Anna Maria Island has it all. You’ll find postcard scenes of pristine white sandy beaches and turquoise water, and there are plenty of shops to keep you entertained. Take a boat tour to enjoy the aquatic wildlife or go kayaking to soak in the natural beauty and stay active. Whatever kind of vacation you’re looking for, Anna Maria Island won’t disappoint. You won’t be disappointed with the food, either. Top your perfect day exploring Anna Maria Island with a delicious ice cream cone; it can’t get any better! Here are the top three ice cream joints on the island.
Holy Cow Ice Cream and Other Cool Stuff
As its name implies, Holy Cow Ice Cream is worth getting excited about! With 36 delicious flavors to choose from, you’ll have plenty of reasons to come back time and time again. Enjoy your favorite flavor in a cone, cup, or as a hand-spun milkshake. There’s even a special discount program for regulars, so keep coming back to save on future ice cream!
Their ice cream selection changes daily, but it includes favorites like vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, coffee, and chocolate chip cookie dough. Fabulous mixes like Rum Raisin, Mocha Almond Fudge, and Cappuccino Kahlua are sure to satisfy your taste buds. Rainbow Sherbet is a delicious fat-free, dairy-free alternative, perfect for the health-conscious customer or anyone with milk intolerance.
Milkshakes and malts are a specialty here. They can be made out of all of Holy Cow’s flavors. Popular options include Cookies & Cream, Peanut Butter Banana, Pumpkin Pie, and Triple Chocolate (chocolate ice cream, chocolate milk, and chocolate sauce). You can’t go wrong!
Other specials include coffee frappés – French Vanilla, Kappa Kappa Café, and Hazelnut Delight – as well as fruit smoothies and sundaes. Smoothies consist of blended fruit, ice cream, and fruit concentrates for flavors like Berry Madness, Fruit Cocktail, and Banana Peanut Butter. Sundae lovers will be impressed by options like the Mississippi Mud Pie, Chocolate Chip Cookie Surprise, Wet Nuts, and Sandy’s Turtles. With so many options, it will be difficult to limit yourself to one!
Drop by the shop at 3234 East Bay Dr on Holmes Beach. It’s open Sunday through Thursday from 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. and until 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Bring the whole family and enjoy your afternoon treat in the shop. You’ll be entertained watching the exotic fish tank located out front. There’s an evening feeding nightly at 7 p.m., so come a bit later, and you’re in for dessert and a show!
Two Scoops
After opening its doors in 2007, Two Scoops quickly became an island favorite. Here, you will find 32 flavors of homemade ice cream as well as casual dining and breakfast choices.
Ice cream flavors include all the classics as well as unique flavors such as Black Raspberry, Muddy Sneaker, Trashcan, Blue Moon, Blueberry Pie, Pralines and Cream, Bing Cherry, and Gator Tracks. With so many delicious flavors, one scoop just won’t be enough!
Alternatives, such as sorbet, yogurt, and sugar-free flavors, are also available. Ice cream can be purchased in cake cones or cups, waffle cones & bowls, dipped waffle cones, and kiddie scoops. If you’re in a rush, get ice cream to go; a pint costs $6.50 and a quart $8.
Sundae lovers won’t be able to get enough of the Two Scoops’ tasty menu items: Hot Fudge Sundae, Scoops Sampler, Oreo-icious Sundae, Chocolate Decadence, Brownie Sundae, and Banana Split. Delicious mixtures like the Waffle Wedge include a warm Belgian waffle drizzled with maple syrup, topped with two scoops of maple walnut ice cream, walnuts, whipped cream, and a cherry. You won’t be able to resist!
Other dessert options include shakes and floats, like Sorbet Slush and the Hot Fudge Sundae Shake. For drinks, order coffee or espresso.
Two Scoops doesn’t only offer ice cream; a breakfast and lunch menu serves classics such as muffins, bagels, French toast, grilled cheese sandwiches, croissants, and BLT. Combine this with ice cream for the perfect meal. For breakfast, grab a two-egg breakfast, a side of bacon and sausage patties, and a sundae. For lunch, try a grilled cheese classic and two scoops of your favorite flavor.
Two Scoops is located on 101 S Bay Boulevard on the North end of the island, near the waterfront. You can drop by Sunday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and on Fridays and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Dips Ice Cream
This family-owned and operated ice cream shop is another great place for a visit, having been voted the #1 ice cream shop on Anna Maria Island by the Anna Maria Island Sun eight times! It’s a favorite of both visitors and locals alike.
You’ll find 32 flavors of ice cream, including customer favorites like Raspberry Rhapsody, Blueberry Cheesecake, Vanilla Peanut Butter, and Tangerine Dream. There are also two flavors of soft serve, gelato, sundaes, Italian ice, and an amazing selection of candy. Non-dairy items include Mango and Tangerine Italian Ice.
Get your order to go as there’s no indoor seating, though there’s a patio and some outdoor seating where one can relax. Enjoy your cool, tasty treat under a beautiful Florida sky. You can also take a late-night ice cream run; the store is consistently open until 10 p.m. each night, later than other ice cream stores on the island.
The store is open daily from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. You can visit Dips Ice Cream at 503 Pine Avenue on the North end of the island. While in the area, don’t miss out on exploring historic Pine Avenue and doing some window shopping! There are also many great restaurants in the neighborhood, so you can go out for some fine dining before finishing the night off with a treat.
Other Dessert Shops
In the rare event that your sweet tooth isn’t entirely satisfied by ice cream, there are plenty of other dessert shops on the island. The Donut Experiment is an island favorite. It offers made-to-order donuts where you can create a unique combo from scratch. Start with a fresh-made cake donut, then select your own icings and toppings. Stay simple or go wild – it’s entirely up to you!
Cupcake Delights produces freshly made donuts daily with a wide range of flavors. Some cupcakes, such as Coconut Dream, Red Velvet, and Carrot Cake, are always available. Others are rotated or require a special order. Such cupcakes include Andes Mint, Boston Cream, Chocolate Nutella, Italian Wedding Cake, Maple Bacon, and more.
Hometown Desserts bakes an assortment of sweets, including pies, cakes, and cheesecakes. Try tiramisu, Red Velvet Cake, or Raspberry Truffle Cake. There’s Banana or Coconut Cream Pie, Key Lime Pie, and Sour Cream Pound Cake. Show up at the bakery for whatever is fresh or place an order for a special treat!
Anna Maria Island Vacation Rentals
To sweeten the deal even more (if that’s possible!), check out our full range of Anna Maria Island vacation rentals. We offer luxury, condo, waterfront, and pet-friendly rentals to meet a wide variety of needs and budgets. Friendly and professional staff are eager to assist you in planning your perfect vacation. Stay in the rental of your dreams, pass lazy days at the beach, and treat yourself to the very best ice cream around.