Where can you get ice cream for under $2.00 in Colorado Springs? Turns out, there’s quite a few places – at least ten! It’s not just fast food restaurants (though there are some of those, of course): many of those are small, locally-owned ice cream shops that offer more than just a plain vanilla experience.
From soft serve dipped in chocolate and sprinkles to gourmet flavors of fresh custard, here’s 10+ places that you can treat yourself to an ice cream treat for less than two bucks in Colorado Springs:
The “Baby Cone” at Blue Mountain Creamery (formerly Glacier Ice Cream and Gelato)
Note: Glacier Ice Cream is now Blue Mountain Creamery, but I believe they still have a baby cone.
Glacier serves up a mini ice cream cone that they call a “baby cone” – it’s about one-third the size of their small (which is $2.99), and held more ice cream than I thought it would! It’s $1.35, and you can get any of their flavors.
Three Flavors of Soft Serve at Rizuto’s
This popular ice cream shop has kid-sized and small cones for $1.00 and $1.50, and they have not just vanilla and chocolate, but a rotating list of flavors that include lemon and strawberry – some of them are even dairy-free. Check their Facebook page for their current options.
By the way, at Rizuto’s and most of the other places that do soft serve, the size has to do with how many times they swirl the ice cream around on the cone, not the size of the cone itself.
Kid Scoops at Josh & John’s
At Josh and John’s, kids aged 12 and under (or adults 70 and over) can get a kiddie scoop of any flavor for $0.93 ($1.00 with tax). You can also add a topping for another $1.00.
A Custard Sandwich at Freddy’s
For $1.89, you can get vanilla custard sandwiched between two Oreo or Nutter Butter cookies at Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburger restaurants. They’re already made up and ready in the freezer with the ice cream cakes!
Two Sizes at Colorado Custard Company
This Manitou Springs ice cream shop serves up vanilla, chocolate, or a vanilla/chocolate mix of custard in a kid’s cone or cup for $1.38, or a small cone or cup for $1.83. You can add toppings to ice cream in a cup for $0.50, or get a Popsicle for $1.38. They’re located at 906 Manitou Avenue; here’s their website.
Cones at BJ’s Velvet Freez
Choose from vanilla, chocolate, or swirl soft-serve for $1.85 for a small cone; then pay a bit extra ($0.46) to have have your cone dipped in chocolate, cherry, or a host of other flavored syrups – or try sprinkles! They also have frozen bananas and popsicle-type treats for under $2.00
Warning: soft serve melts fast on a hot summer day! I took “maintenance licks” on my girls’ cones and they still weren’t able to keep up with the rate that it was melting!
Mini Cones at Rock House Ice Cream
Take a trip to charming Palmer Lake and enjoy a mini cone for $0.75! They have lots of flavors to choose from. You can also get a single scoop in a sugar cone for $2.49.
Icy Ice Dream Cones at Chick-fil-A
There are two kinds of soft serve: smooth and creamy, and icy. I’m a fan of the latter, and somehow I didn’t know until doing the research for this post that Chick-fil-A’s Ice Dream is the perfect match for my icy ice cream love!
Soft Serve at Dairy Queen
On the creamy end of the soft-serve spectrum is Dairy Queen, where you can get a soft-serve cone for $1.99. Pay a bit more and they’ll dip it in chocolate for you.
Vanilla Waffle Cone at Sonic
Sonic will serve you a vanilla waffle cone for $1.99. You’ll be tempted to pay $1.00 more to get a waffle cone sundae, with options for Reese’s, Snickers, or M&Ms topping your cone!
And a few more…
A Frosty at Wendy’s, cones at McDonald’s and Burger King… Most fast food places have an option that’s well under $2.00!
Honorable Mentions
There were a few places that didn’t quite make the under-$2.00 threshold but I thought they were worth a mention:
Single Scoop of Custard at Culver’s
For around $2.35, you can get a single scoop (in a cup) of chocolate, vanilla, or the flavor of the day at Culver’s.
Free ice cream at Dickey’s Barbecue Pit
With purchase of food, Dickey’s has a vanilla soft serve machine that’s free! It’s the icy soft serve that I so love, and they have both cones and cups.
Free ice cream at Jason’s Deli
Much like Dickey’s, Jason’s Deli also has a machine with free soft serve machine with the purchase of food. It’s a great way to balance out the healthiness of the salad bar!
How many of these cheap ice cream options have you tried? Which are your favorites? Do you have any to add to the list?
Welcome to Springs Bargains, a service of our real estate business, Circa Real Estate Group! I’m Carrie, and since 2008 I’ve been sharing free and discounted ways to eat, play, and enjoy life in Colorado Springs.
