I scream! You scream! We all scream for ice cream! Okay, so maybe the saying’s a little bit cliché, but you can’t deny that nothing beats that first sweet, creamy bite of ice cream as it melts in your mouth. Going to the ice cream shop and staring at the rainbow of flavors as you struggle to choose is a rite of passage. And, let’s face it: no kid will ever say no to an outing that involves ice cream. As a Montana family photographer, I make it my business to know the best local shops and get my clients smiling. Here are my favorite places to get ice cream in Missoula with the family.
631 S. Higgins, Missoula MT, 59801
Serving up scoops since 1995, Big Dipper Ice Cream is a Missoula tradition, having even gained national recognition on programs like Good Morning America. It has also graced the pages of Food and Wine Magazine and USA Today. Offering up cones, sundaes, shakes, and floats, Big Dipper has whatever sugary goodness your tastebuds crave. For fans of the classics, Big Dipper serves all of your favorite flavors, including vanilla, chocolate, bubblegum, and salted caramel. If you’re seeking a culinary adventure, try their huckleberry, maple walnut, espresso heath, or tangerine sorbet! You can even add a brownie alongside your other toppings. Yum!
223 West Front Street, Missoula MT, 59802.
Open since 2010, Sweet Peaks Ice Cream draws inspiration from Missoula’s rich environment and flavors. Using locally sourced dairy and quality ingredients, their lineup of 16 to 18 flavors rotates seasonally to showcase the best of what our area has to offer. Their classic flavors include their specialty Lafaza Madagascar Vanilla, Mountain Mint, Chocolate Love, Cupcake, and Wustner Bro’s Honey Cinnamon, which is a collaboration with a local apiary. Examples of their specialty flavors include Montana Christmas— a sweet ice cream swirled with tangy wild huckleberry sauce and the smooth taste of fir needles— or Candy Cane Bark, which is a peppermint ice cream dotted with Sweet Peaks’s homemade dark chocolate candy cane bark. Sweet Peaks truly has something for everyone: for those with sensitivities, they serve dairy-free sorbet and egg-free sherbet. Even your dogs can get in on the fun with Sweet Peaks’s dog ice cream and dog pops!
While there’s nothing wrong with picking up a pint of ice cream in Missoula, going to an ice cream shop and smelling the sugar in the air is an experience that’s fun for the whole family. Laugh together as you rush to finish your cone before it melts or pick up scoops on the way home from school. You can’t go wrong when you visit these local Missoula ice creameries.
Sometimes, it’s the little moments in life that are the fondest. Whether it’s an ice cream outing or something else, I’d love to help your family remember these happy times for years to come. Reach out to me here to schedule a family photoshoot today. I can’t wait to work with you!