A new local guide has mapped out a dozen ice cream shops between downtown Sarasota and Lakewood Ranch, and the range is bigger than you might expect. Main Street Creamery downtown partners with Yoder’s Southern Creamery for dozens of flavors plus shakes, malts and floats. In the Rosemary District, Great Heights Creamery makes small-batch ice cream using milk and cream from Dakin Dairy Farms. Siesta Key’s Made In Rome Organic Gelato covers Italian-style gelato with vegan and sugar-free options, and that’s just the start of the list.
Lakewood Ranch holds up its end with the Ice Cream Shoppe, which carries more than 50 flavors along with Italian ices, sorbets and frozen treats for dogs. Wicked Awesome Ice Cream Emporium brings dense New England-style ice cream and frappes to the Ranch, a find for anyone with Northeast roots. New this year, Pecan Jacks Ice Cream & Candy opened at Fruitville Farms in early 2026, pairing handcrafted ice cream with pralines and chocolates. The guide also names Gelateria Degli Angeli, Orange Octopus, Abel’s, Jeni’s and Jeremiah’s Italian Ice.
Dietary-friendly choices keep expanding too, with dairy-free, vegan, sorbet and no-sugar-added options showing up on more menus around the Suncoast. The guide suggests stringing stops together into a DIY tour across downtown Sarasota, Gulf Gate, Siesta Key, UTC and Lakewood Ranch. Which shop is making your short list first?
