Affogato is an Italian dessert of hot espresso poured over a scoop of ice cream. In Ankeny, Uptown Dairy serves it as a daily option, a nice grown-up twist on a cone.

The Best Ice Cream in Ankeny, Iowa: Local Scoops & Dessert Shops

Q: Where is the best ice cream in Ankeny?

The local favorites in Ankeny are Sweet Swirls, for rolled ice cream made to order on a frozen plate, The Outside Scoop, for small-batch flavors made from scratch on a rotating menu, and Uptown Dairy, for classic hard-pack scoops and affogatos. All three are local shops rather than chains. Tastes vary, so try more than one.

Q: Does Ankeny have a local ice cream shop?

Yes. Ankeny has independent scoop shops including Uptown Dairy and The Outside Scoop, alongside the usual custard and soft-serve chains. The Outside Scoop makes its ice cream in small batches from scratch.

Q: Where can I get ice cream near Ankeny?

Beyond Ankeny's own shops, Des Moines-area classics are a short drive, including Snookies Malt Shop in the Beaverdale neighborhood, a walk-up soft-serve institution since 1986.

Summer in Ankeny runs on ice cream, and the town has picked up some genuinely good local scoop shops to go with the reliable custard-and-cone chains. Here's where to go for a cone, a shake, or a small-batch flavor you won't find anywhere else, plus the metro classics that are a short drive away.

The quick answer

For ice cream in Ankeny, the local standouts are Sweet Swirls (Iowa's first rolled ice cream, made to order on a frozen plate), The Outside Scoop (small-batch, made-from-scratch, two-dozen rotating flavors), and Uptown Dairy (classic hard-pack scoops and affogatos). Add the dependable custard and soft-serve chains around town, and a short drive to Des Moines classics like Snookies in Beaverdale, and you're covered all summer.

In town

The local scoop shops

Sweet Swirls Rolled Ice Cream (303 SW School St). Iowa's first rolled ice cream: you pick a base, mix-ins, sauce, and toppings, and they mash and roll it on a frozen plate in front of you. Soft serve, shakes, and cakes too. It started out of a trailer back in 2017 and keeps later weekend hours than most, which makes it a good after-dinner stop.
The Outside Scoop. Small-batch ice cream made from scratch, with about 24 flavors on a rotating basis. An Ankeny storefront (with a truck that gets around, too), and a local favorite for a reason.
Uptown Dairy. A classic, simple ice cream shop serving hard-pack scoops (including fun flavors like Superman and Blue Moon) plus shakes, floats, and affogatos, espresso poured over a scoop, for the grown-ups.

Flavors and hours rotate, especially outside summer, so it's worth a quick check before you head over.

The dependable stops

Custard, soft serve, and chains

When you just want a reliable cone, Ankeny has the usual strong options: frozen custard, soft serve, and the drive-thru treat chains are scattered along the main commercial corridors. They're the easy default for a weeknight or a post-game crowd, and they're open later than most of the small shops.

Worth the drive

The metro classics

A few Des Moines-area institutions are close enough to fold into an Ankeny evening:

Snookies Malt Shop (Beaverdale). A walk-up soft-serve institution since 1986, with an iconic neon sign and long summer lines. Worth it.
Other metro favorites, from rolled ice cream to old-school shoppes, are an easy add if you're already headed into the city.

For more sweet-tooth and outing ideas, see things to do in Ankeny and things to do with kids.

Pair it

Make an evening of it

Ice cream pairs naturally with a summer night out. Grab a scoop before a movie at the theater, after a walk at a park, or following dinner from our best restaurants list. In December, swap the cone for hot cocoa and the holiday lights.

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Quick answers

Ankeny ice cream FAQ

Where is the best ice cream in Ankeny?

The local favorites are Sweet Swirls (rolled ice cream made to order), The Outside Scoop (small-batch, rotating flavors), and Uptown Dairy (hard-pack scoops and affogatos). All three are local, not chains; tastes vary, so try more than one.

Does Ankeny have a local ice cream shop?

Yes, including Uptown Dairy and The Outside Scoop, plus the usual custard and soft-serve chains. The Outside Scoop makes its ice cream from scratch in small batches.

What is affogato?

It's hot espresso poured over a scoop of ice cream. Uptown Dairy serves it daily, a grown-up twist on the usual cone.

Where can I get ice cream near Ankeny?

Des Moines classics are a short drive, including Snookies Malt Shop in Beaverdale, a walk-up soft-serve institution since 1986.

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Sources: Catch Des Moines, Des Moines Register (Uptown Dairy), and local coverage (The Outside Scoop, Snookies Malt Shop). Shops, flavors, and hours change seasonally; confirm before you go, and tastes are personal, so this is a starting point, not a ranking.

The best ice cream in Ankeny: the local scoop shops and the treats worth the trip.