Best Ice Cream in Hilton Head, SC
Ice cream on Hilton Head Island is a beach-day ritual.
Homemade ice cream, gelato and shakes
A small homemade ice cream shop that says it has made its own since 1982, with many flavors and sorbet.
Gelato made fresh each day, with dairy-free sorbetto; on summer evenings the line often runs out the door.
Blue Bell ice cream, mini pancakes and boba tea in a comic shop named for the owner’s chihuahua.
Ice cream near Coligny Beach
Ice cream and frozen yogurt in Coligny Plaza, a good stop after the beach.
Ice cream in Sea Pines and Shelter Cove
Ice cream, fudge, chocolates and caramel apples in Shelter Cove Towne Centre.
About this list
The island has a shop that has made its own ice cream since 1982, a gelato bar that makes it fresh each day, a shake shop that opened in 2025 and a cluster of scoop and popsicle shops around Coligny Plaza.
Here is where to get the best ice cream on Hilton Head Island, with each shop’s area and phone number. If you want cookies, fudge or chocolate as well, see the dessert guide.
More ways to choose where to eat
Best dessert Hilton Head guide: French bakeries, ice cream, gelato, chocolate and fudge shops, donuts and restaurant desserts, with phone numbers.
Kid friendly restaurants Hilton Head Island: playgrounds, lawn games, kids menus, game rooms and early-bird dinners for a family vacation.
Coligny Plaza restaurants on Hilton Head: seafood, daiquiris, Italian, breakfast, subs and ice cream a short walk from Coligny Beach, with phone numbers.
Coffee shops Hilton Head Island guide: local roasters, bakery cafés, gelato and coffee bars and a drive-thru at the bridge, with phone numbers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the best ice cream on Hilton Head Island?
Hilton Head Ice Cream makes its own ice cream and has since 1982, and Nonna Marie’s makes gelato daily. Both have loyal followings.
Is there gelato on Hilton Head?
Nonna Marie’s Gelato & Coffee Bar in the Village at Wexford makes gelato fresh in the shop each day and offers dairy-free sorbetto.
Where can I get a milkshake?
MilkShake Factory on Main Street makes handspun shakes with its own homemade ice cream.
Are dogs allowed at the ice cream shops?
It varies. A sign at Hilton Head Ice Cream says pets are not allowed, while Nonna Marie’s has a friendly dog who greets people at the counter.
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