ice cream, fro you, and gelato throughout Bend. Take note, as you’ll be craving a scoop and a waffle cone by the end!
1. Elly’s Ice Cream
Located at The Grove in Northwest Crossing, Elly’s Ice Cream has quickly become a staple in the Bend community. Using local and organic ingredients from the Pacific Northwest, Elly’s Ice Cream serves up rich, velvety ice cream curated in small batches.
Elly’s Ice Cream is a haven for those who love experimenting with flavors. On their menu, you’ll find fun, seasonal flavors like honey lavender, lemon poppyseed, and strawberry basil. Handcrafted toppings and sauces come from nearby Two Sweet Cakes bakery. With options like house-spiced nuts, graham cracker crumble, and nut crunchies, these toppings add another layer of indulgence!
Enjoy your favorite summer flavors, like peaches and cream, scooped into a freshly made waffle cone cup. Soft serve is available for those craving something lighter. Dairy-free guests can find something they love, as well! Elly’s soft serve uses oat milk as its base, and rotating seasonal sorbets are available year-round. Visit Elly’s Ice Cream in The Grove!
2. Cuppa Yo
Cuppa Yo has been a fixture in Bend for nearly 15 years. This self-serve frozen yogurt spot, founded by two Central Oregon families, emphasizes a fun and welcoming atmosphere for all ages. With several Central Oregon locations, Cuppa Yo offers a rotating selection of frozen yogurt flavors. Additionally, you’ll find over 50 premium toppings to choose from; the combinations are endless!
Catering to a variety of dietary preferences, Cuppa Yo offers flavors that include non-fat, low-fat, low-carb, sorbet, gelato, plant-based, dairy-free, and no-sugar-added options. Explore rotating Dole Whip flavors, like pineapple whip, orange whip, and mango whip.
Some customer favorites include velvety lemon gelato, toasted marshmallow, and root beer float. Check out seasonal sorbets like raspberry lime mojito and strawberry lemonade, or opt for a dairy-free Silk almond milk chocolate swirl.
Cuppa Yo’s community-centric approach has earned recognition as a gathering hub after school and on warm evenings, as well as one of the best places in Central Oregon for fro yo. And, with later hours during the summer, you can enjoy Cuppa Yo’s top frozen yogurt concoctions from 11 a.m. until 10 p.m. Visit their locations in Bend, Redmond, and La Pine.
3. Grey Duck Ice Cream
Although one of the newest players in the game, Grey Duck has quickly risen in popularity due to their unique ice cream blends and mix-ins. Owner and operator Kate Bahtia founded Grey Duck mid-pandemic while missing the dense, hard-packed ice cream from her Midwest roots. From there, she began experimenting with flavors, offering samples to Bendites in exchange for feedback.
Grey Duck soon began peddling their ice cream all over town—literally! Locals might remember the days of Bahtia cruising around town, handing out cups of Earl Grey cookie and birthday cake from her “ice cream bike.” Now, Grey Duck has its own scoop shop inside The Pantry. As they say, the cream always rises to the top!
Here, customers can enjoy some of the creamiest, densest ice cream made right here in Bend. Unique flavors include blueberry pancake, biscuits and rhubarb jam, and mango sticky rice.
For fresh scoops, visit the Grey Duck scoop shop inside The Pantry or Jackson’s Corner. Grab ice cream by the carton at Newport Market, Schilling’s Farmstand, and Wild Petals in Brooks Alley.
4. Bonta
Cherished artisan gelateria Bonta has captured the hearts of thousands in Central Oregon. What started as a single gelato shop in Downtown Bend has become one of the best spots for gelato in Central Oregon. Now, Bonta has four scoop shops, with a new shop opening soon in Redmond.
Using milk from Oregon, Bonta focuses on the art of gelato, known for its extra rich and creamy texture. Staple flavors include salted vanilla, stracciatella, and roasted strawberry. During the summer seasons, scoops like lavender, orange cream, and lemon sorbetto are particularly refreshing and satiating.
Notable flavors like mascarpone, which lends additional rich layers to the already creamy gelato, are available alongside desserts at local fine dining establishment, BOSA. Aside from Bonta’s four Bend locations, including the Sweet Spot Ice Cream Bar at Crux, their pints can be found at local grocers including Market of Choice, Newport Avenue Market, and Sunriver Country Store.
5. Goody’s
Sweet treats meet nostalgia at Goody’s Chocolate & Ice Cream. Walk in to their 1950s-style ice cream scoop shop and you’re immediately greeted with warm childhood memories of ice cream dripping down a sugar cone in the summer sun.
Goody’s retro ice cream shop offers dozens of ice cream flavors and variations, including milk shakes, malts, sundaes, and splits. Customers giddily flock to Goody’s in Sunriver and Downtown Bend in search of the ice cream experience they remember from vacations past.
As you walk in to Goody’s, you’ll be hit with wafting scents of waffle cones while perusing their menu. With several classic Oregon favorites like orangesicle, rocky road, marionberry, Goody’s consistently delivers super creamy ice cream with every scoop. And, for guests feeling particularly indulgent, go fo the turtle sundae, oreo milkshake, or brownie lava melt.
6. Birdsong Ice Cream
If you haven’t yet heard of Birdsong Ice Cream, you’re not alone. As the newest ice cream spot in Bend, Birdsong has just begun to sing. Tucked into The Podski food cart lot, Birdsong makes New Zealand-style, real fruit ice cream to order. After all, there’s no better way to top off a lunch at The Podski than with a cool treat!
Starting with a hefty scoop of creamy, organic vanilla ice cream and your fruit of choice, watch as fresh berries are churned and twirled together right in front of your eyes. Then, this luscious blend is is swirled into your choice of cup or cone, including waffle cones and gluten-free cones.
Birdsong offers made-to-order whirls with your choice of strawberry, raspberry, blueberry, and marionberry (already a customer favorite). And, if you’re dairy-free, they have a treat for you! Get your own fresh fruit ice cream using coconut cream—they’ll even clean the ice cream machine upon request to avoid cross-contamination. Visit Birdsong Ice Cream!
7. Ben & Jerry’s
Alright, here’s a treat—Ben & Jerry’s in the Old Mill District is now locally owned by a family with deep roots in the community. Owners Matt and Luann Abrams purchased the Bend Ben & Jerry’s in 2023, further engraining it into the local economy. Known for their outlandish flavors (and names), the ice cream at Ben & Jerry’s is no stranger to ice cream aficionados.
The Bend scoop shop offers fantastical and vibrant flavors like PB S’mores, Churray for Churros, coconut seven layer bar, and B&J’s staple Cherry Garcia. Dairy-free friends can celebrate with oat-milk-based scoops of Strawberry Cheezecake. Alternatively, Ben & Jerry’s classic chocolate chip cookie dough comes in both almond milk and oat milk varieties.
Excitingly enough, the dairy-free options don’t end there! Sunflower-butter-based options like strawberry marshmallow and fruit-based sorbets make this spot a vegan’s dream. Plus, you can find them all summer at the Hayden Homes Amphitheater for the Bend summer concert series! Visit Ben & Jerry’s in the Old Mill District.
Best Ice Cream in Bend
With all of these top ice cream spots, you won’t have a shortage of places to seek out scoops. Keep the ice cream party going, and check out these visitation ideas!
- Lunch at Shimshon, followed by a waffle cone at Elly’s.
- Dinner at Neighbor Rotisserie, and stroll across the street for a Cuppa Yo afterward.
- Late brunch at CHOW, with an early afternoon scoop of Grey Duck to top off the meal.
- Dinner at ROAM, with a nightcap of brownies & coffee gelato at Bonta.
- Lunch at Sunriver Brewing pub in The Village, with a double scoop in a waffle cone at Goody’s to follow.
- Lunch at The Podski, followed by a refreshing marionberry fresh fruit ice cream at Birdsong.
- Dinner and a show! Grab an early dinner at Lady Bird before catching a movie in the Old Mill District, with a hearty serving of Phish Food at Ben & Jerry’s to polish off the evening.
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