A local ranks his favorite Ice Cream Shops in Gatlinburg
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!