Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth at These Greater Cincinnati Creamy Whips

Putz’s Creamy Whip

2673 Putz Place, East Westwood/Northside
Putz’s Creamy Whip has been in the family since the day Constantine and Anna Putz opened their first trolley car walk-up ice cream window in 1938. The Putz as we know it — now in a square concrete structure just down the hill from Mt. Airy Forest — is a scoop of summer nostalgia served with a smile. Not much about this place has changed over the past several decades. Putz descendants have been cranking out cones at the creamy whip for the last few decades — all on the same Electro-Freeze machine. Another tradition? Putz’s is cash-only. Despite the hoopla about the vintage ice cream machine and vanilla soft-serve, the pineapple sherbet is a must. It’s creamy like soft-serve and tangy to boot. “Face cones” are also a hot commodity at Putz’s. The soft-serve cones are adorned with Necco wafer ears and crunchy googly-eyed candy.

Zip Dip

4050 Drew Ave., Green Township
Zip Dip literally shines like a beacon of light through the dark — the iconic neon lightning bolt adorning the roof is unmistakable. It was added to the building in 1951 and has been guiding customers through summer heat waves to ice cream salvation ever since. Everyone loves a classic. The top-seller here is a basic small cone with a twist, but scrap the whole chocolate and vanilla idea. Zip Dip serves an orange and vanilla twist that will make you forget you ever wanted anything else. If you’re looking for more, Zip Dip has a whole heap of ice cream selections, from chipwiches to sundaes. Those who prefer to drink their ice cream should skip the shakes and opt for a malt instead.

Whetsel Whip

4825 Whetsel Ave., Madisonville
Located right next to The Cheesecakery, Whetsel Whip offers classic chocolate and vanilla soft-serve with hard shell flavors of chocolate, birthday cake and butterscotch. Sure you can get that in a classic waffle cone, but you can also get it served up in a delicious, fluffy bubble waffle. And if you can’t choose between the selection of mouthwatering sundaes, order a flight, which comes with four signature flavors.

The Cone

6855 Tylersville Road, West Chester
West Chester’s The Cone is arguably the most recognizable creamy whip in all of Ohio — partially because of its large ice cream cone-shaped exterior. The Cone’s flavors and ingredients are all-natural, the majority of which are made in-house daily with fresh fruit, real chocolate and more. Even their famous bright orange zebra cone is made from real oranges. Plus all their ice creams, yogurts, Italian ices and sherbets are not only all-natural, but soy-free, gluten-free and egg-free, and their whipped cream is homemade on a daily basis from scratch. They also have peanut-allergy-friendly options, as well as dairy-free and sugar-free selections.

The Root Beer Stand

11566 Reading Road, Sharonville
The Root Beer Stand has been delighting summertime guests since it first opened as an A&W Root Beer Stand in 1957. The now-family-owned restaurant makes secret recipe root beer (available by the jug) using water from the property’s 280-foot-deep well, which you can add to two scoops of ice cream to make into a float. The stand also offers classic vanilla soft-serve with eight flavor burst options to mix in, and make sure you try a footlong coney while you’re there. The family’s secret-recipe chili is to die for.

Mt. Washington Creamy Whip & Bakery

2069 Beechmont Ave., Mt. Washington
Nestled on the edge of Mt. Washington sits one of Cincinnati’s most simplified creamy whips. Filled with historic and nostalgic Cincinnati imagery, they offer three flavors of soft-serve: vanilla, chocolate and swirl, plus Dole Whips. Among the traditional flavors are ton of optional toppings. Their Oreo Malt has the perfect cookie/ice cream ratio. Most recommended is their peanut butter sundaes or shakes, or their weekly flavor offerings.

Cowboy Cones

508 N. Wyoming Ave., Wyoming
An HVAC salesman and the owner of Wyoming Heating and Air one day realized that Wyoming was in desperate need of some ice cream. They took it upon themselves to create Cowboy Cones, a cow-print-covered ice cream stop that serves up sundaes, shakes, floats, tons of imaginative ice cream flavors and, of course, creamy whips. The shop offers 14 rotating flavors of creamy soft-serve that can be topped or swirled to create the perfect flavor. For those who don’t eat dairy, Cowboy Cones also serves a few flavors of soy-based ice cream.

Bold Face Dairy Bar (Opening April 19)

801 Mt Hope Ave., East Price Hill
This walk-up urban creamy whip is helmed by the Grear and Harkins families. The menu includes floats, shakes and flurries in addition to soft-serve. Cones come in vanilla, chocolate or swirl with toppings like sea salt, sprinkles and chocolate sauce, but where things get creative are their flavor swirls. Among additions like lavender, pistachio and chai tea is bourbon barrel stout, a unique Kentucky-style stand-out. And if you want to get really adventurous, try Bold Face’s PB&J hot dog.

The Parlor

1218 Broadway St., Pendleton; 119 Main St., Milford; 2069 Beechmont Ave., Mt. Washington
The Parlor specializes in the fusion of ice cream and espresso, but its soft-serve is also a must-try. Customers can order from a diverse menu of creamy whip flavors ranging from strawberry to Nutella swirl, but soft-serve won’t be the only choice to fill your cup or cone. More adventurous customers can opt for edible cookie dough by the scoop or choose to blend the batter into a shake or sundae. Mom always said never to eat raw cookie dough, but forget her advice for now.

Mason Whippy Dip

127 E. Main St., Mason
Mason Whippy Dip, also known as Tucker’s Whippy Dip, is a family-owned ice cream shop that’s been crafting cones and smiles since 1999. They’re best known for their creative animal cones, using ice cream, candy and an assortment of other treats to make sweet creatures that are almost too cute to eat (almost). Whippy Dip also has some incredible gourmet sundaes like the Black Forest (chocolate soft-serve with hot fudge and cherry topping) or the Sandstorm (chocolate soft-serve with marshmallow topping, a drizzle of chocolate syrup, malt powder and chopped peanuts).

Mt. Healthy Dairy Bar

7840 Hamilton Ave., Mt. Healthy
While Mt. Healthy Dairy Bar famously serves 2-pound monster cones for dirt cheap, its rotating sherbet flavors are to die for. They offer a farmers market variety of flavors throughout the summer: Shocking Strawberry, Bold Black Cherry, Awesome Orange and Perfect Pineapple to name a few. The Bold Black Cherry tastes uncannily like a cherry Starburst.

Don’s Creamy Whip

1522 Market St., Reading
Don Vonderhaar of Vonderhaar Catering opened Don’s Creamy Whip in March 1976. Considered a hidden gem in Reading, it often has a long line of locals or passersby. Don’s not only offers ice cream, but slushies and delicious fast food with quality portion sizes. Their most popular menu items are their soft-serve ice cream and “Whippers,” similar to Flurries or Blizzards, with your choice of candy swirled perfectly within your favorite ice cream flavor.

Dreamy Whip

3020 Washington St., Burlington
This soft-serve ice cream and coffee shop wants to be your symbol of summer, and with its menu of cones, shakes, malts and floats, how could it not? Ice cream is flavored in-house and in small batches, and flavors are rotated weekly. The vanilla is always available dairy-free, as are their dole whips. And not only does Dreamy Whip have its Burlington storefront, it also has its own ice cream truck and trailer that can be rented out for events.

Sugar Shack by the Tracks

405 E. Wyoming Ave., Lockland
This new ice cream parlor and coffee shop offers retro vibes along with its sweet treats. While the shop has been focusing on donuts and coffee during the winter months, spring is coming, and ice cream will be back on the menu in April. Inside, you’ll find colorful murals and gleaming hubcaps on the ceiling, and on the menu is an extensive list of homemade hand-dipped ice creams, sundaes, milkshakes, soft-serve and fruity Dole whip flavors. Some of the most popular flavors last year were butter pecan, cherry cordial and cookies and cream. The sundaes are also a big hit, all inspired by both 1950s pop culture and local landmarks, including the Exit 12, which gives a nod to the location's exit just off of I-75, and the Benson Banana Split for the Reading Bridal District.

Eishaus

117 Park Place, Covington
Eishaus is home to spaghetti eis, a soft-serve-like German ice cream dish that has the appearance of spaghetti, which, conveniently for Cincinnati chili die-hards, can be made to look like our famous 3-Ways. Spaghetti eis can also be topped with different fruits and chocolate to form a visually striking and delicious dessert. Eishaus also serves coffee, burritos, loaded tots, tea and a daily rotation of pastries. The next-door sister restaurant Frosthaus focuses on boozy slushies and flatbreads.

Whipty-Do!

2529 US-22, Maineville
Whipty-Do! opened its doors in May of 2009, when owners Joe and Kristen Fields turned their love of ice cream into a colorful brick-and-mortar shop. They began serving blue ice cream in 2010, and customers drive from as far as Columbus and Indianapolis to stock up on the stuff with coolers and dry ice in tow. And for folks who are dairy-free, they have rotating-flavor Dole Whips. Also, be sure to try their secret menu item, the Whipty Whirl (ice cream blended with candy and/or syrup), at least once this summer.

The Lil Goodie Shoppe

7120 Eagle Creek Road, Colerain Township
Open in 1983, The Lil Goodie Shoppe has been run by three generations of women from the Anderson family. Their turtle sundae is a dream come true, and they have an extensive list of ingredients you can add to your flurry, including classic candies like M&Ms, Reese’s Cups and Butterfingers, as well as real fruit. Among their specialty items, you’ll find an adorable clown cup – soft-serve topped with rainbow sprinkles, candy eyes and ears and a cone hat on top – as well as a strawberry shortcake, banana split and Reese’s Cup Parfait. The Lil Goodie Shoppe also has real-deal Slush Puppies that come in 10 flavors, and you can also add Sour Shocker to any of them.

Silver Grove Dari Bar

5178 Mary Ingles Highway, Silver Grove
This little walk-up classic creamy whip in Northern Kentucky has tons of amazing options. If you're a fan of Graeter's black raspberry chocolate chip, opt for one of the Dari Bar's hot fudge sundaes topped with black raspberry. Or a black raspberry blitz — their take on a Blizzard. In addition to soft-serve, the Dari Bar offers burgers, sandwiches, coneys, actual foot-long footlongs and cheese fries.

Gold Top Dairy Bar

2810 Blue Rock Road, White Oak
Served out of a walk-up window with a bright yellow roof, this College Hill stop has the traditional Cincinnati creamy whip experience. Their menu features soft serve in a few traditional flavors plus blue raspberry that can be served in a cup or smothered in all types of toppings from sprinkles to cake batter. You can also take home a pint of soft-serve, edible cookie dough or even order an ice cream cake.

Sprinkles Creamy Whip

500 N. Miami Ave., Cleves
This small-town ice cream shop in Cleves serves up 19 flavors of soft serve plus an extensive menu of shake and malt flavors, as well as sundaes, flurries and more. Sprinkles Creamy Whip serves its delicious menu out of a cash-only walk-up window. If you stop by, try the donut ice cream sandwich, made with any flavor of ice cream between two glazed donuts.