Best Ice Cream Shops In Treasure Valley, Idaho, Ranked

After spending National Ice Cream Month making my way around the Treasure Valley (and putting my diet on hold), I’ve finally reached the toughest part of the series: ranking them.

Let me just tell you, this wasn’t easy.

The difference between first and fifth place was incredibly small, and every shop on this list is worth visiting. Depending on your own tastes, you might rank them completely differently. But based on flavor, texture, value, variety, and my overall experience, here’s where I landed.

#5 – The STIL (Boise, Eagle, Nampa & Caldwell)

This one may surprise some people.

The STIL has a huge following for a reason. In fact, they’re even in the running for a national “Best Ice Cream in America” honor. The quality is outstanding, and if you love rich, decadent ice cream with bold flavors, and some boozey choices as well, there’s a good chance this would be your number one.

For me, though, many of the flavors leaned a little sweeter than I personally prefer. That’s really the only reason it landed at number five. It wasn’t bad at all, not even close. It just came down to personal taste.

#4 – Sea Salt Creamery (Star)

Sea Salt Creamery was another difficult one to place because everything I tried was really, really good.

The ice cream was creamy and flavorful, but what really stood out was everything else they offer. If you visit, don’t leave without checking out the bakery case. Their cheesecakes are incredible, and the lemon blueberry scone might be one of the best I’ve had anywhere.

It’s the kind of place that’s worth visiting even if you’re not in the mood for ice cream.

#3 – Lovejoy’s Ice Cream (Meridian & Boise)

Lovejoy’s was one of the biggest surprises of the month.

The homemade toppings, fresh waffle cones, and creative flavors make it easy to see why so many Treasure Valley families love this place. Everything tasted fresh, and the atmosphere made it feel like an old-fashioned neighborhood ice cream shop.

This one finished just a hair behind my top two.

#2 – Emmett Creamery

If you’re willing to take a little drive, Emmett Creamery is absolutely worth it.

The flavors were outstanding, especially the ones featuring fresh fruit. Everything tasted homemade, fresh, and incredibly creamy. You can tell they put a lot of care into every batch.

It’s not the closest shop for many Treasure Valley residents, but if you’re looking for a fun summer road trip with a sweet reward waiting at the end, put Emmett Creamery on your list.

#1 – Spoonful Ice Cream (Meridian)

This was probably the hardest decision of the entire month.

The top three shops were so close that they could honestly change positions depending on the day.

What ultimately pushed Spoonful into the top spot wasn’t just the fantastic ice cream, although it’s some of the best I've ever eaten. I love that they feature fresh, seasonal fruit and locally inspired flavors, and every scoop I’ve had has been rich, creamy, and balanced without being overly sweet.

But, the deciding factor for me was the value. Spoonful offers Happy Hour every day from 4 to 6 p.m., when scoops are half price. When you combine outstanding ice cream with that kind of deal, it was just enough to earn the top spot on my list.

Final Scoop On Treasure Valley Ice Cream

Ranking these five shops almost felt unfair because there really weren’t any losers.

If you love sweeter, more indulgent ice cream, you may very well put The STIL at the top. If you’re looking for a destination dessert stop, Emmett Creamery is hard to beat. If you want incredible ice cream that’s close by and offers one of the best daily deals around, Spoonful gets my vote.

The good news? No matter which one you choose, you’re going to be happy... well, until you hit the scales.