West of Calgary
MacKay’s Ice Cream – Cochrane
220 – 1 Street W, Cochrane, Alberta
The MacKay family has been making and selling ice cream in Cochrane since 1948. MacKay’s ice cream is richer and creamier than many, as they start with a cream base with a higher percentage of butterfat. Their flavors include old standbys like chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla; flavors that remind me of my childhood, like cotton candy and tiger; and more unusual options, like baklava, durian, and avocado.
Frontier Candy and Ice Cream – Bragg Creek
111 – 10 Balsam Avenue, Bragg Creek, Alberta
A favorite day trip destination, Bragg Creek’s Frontier Candy and Ice Cream offers up lots of flavor options and tons of candy too.
Old School Bus Ice Cream – Canmore
10 Main Street, Canmore, Alberta
Serving ice cream out of an old school bus in downtown Canmore, there are more than 20 flavors of hard ice cream and ten flavors of shaved ice. You can also get floats and milkshakes.
COWS – Banff
134 Banff Avenue, Banff, Alberta
COWS is a small chain based in PEI. Its Banff Avenue shop is its only Alberta location. They offer dense, high butterfat ice cream.
North of Calgary
Little Ice Cream & Soda Shoppe – Red Deer
4030 – 50 Street, Red Deer, Alberta
Treat yourself to some handmade hard ice cream made on-site. Their portions are huge. You can get a single scoop with two flavors, but really, it’s as big as two scoops at most other places. They have an entire section devoted to different chocolate ice cream variations. No debit available.
The Big Moo and More Moo – Sylvan Lake
4603 Lakeshore Drive, Sylvan Lake, Alberta
Located near the beachfront, you can find 60 flavors of Foothills Creamery hard ice cream, soft ice cream, and sundaes.
The Cone – Lacombe
5230 – 45 Street, Lacombe, Alberta
The Cone serves over 40 flavors of Foothills Creamery hard ice cream.
Asteroid – Drumheller
163 Centre Street, Rosedale, Alberta
Located in Rosedale, just outside Drumheller, Asteroid offers around a dozen flavors of hard ice cream in addition to a full menu of burgers and other hot items.
South of Calgary
Big Dipper Ice Cream Shoppe – Okotoks
67 McRae Street, Okotoks, Alberta
Big Dipper Ice Cream Shoppe has over 35 flavors of Foothills Creamery ice cream, as well as Righteous Gelato and Evelyn’s Memory Lane. They offer milkshakes, sundaes, floats, and gelato sandwiches.
Nanton Ice Cream
2129 Main Street, Nanton, Alberta
Located in the Nanton Candy store, Nanton Ice Cream offers 35 flavors of hard ice cream, dipped cones, and fresh made waffle cones. Now open year-round.
Igloo Drive-in
569 – 24 Street, Fort MacLeod, Alberta
Igloo Drive-in offers a large variety of soft serve ice cream, as well as other items like burgers and fries.
Swirls Ice Cream – Lethbridge
1701 Mayor Magrath Drive S, Lethbridge, Alberta
Swirls started in Medicine Hat and has now expanded to Lethbridge. Serving hard ice cream, soft ice cream, and ice cream treats. Open year-round, with reduced hours in the winter.
Swirls Ice Cream – Medicine Hat
On the corner of Division Avenue and 4 Street, Medicine Hat, Alberta
Swirls started in Medicine Hat and has now expanded to Lethbridge. Serving hard ice cream, soft ice cream, and ice cream treats. Open year-round, with reduced hours in the winter.
Dana spends her free time seeking out the best indoor and outdoor places to play in Calgary with her son and blogging about them. For more information, visit calgaryplaygroundreview.com.
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