Guides / Spots

The Best Soft Serve Ice Cream in Toronto

Shania & Peony Wong

over 2 years ago

The Best Soft Serve Ice Cream in Toronto

When temperatures start to slowly climb back up, that means ice cream season is fast approaching. Many go for scoops of hard ice cream or a swirl of soft serve, which -- as its name implies -- is much softer and less dense. It includes a higher air content, resulting in a light and fluffy texture. With unique flavours to choose from beyond your usual vanilla and chocolate, these spots are taking this simple frozen dessert to a whole new level.

Here are some of the best places for soft serve ice cream in Toronto.

630 The Queensway

Tom's Dairy Freeze

Made with real cream, the soft serve at this Etobicoke institution that’s been around since 1969 is good on its own, with flavour bursts or with toppings. They’re also selling one-litre tubs of their soft serve for delivery on Uber Eats through Noble Market in Trinity Bellwoods.

283 Rushton Rd

Bar Ape

From May to October, you can get your hands on a cup of soft serve gelato by walking up to their takeout window in Hillcrest Village. Their flavours change regularly with options like watermelon, Ontario blueberry and pear in the past.

362 King St E

Roselle

The earl grey soft serve at this pastry shop in Corktown isn’t offered all-year-round but it’s always filled with a house-made lemon curd, topped with crispy white chocolate pearls and garnished with a small earl grey shortbread cookie.

715 Lakeshore Rd E

Dairy Cream

Just west of the city is this old-school ice cream shop in Mississauga. They’ve been serving up their vanilla and chocolate soft serve ice cream in cones and even on fresh funnel cakes since 1958.

6 Charles St E

Nani's Gelato

Not only does this spot near Yonge and Bloor offer a rotating selection of artisan gelato but also soft-serve gelato. You’ll find flavours like Belgian cookie, Lindt dark chocolate and matcha green tea, to name a few.

120 Dundas St W

Butter Baker

During soft serve season, this bakery in Markham and near Bay and Dundas offers a different flavour every month. Past flavours include guava and vanilla, black cherry vanilla and salted caramel vanilla, all of which pair perfectly with their freshly baked vanilla waffle cones.

2651 Yonge St

Milkcow

Unlike your traditional soft serve, the organic and natural milk soft serve at this dessert cafe in Midtown is much more milky and creamy. They have a variety of creations on the menu or top it off with your choice of toppings like their all-natural honeycomb.

147 Dundas St W

Tsujiri Dundas

You’ll find a variety of soft serve treats at this Japanese dessert cafe in North York and near Bay and Dundas. Matcha, houjicha or a mix of both soft serve flavours top off parfaits, floats and shaved ice.

1390 Don Mills Rd A212

Wooffles & Cream

Known for their Hong Kong-style egg waffles, this small stall in the food court of The Diamond at Don Mills offers ever-changing soft serve flavours to pair with your wooffle. Flavours include but are not limited to vanilla, Thai milk tea and houjicha.

454 Bloor St W

Eva's Original Chimneys

Instead of waffle cones, this ice cream shop with three locations across the city uses handmade Hungarian chimney cakes that are freshly baked and vegan. The golden-brown cones are filled with soft serve made using real cream or a vegan soft serve.

372 Danforth Ave

La Diperie

Choose from 30 chocolate dips and 20 different toppings for your vanilla soft serve at any one of their locations across the city.

73 Harbord St

The Dessert Kitchen

Choose from a wide selection of Asian-inspired desserts at this spot in Harbord Village and in Scarborough. On the menu, they also have soft serve ice cream with flavours like vanilla and matcha, which are available in a waffle cone, bubble waffle or parfait.

4915 Steeles Ave E #8

El Habanero & Churrobar

This Cuban restaurant in Scarborough specializes in over-the-top churro-based desserts, including sundaes and churro stacks, both of which contain their vanilla soft serve. Expect to find other flavours like salted caramel, which pairs well with their Cuban affogato.

363 Clinton St

Grandmama's Waffles

It’s not just vegan and gluten-free beer or coconut batter waffles at this spot in Koreatown. They also have a few vegan Asian-inspired soft serve flavours to go with your waffle, like pandan and ube.

106 John St

Sweet Jesus

Get decked out soft serve creations at any one of their locations across the city. Vanilla, chocolate or coconut soft serve are covered in toppings such as birthday cake bits, Oreo cookies and red velvet cake.