Universal Orlando Resort is known for several tasty treats, including Butterbeer, doughnuts and churros. But no treat helps us frogs stay cool better than ice cream. From the parks to CityWalk and even the hotels, there are plenty of places to satisfy your sweet tooth on property, and after staking out all the top spots, we've come to a consensus on the best ice cream treats that Universal Orlando has to offer. Grab your spoons and straws, friends!
The Best Ice Cream Treats at Universal Orlando Resort
Freeze Ray Pops in Minion Land
While exploring the all-new Minion Land, be sure to hop into Freeze Ray Pops to grab a villainous treat. Inspired by iconic Minion characters such as Gru, Vector and our beloved Minions, these novel goodies make for a sweet and cool way to beat the soaring Orlando temps. On the menu you'll find both Minion and Gru speciality pops along with fruity and dessert flavored pops to include mango, strawberry, coconut and even blueberry lemonade! The Creamsicle Vector and Blue Banana Minion pops are the frog family favorites. These pops are super flavorful and a perfect treat to indulge in on a hot day. Be sure to eat fast or plan to eat these adorable treats inside. They melt FAST in the Florida sun.
Banana Split at Schwab's Pharmacy in Hollywood
A replica of the popular Sunset Boulevard hangout for movie actors and industry dealmakers from the 1930s through the 1950s, Schwab's Pharmacy pays homage to the soda shops of yesteryear with its selection of sundaes, milkshakes and more. If you decide to hop into this lunch counter, we highly recommend a drugstore classic, the Banana Split. Customize it with three different ice cream flavors of your choosing as well as your sauce and topping of choice. Plus, you can't froget the whipped cream! Save some green and share this heaping dessert among two or three frogs. (They don't call it a "split" for nothing!)
Butterbeer Ice Cream at Florean Fortescue's Ice-Cream Parlour in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter — Diagon Alley
If you want to try some of Harry Potter's personal favorites, go for the Chocolate & Raspberry or the Strawberry & Peanut Butter. If you want to be a little more adventurous, go for the Earl Grey & Lavender or Chocolate Chili. If you want to try the most iconic ice cream at Universal Orlando Resort, get the Butterbeer ice cream. Available in a waffle cone or souvenir glass, this soft-serve ice cream is more like vanilla ice cream with a Butterbeer accent so it's not overwhelmingly sweet but still gives you that delightful taste of butterscotch and shortbread you'll find in the various drink versions.
This Diagon Alley gem serves up a variety of soft-serve flavors such as Granny Smith and Orange Marmalade and hard pack flavors such as Salted Caramel Blondie and Sticky Toffee Pudding, so whatever you're in the mood for, you'll be sure to find a flavor that enchants you!
UNIVERSAL'S ISLANDS OF ADVENTURE
Hop on Pop Ice Cream Shop in Seuss Landing
While you'll only find chocolate, vanilla, strawberry and cookies and cream here, you will find creations that tadpoles are sure to love such as the Brownie Sundae in a Waffle Bowl (made with a chocolate brownie, vanilla ice cream and creamy caramel sauce or hot fudge and topped with whipped cream and a cherry) and the signature Sundae on a Stick (a vanilla ice cream bar hand-dipped in chocolate with your choice of topping). If you're making your way clockwise around this park and just had dinner at Mythos, this is the perfect place to stop for some delicious desserts!
Waturi Fusion at Koka Poroka Ice Cream Kona
Say hello to Volcano Bay's best-kept secret. Strangely enough, you won't find this ice cream stand on the Universal Orlando app but it's not hard to locate. As soon as you enter Volcano Bay, head to the left toward Waturi Marketplace. It'll be right there on your left. As delicious as it is pretty, this Insta-worthy treat is a combination of banana, blue raspberry, orange and strawberry soft-serve ice cream. (Get your photos quickly and start licking because it can melt pretty quickly in the Florida heat!) This fruity favorite is an absolute must-have every time we come to the water park. No sacrifices to Vol required!
UNIVERSAL CITYWALK
Brookies, Cookies & Cream Sundae and Cookie Jar Milkshake at The Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savory Feast Kitchen
Willy Wonka doesn't have anything on Professor Doctor Penelope Tibeaux-Tinker Toothsome. Penelope and her trusty robot companion, Jacques, have worked side-by-side with the culinary alchemists at Universal Orlando to create a bill of fare filled with marvelous milkshakes and superb sundaes. As a self-proclaimed cookie connoisseur, I always opt for the Cookie Jar milkshake with vanilla ice cream, Oreo, oatmeal and chocolate chip cookies and whipped topping at the end of every meal if I just want a sweet treat for myself (although the milkshakes are more than big enough to share between two frogs). Or if we all want to tackle something together, our Frog Family orders the Brookies, Cookies & Cream sundae with a brookie, a chocolate chip cookie, Oreo cookies and cream ice cream, whipped topping, chocolate sauce and chocolate shavings. (Trust me. These sundaes cannot be conquered by one spoon alone.)
If you're not craving cookies, there are tons of other fun options including:
- The Confetti milkshake with vanilla ice cream, confetti cake, vanilla buttercream frosting, rainbow sprinkles and whipped topping
- The Key Lime Pie milkshake with sour cream ice cream, sweet condensed milk, lime juice, lime sugar and lime garnish
- The May Contain Nuts sundae with peanut butter ice cream, peanut brittle, Reese's peanut butter cups, chocolate peanut butter pie, whipped topping, peanut butter sauce and Reese's Pieces
- The S'mores sundae with chocolate ice cream, chocolate sauce, marshmallow cream, graham crackers and a jumbo marshmallow s'more
The King Lives Spiked Shake at The Cowfish Sushi Burger Bar
I have not kept my love for all things peanut butter and banana hidden. So it should come as no shock that The King Lives is a must-get every time I visit Cowfish. (That and the Black & Brie burger which I could rave about for ages.) This milkshake is one of five spiked shakes on the restaurant's dessert menu and is made with Cruzan rum, 99 Bananas liqueur, vanilla ice cream, banana and peanut butter cups.
Of course, there are also some really tasty options for tadpoles including:
- The Nutty Cow with chocolate ice cream, Nutella, cocoa powder and candied hazelnuts
- The Summer Matinee Shake with vanilla ice cream, buttery popcorn, REESES cups, caramel sauce and marshmallow creme
UNIVERSAL ORLANDO RESORT HOTELS
Portofino Sundae at Gelateria at Loews Portofino Bay Hotel
Nothing says La Dolce Vita like gelato! The Portofino Sundae at Gelateria is the cherry on top of a perfect day at the parks. This dessert comes with two scoops of gelato, a choice of hot fudge or caramel sauce, peanuts, whipped cream and, of course, a literal cherry on top. We were hoppily surprised to find more unique flavors than the ones shown online so we went for the Caramel Cookie Crunch and the Blue Banana — inspired by the Minions. (You're noticing a theme here, right?) We also opted for caramel sauce because you can never have enough caramel and Reese's Pieces instead of peanuts to enjoy a little bit of chocolate! Truly heaven in every bite ...
HONORABLE MENTION
Ice Cream Treats During Special Events
With three epic holiday celebrations, Universal Studios always has new and exciting treats you can find scattered around the park. Last year at Halloween Horror Nights, one of the food stands had the "Major Sweets" Ice Cream Sandwich — candy-corn sugar cookies filled with sweet corn ice cream. During Grinchmas, Hop on Pop Ice Cream Shop adds the Grinch Ice Cream Sandwich to its menu.
Our favorite ice cream treat as of late, though, has been the Ube Ice Cream Sesame Bubble Waffle at Universal Mardi Gras (which was located in the Japan pavilion in 2023). An adventurous choice but a big winner for this fam, this black sesame bubble waffle held purple ube soft serve and was topped with cookie crumbs, pocky and a Meiji panda cookie. A major score for a cookie lover like me! (See: my Toothsome pick.) We can't wait to see what the crafty confectioners at Universal think of next!
What's your favorite ice cream treat at Universal Orlando Resort? Are there any we missed? Let us know in the comments below!
Related: Here's the Scoop on Our Favorite Ice Cream Stops at Disney World
Hoppy planning!
