Unearth The Voyage
Missouri might be best known for its Gateway Arch and rolling Ozark hills, but the state has a serious ice cream problem, and we mean that in the best possible way. From a Kansas City shop that puts actual barbecue burnt ends in a scoop to a Seymour farm where kangaroos watch you eat your frozen custard, the Show-Me State has built a surprisingly impressive lineup of independent creameries worth rerouting your GPS for.This list covers 13 stops that turn a simple dessert run into a genuine road trip highlight. Pack a cooler, leave room for seconds, and get ready to discover the best frozen treats Missouri has to offer.
1. Betty Rae’s Ice Cream, Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City has barbecue bragging rights locked down, but Betty Rae’s Ice Cream has quietly built its own legendary status since opening in 2015 in the Waldo neighborhood. Founded by David Friesen and Mary Nguyen, the shop is named after David’s grandmother, a woman apparently deserving of the honor given the caliber of what gets scooped here daily.
The menu runs 26 core handcrafted flavors, rotating regularly between classics and genuinely surprising creations. Lavender Honey and Goat Cheese with Apricots sit alongside the now-famous Joe’s KC BBQ and Burnt Ends flavor, which uses actual burnt ends and barbecue sauce. Collaborations with local roaster Thou Mayest produced a coffee flavor that regulars treat as non-negotiable.
Vegan and dairy-free options are always available, including coconut and oat milk bases. Betty Rae’s donates 10 percent of annual profits to community organizations and has been voted Best Ice Cream in Kansas City multiple times by Kansas City Magazine.
2. Clementine’s Naughty & Nice Creamery, St. Louis, Missouri
Missouri’s only small-batch micro-creamery carries a title it has earned scoop by scoop since founder Tamara Keefe launched Clementine’s in 2014. The creamery sources its dairy from local grass-fed cows that are rBST-free, and yes, those cows reportedly listen to classical music during milking, a detail that is either charming or deeply effective depending on how you feel about dairy science.
The flagship Gooey Butter Cake flavor, built on a tangy cream cheese base loaded with caramelized crust chunks, was named Best New Ice Cream Flavor in the Country by the National Ice Cream Retailers Association in 2019. Oprah Magazine called it the sexiest ice cream alive, which is a sentence that exists and is completely accurate.
Vegan options include Coconut Chocolate Fudge, Tahini Chocolate Chip, and Lemon Poppyseed. In 2022, the production facility relocated to North St. Louis City’s Baden neighborhood to support community revitalization through job creation and economic investment.
3. Central Dairy Ice Cream Parlor, Jefferson City, Missouri
Since 1934, the ice cream counter at Central Dairy in Jefferson City has been one of Missouri’s most reliable summer institutions. The Jefferson City branch opened in 1932 under Dot Sappington, with the Hackman family eventually taking ownership and steering operations for generations. Prairie Farms Dairy acquired the business in 2007, but the parlor’s local personality has remained firmly intact.
Red and white tiled floors, classic wooden benches, and a menu of over 40 flavors give the space its unmistakable old-fashioned character. Schoolchildren on Capitol field trips have been stopping here for decades, and the lines that regularly spill outside the front door are treated as part of the tradition rather than an inconvenience.
The signature banana split, layered with vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry ice cream plus marshmallow, chocolate topping, and pecans, remains the crowd favorite.
4. Sparky’s Homemade Ice Cream, Columbia, Missouri
A bulldog statue stands guard outside the front door of Sparky’s in downtown Columbia, paying tribute to owner Scotty Southwick’s beloved dog, who inspired the shop’s name when it opened in September 2003. Southwick, a fiction writer and art collector, filled the interior with what he cheerfully calls bad art, sourced from eBay and thrift stores, alongside crocheted stuffed animals in the front window and a repurposed refrigerator now housing plush toys instead of dairy products.
The menu features over 30 house-made flavors crafted fresh daily from natural ingredients. Oreo Speedwagon blends sandwich cookies with coffee, while Honey Ginger Balsamic and Mandarin Orange Dark Chocolate demonstrate the kitchen’s range. A collaboration with Harold’s Doughnuts produced a Red Velvet White Chocolate Doughnut flavor, and the 2011 cicada ice cream sold out quickly after earning national media coverage.
Vegan and dairy-free options rotate consistently, and the shop operates year-round.
5. Andy’s Frozen Custard, Springfield, Missouri
Springfield is the hometown and headquarters of Andy’s Frozen Custard, which has grown from a single 1986 Osage Beach location into the largest frozen custard-only chain in the United States, now operating over 190 locations across 15 states. Founders John and Carol Kuntz named the company after their son Andy, who runs the family-owned enterprise alongside his wife Dana and his mother Carol from their Springfield base.
The custard is prepared fresh every 45 to 60 minutes and served at 18 to 20 degrees Fahrenheit, slightly warmer than standard ice cream, to maximize flavor delivery. Higher butterfat content and minimal air incorporation during churning produce the dense, creamy consistency the brand is known for. Nuts are roasted weekly, and brownies, pies, and shortcakes are baked in-store daily.
The Ozark Turtle Sundae, topped with hot fudge, creme caramel, roasted pecans, and a cherry, ranks as the most popular menu item. Andy’s operates year-round and funds the Kuntz Family Scholarship at Missouri State University for local students.
6. Pineapple Whip, Springfield, Missouri
Dan Fortner invented Pineapple Whip in 1974 and debuted it at the Ozark Empire Fair in Springfield, a full decade before the more widely recognized Dole Whip entered the picture. That timeline is not a minor detail: Pineapple Whip is said to have influenced Dole Whip’s trademark journey, giving Springfield a legitimate claim in frozen dessert history. The third generation of the Fortner family now runs the operation, and the bright yellow trailer topped with a hip-swiveling hula girl named Lulu remains one of the most recognizable sights of a Springfield summer.
The product is a non-dairy, fruit juice-based soft serve free from eggs, soy, nuts, high fructose corn syrup, and processed sugars. The original pineapple flavor is always available, joined by a rotating weekly selection that has included Mango-Peach, Strawberry-Kiwi, Lemon-Berry, and the fan-named NanaGranate.
Pineapple Whip is fat-free, cholesterol-free, and gluten-free. The stand celebrated its 50th season in 2024, and winter Whip Solstice events have drawn crowds even on cold days, proving fan loyalty runs year-round.
7. What The Puck, Nixa, Missouri
Co-owners Tim and Robyn McKee built a hockey-themed ice cream shop in Nixa and named it something that required a second glance from everyone who drove past the sign. What The Puck opened to immediate curiosity and has held it ever since, drawing St. Louis Blues fans and frozen dessert enthusiasts into a roughly 1,600-square-foot space that includes a dedicated room with a domed hockey game table for customers to use while they wait or simply stay longer than planned.
The menu offers 16 regular hand-dipped homemade ice cream flavors alongside four dedicated non-dairy options, plus waffle cones, shakes, milkshakes, sundaes, and the inventive Waffle Nachos, which pair waffle chips with ice cream or yogurt. The vegan lineup is entirely plant-based with no added sugar and includes Vegan Chocolate Wasted, Vegan Banana Brulee, Vegan Biscoff Bliss, and Vegan Salty Pretzel, among others.
Gluten-free choices are available on request. The shop sits in a shopping center on West Mount Vernon Street and adds a genuinely distinct personality to Nixa’s growing list of local destinations worth stopping for.
8. Papaw’s Kookiees & Kream Ice Cream Parlor, Strafford, Missouri
Denis and Clydie George, known to regulars as Papaw and Mamaw, opened their Route 66 ice cream parlor in July 2018 with a straightforward goal: recreate the kind of unhurried, old-fashioned ice cream experience they remembered from childhood. The interior delivers on that promise with a working jukebox, a pinball machine, metal stools, and a menu of over 35 flavors of ice cream and sherbet that skews pleasantly balanced rather than aggressively sweet.
Clydie’s homemade waffle cones come in multiple flavors and candy-coated varieties, while handmade ice cream sandwiches feature vanilla ice cream between two of Allie Mae’s oversized cookies. The Spaghetti Delight is the menu’s most conversation-starting item: vanilla ice cream extruded to look like pasta strands, topped with strawberry sauce, white chocolate Parmesan flakes, and a chocolate meatball.
Malts, banana splits, ice cream cakes, and Kake ‘n Kream jumbo cupcakes round out the offerings. Cash-paying customers receive a discount, and the shop has held Missouri Route 66 Association membership since 2019, drawing both local families and international highway travelers.
9. Joey’s Frozen Custard, Seymour, Missouri
Mark and Kristen Voring named their ice cream operation after kangaroos, specifically because Kristen watched a nature show and decided she wanted some. That logic led to the creation of Joey’s Frozen Custard on Mark’s great-grandparents’ farm in Seymour, where Maurice the baby kangaroo has become the undisputed star of the property alongside a shy resident wallaby. Guests interact with the animals at the fence rather than inside the enclosures, and the kangaroos have a reputation for being surprisingly sociable about the whole arrangement.
The frozen custard menu runs to over 60 daily options covering custards, ice creams, frozen yogurts, sorbets, Italian ices, and sugar-free, vegan, gluten-free, and probiotic selections. Specialty creations like Shipwreck, which layers Oreos, M&Ms, Heath bar, sprinkles, hot fudge, and caramel, compete for attention with the Outback-themed Berry Boomerang and the s’mores-inspired Lace Murex.
Belgian waffles, cookies, and an extensive coffee program round out the menu. Joey’s draws visitors from St. Louis, Kansas City, and Tulsa, and is currently expanding with a new timber-frame building to house a coffee shop and additional seating.
10. Sweet Sam’s, Waynesville, Missouri
Owner Samantha Keeton started Sweet Sam’s in 2019 with an old-fashioned tricycle food cart parked along Waynesville’s streets, which is a genuinely bold business origin story. By 2025, the operation had grown into the historic Rigsby House, a building with a timeline that includes an 1870s log cabin core, a 1924 renovation into a family home, and a 1927 stint as a gas station serving early Route 66 travelers. Its current location just off Waynesville Square puts it within walking distance of Route 66 murals, museums, and local shops.
The ice cream is produced by Giofre Apiaries, local beekeepers in Millersburg, Missouri, giving every scoop a regional honey character that sets it apart from standard creamery offerings. Over 20 prepackaged flavors include strawberry, chocolate, salted caramel, and seasonal options like peach and watermelon.
11. Sips & Scoops, Springfield, Missouri
Springfield has no shortage of frozen dessert options, but Sips and Scoops carved out its own lane by combining handcrafted ice cream with a full specialty coffee program under one roof. The shop has developed a loyal following quickly, partly because the ice cream rotates through creative flavors and partly because the space is designed for people who want to stay a while rather than grab and go.
The ice cream menu includes Blackberry Cobbler, Campfire S’mores Marshmallow, Butter Pecan, Extreme Mint, and Sea Salt Caramel alongside traditional choices. An ice cream flight lets indecisive visitors try multiple flavors without committing to a single scoop. Vegan options include Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Cookies and Cream, Vanilla Bean, and rotating sorbets.
12. Buttermilk, Springfield, Missouri
Pastry chef Kyle Davis spent a decade working in fine dining kitchens and appeared on Food Network’s Summer Baking Championship before he and his wife Autumn opened Buttermilk Desserts and Pastries in April 2025 in Springfield’s walkable Rountree neighborhood. The cottage-style storefront houses ice cream production directly on-site, meaning the distance between where a scoop is made and where it lands in a customer’s hand is measured in feet rather than miles or days.
The rotating menu introduces a new special flavor every two weeks, occasionally based on customer suggestions, alongside core options including vanilla, chocolate, espresso, and the shop’s signature buttermilk flavor. Summer brings lemon ice cream and a rotating vegan fruit sorbet. The menu also features Signature Coolers, which are custom soft serve blends, deep-fried Cheesecake Sandwiches, and Cookie Melts topped with warm chocolate chip cookies and soft serve.
13. Planet Gumball, Rogersville, Missouri
Planet Gumball operates under the tagline Where Sprinkles and Stardust Collide, which tells you immediately that this is not a shop trying to be subtle about its personality. The Rogersville-area establishment leans into an old-fashioned candy shop aesthetic with a modern visual update, creating a space that appeals to kids who want something fun and adults who appreciate a menu that takes creative flavors seriously.
The namesake Gumball flavor is described as tasting like original chewing gum in ice cream form, which is either the most divisive or most exciting concept on the menu depending on who you ask. Raspberry Lemon Italian Ice balances tartness with sweetness, and Blue Moon Oats accurately replicates the flavor of a popular fruity cereal. Waffle cones are made fresh in-house, and three rotating vegan flavors crafted with oat milk ensure non-dairy visitors have real choices rather than a single token option.
