Ice Cream Gatlinburg TN: 7 Over-the-Top Desserts Worth the Sticky Fingers

The Great Smoky Mountains may bring the scenic views and culinary escapes, but the real show-stoppers are the creamy, dreamy dessert havens hidden throughout Gatlinburg.

Whether you’re after a post-hike scoop or need a sugar-fueled timeout from the souvenir shops, the best ice cream Gatlinburg has to offer is waiting to save the day (and your mood).

You’ll find everything from nostalgic soda fountains to outrageous milkshakes you’ll need two hands (and maybe a buddy) to carry.

Kids love the fun flavors. Adults love the throwback vibes. And let’s be real, everyone loves dessert.

Classic Cones, Creamy Scoops & Old-School Charm

Mad Dog’s Creamery & Donuts

Mad Dog’s isn’t just an ice cream shop—it’s a full-blown sugar carnival where willpower goes to die (happily)!

With a selection of hand-dipped flavors, soft serve, banana splits, milkshakes, and scoops that come in single, double, or “treat yourself” triple, this spot is the dessert equivalent of a victory lap.

Their funnel cakes are legendary; loaded with toppings like strawberry, cherry, whipped cream, caramel, chocolate, or even a whole scoop of ice cream plopped right on top like a crown.

There’s also shaved ice, cotton candy, and their ice cream cone wrapped in a cloud of cotton candy if you’re in the mood for “whimsical chaos but make it sweet.”

Add in donuts, creekside seating, free parking (bless), and a dog-friendly patio, and you’ve got the kind of place where “we’ll just grab a scoop” turns into a full dessert feast.

Kilwins Ice Cream – Chocolate – Fudge

Follow the smell of freshly baked waffle cones on the Parkway, and you’ll land at Kilwins: aka the place where diets end, and happiness begins.

This classic confectionery serves premium scoops in fresh waffle cones, milk chocolate–dipped waffle cones, and even sprinkle-coated dipped cones that feel like an event.

Toppings? Oh, they came to play: Kilwins hot fudge, hot caramel, pecan pieces, chocolate syrup, rainbow sprinkles, you name it.

Add it to a cone, sundae, shake, malt, or even pair it with an old-school lemonade or orangeade for maximum nostalgia.

While you wait, watch staff hand-make caramel apples, fudge, and chocolate-drenched goodness right in the window.

It’s dessert theater, Gatlinburg edition.

The Village Cafe & Creamery

Tucked inside the storybook-worthy Village Shops, this cozy café is your break-from-the-crowds haven. Sure, they’ve got cones, sundaes, and floats, but that’s just the beginning.

Their drink menu is stacked with espressos, cold brews, café au lait, Banana Pudding Latte, Pumpkin Spice Latte, and hot chocolate for those “I need a warm hug in a mug” moments.

They also whip up vintage soda fountain throwbacks like Italian cream sodas (basically liquid nostalgia) and fizzy, fruit-forward sips with names that sound like they belong in a teen summer romance novel.

Try the Blue Raze Italian Cream Soda or the Candy Apple Lotus—a sweet-tart, sparkling concoction that tastes like the county fair bottled up. Sugar-free flavors? Yep, vanilla is in the lineup.

Don’t skip the affogato, a shot of espresso poured over vanilla ice cream that tastes like a European vacation in dessert form.

Sit on a cobblestone bench, take in the charming village vibe, and enjoy your “main character” scoop.

Glades Soda Fountain

A nostalgic detour through the Arts & Crafts Community leads you to Glades Soda Fountain—a retro 1950s-style gem that feels like stepping into a vintage postcard.

Slide into a seat at the bar and explore a menu loaded with old-fashioned soda, ice cream, classic milkshakes, malts, thick floats, and sundaes in every nostalgic flavor: hot fudge, strawberry, pineapple, butterscotch, caramel, peanut butter, whatever your heart desires.

Their whimsical creations include the Malt Heaven Sundae, a towering masterpiece, and the over-the-top Boston Shake; part shake, part sundae, all amazing.

You’ll also find banana splits and scoops served in cake cones or dishes with classic flavors like vanilla, chocolate, butter pecan, and mint chocolate chip.

It’s charming, old-school fun, and absolutely worth the short drive.

Over-the-Top Milkshake Madness

The Crazy Mason Milkshake Bar Gatlinburg

The Crazy Mason doesn’t serve milkshakes—they serve full-blown dessert spectacles.

Located right on the Parkway, this place is a chaotic, over-the-top wonderland of jarred milkshakes piled high with brownies, cheesecake, candy, and more sugar than your dentist needs to know about.

Signature shakes include “Mint to Be” (mint chocolate chip ice cream with a chocolate-frosted rim, topped with a brownie and Andes mints), “Build Me Up Buttercup” (vanilla ice cream, Reese’s sauce, mini Reese’s, peanut butter cups, chocolate drizzle).

There’s also “Short & Sweet” (strawberry crunch dream with pound cake and whipped icing).

Pro Tip: Come hungry and phone-charged. These shakes are made to be photographed (before they melt).

Sweet Fixes, Fast Bites & Sugar-High Pit Stops

Chocolate Monkey

This Parkway fave is part ice cream shop, part candy store, part “what did I just buy?” experience, and we love that for you.

Their ice cream flavors range from kid-faves like cotton candy twist and Superman to indulgent picks like caramel Moose Tracks and lemon cheesecake bar.

Craving chocolate? They’ve got chocolate-covered bananas, strawberries, s’mores, cookies, and even cheesecake-on-a-stick.

Add caramel apples and bulk bins overflowing with Nerds, Starburst, sour worms, and nostalgia, and you’ve got an epic sugar stop for kids, grown-ups, and everyone in between.

Fannie Farkle’s Arcade and Restaurant

Known for arcade energy and iconic foot-long corn dogs, Fannie Farkle’s also brings the sweet heat with shaved ice in bold, carnival-core flavors.

Think grape, orange, wild cherry, watermelon, tiger’s blood, blue raspberry, and sour green apple—basically a rainbow in a cup.

It’s loud, it’s a little chaotic, and it’s 100% kid-approved. Grab a shaved ice between rounds of Skee-Ball or Dance Dance Revolution, and soak in the delightful madness of downtown Gatlinburg with sticky hands and zero regrets.

Scoop, There It Is: Gatlinburg’s Ice Cream Game is Strong

When it comes to ice cream Gatlinburg Tennessee hot spots, this mountain town doesn’t play around.

Whether you’re into vintage soda fountains, fudge-topped cones, or milkshakes with a side of spectacle, the ice cream in Gatlinburg TN will satisfy every craving (and then some).

The options range from cozy cafés to full-on dessert emporiums like Mad Dog’s Creamery and The Crazy Mason, so there’s something sweet for every type of traveler.

And when you’re ready to swap scoops for scenery?

Ride the Aerial Tramway up to Ober Mountain, stroll through glowing treetop paths at Anakeesta, or get face-to-fin with sea creatures at Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies—a top-rated must-see for families.

Check out our Gatlinburg Travel Guide for the best deals on attractions, hotels, vacation packages, and shows in the Smokies. Because in Gatlinburg, every treat is an adventure—and Tripster is your scoop squad!

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