There is no better treat in the summertime than ice cream, and there is no better way to spend a 100-degree heat wave than sampling all of the ice cream Bozeman has to offer. I took myself on an ice cream tour of Bozeman in order to do just that, and the welcoming shops and delectable flavors I discovered certainly did not disappoint.


Sweet Peaks Ice Cream
A staple of Sweet Peaks Ice Cream is the line out the door, and that, I think, is a true testament to the quality and taste of the ice cream inside. Sweet Peaks offers a unique selection of Montana-made flavors such as Flathead Cherry Chocolate, Griz Tracks, and Huckleberry Lemon Pie. This time around, I sampled Matcha Green Tea ice cream and Dandelion Lemon sorbet. Both were delicious, refreshing, and as always, well worth the wait.

La Châtelaine Chocolat Co.
La Châtelaine is best known for its delectable chocolates, but offers a selection of ice creams and sorbets in-store as well. I sampled Passionfruit Guava Sorbet, which was excellent, but given the nature of the shop I felt inclined to choose a chocolate flavor. Chocolate Hazelnut was rich and smooth with hazelnut pieces blended throughout, and I had to restrain myself from licking the dish.

Genuine Ice Cream Co.
Genuine Ice Cream serves up twenty rotating flavors handmade right here in Bozeman. Choosing just one was impossible, so I ended up with three: Cardamom, Ghost Town Coffee Toffee, and Cinnamon Honey. Each was spectacular, and if there weren’t so many other enticing flavors to try, I would readily order all three again. The shop itself is bright and colorful, and while the ice cream trailer will not be serving any frozen treats this summer, you can also find Genuine at their new location at 605 W Peach St.

Maven’s Market
This cute little market serves up delicious coffee, cheese boards, sandwiches, and, best of all, gelato. Gelato is my preferred form of frozen treat, so I was particularly excited for this stop. I picked up Mango Sorbet and Peanut Butter Cup, an unconventional but necessary combination of my two all-time favorite flavors. The portions were generous, and I had been starting to get a little sick of ice cream. But the gelato was so good that I ended up finishing every last bite.

The Chocolate Moose
The Chocolate Moose is an old-fashioned candy store and ice cream shop. The neon lights, classic red stools, and barrels of candy provide a true retro ice cream experience. They serve up generous portions of Montana’s own Wilcoxon’s Ice Cream, offering reliably mouth-watering flavors such as Montana Moss and Huckleberry Fudge. A sucker for anything peanut-butter-and-chocolate, I chose Peanut Butter Chip. It was the perfect blend of icy and creamy, complete with peanut bits and a slight grainy texture to bring that homemade feel.

Essy’s Frozen Yogurt
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Essy’s is a frozen yogurt shop and a coffee shop rolled into one. On the froyo side, they offer the classic self-serve, with a plethora of flavors and toppings that allow you to completely customize your frozen treat. I personally judge a frozen yogurt shop on its Tart flavor, and Essy’s did not disappoint. The shop is trendy, spacious, and well lit. They are open later than most of Bozeman’s ice cream shops, there to cure your froyo cravings no matter when they hit.

The Candy Jar
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The Candy Jar is a bright and colorful candy shop also serving up Montana-made Wilcoxon’s ice cream. In the ice cream department, they are best known for their mugs of ice cream, which are decked out with candy, sprinkles, cones, and other sweet toppings. This being the last stop on my ice cream tour, I could not quite bring myself to order a mug. However, they look fantastic, and I will most certainly be back to try one the moment my stomach is ready for it.

Each of these ice cream shops has something unique to offer, but all share the guarantee of friendly staff and a delicious, heat-quenching scoop (or two). I cannot recommend them all enough, and will be returning to each and every one at least once throughout the summer. I recommend you do the same.