Few summer debates in Delaware County are more personal than where to go for ice cream. 

Every family has its usual order, and every kid knows the difference between a quick cone and a full-blown, sprinkle-covered event.  

The shops on this list understand that distinction, and most of them have been perfecting it for years, sometimes decades. 

From imported Italian gelato and house-made water ice to fresh-baked treats and unique creations, these eight Delaware County ice cream shops offer more than dessert. They offer the kind of summer ritual people remember long after the season ends. 

Chill Out Desserts & Ice Cream Parlor, Ridley Park 

The origin story alone makes Chill Out worth rooting for.

When the owners were presented with two businesses for sale, a laundromat and an ice cream parlor, they chose the parlor, admitting they knew nothing about either but that ice cream seemed like more fun.  

More than two decades later, that instinct looks pretty good.  

The Ridley Park shop offers hand-dipped ice cream, Italian water ice, soft serve, frozen yogurt, toppings and ice cream cakes, and it has the kind of loyal neighborhood following that only comes from getting the basics right, consistently, for a very long time. 

CJ’s Waterice and Ice Cream, Collingdale 

More than a decade in, CJ’s has earned its place as a Collingdale staple, and the shop will tell you exactly why.  

Its reputation is built on top-quality, real water ice, the kind made the right way rather than the fast way.  

The boardwalk energy extends through the rest of the menu too: ice cream, gelati, funnel cakes, pretzels and fried Oreos make it feel less like a neighborhood corner stop and more like a summer night out that happens to be five minutes from home. 

Sweet Spot Gelato, Candy, & Soda Pop Shop, Newtown Square 

Sweet Spot is less of a quick stop and more of a sugar field trip, and that’s entirely by design.  

The gelato is imported directly from Italy and can be ordered in a cup or cone, spooned into a Bombolone (an Italian donut filled with gelato and dusted with powdered sugar) or drowned in hot espresso as an Affogato.  

The candy selection reaches just as far: specialty imports from Italy, Mexico and Japan sit alongside novelty treats, a make-your-own taffy box, and an impressive selection of cotton candy. 

Vera’s Water Ice & Ice Cream, Springfield 

Vera’s has been a Springfield fixture since 1995, and three decades of community loyalty don’t happen by accident.  

The family-owned shop has always kept its focus local, building the kind of steady following that comes from showing up, season after season, with the same commitment to quality.  

Homemade water ice, Richman’s hand-dipped ice cream, soft serve, gelati, milkshakes and smoothies make up a menu that doesn’t need to reinvent itself because it never stopped working. 

Tasty Scoopz, Clifton Heights

Tasty Scoopz leans hard into the unexpected.  

The menu covers the classics, water ice, gelati, bubble waffles, and pretzels, but the shop has built its following on combinations that give people something to talk about on the way home.  

Funnel Cake Hot Dogs, Strawberry Cheesecake ice cream, Pizza Pretzels, and flavors like Mint Chocolate Chip Strawberry signal a kitchen that’s always eager to experiment and create something unique.  

When one cone simply will not settle the debate, Tasty Scoopz usually can. 

Salty Cow Ice Cream, Glen Mills 

Salty Cow is the newcomer on this list, having opened in 2020, but it has grown into something harder to categorize than a typical scoop shop.  

The Glen Mills spot makes its ice cream in-house from local dairy, rotating flavors, and pairs all of it with a full food menu of burgers, salads and brick oven pizza.  

It’s the rare place where settling the dinner debate and the dessert debate can happen in the same parking lot. 

Koffmeyer’s Old Fashioned Cookies & Ice Cream, Havertown 

Koffmeyer’s started as a cookie shop, and for longtime locals, that’s still the first thing they’ll tell you about it.  

The cookies are baked fresh daily by the original owner, a detail that matters in an era when most things aren’t, and for many Havertown regulars, picking up a box alongside a cone is simply part of the visit.  

The ice cream side holds its own with hand-dipped Leiby’s ice cream and yogurt, soft serve, Via Veneto Italian ice, sundaes, banana splits and floats, all served in a parlor setting that feels genuinely unhurried. 

Just Homemade Ice Cream, Aston 

Just Homemade Ice Cream has been doing exactly what its name promises since 1984.  

The family-owned Aston shop makes all of its more than 32 flavors on-site, with non-dairy options available for guests who need them and specialty ice cream cakes ready for pre-order when the occasion calls for it.  

After more than 40 years, the mom-and-pop character is still fully intact, which, in itself, is worth the drive. 

Delaware County’s ice cream scene rewards the curious. Some of these shops have been here longer than most of their customers have been alive.

Some are built around a single thing done exceptionally well; others dare you to try everything on the menu before committing. 

All of them are worth finding before summer melts away. 

_______