The Waukee Brief
Summer in Waukee runs on ice cream, and the town has two genuinely good local scoop shops to go with the reliable soft-serve chains. Here's where to go for a cone, a shake, or a homemade flavor you won't find anywhere else, plus the metro classics that are a short drive away.
For ice cream in Waukee, the two local standouts are Home Sweet Cone (family-owned, homemade ice cream made in-house daily, on SE University Ave) and Waukee Ice Cream Shoppe (an old-school parlor in the Downtown Triangle District with both soft serve and hard-pack scoops). Add the dependable soft-serve chains around town, and a short drive to Des Moines classics like Snookies in Beaverdale, and you're covered all summer.
Waukee's two local scoop shops are Home Sweet Cone (homemade, made daily) and Waukee Ice Cream Shoppe (soft serve and hard pack, parlor style), both made-in-town spots rather than chains.
Flavors and hours rotate, especially outside summer, so it's worth a quick check before you head over.
When you just want a reliable cone, Waukee has the usual strong options: soft serve and the drive-thru treat chains are scattered along the main commercial corridors like Hickman Road and University Avenue. They're the easy default for a weeknight or a post-game crowd, and they tend to stay open later than the small shops.
A few Des Moines-area institutions are close enough to fold into a Waukee evening:
For more sweet-tooth and outing ideas, see things to do in Waukee and things to do with kids.
Ice cream pairs naturally with a summer night out. Grab a scoop after a walk at a park, following dinner from our best restaurants list, or as the sweet stop on a full night out in Waukee. In winter, swap the cone for a warm drink from our coffee guide.
The Waukee Brief will be a free weekly email on where to eat, what's new, and what's happening around town. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
The two local favorites are Home Sweet Cone (family-owned, homemade ice cream made daily, on SE University Ave) and Waukee Ice Cream Shoppe (a parlor-style shop in the Downtown Triangle District with soft serve and hard pack). Both are local, not chains; tastes vary, so try more than one.
Yes, two: Home Sweet Cone, which makes its ice cream homemade in small batches, and Waukee Ice Cream Shoppe, a parlor in the Downtown Triangle District. Both are locally owned.
Yes, at 1188 SE University Avenue. It makes homemade ice cream daily, its flavors have earned recognition at a national ice cream industry convention, and it has been expanding with a second metro location.
Des Moines classics are a short drive, including Snookies Malt Shop in Beaverdale, a walk-up soft-serve institution since 1986.
Yes. Home Sweet Cone makes its ice cream homemade in-house daily, with a higher-than-standard butterfat content for an extra-creamy texture. Waukee Ice Cream Shoppe adds a parlor mix of soft serve and hard-pack scoops.