Best Ice Cream in Gatlinburg, Top 6 Ranked

ice cream in gatlinburg

Mad Dog's Ice Cream and Donuts has a wide variety of ice cream flavors in a convenient Gatlinburg location (photo by Morgan Overholt/TheSmokies.com)

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Like pancakes, moonshine and go karts, ice cream in Sevier County is big business.

From the Old Mill Creamery in Pigeon Forge and the Apple Valley Creamery – part of the Apple Barn Village in Sevierville – to the various premium ice cream purveyors in the Gatlinburg area, the Smoky Mountains are where it’s at for your sweet, sugary, ice cream fix.

In particular, some of the best ice cream shops in the area are in Gatlinburg, close to the national park, making it a perfect way to cool off after a long day hiking and exploring the mountains.

So whether your dessert of choice is a simple vanilla soft serve, a homemade ice cream cone or one of the classic ice cream sodas served in downtown Gatlinburg, the best Gatlinburg ice cream shops can compete with anywhere in the world.

Here are some of our favorite places to get delicious ice cream in the Gatlinburg area.

Read Also: 10 Best Places To Get Ice Cream in Pigeon Forge, Ranked

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candied apples and chocolate covered strawberries at kilwin's
Kilwin’s specializes in fudge and other chocolates (photo by Morgan Overholt/TheSmokies.com)

6. Kilwin’s Chocolates Fudge and Ice Cream

We’re ranking this on the low side simply because the focus is on fudge and not ice cream. However, Kilwin’s is a great place to satisfy your sweet tooth in Gatlinburg.

They offer hand-crafted caramel corn, clusters, nuts, truffles and more.

Of course, you can also get an ice cream cone or bowl in a variety of flavors.

They are located at 645 Parkway in Gatlinburg.

marketplace mall
Cookie Dough Bliss is located in the Marketplace (photo by Morgan Overholt/TheSmokies.com)

5. Cookie Dough Bliss & Creamery

Located in the Marketplace Mall, Cookie Dough Bliss specializes in gourmet cookie dough.

However, you can also get a wide range of shakes, floats, sundaes and ice cream sandwiches.

A small soft-serve ice cream is only $8 at the time of this writing, so it’s a great yet affordable place to grab a sweet treat, conveniently located in Gatlinburg.

Glades Soda Fountain in Gatlinburg
Glades Soda Fountain in Gatlinburg is located in the Arts and Crafts Community (photo by Alaina O’Neal/TheSmokies.com)

4. Glades Soda Fountain

A portal to the past, this shop in the Gatlinburg Arts and Craft Community is like something out of an Archie comic.

They offer old-fashioned sodas, a variety of ice cream flavors and malts and shakes and sundaes as well as a classic banana split.

This nostalgic soda fountain, which harkens back to the day of the friendly soda jerk, offers a variety of ice cream cones that make for a fabulous sweet treat.

You can find it at 601 Glades Road.

Maddie Mae's in Gatlinburg
Maddie Mae’s in Gatlinburg can be found in The Village (photo by Bill Burris/TheSmokies.com)

3. Maddi Mae’s Cafe and Creamery

Formerly known as the Village Cafe and Creamery, Maddi Mae’s is a great place to stop and chill out with a wide variety of shakes, floats and other heavenly ice cream treats. You can also perk up with locally roasted coffees and espressos.

They also offer slushies which is especially important when your middle child has a dairy allergy and is always wondering whether the ice cream shop will have something he can eat.

They also have Dole Whip-flavored treats which are small orange-pineapple slices of heaven.

Maddi Mae’s is located in the Village Shops.

An ice cream burrito at Mad Dog's in Gatlinburg
Mad Dog’s in Gatlinburg gets bonus points for creativity, featuring creations like this Ice Cream Burrito (photo by Alaina O’Neal/TheSmokies.com)

2. Mad Dog’s Ice Cream and Donuts

With locations in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, Mad Dog’s is a great place to come if you want ice cream or other delectable treats.

As one of the few dog-friendly places in the area, they even have treats and toys for your four-legged friends.

Choose from 24 unique flavors of ice cream like white chocolate raspberry, black walnut, moose tracks, Yellow Brick Road, chocolate chip cookie dough, Smoky Mountain fudge, blueberry pie, peanut butter cup and more. 

In addition to shaved ice that comes with a choice of flavors and toppings, they have funnel cakes, a wide variety of donuts and donut holes and much, much more.

Read Also: Is Gatlinburg Dog Friendly? 11 Places Dogs Can Go in the Smokies

two over the top milkshakes from crazy mason
Crazy Mason is known for their over-the-top creations (photo by Alaina O’Neal/TheSmokies.com)

1. Crazy Mason Milkshake Bar

This chain with locations in the Carolinas and Virginia is all about sweet excess.

They are best known for milkshakes that tower far above the mason jar they’re served in.

But they also serve a variety of ice cream concoctions, including treats that use ice cream sandwiches of chocolate chip cookies for the “bread”.

Forget waffle cones or waffle bowls, at the Crazy Mason, they serve your sundae on top of a freshly prepared waffle.

Do you have a favorite ice cream place in Gatlinburg? Let us know in the comments!

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

John Gullion

John Gullion, Managing Editor at the Citizen Tribune, is a freelance contributor for TheSmokies.com LLC – the parent company of TheSmokies.com and HeyOrlando.com.

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