The Scoop on Essential Ice Cream Options Around Toledo

Fun Guide  |  08/01/2022 3:00 pm

While sitting down with a simple soft serve cone may be our favorite summer pastime, there are days when we want something more from our ice cream experience. We’ve rounded up our favorite non-soft serve frozen treats in and around Toledo for when your go-to twist cone just isn’t enough. 

Unique Sweets

Looking for something a bit fancier than the common ice cream cone? Toledo has some crazy frozen confections to try!

Bubble waffle irons may have been in high demand in Hong Kong since the 1970s, but we can’t say we’ve seen bubble waffle cones being served up in Toledo all that much… until now! Imagine oversized bubble wrap, but it’s a waffle and full of ice cream. Sign us up and send us to Jerzei’s Ice Cream, where they’re serving up sizeable Build-Your-Own options in these unique cones.

Jerzei’s Ice Cream / 1904 Arlington Ave. Toledo, Ohio 43609

Hear us out… It’s a milkshake, but with an entire cheesecake slice or puff of cotton candy on top. It’s true - Odd Fodder’s ‘Over-the-Top’ milkshakes are really something to behold. (Preferably with two hands!) The shake menu is updated seasonally, so you can always count on something new to try.

Odd Fodder / 26520 North Dixie Highway Perrysburg, Ohio 43551

Keep out humans - this special is for the dogs! Head to Fritzie Freeze on the 3rd Thursday of each month to get a free dog bone sundae for your furry friend. For the dog’s chauffeur we recommend the turtle sundae! Once you’ve got your ice cream, be sure to snap a selfie with your pup in front of their animal-filled mural outside. 

Fritzie Freeze / 5137 N. Summit Street, Toledo, Ohio 43611

Vegan Delights

Just because you don’t do dairy doesn’t mean you have to leave ice cream out! Behold some of  the very best vegan options in Toledo…

There’s just something extra yummy about Jacky’s Depot, and we suspect it’s that their ice creams are made right on site! There’s always a few fabulous vegan flavors available, but here’s the real scoop… they even have vegan cookies for ice cream sandwiches! In a hurry to get home? They have sundae kits ready to go - it’s a quart or pint of ice cream with two toppings, with vegan options for this too.

Jacky’s Depot / 130 W. Dudley St., Maumee, Ohio 43537

If you’re vegan and tired of rolling up to an ice cream shop to realize they only have one flavor that meets your needs, you deserve a better experience - the Sweet Experience on Reynolds Road to be exact! They regularly stock four to six vegan hard dip flavors, plus offer vegan cones and even vegan-friendly chocolate syrup.

Sweet Experience / 2111 N. Reynolds Rd., Toledo, Ohio 43615

Delicious Hard Dip

Whether you’re a die-hard Handel’s fan, can’t decide between Toft’s or Hershey’s, or want to try something new, here are a few favorites…

Mayberry Ice Cream in Sylvania offers 25 rotating hard dip flavors each day. Coffee fans rejoice, as you can get any of those as an affogato! Mayberry’s ice cream cakes are worth celebrating as well, so be sure to pick one up for your next special gathering.

Mayberry Ice Cream / 5645 Mayberry Square E., Sylvania, Ohio 43560

Serving up hard dip ice cream from the beloved Hershey’s brand alongside their own delicious baked goods, Nedley’s has nearly everything your sweet tooth could want - plus coffee! Located next to Gathering Volumes bookstore in Perrysburg, it’s the perfect place to take oneself for a quiet weekend solo date.

Nedley’s Ice Cream & Coffee Cafe / 200 E. South Boundary, Perrysburg, Ohio 43551

Got a more advanced palate? Lucky you, as Toledo has a new gourmet ice cream purveyor on the loose! The custardy flavors by Swanky Scoops are sure to please even the most discerning customer, and our top picks are Basilicious, Bourbon for Breakfast, and - new this summer - Passionfruit. While Swanky Scoops isn’t a brick-and-mortar, the brand isn’t hard to find - get pints at Original Sub Shop on Broadway, or enjoy their ice cream sandwich collaboration when you stop into Dollop Shop in Cricket West. Keep an eye on Instagram, as you can also catch their ice cream cart popping up at select events.

Swanky Scoops / No fixed address; see link for pop-ups and brick-and-mortar partners.

From Alice Handel’s Youngstown backyard in 1945 to scoop shops across ten states today, it’s no secret that Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream is a Toledo-area favorite. We love visiting in summer not only to beat the heat, but for the peach ice cream - made with fresh fruit in season! Prefer something more decadent? Try the Tiger Stripes; orange vanilla and deep dark chocolate ice cream mixed together.

Handel’s Ice Cream / 5908 W Sylvania Ave., Toledo, Ohio 43623 or 5655 Secor Rd, Toledo, Ohio 43623

In addition to over 20 flavors rotating daily, at Charlie’s Homemade Ice Cream you’ll find waffle bowls made fresh in house, as well as delicious treats like drumsticks and ice cream sandwiches. Hoping for something small? Try their new mini sandwiches - ice cream nestled in two just-right-sized chocolate chip cookies. As for flavors, you can’t go wrong with their colorful Funfetti option. Catch Charlie’s in their own shop, or in the park  during the Red Bird Farmer’s Markets. 

Charlie’s Homemade Ice Cream / 6600 Sylvania Ave, Sylvania, Ohio 43560

Content Editor: Lindsay Williams