I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice scream! And in the PNW, our love for the stuff knows no season. But where do we find the perfect cold, sweet treat? Listen, we LOVE some of Portland’s finest as much as the next person, like Salt and Straw, Fifty Licks, and Ruby Jewel, but where are some other lesser celebrated frozen treats in the Portland metro area? Well, check out these five local treasures below. 

Cloud City

4525 SE Woodstock Blvd. Portland, OR 97206

Small batch with heart and soul. They use natural and local ingredients, which are not only delicious but great for our community. Their tagline is “We are absolutely, unequivocally obsessed with crafting fun and delicious flavors with food.” They are legit with delicious combinations, including vegan and gluten-free options. Here is a sneak peek of some of their current flavors…Better Than Therapy: lemon curd ice cream with homemade gluten-free ginger molasses cookies, or how about Circus Friends: sweet cream ice cream, Mother’s frosted animal cookies, and rainbow sprinkles. So much YES!

Cool Moon Ice Cream

1105 NW Johnson St. Portland, OR 97209-3062

This is a special little find. They have some really interesting flavors that they handmake. They have a huge 200-flavor library that they rotate through. Each day, they have 26 flavors available but have a list of about ten that they almost always have in stock that includes gems like four vanillas (that rotate), Belgian chocolate, coffee crackle, salty caramel, birthday cake, Oregon berry (that could be marionberry, strawberry, or blueberry), and a nutty flavor (that could be hazelnut, almond, maple nut, or butter pecan). They also have rosewater-infused Kulfi. You can always call and ask them what is in their rotation. 

Dairy Hill

Hillsdale – 6352 SW Capitol Hwy. Portland, OR 97239

SE Hawthorne – 1428 SE 36th Ave. Portland, OR 97214

West Linn – 19143 Willamette Dr. West Linn, OR 97068

Sellwood – 7135 SE Milwaukie Ave. Portland, OR 97202

Lake Oswego – 3 Monroe Pkwy. Lake Oswego, OR 97035

Dairy Hill set out to create a traditional ice cream shop that is locally owned and locally focused, and they succeeded! They have a retro vibe, and we are here for it. Ice cream sundae in a baseball helmet? Come on! So cute! They also have shakes, malts, banana splits, ice cream cakes, and their specialty is handmade ice cream sandwiches. They have grown a lot since 2015 and now have five locations. So no matter where you are in the city, you are close to one. They are not to be missed!

Ome Calli Frozen Treats

12795 SW Canyon Rd.  Beaverton, OR 97005

This place has it all. They have handmade ice cream, fresh popsicles, and their famous Chamoyadas. (Chamoyadas are a sweet and salty frozen treat). They have flavors you may not be able to experience at other ice cream shops, like tequila, corn, cotija cheese, and mamey fruit (the flavor has notes of sweet potato, pumpkin, honey, peach, apricot, and cantaloupe). Oh, and their cotton candy-flavored ice cream is full of vibrant and beautiful colors. They have so many delicious options. There is truly something for everyone. The owners started making ice cream 30 years ago in Mexico City in a shop facing the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe. But luckily for us, you can find them now in Beaverton. 

Want to make your own hyper-local ice cream? Make a quick, small batch of homemade ice cream. Here is the recipe…

Ice Cream in a Bag

  • ¼ cup salt (the bigger, the better, like rock salt, but use what you have)
  • Ice 
  • 1 cup half-and-half or whipping cream 
  • 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla (or you could do another type of extract, chocolate syrup, or whatever you want!) 
  • 2 tablespoons sugar (this can change depending on your flavorings and add-ons)
  • 2-4 tablespoons add-ons (this is optional, but you can toss in some fruit, candy, chocolate chips, sprinkles, or whatever you want…the possibilities are endless)
  • Zip top bags- 1 small bag and 1 large bag

Fill the large zip-top bag with some ice and salt. If you choose a large salt, it helps reduce the chance that salt will get in your ice cream. In the smaller bag, put the half and half, vanilla (or another flavoring), and the sugar. Zip that top securely, put it in the large ice/salt bag, and close the large bag’s top. Then start rocking. This is the fun part…you are going to rock it back and forth, back and forth. In about 10 minutes, the contents will get to a soft-serve consistency. Pull the small bag out (carefully) and rinse it off with cold water before you open it. Then you can add any of your add-ons (just stir them in) or just open the bag and enjoy immediately.