It’s only the middle of May, but the city of Saskatoon has already seen temperatures hit close to 30 degrees. As quickly as the heat comes, so do cravings for ice cream in Saskatoon. Why not satisfy your urges for quality time with bae and something sweet at the same time? An ice cream date is just the ticket.
Now that you’re out of your winter hibernation-mode, ice cream business owners are grabbing their scoops and hitting the ground running. The choices on this list come from a mixture of personal taste, social media reviews, and some good ol’ fashioned qualitative research. I really do love my job!
Without further ado, here are my top dates for ice cream in Saskatoon:
Cover your cone in a new flavour dip!
Chardon Ice Cream has an array of dipping sauces for their soft-serve ice cream. Sure they have standbys like chocolate and butterscotch, but you won’t be disappointed if you try something new. Last summer, I ordered both the toasted coconut and confetti dip flavours (on separate days, folks). Each flavour was delicious in its own way!
Where: McKercher Drive
Create a personalized, blended-fresh fro yo.
Homestead Ice Cream is a Saskatoon hard ice cream lover tradition. However, on top of wacky new flavours of hard ice cream, they also have a frozen crushed fruit machine. I like getting blueberries with yogurt, squished into a waffle cone. If you’re vegan, you can order your crushed fruit with a banana base instead.
Where to get it: Victoria Avenue
Show your taste buds some Sask pride.
Get your hands on a cup of limited edition gelato using Saskatchewan-grown ingredients. Jerry’s Food Emporium offers a range of hard ice cream flavours, real-cream soft serve, fresh-made gelatos, and other dietary-restricted treats. Try the Rider Pride flavour on game day!
2 locations: 8th Street & 51st.
Come for the ice cream, stay for the dim sum.
Like many small businesses in Saskatoon, Noodle King & Ice Cream Queen is a shop that wears many hats. Taste one of over 32 flavours of gelato while you wait to get in for authentic Asian cuisine. Or try 30 flavours of hard ice cream. Plus, they have plenty of other desserts on the menu, including bubble tea and cheesecake.
Where to get it: 2nd Avenue N
The ice cream that gives you a reason to Instagram again.
According to one of the owners of Fable Ice Cream, the young couple tasted their way across America to find the best ice cream flavours before setting up shop last year in Saskatoon. If you haven’t seen their quintessential black-napkin-sugar-cone close up on your Insta feed, you’ve likely been living under a rock.
Where to get it: 633 Avenue H S
Scoop one up at the only double-decker ice cream bus this side of London.
This one of a kind roadside attraction located across from the famous Delta Bessborough is actually an ice cream shack. Plan to make a detour at Bus Stop Refreshments after a walk along the Meewassin River Valley. They have traditional hard ice cream flavours like Tiger Tiger, but I like the pumpkin pie frozen yogurt.
Where to get it: Spadina Crescent E
Shop vintage, sip coffee, and then break for dessert.
Saskatoon small business owners come up with some interesting business concepts! Back to Coffee Beans was recently featured by Andrew, an ex-Saskatchewanderer, in a Tourism Saskatoon video. With all the variety under one roof, it certainly looks like a fun way to spend a half-hour or so.
Where to get it: 33rd Street
Say dybosia* after an authentic Ukrainian dinner on the river.
Traditional Ukrainian culture is a strong influence in the patchwork quilt of people that make up Saskatoon. So it makes sense that an ice cream shop nestled in front of the Remai Modern Art Gallery also serves Ukrainian sausage and perogies.
*Dybosia translates to “Cheers” in Ukrainian.
Where to get it: River Landing Splash Park
While the next two ice cream in Saskatoon date spots aren’t locally owned, they are gaining hype for their shareable, elaborate shakes and desserts.
Split your West Coast Bingsoo with someone special.
Inspired by East Asia, Snowy Village creates frozen desserts using fresh fruit, red beans, jelly, and cereals. Top yours with a scoop of ice cream, gelato, or frozen yogurt and whipped cream.
Where to get it: Preston Avenue S
Eat the power puff of internet-viral desserts.
JusFruit is another Asia-driven menu, featuring bubble tea, fruit drinks, candy-coated milkshakes, and more. The one thing I’m hoping to get my hands on this summer is the Hong Kong-Style Ice Cream Egg Puff Waffle. That name is a mouthful. Mmm… mouthful. *drools*
Where to get it: Attridge Drive
Ice Cream in Saskatoon Honorable Mention:
Open only for special events and private functions, the Mean Green Ice Cream Machine food truck is a staple of Saskatoon summer festivals. I like the Saskatoon Berry Milkshake. Find them using the link below for live updates on their wherabouts.
Where to get it: http://snackmap.com/
You have at least 16 weeks of nice weather to enjoy each of these ice cream dates in Saskatoon. And if you finish them all and want to try something new, Do Sask has plenty of other ideas to keep your summer dates on point.
DO YOU PLAN ON GOING TO ONE OF THESE SPOTS FOR ICE CREAM IN SASKATOON, OR DID I MISS YOUR FAVOURITE? JOIN THE DO SASK FACEBOOK GROUP TO HAVE YOUR SAY IN THE DISCUSSION.
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