Date shakes from The Ritz-Carlton's State Fare Bar + Kitchen are a perfect summer treat.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY MOLLIE KIMBERLING
As the Coachella Valley heats up and you begin craving something frozen to cool off, follow us to these flavorful possibilities — from picante fruit popsicles to smooth, scratch-made ice cream.
Date Shake
State Fare Bar + Kitchen, Rancho Mirage
A summer afternoon in the desert isn’t complete without a date shake in hand. At The Ritz-Carlton’s State Fare Bar + Kitchen, it’s made with date sugar, vanilla ice cream, milk, heavy whipping cream, and freshly chopped dates.
Dole Pineapple Float
Lappert’s Ice Cream, Palm Springs
A nod to the frozen dessert made famous by the Dole Plantation in Hawaii, Lappert’s dairy-free float goes all in on the spiky fruit, pairing pineapple soft serve with pineapple juice, a butter waffle cookie, and a cherry on top.
Pomegranate Chip Cone
Shop(pe) Ice Cream & Shop, Palm Springs
Rotating flavors always offer something new to taste at this souvenir and ice cream shop. Try a cone of tangy pomegranate chip, which mixes the Mediterranean fruit with decadent dark chocolate.
Deep-Fried Ice Cream
Las Casuelas Original, Palm Springs
Serving Palm Springs since 1958, Las Casuelas Original keeps the dessert list short but traditional. Save room for the vanilla ice cream, coated in a crispy shell and dusted with cinnamon sugar.
Roasted Pistachio & Olive Oil Ice Cream
Nitroinfusions, La Quinta
Frozen to order using liquid nitrogen, the organic ice cream at Nitroinfusions comes in a variety of grown-up flavors. The most distinctive is roasted pistachio and olive oil — a savory-meets-sweet blend of salty nuts, extra-virgin olive oil, and vanilla.
Bluetiful Power Smoothie
Fruit Wonders, Palm Springs
The power-boost smoothies at this popular Palm Springs juice bar will fuel you from dawn till dusk. Don’t let the bold blue hue color of this smoothie fool you. The blue majik base is made with a spirulina algae extract. Hemp seeds, maca root powder, banana, coconut cream, agave, and almond milk round out the recipe that is as healthy as it is delicious.
Black Forest Cake Custard
Perfect Pint, Palm Desert
This gourmet frozen custard company launched during the pandemic and quickly gained a loyal following. The menu of handcrafted, small-batch flavors includes a rich, chocolate-forward Black Forest cake inspired by co-founder Jordan Panaiotov’s time living in Germany.
Banana Split
Kreem Palm Springs, Palm Springs
Kreem has garnered lots of love in Palm Springs for its superb scoops of artisanal ice cream. (They also offer a variety of vegan options.) The shop’s banana split, served in a Chinese takeout box with all the fixings, is a photo-worthy frozen treat that’s perfect for sharing.
Mangonada
Azucena’s Raspados y Ice Cream, Cathedral City
This raspaderia reels in customers with its traditional Mexican shave ice, or raspados, made with all-natural sauces that are sweetened with fresh fruit. We recommend the sweet and spicy Mangonada, with homemade mango syrup, chamoy, Tajín, chunks of fresh mango, and Mexican candy. Owner Michelle Valencia has been perfecting the recipe for more than two decades.
Paleta
La Michoacana Ice Cream Parlor, Cathedral City
This Mexican ice cream parlor in Cathedral City uses real frozen fruit for its all-natural paletas (popsicles). The rainbow palette of flavors such as pitaya (dragon fruit), kiwi, guava, mango, piña colada, and watermelon will require numerous trips.
Orange Julio Haboob
Chef Tanya’s Kreamery, Palm Desert
Organic oat milk yields creamy vegan soft serve. Chef Tanya mixes it with vanilla, fresh oranges and mango, and housemade chamoy for a creamsicle-inspired concoction is a bold way to beat the heat.
Joshua Tree Coffee Gelato
Gelato Granucci, Palm Springs
Any flavor from this artisanal gelateria will satisfy your sweet tooth, but we love the Joshua Tree Coffee gelato, made with beans from the High Desert roastery. Dark and decadent, the frozen confection includes the sweet yet smoky notes of espresso beans in every bite.
- READ NEXT: 10 ice cream spots to beat the heat.