Ice Cream Creations in Long Beach
It’s not surprising that Long Beach–a city that averages 345 sunny days a year–is also home to an amazing collection of ice cream creators. From nostalgic twists on childhood treats to perfect plant-based delights, local dessert shops serve up scoops that venture far beyond the basics. Whether you’re in the mood for sweet-and-salty surprises, shoreline waffle sundaes or bold tropical blends, these frozen creations are a real scream.
WAFFLE SUNDAE
Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt on the Boardwalk (429 Shoreline Village Dr) is a charming shoreline shop with a decidedly seaside vibe. Its signature waffle sundaes shine with warm, crisp handmade waffles formed into bowls, which are then filled with creamy, rich ice cream, fresh fruit, and decadent syrups as well as lots of toppings.
CHOCO-CRESCENT CRUNCH
Dreamy Vegan (712 Orange Ave) specializes in handcrafted, plant-based ice cream made with natural ingredients. Its Choco-Crescent Crunch comes as a crescent-shaped pastry filled with smooth, dairy-free chocolate ice cream, topped with a sweet, crispy coating, all of it forming a dreamy delight that brings comfort, texture, and bold chocolatey goodness to every bite.
SALTINE DREAM
Celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2025, Long Beach Creamery is known for seasonal flavors and locally sourced ingredients. Saltine Dream is likely its most famous–dare we say iconic–creation. Featuring housemade ice cream swirled with caramel, fudgy ribbons, and crunchy crushed saltines, each bite delivers a playful contrast of buttery sweetness and salty crunch–both comforting and surprising. Perfect for summer indulgence.
CHURRO SUNDAE
The Funnel House (425 Shoreline Village Dr) is a fun-loving dessert spot dedicated to combining classic fair flavors with inventive twists. Its churro sundaes are a can’t-miss combination of warm, cinnamon-sugar coated churros and creamy vanilla soft serve. Each sundae is finished with a drizzle of rich caramel and a sprinkle of crunchy churro bits, delivering a perfect harmony of textures and tastes—warm, crisp, smooth, and sweet.
LABUBU ICE CREAM CAKE
La Michoacana Heladeria Tradicional’s (1168 E. Anaheim St.) bright decor matches the hues of its ice cream–strawberry, lime, mango, watermelon–which pop from the refrigerated case in splashes of green, red, yellow, etc. Adding to that color are its “Labubu” ice cream cakes, shaped like the mischievous character from the viral Pop Mart toy series, complete with expressive faces, vibrant frosting and delicious ice cream filling.
GALATA TURKISH ICE CREAM AND DESSERT
Galata Ice Cream and Desserts serves up dondurma, the Turkish ice cream made with salep, a flour that thickens the dessert, giving it a chewy texture and making it resistant to melting, which is why servers on social media can perform those playful tricks with it. Flavors include the traditional chocolate, vanilla and strawberry, as well as those with real fruit–kiwi, lemon, cherry, melon, mango–plus dairy-free options such as black mulberry, cherry and blackberry.
LA MICHOACANA HELADERIA TRADICIONAL
La Michoacana Heladeria Tradicional’s (1168 E. Anaheim St.) bright decor matches the hues of its ice cream, which pop from the refrigerated case in splashes of green, red, yellow, etc. Fresh fruit–strawberry, lime, mango, watermelon–is integrated into both its ice cream and paletas, the popsicle-like offerings that look familiar to many, but may occasionally feature unfamiliar ingredients. For instance, one of the shop’s most popular paletas contains chile and cucumber. It’s really good.