Top ice cream in the UAE: The scoop on the best sweet treat to beat the heat

Is there a dessert more synonymous with summer than ice cream? We think not.

As temperatures soar here in the UAE, and on the occasion of International Ice Cream Day (which is July 20 annually), we have rounded up The National newsroom's favourite scoops.

Salted saffron with luqaimat at Mina Creamery

Mina Creamery specialises in a constantly revolving menu of seasonal and local flavours including halwa, gahwa, aseeda falooda and karak chai. The business came to life as part of an incubator within MiZa, Abu Dhabi, before becoming an online store. But it will soon return to MiZa with a brick-and-mortar shop opening at the end of August.

The best flavour? It might be the salted saffron with luqaimat. While we wait for the MiZa shop to open, you can order online on a Wednesday for Thursday pickup or delivery, 500ml pots cost Dh50.

Laura Koot, managing editor

Mango softie at Salt

The only thing that makes the long summers bearable for me is the promise of sweet and juicy mangoes, especially the ones that come from India and Pakistan, and all of the desserts that are made with mango during this season.

One of my favourites is the mango softie from Salt (Dh35) – a light and refreshing no-frills dessert – which essentially feels like slurping on frozen mango pulp. It's served at various Salt locations in the UAE (including Umm Al Emarat Park in Abu Dhabi, Ras Al Khaimah's Marjan Island and Kite Beach in Dubai). I love that it is not too sweet and tastes just like eating an iced mango. Served swirled up in a cup and topped with fresh mango pieces, this dessert may be simple, but it really hits the spot.

Aarti Jhurani, features sub-editor

Terry's Orange at Scoopi Cafe

Scoopi Cafe is known for making very fresh ice cream using liquid nitrogen. There is a time, a good few years ago, when I documented myself trying its jet-black activated charcoal ice cream, topped with edible 23K gold leaf (all in the name of work). Left with black teeth and unsure what gold tastes like, that wasn’t my favourite, despite its surprisingly fresh citric taste.

However, at the Time Out Market Dubai venue, I have been known to indulge in a few scoops of the brand's made-to-order sweet treats. My order depends on my mood, but it’s always in a waffle cup and at the moment the Terry's Chocolate Orange-inspired flavour (Dh45), creamy and indulgent with a summery dash of orange, is my go-to.

A few years ago, Scoopi made a name for itself serving Dubai’s most expensive ice cream at Dh2,999. The Black Diamond ice cream was a sundae made with vanilla bean ice cream from Madagascar, saffron from Iran, rare black truffles from Italy and edible gold. That no longer seems to be on the menu, but the charcoal and gold scoop is, at Dh100 a pop.

Farah Andrews, head of features

Yoghurt honeycomb and sea salt (and more) at Hapi

Not to be hyperbolic about it, but this is the best ice cream anywhere in the world, not just the UAE. You can enjoy it at Hapi's spot in Al Khazan Park in Dubai or you can order it on Deliveroo.

If I’m going to a dinner party, I always bring three tubs with me – choco orange almond, mango sorbet, and yoghurt honeycomb and sea salt (Dh32 for 480ml). I love watching people react to trying it for the first time, because they all make the same face. Like they’ve just seen the light.

The raspberry cheesecake flavour is great too. It’s all great. Try them for yourself and you can thank me later. Added bonus: the artisanal ice cream is made in small batches with all-natural ingredients, and no artificial additives, preservatives or stabilisers.

Nasri Atallah, editor of The National's Luxury magazine

Avocado gelato at J.Lato

Located in Abu Dhabi's Zayed Port, J.Lato scoops up the most delicious avocado gelato (from Dh21). Not only does it rhyme, but this perfectly creamy confection is the ultimate dessert for a savoury-leaning palate. I guess the consistent queue at the counter is all the evidence required to confirm the other flavours have fans, too.

Laura Koot, managing editor

Horlicks soft serve at Creme

I discovered the soft serve at Creme after an epic dinner nearby. I was after something sweet but relatively light, and the guy behind the counter at the cult cookie spot from Soho, London didn't hesitate. “Try the soft serve,” he said. It was smooth, creamy and deeply nostalgic. The flavour took me straight back to my teenage cereal addiction: Corn Flakes, Honey Smacks and Weetabix. When I asked what I was tasting, he just smiled and told me it's Horlicks.

Horlicks, for the uninitiated, is a classic malted milk drink, somewhere between a health tonic and a comfort ritual. That's exactly what this soft serve tastes like. You can get it topped with cookie crumble, but I'd recommend having it plain to be swept up in those nostalgic flavours. Servings start at Dh32.

Saeed Saeed, features writer

Crema dal 1947 at La Romana dal 1947

One of the original flavours at this Italian gelato chain – and definitely my all-time favourite – the crema dal 1947 is available at La Romana outlets at The Galleria Al Maryah Island in Abu Dhabi, plus Dubai Hills Mall and Bluewaters.

It includes traditional Italian custard cream enhanced by vanilla extract and natural lemon zest. However, when it comes to ice cream, I like to go over the top, so my version comes with a classic batter crepe with Nutella and berries (from Dh41).

Zoya Thomas, digital platforms editor

Founder's Favourite at Cold Stone Creamery

I first tasted Cold Stone Creamery when it arrived in the UAE in 2007, a year after I moved here, and it’s been one sweet relationship ever since.

Founded in Arizona, US, by Susan and Donald Sutherland (no relation to the Hollywood actor), the brand's appeal is customisability, allowing you to mix ice-cream flavours as well as other toppings, from gummies and graham crackers to brownies and chocolate bars.

Whenever I am struggling to decide which mix I want, my go-to is Founder's Favourite (from Dh24). As the name suggests, it's a favourite of the brand's founders, and comprises sweet cream ice cream, mixed with pecans, brownie, fudge and drizzled with caramel sauce. I usually add Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and chocolate chip cookie dough to mine for the ultimate treat. Available at locations across the UAE.

David Tusing, assistant features editor

Love Potion #31 at Baskin-Robbins

Baskin-Robbins has its American headquarters in my home state of Massachusetts, but I rarely ordered it back when I was in the US. It wasn’t until one day when I tried the Love Potion #31 flavour in Abu Dhabi that it became my go-to ice cream. Luckily for me, it is available year-round in the UAE versus being just a seasonal option in the US, where it is usually found around Valentine's Day.

Love Potion #31 is rich and indulgent, made with white chocolate and raspberry ice creams swirled together, with a ripple of raspberry and generous chunks of chocolate-flavoured hearts filled with raspberry. It may sound like a lot – creamy, fruity and chocolatey all in one bite – but it's mostly sweet with a bit of tartness for balance.

An added bonus is that the single kids' scoop cup starts at Dh11, making it great value. Available at locations across the UAE.

Evelyn Lau, assistant features editor

Ashta with pistachios at Bachir

While adding crunchy pistachios to Bachir's wonderful Ashta (clotted cream) ice cream is optional, the nostalgic flavour of rosewater is guaranteed to hit your senses from the first bite.

A Lebanese brand, which launched in 1936, Bachir brought its well-loved flavours to the UAE in 2022. I was with my Lebanese friends, who insisted I try its signature Ashta, with pistachios and a dollop of whipped cream on top. Trying it transported me to my grandma's garden in Jordan, eating ice cream with her in the summer heat.

Hala Nasar, social media journalist

Lazy cake at Mama Booza

A rich mix of premium dark chocolate with chunks of lazy cake (sharing pots cost Dh69), this ice-cream flavour from Mama Booza elevates a childhood dessert and turns it into something even better. Every bite takes me back to my family home, when I would reach for my mom's lazy cake rolls after every meal.

It’s a balanced treat that isn’t too sweet, but still hits the spot when I’m craving something indulgent. The chunks of lazy cake are a flavour bomb – fudgy, chocolatey and super-satisfying. The combo of creamy ice cream and chewy cake bits gives it the perfect texture. Mama Booza is available at Kitchen Park in Wasl Port Views in Dubai, or for delivery via Deliveroo.

Fatima Al Mahmoud, foreign affairs reporter