If you know me, you know I love ice cream. It is my favorite indulgence. (Remember this post from when I lived in Seville, Spain?) Coeur d’Alene, Idaho has a few notable ice cream shops that I can’t wait to share with you! Nothing is better than walking around this beautiful town in the summer with an ice cream cone in hand.

Here is a list of ice cream shops in Coeur d’Alene ranked from my favorite to my least favorite. Enjoy!

#1 Panhandle Cone & Coffee

The best new ice cream shop just opened up in midtown Coeur d’Alene, and I couldn’t be more excited about it! Every summer we go to Hope, Idaho for our family reunion and on our drive-up we stop at Panhandle Cone & Coffee in Sandpoint. I was thrilled when I heard they were opening their third shop in CDA. (They also have a shop in Moscow!) Panhandle Cone & Coffee is a family owned and operated business. They make all of the ice cream themselves and let me tell you…. it is good! The family is originally from Oregon, and they wanted to open an ice cream shop that is similar to Salt n’ Straw, a popular ice cream shop in Oregon. If you want coffee, they have that too, with coffee beans from my favorite coffee shop in town, Evans Brothers, that also originated in Sandpoint. And they do affogatos, which I can’t wait to try!

Ice Cream Flavor Pick!

You must try their Salted Caramel and Brown Butter Cookie ice cream! It is delish! The Bourbon Honeycomb is always nice with crunchy honeycomb bits. If you want something local, go for the Huckleberry Buttermilk. I’d say it’s the best huckleberry ice cream in town.

849 N. 4th St.

PanhandleCone&Coffee_CityNibbler_Coeurd'Alene,Idaho

#2 Abi’s

If you’re visiting downtown Coeur d’Alene and want some ice cream, check out Abi’s. Abi’s is the best ice cream in the downtown Coeur d’Alene area by far. They make small-batch ice cream, and everything in their ice cream is made from scratch, even the mix-ins. They make their waffle cones themselves, either plain or dipped. You’ll find house-made treats at Abi’s like cookies, brownies, and biscottis that pair perfectly well with your ice cream. While I prefer Panhandle Cone & Coffee overall, Abi’s is still a great choice, and I find myself visiting often when I’m downtown or shopping on Sherman. Children love going to Abi’s because they do free toppings for kids like gummy bears and rainbow sprinkles. Abi’s also makes gourmet hot cocoa and espresso drinks when you want something warm instead of cold.

Ice Cream Flavor Pick!

Abi’s Road is my favorite flavor, but it isn’t there all the time, as they are frequently rotating their flavors. It is a milk chocolate ice cream with white chocolate chunks and toffee bits. I also love their Oreo Latte ice cream. It’s the perfect mix of cookies and coffee. Yum!

112 N. 4th St.

#3 Dockside

Dockside is my 3rd choice for ice cream in the Coeur d’Alene area. Going to Dockside is a completely different experience than going to Panhandle Cone & Coffee or Abi’s. Dockside is a sit-down restaurant that serves food, but they are most famous for their “Gooey’s.” They make these gigantic ice cream sundaes that are served in these glass goblets. They are easily shareable between 2-3 people! (You can also get a small Gooey in a personal sized goblet) While they don’t use the highest quality of ice cream in their sundaes (it’s probably just some cheap vanilla, nothing special) their sundaes are fun and memorable because they are so big. They make for great pictures! It’s more of the experience that you get when you go to Dockside, plus, you won’t get a better view. It’s right on Coeur d’Alene Lake inside of The Coeur d’Alene Resort. (Tip- Ask to sub in their homemade white chocolate ice cream, half-n-half with the vanilla. It’s the only ice cream that they make in-house, and I think it adds a nice flavor to the sundaes!)

Ice Cream Flavor Pick!

I love the Peanut Butter Cup Sundae most, but my second choice is the Butterfinger Sundae. You can’t go wrong with either. They often have a speciality children’s sundae on their list, like the Olaf one from Frozen that is pictured below. Their milkshakes are great too! I’ll sometimes order a chocolate malt or huckleberry shake when I want something a little simpler.

115 S. 2nd St.

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Other Places I’ve Tried

Gelato By the Lake

I was really excited about this place when it opened last summer but sadly, it was a miss. The gelato was not good, nothing compared to gelato I’ve eaten in Europe or even in NYC. Skip this one, even though it looks cute from the outside and has the perfect location.

Mrs. Honeypeeps Sweet Shop

This place is always buzzing but likely with tourists staying at the resort and visiting the CDA Plaza. You’d think it would be a fun place to stop with all the bright colors and whimsical aesthetic but don’t. It’s a kid magnet really. They don’t make their ice cream. It is ordered in from some mass company, and it isn’t anything special. Take the 5-minute walk up to Abi’s instead.

Roger’s

While I do order a Roger’s milkshake when I’m eating their hamburger and fries as a combo, I wouldn’t recommend going to Roger’s just for their ice cream. Their ice cream is okay, but that’s it. They don’t make it themselves (it’s Cascade Glacier brand), and it isn’t anything to rave about as far as ice cream goes. If you just want ice cream, head somewhere else.

Bear Paw Cookies Bakery

This place sells a little bit of everything as far as treats go, including ice cream. They are trying to do too much and in my opinion, everything is just mediocre. They don’t really excel at anything. While it's good, I think there are better places nearby, like Abi’s.