Nelson has some fabulous desserts, but the ice cream selection in this town is equally impressive! Classic soft serve, handcrafted gelato, and flavour packed hard ice cream are all well represented here, and we’re willing to bet it’ll be some of the best you’ll ever have. Grab your waffle cone or spoon of choice, get your sandals out, and get ready to explore the sweetest spots in town!
What’s the #1 pick? That depends on whether you like your ice cream hard, soft, or Italian 🍨
We have a huge appreciation for anyone that makes their product from scratch, so the three institutions that make their own are at the top of the list. Follow your heart on this one 😍🍦
Gina’s Gelato
📍26 Victoria St, Nelson BC | ginasgelato.com
Fully embodying Nelson’s value for boutique handmade products, Gina’s Gelato is love and care in edible form. Handmade gelato? Scrumptious, but just the starting point.
Gina’s incredible selections are made with locally grown produce, chocolate sourced from right down the street, or made from scratch (handmade graham crackers anyone?). They have gooey handmade cookies and brownies, handcrafted browned butter waffle cones. The list goes on and on.
If it comes from Gina’s, it’s going to be real, heartwarming goodness.
Our favourite: Lemon meringue – it even comes with fresh soft meringue that’s torched for you on your cone!
Big Dee’s
📍563 Ward St, Nelson, BC | bigdees.ca
Big Dee’s specializes in two things: gourmet hot dogs and small-batch, handmade hard ice cream. They offer classic flavours like cookies & cream and bubble gum alongside creative rotating options like banana fudge.
Choose from cones (extra fancy or classic), cups, or even homemade ice cream cookie sandwiches.
Marzano
📍153 Baker St, Nelson | marzanonelson.com
With a rotating gelato selection curated by their talented chefs, Marzano’s gelato is a perfect after-dinner treat. It’s just so flavourful – especially their Pistachio Cardamom, one that’s stuck with us. Their fruit flavours and classic vanilla are also amazing though – mix and match.
It’s one of our picks for the best desserts in Nelson (although we hear the pistachio-caramel is also top notch)! All of their flavours are made in-house, and deliver that intense, smooth flavour that makes gelato so special.
Pixie Candy Shoppe
📍509 Baker St, Nelson | pixiecandyshoppe.com
Your kids will already be well aware of this Nelson candy institution with their candy packaged in cone shaped wrapping, but did you know they have an ice cream bar? 🍬 Hard ice cream with fancy dipped cones, floats, and sundaes so you can get a treat while shopping for treats. 🍨
These sundaes are a highlight: two scoops of Foothills ice cream, your choice of sauce, whipped cream, and sprinkles to sweeten the deal.
Or if you’re feeling thirsty, the floats are also fun – pick a special chilled soda from the fridge and pair it with a flavour of ice cream!
Oh, and they also have plain vanilla cones to keep dad happy too.🍦
Beauties Pizza
📍449 Baker St., Nelson | beautiespizza.ca
Beauties soft serve ice cream is simply delicious. It’s the Foothills Creamery custard soft serve that’s their secret, and it’s available in a cup or a cone, or as a sundae!
Their sundae flavours include passionfruit cheesecake, raspberry Oreo, or salted caramel cookie, all made with their rich custard vanilla base. They also put that delicious soft serve to work making ice cream sandwiches with their house-made brownie cookies. 🍪
Our fave: raspberry with the cheesecake 😉
Wait’s on Nelson
📍323 Nelson Ave, Nelson | facebook.com/waitsnews
The original hard ice cream spot in Nelson, Wait’s served many a cone from its Baker Street location since it opened in the mid 1930’s. Now they’re in a much bigger location on Nelson Ave, and still serving up that delicious Foothills Creamery hard ice cream.
With 12 rotating flavours and their famous malted shakes, Waits is still a community gem that knows how to deliver when it comes to frozen treats! 🥤
The Uphill Market
📍1224 Stanley St, Nelson | theuphillmarket.com
Keeping all the folks at Lions Park refreshed all Summer long, Uphill Market offers creamy Foothills goodness for the whole family. More than just an ice cream parlour, this cute cafe has amazing smoothies, coffees, and groceries to keep you going all times of the day!
Our recent fave: Campfire Smore’s!
Real Fruit Ice Cream
For Summer 2026: Baker St @ Hall St Plaza | instagram.com/real.fruiticecream/
Hailing from New Zealand, you’ll spot the Real Fruit Ice Cream cart from afar with their beachy umbrella. They swirl up vanilla ice cream in a waffle cone blended with various rotating fruits throughout the seasons, like rhubarb and strawberries in the summer and then cranberries and pumpkin spice in the fall. They always come out of the machine in the most delightful colour and swirl!
Dairy Queen
📍724 Nelson Ave, Nelson
While Nelson is well known for its “shop local” culture, DQ in Nelson is a time-honoured tradition, and not your usual DQ experience. You won’t find the fast food staples like French fries or chicken strips here, only the frosty Summer desserts that made DQ famous!
This iconic destination has remained unchanged since 1957, and still maintains the walk-up window service that makes this location unique. Right next to Lakeside Park, Nelson DQ is a quintessential summertime stop, and no ice cream list would be complete without it.
The hunt for the best ice cream in Nelson is a noble cause, and one that the whole family will enjoy! Let us know your favourite in the comments below 🍦🍨🍧
And if you’re not feeling ice cream tonight, why not check out our picks for the best desserts in Nelson?
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