Family Road Trip on Florida’s Route A1A: 13 Best Ice Cream Shops by the Beach

You know that feeling when your family falls silent in the car, the windows down just a crack, everyone hypnotized by the ocean and the dull ache of too much togetherness? That’s when you need ice cream.

Not just whatever’s convenient, but the kind you eat with both hands, the kind you remember years after the sand is gone.

This is for the families who want more than just a road trip; they want a messy, sticky, hilarious memory. Buckle up. We’re chasing sugar highs along A1A, one glorious scoop at a time.

1. Jaxson’s Ice Cream Parlor & Restaurant

Walk into Jaxson’s and instantly it feels like childhood all over again: the chaos, the color, and the irresistible promise of brain freeze. License plates line the walls and the menu reads like someone dared them to invent as many flavors as possible. Their Kitchen Sink sundae could feed a small army, or just your family after a heated round of backseat trivia.

The best part? No one cares if you get a little loud. No one judges when Dad orders three scoops and still wants a bite off your cone. Jaxson’s is a living, sticky, laughter-filled museum of Florida memories, running since 1956.

Legend says locals bring their own Tupperware for leftovers. The waiters are quick with a wink and a refill of sprinkles. If your crew’s energy is flagging, this place throws sugar on the fire. You leave grinning, promising you’ll come back; even if you know you’ll need a long, long walk first.

2. Cow Licks

Whoever said you can’t play with your food clearly never met Cow Licks. This bright spot in Daytona Beach Shores was established in 2001 and it feels like a fever dream in the best way: arcade noises, hot dogs sizzling, and a wall of flavors that would blow a toddler’s mind.

Try the Birthday Cake ice cream. It tastes like every childhood party you ever wanted, regardless of how many went off the rails. Pralines and cream? That’s your mom’s Southern roots whispering, even if she grew up in Jersey.

While the kids are busy waging war with pinball machines, you get a moment to pretend you’re not herding cats. Cow Licks is a little wild, a little loud, and frankly, the antidote to every too-perfect Instagram vacation. You leave sticky but lighter. That’s a win.

3. Dreamette

Dreamette is the kind of place your grandma might have visited for a first date, and honestly, that’s its magic. This little Jacksonville landmark has churned out soft-serve since 1948 (first named Creamette). It’s bare-bones in the best way: no distractions, no frills, just creamy perfection in a cone.

Some days, you want the nostalgia to hit hard. Standing under the neon sign, you order a swirl with chocolate dip and suddenly, you’re seven. The air smells sweet, tinged with vanilla and a little local history.

There’s a lesson in restraint here, and it’s not about the portion size. Dreamette’s beauty is in its simplicity. No matter how complicated your life, for five minutes, you get to focus on nothing beyond that perfect cone.

4. Kilwins at John’s Pass Boardwalk

Kilwins at John’s Pass Boardwalk is where you remember that sugar isn’t just for kids. The smell hits you first: caramel, chocolate, and waffle cones all battling for your attention before you even step inside.

This place (opened around the 2000s) is part old-fashioned candy store, part ice cream heaven. You watch your cone get scooped as tourists and locals jostle for fudge samples, all while boats drift lazily along the pier outside.

The best trick? Get a chocolate-dipped waffle cone and eat it on the boardwalk, letting the sea breeze and sticky fingers keep you grounded. It’s indulgent, a little chaotic, and totally worth every sweet, messy bite.

5. Tedi’s Old Tyme Ice Cream

Tedi’s Old Tyme feels like stumbling into a time capsule (in a way it is: it’s the oldest ice cream shop in St. Augustine) where the past isn’t stuck, it’s celebrated. You wander in from the sun-drenched streets of St. Augustine, and suddenly you’re surrounded by the smell of fresh waffle cones and lemon zest.

Try their hand-squeezed lemonade with a scoop of blueberry. Or channel your inner espresso addict and add a double shot to your sundae. It’s the kind of place where you catch your kid staring at the soda fountain, trying to take it all in.

Tedi’s is run by people who care about the details. Every batch is small, every scoop a little work of art. You walk out sticky with syrup, promising yourself you’ll recreate that espresso float at home (you won’t).

6. Southern Craft Creamery

You know how some places make you feel like you’re getting a secret family recipe? That’s Southern Craft Creamery. Tucked into Marianna, it’s all sunshine, smiling faces, and the softest ice cream you’ll ever eat; made from their own Jersey cows.

Order the Tupelo honey. It’s like a love letter to the Panhandle, floral and sweet, and just a little unexpected. You taste hints of pecan and satsuma and realize this isn’t just dessert, it’s a snapshot of Florida’s real flavor.

The owners will tell you about their cows if you ask. The pride is infectious; your kids might start asking for a dairy cow for Christmas. This stop feels like home, even if yours is miles away.

7. Pecan Jacks Ice Creamery & Candy Kitchen

There’s something about a place that calls itself a “Candy Kitchen” that makes you feel like a kid with a caramel problem again. Pecan Jacks is that spot. The front porch in Santa Rosa Beach begs you to slow down, breathe salty air, and eat ice cream without glancing at your phone.

The pralines are legendary, but their ice cream steals the show: smooth, a little nutty, and always surprising. Watch someone’s face the first time they try the Bourbon Butter Pecan. That’s joy with a side of mischief.

Bring your stickiest fingers and your biggest smile. Pecan Jacks is pure Southern hospitality, no reservations required. A sugar rush and a mini therapy session rolled into one.

8. Blue Mountain Beach Creamery

Blue Mountain Beach Creamery looks like the kind of place you’d rent for a beach week, then never give back. With turquoise shutters and mismatched chairs, it’s casual, creative, and a little eccentric; just like their flavors.

Try the coconut. It’s so fresh you’ll forget you’re not on an island. Or go wild and get the key lime pie swirl, which is basically Florida in a cone.

The vibe here is laid back, but the ice cream is serious business. You’ll want to linger on the deck, watching bikes go by and wondering if real life could be this easy. For ten minutes, it is.

9. Kilwins (Rosemary Beach & Grand Boulevard)

Kilwins pops up like a sweet mirage all along Route A1A, but the Rosemary Beach and Grand Boulevard shops feel extra fancy. You walk in, and it’s equal parts chocolate shop and ice cream emporium. The fudge gets made fresh behind glass, while caramel apples spin like tiny works of art.

Grab a scoop of sea salt caramel, then wander outside with your cone and people-watch. The crowd? A mix of sunburnt tourists, retirees with tiny dogs, and actual children losing their minds over candy apples.

It’s the kind of place where you treat yourself, fully guilt-free. For once, everyone gets exactly what they want, and no one’s in a hurry to leave.

10. Moo La La Ice Cream & Fudge

Moo La La is like stepping into someone’s fever dream of happiness, but with more fudge. The name is silly on purpose, and the ice cream is unapologetically decadent. The walls are lined with flavors most people can’t pronounce, but every scoop is creamy, rich, and honest.

You watch teens agonize over their choices as if the fate of summer depends on it. Parents sneak fudge samples, pretending they’re “checking for nuts.” The ocean peeks through the windows, reminding you this is vacation, not real life.

No one counts calories here. Moo La La is for celebrations: big, small, or invented on the spot. Try their fudge, then dare someone to finish the largest cone on the menu. You’ll remember it.

11. It’s Heavenly Ice Cream & Shortcakes

If you’ve ever wished dessert could double as a hug, It’s Heavenly makes it happen. This little Seaside gem piles fresh fruit, sauces, and homemade shortcakes high, then adds a scoop of ice cream just because.

Order strawberry shortcake and you’ll understand why the staff always look so smug. Somehow, everything tastes like it was made five minutes ago. There’s a softness here; maybe it’s the vibe, maybe it’s just a sugar high.

Kids giggle. Parents smile like they’ve finally outsmarted the chaos. For a moment, your family feels like the best version of itself, all thanks to an absurdly good dessert.

12. Dawson’s Yogurt & Fudgeworks

You know you’re in Seaside because the yogurt comes with a side of mischief. Dawson’s Yogurt & Fudgeworks lets your kids go full mad scientist, building their own sundaes and smuggling extra fudge when they think no one’s looking.

The fudge is dense, sweet, and just unrefined enough to feel authentic. Parents linger at the counter, debating between two equally over-the-top creations, while the staff pretend not to notice the mess.

There’s no such thing as too many toppings here. Dawson’s is as close to a choose-your-own adventure as you can get on A1A, and honestly, that’s what vacation should be.

13. The Sugar Shak

Imagine a place where sugar runs wild and adults can’t pretend they’re above it. The Sugar Shak in Rosemary Beach is part candy store, part ice cream hideout, and all chaos in the best way.

You watch kids negotiate trades for jawbreakers while grownups get weirdly competitive over who can build the most ridiculous sundae. The ice cream flavors change often, but the sense of play never does.

The staff are young, loud, and clearly having a blast. You leave buzzing, both from the sugar and from the feeling that childhood might not be over after all. If you only let go for a minute.