The world is a decadent and delicious place for ice cream fanatics these days. Independent shops churning out artisanal creamy creations are making a comeback, often utilizing all-natural, organic, and out-of-the-ordinary ingredients. Now that America’s quintessential sweet treat has officially grown up into a foodie favorite, it’s time to find your fix at one of these five shops in the Coachella Valley. Because ice cream solves everything.
ice cream & shop(pe), Palm Springs
It’s the city’s most Instagrammable ice cream shop thanks, in part, to perky neon signs (one reads #palmspringsisbetter, the other’s an ice cream cone), a mint-blue ice cream case, and shelves stocked with groovy goods curated by owner Athalie Laguerre (the space also serves as the gift shop for the hip Arrive hotel). Scoopers are happy to stuff you with samples from the rotating selection of trendy flavors like avocado, pomegranate chip, and the popular Coachella Valley date. In addition to ice cream, there are smooth sorbets, including an I’m-clearly-on-vacation champagne version. And — score! — all the toppings, including mini marshmallows, rainbow sprinkles, and M&Ms, are free, so pile ’em on.
Sabores Handcrafted Ice Cream, Coachella
A little over a year ago, siblings Jesse Garcia and Connie Garcia-Preciado opened Sabores, where they serve ice cream and shave ice (18 varieties of each at last count) inspired by Latin flavors. Fresh fruit-centric shave ice gets a savory kick from peppers and spices (think mango with a dash of Tajín or watermelon with chilies). “They’re very refreshing and light. I put very little sugar in it,” says Jesse, a Coachella-born culinary school grad who has worked in kitchens across the valley and has been perfecting his recipes for years. “I want you to taste the flavor, to taste the fruit.” The ice creams, meanwhile, have a whimsical Willy-Wonka-in-Mexico flair, mixed with chunks of Gansito cake or the peanut candy mazapán.
760-777-2917
kreem,
Palm Springs
Bianca Simonian, a chef who once owned restaurants in Kuwait and an almond milk company, has based her latest business around her greatest passion. “I’ve just always loved ice cream,” she says. “My recipes are inspired by flavors I like, desserts I like, and things friends like.”
PHOTOGRAPH BY BIANCA SIMONIAN
Buzz around this new kid on the ice cream block began even before the shop opened, when hot-spot restaurant Rooster and the Pig started offering half-pints of Kreem’s creations for dessert. Now, inside her mod-inspired space, Simonian serves 10 to 12 flavors at a time, with classics including vanilla bean and mint chip and specialties like lemon meringue and s’mores (dotted with fresh-roasted marshmallows), along with vegan versions that use her housemade almond milk as a base. Since Kreem doubles as a coffee shop brewing up roasts from Portland-based Heart, expect a cold-brew ice cream, along with a decaf version for school nights.
nitroinfusions,
La Quinta
This Old Town venue prepares its ice cream to order. The base starts out looking like a bowl of milk until it’s hit with liquid nitrogen (clocking in at negative 321 degrees) in a stand mixer and freezes before customers’ eyes.
“When we freeze it with the nitrogen, it doesn’t have time to build up any air, and it creates less ice particles, so you get really dense, creamy ice cream,” says manager Andrea Martin Prieto, niece of owners Sebastian and Nancy Prieto. Many of the recipes were concocted by Sebastian’s grandfather at his ice cream parlor in Mexico City. Some of the most creative offerings include gourmet combos like roasted pistachios with extra virgin olive oil or salted caramel flecked with delicate flakes of Mediterranean sea salt. Vegans can partake in swirly nitro-pops in flavors like strawberry and guava.
La michoacana, Cathedral City
Get ready for sensory overload at this mega-size Mexican ice cream parlor (one of seven locations in a family-owned chain) with bubble-gum pink walls and a dizzying menu of milk- and water-based ice creams, pretty paletas (popsicles), chocolate-covered frozen bananas, and the shop’s signature mangoneadas — giant cups stuffed sky-high with fresh fruit, sweet-and-sour chamoy sauce, and ice cream. The army of enthusiastic employees here will gladly share their recommendations, break down what goes into everything, and tweak bowls to order. Chances are, you’ll find a flavor you never knew you wanted, from neon-blue Monster energy drink to cucumber to creamy Cotija cheese.