In honor of National Ice Cream Day, I put together a fun guide with all the ice cream shops I’ve been able to visit with my food allergies! Nut allergy-friendly ice cream is a rare find, but despite my allergies, I’ve been able to safely enjoy ice cream in a variety of locations, from my home state to famous travel destinations! This guide is grouped by state, and each ice cream shop mentioned includes allergy information so you can determine if it’s safe for you! Keep reading for my favorite spots to get allergy-friendly ice cream!
California
1. The Meadowlark Dairy
Located in Pleasanton, CA, The Meadowlark Dairy is a historic family market known for its delicious soft serve ice cream. All of the soft serve flavors are nut-free! They have several year-round flavors including vanilla and chocolate and dairy-free strawberry and orange, and also offer weekly seasonal flavors. Some of my seasonal favorites include cake batter, mango, and pineapple dole whip, which is available throughout the whole summer. If you have a gluten allergy, you can get the soft serve in a cup with a spoon. Staff will also change gloves to avoid cross-contamination. The Dairy is definitely a must-visit if you’re spending time in the Bay Area!
2. Smitten
With several locations throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, Smitten is also a great spot for allergy-friendly ice cream. All Smitten Ice Cream is fresh churned to order. Staff start with a dairy base, churn it in the “Brrr machine” for 90 seconds, and then add any mix-ins to the flavor. There are no scoops involved, and you can watch as your ice cream is made, which is always super reassuring for those with food allergies! No year-round flavors contain nuts, but they do occasionally have seasonal flavors with tree nuts, like pecans or almonds. However, the staff are trained in cross-contamination and will use a clean churning bowl. They also have an ingredient binder at every location that you can ask to check! I love that they use locally sourced chocolate for all their chocolate flavors from the brand Guittard, which is made in a nut-free and gluten-free facility!
3. Adorable Snowman Frosted Treats
Located in Disneyland’s California Adventure Park, Adorable Snowman Frosted Treats is a hidden gem for safe ice cream treats. There are absolutely no nuts at the stand! They have vanilla and chocolate soft serve which both contain dairy but also have a separate machine for lemon dole whip which is top 8 allergen free! The dole whip orders are prepared on the separate side of the counter, and staff will change gloves if requested. However, it is important to not that everything is made in the same area, so check with the staff if you have a severe dairy allergy. My favorite thing to get is their famous Pixar Pier frosty! It’s lemon dole whip, blue raspberry icee, and a maraschino cherry served in a cup, and it’s completely free of the top 8 allergens!
Washington
4. Frankie and Jo’s
A well-known staple of Seattle, WA, Frankie & Jo’s is a great spot for a wide variety of food allergies! As a 100% vegan, gluten-free, soy-free, and peanut-free facility, anyone with these allergies can safely enjoy anything on the menu. If you have tree nut allergies, you need to exercise a bit more caution; however, it is still possible to safely enjoy a treat! While they offer some flavors with cashew and almond milk, the majority are made with coconut milk and are tree nut-free! Their menu displays symbols noting which flavors are nut-free, and staff has a dedicated nut-free scoop that’s kept in the back to avoid cross-contamination. They make their gluten-free waffle cones from scratch, and they smell and taste phenomenal. I loved the June flavor of the month: gluten-free cookies and cream!
5. Molly Moon’s
Another Seattle spot, Molly Moon’s Homemade Ice Cream is a must if you’re in need of nut-allergy safe ice cream. Their menu includes four featured flavors per month, and all their ice cream flavors are always nut-free! The only nuts in the facility are hazelnuts that can be added as a topping that are kept separate in a sealed jar in the back. Their menu is clearly labeled with which flavors contain gluten, and they always have several vegan and dairy-free options. Staff will change gloves and get a clean scoop if requested. I stayed away from the open toppings just to be on the safe side but still got their delicious vanilla bean salted caramel sauce which was in its own bottle. It was hard to pick from so many flavors, but I was a big fan of the sweet cream and cold brew!
Texas
6. Awesome Bites Co.
Awesome Bites Co. is arguably my favorite spot in Houston, TX. Dedicated free from nuts, soy, dairy, and eggs and with a separate kitchen for any item that contains wheat, it is a dream for anyone with food allergies! Their delicious plant-based ice cream comes in 10 flavors with occasional seasonal additions, and it is DELICIOUS! I love the mint chip, olive oil chocolate, and everything is awesome vanilla! They also have fresh made gluten-free waffle cones in classic and chocolate flavors and dozens of safe toppings like mini vegan chocolate chips and allergy-friendly sprinkles. Choose between a variety of sundaes, a banana split, a brownie or donut a la mode, or just a classic ice cream cone. Awesome Bites Co. definitely makes the hot days in Houston sweeter! Check out my feature on their bakery!
7. OMG Squee
Also located in hot and humid Texas, OMG Squee in Austin is the cutest Asian-owned allergy-friendly sweets shop! The owner manages allergies herself, so the entire kitchen is dedicated free from gluten, peanuts, and cashews. While some items contain other tree nuts, everyone who works there is extremely understanding of food allergies and cross-contamination. Their soft serve flavors, gluten-free Belgian waffle cones, and fun ice cream toppings are all nut-free! Nutella can be added inside the cone, but it is is own squeeze bottle and kept separate from the other ice cream area. I love the custard soft serve! I got mine with fruity pebbles, and my boyfriend got his with crushed oreo cookies. Their soft serve is so refreshing!
8. Lick Honest Ice Creams
An Austin and Dallas Fort-Worth ice cream chain, Lick Honest has a wide selection of delicious flavors and is great for accommodating a variety of food allergies. Only one of their year-round flavors contain nuts, and every ice cream flavor has a label listing which allergens it contains. Almost every flavor is gluten-free and they also have vegan flavors made with coconut milk. While occasionally seasonal flavors contain tree nuts, they are kept on the other side of the scoop area than the year-round flavors, and staff will get a clean scoop from the back before scooping your order. I love the honey & vanilla bean and milk chocolate flavors best!
North Carolina
9. Videri Chocolate Factory
Videri Chocolate Factory in Raleigh, North Carolina is an allergy-friendly chocolate factory that serves amazing soft serve ice cream! The entire chocolate factory is completely free of nuts, soy, and legumes. They offer vanilla and chocolate soft serve and a variety of toppings like granola, fudge sauce, toffee, and sprinkles. Videri Chocolate Factory notes that almost all their toppings are made in house and if they are not, “they meet our standards for allergy friendliness and are made in nut-free facilities.” Everything is gluten-free except for the waffle cones, so I always get my ice cream in a cup but can safely have any of the toppings. I love getting the vanilla soft serve with house made toffee!
Thanks for reading about my allergy-friendly ice cream shop adventures! I hope this guide was able to give you some spots to find allergy-friendly ice cream this summer! If visit any of these spots, I would love if you tagged me on Instagram! Let me know in the comments what allergy-friendly ice cream shop is your favorite!
