These 5 Best Ice Cream Spots In Denver Are By Little Man Ice Cream (With Vegan)

DENVER, CO — We searched far and wide for the best ice cream Denver has to offer. Now we can all scream for ice cream at these fantastic spots that offer more than just the basics.

Unique flavor combinations, inclusive nondairy desserts for the vegans among us and a variety of ways to consume ice cream are all in our recommendations for the yummiest ice cream shops. One twist we were not planning for the roundup, though, is that we would fall in love with one business that owns several completely different types of ice cream shops in Denver.

Have you tried Denver's The Constellation Ice Cream, Sweet Cooie's Ice Cream and Chocolates, Dang Soft Serve or Little Man Ice Cream? Turns out, they are all owned by the Little Man Ice Cream Co. They're all quite different from one another, so let's go through them to find the best one for everyone.

The namesake company is Little Man Ice Cream. The shop occupies a 28-foot-tall cream can, an homage to Coney Island hot dog carts and roadside attractions from the golden era of American road trips. The place serves homemade ice cream and handcrafted novelties. The menu is pretty classic, sticking to waffle cones, sundaes, splits, "sammies," malts, shakes, floats and cups, plus tons of topping choices.

Just as impressive as the dessert is the shop's caring philosophy for the community. According to the website, "From philanthropic programs like scoop for scoop, to community-building events hosted on our plaza, to ensuring that we buy and partner local whenever possible, Little Man’s mission is to be good stewards of the people we work with and the planet we live in.” Scoop for Scoop is a program that matches every scoop of ice cream purchased with a donation in a scoop of rice, beans or other essentials to a community in need. Find the menu here, and check here for a list of locations that carry the ice cream wholesale (all over Colorado).

Also in Denver is the Little Man Ice Cream Factory. This space is half tasting and half producing. The industrial building is decked out with an overhead conveyer belt and building block menus. Guests can order flights of ice cream and ice cream cakes and pies, as well as daily specials from "The Flight Deck" (plus the normal options) while soaking in the sights and smells of the homemade ice cream, chocolate and baked good production. There's also a slide and all-ages programming. Order ice cream, ice cream cakes, pies and sandwiches directly from the factory here.

Next is The Constellation Ice Cream, which is named after the 20th-century passenger aircraft the Lockheed Constellation. The shop pays homage to Stapleton's heritage as the host of the international airport, and the open-air plaza is used for community partnerships, seasonal events and free family entertainment. The building is shaped like an airplane, in keeping with the grand theme. The Constellation serves "scratch-made ice cream, sorbet, homemade waffle cones and ice cream novelties, such as the flambeed Baked Alaska ice cream cake pop and chocolate airplane toppings." View the menu here. The location's "scoop for scoop" donates to local schools and nonprofits to support STEAM programs through each scoop purchased.

Dang, the soft serve at Dang Soft Serve Ice Cream is great. This member of the family serves a "seriously twisted" menu consisting of soft serve (in dang and double dang sizes), fries, sundaes, splits, floats and "bomb cyclones." Instead of another roadside attraction-style locale, Dang occupies a "dramatic, modern setting that draws inspiration from 80s pop culture and the arts; 80's street art, vinyl New Wave rock banks, bold splashes of color and hints of mid-century modern." With indoor and outdoor seating, the spot is a gathering place for community as well. The "scoop for scoop" program here supports young artists and musicians in the Park Hill neighborhood by donating a portion of proceeds as a way to celebrate the arts.

Last but certainly not least for the shops in Denver, we have Sweet Cooie’s Ice Cream and Chocolates, which is a classically inspired confectionary that serves scratch-made treats. The spot is an ode to the 1940s, decorated in Tiffany blue with a tagline, "We're sweet on you." The menu features ice cream cones and the usual. It also has some specialty items: The Gooey Cooie, a collection of of handmade chocolate truffles that comes in a box designed like a jewel box. There are also ice cream sandwiches made with Scottish short bread mini cookies. View the menu here. The location's "scoop for scoop" program donates a portion of each scoop of ice cream to support women’s education around the world.

Honorable Mention: Old Town Churn Ice Cream, which sits in a 26-foot-tall ice cream churn in Fort Collins, features inventive exclusive flavors. It partners with other business and donates to agricultural and artistic alliances.

Have you tried each of these locations? Which one do you like best? If we missed it, what is your go-to ice cream shop in the area? Let us and the community know in the comments below!

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