Ever seen late night lines by Trader Joe’s in the Seaholm District and wondered what the hell was going on at the grocery store? Us too. Those lines are actually for the admittedly not-so-clearly labelled Baked Bear, stationed a couple of doors down. Here you can design your own ice cream sandwich, with cookie or brownie buns, a selection of colorful ice cream fillers, and toppings ranging from Nutella to M&Ms.

Though it’s a bit of a drive from downtown, a trip to Taqueria la Violeta is an occasion in itself. The restaurant is housed within Beerburg Brewing, situated across 15 picturesque acres in Texas Hill Country. Bring pals (and a designated driver) to enjoy made-from-scratch ice cream paired with housebrewed beers. Chef Ricardo Gutierrez’s flavors rotate seasonally and are available by the scoop or as a flight of four.

DipDipDip is a Japanese-inspired creamery that takes local milk, cream, and buttermilk from Hill Country Dairies and conjures them up in an array of IG-worthy desserts. Choose from unique flavors like Sum Yum Yuzu (a black pepper-yuzu-mascarpone base speckled with meringue kisses, berry preserve, and grassy shiso leaf) and have it served in a pink lemon-dipped cone or a cup with a dipped waffle chip.

Lick has been an Austinite obsession since 2011, now with three area locations peddling pure, fresh ingredients sourced responsibly from local farmers and partners. Lineups include Texas Sheet Cake (injected with yummy homegrown chocolate-pecan icing) and the ultra-refreshing Roasted Beets and Fresh Mint. Fans can also try Horchata, a velvety homage to the Mexican beverage, and Blueberry Crumble, packed with tiny nibbles of crunchy streusel on a bed of blueberry ice cream.

The South Austin location of Lick, the much-loved ice-cream shop.

The East Austin location of Lick, the much-loved ice-cream shop.

Superfans of the Whole Foods freezer darling Jeni’s can go all out at two stand-alone Austin shops, one on South Congress and the other at Domain Northside. Here, the artisanal scoops are silky smooth, buttercream-bodied and melt-in-your mouth chunky funky throughout.

The Domain location of silky-smooth ice-cream purveyor, Jeni's.

Amy’s Ice Creams is Austin’s original locally owned ice cream shop, with 13 locations and a crazy long list of permanent and seasonal flavors (we’re talking over 350). If you’re not sure where to start, we suggest going with their top-selling classic Mexican Vanilla or Belgian Chocolate base for your Reese’s-, gummy bear-, and raisin-studded creation (no judgment here).

The North Austinville location of Austin’s original locally owned ice cream shop.