Spring is kicking into high gear, and that means creamy whips across the Cincinnati area are opening their walk-up windows and switching their soft-serve machines on to help you shake off the winter blues with some sweetness.

And to say Cincinnati is a mecca of creamy whips would be an understatement. From neighborhood staples that have been serving ice cream and smiles for generations to the newer shops inspired by their memories made at the nostalgic awnings and picnic tables of the OG whips, there are plenty of places across the city for the young and young-at-heart to grab a shake, sundae or just a classic cone.

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. Photo: facebook.com/PutzCW
Zip Dip 4050 Drew Ave., Westwood 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. What to order: 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 sugar-free yogurt to banana boat parfaits. Those who prefer to drink their ice cream should skip the shakes and opt for a malt instead. Photo: Jesse Fox Photo: Jesse Fox
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. Photo: facebook.com/whetselwhip
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. Photo: facebook.com/TheConeWC
Visit Sharonville’s The Root Beer Stand 11566 Reading Road, Sharonville 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. But don’t miss out on the food — the secret-recipe chili for the eatery’s famous foot-long coney dogs is to die for. Open seasonally. Photo: Danielle Schuster Photo: Danielle Schuster
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. Photo: facebook.com/mtwashcreamywhip
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 up 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 serve a few flavors of soy-based ice cream. Photo: facebook.com/cowboycones1
The Bold Face Cone from Bold Face Dairy Bar Photo: Hailey Bollinger
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. Photo: Hailey Bollinger
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). Photo: facebook.com/Masonwhippydip
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. Photo: facebook.com/MHDB98
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. Photo: facebook.com/Don's Creamy Whip
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. Photo: facebook.com/dreamywhip
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. Photo: instagram.com/sugarshacksonthetrack
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. Photo: facebook.com/Eishauscov
Whipty-Do! 2529 Montgomery Road, 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. Photo: facebook.com/whiptydo
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. Photo: facebook.com/lilgoodieshoppe
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. Photo: facebook.com/silvergrovedaribar
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. Photo: Sami Stewart
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. Photo: facebook.com/Sprinkles-Creamy-Whip
Aubrey + Zach’s Ice Cream 3447 Epworth Ave., Westwood Attached to W Bar + Bistro in Westwood, Aubrey + Zach’s features classic dips with flavors ranging from the classic Dutch Chocolate and Old Tyme Vanilla to the less conventional, like Cold Brew Coffee, Peach, Sea Salt Caramel Toffee and one called “Superfriends.” Any of their flavors can be turned into a shake, and adding rainbow sprinkles to your ice cream is always free. The little shop also offers specialty sundaes, plus boozy shakes and slushies. Photo: facebook.com/AubreyZachsIceCream
The Goody Shop 2009 Springdale Road, Mt. Healthy Head over to North College Hill and spot the space-age building with a giant yellow sign to find The Goody Shop. On top of various flavors of soft-serve (which can be ordered with tons of toppings), this ice cream shop sells homemade chili and pulled pork barbeque. Photo: facebook.com/goodyshopicecream
Norwood Delite Creamy Whip 4490 Forest Ave., Norwood This no-frills whip has been in Norwood for nearly 70 years, serving everything from footlongs and barbecue to burgers and, of course, ice cream. Alongside the classic soft-serve, this staple also offers cyclones, sundaes, shakes and malts. If you grew up going to Kings Island as a kid, you probably partook in your fair share of blueberry soft-serve at the Huckleberry Dairy in what used to be Hanna-Barbera Land. To relive the nostalgia — and if you can’t swing the $50-plus admission — Norwood Delite has you covered. This creamy whip staple offers the famed blueberry soft-serve. Photo: facebook.com/Norwooddelitecreamywhip
Piper’s Cafe and Ice Cream Bar 520 W. Sixth St., Covington Piper’s Cafe in Covington serves 88 soft-serve flavors, which can be blended with one to three additional flavors, meaning the menu offers 100,000 possible blends. Their flavors range from the traditional to teaberry, apple pie, papaya, Candy Jellybean, Kahlua and more. All their soft-serve is lactose-free, as is their whipped cream. You can also get your soft-serve “affogato” style, meaning drenched in a shot of espresso. Photo: facebook.com/piperscafemainstrasse
General Custer’s 3325 Westbourne Drive, Western Hills On the West Side of Cincinnati, mini golf and ice cream go hand in hand. General Custer’s is a mini-golf spot and creamy whip in one — like the kind of family roadside attraction you might see in Florida. They even have a little bungee jumper harness for kids. The creamy whip here has over 20 different flavors, including rotating fruit-forward Dole flavors. You’ll also find flurries, slushies, volcanoes (slushies with ice cream in the middle), sundaes and snack-bar food (think walking tacos and hot dogs) on the menu. Photo: facebook.com/GeneralCusters
Flub’s Dari-ette 981 Eaton Ave, Hamilton; 530 Wessel Drive, Fairfield; 4065 Hamilton Cleves Road, Ross; 401 N. B St., Hamilton (Spooky Nook; open select weekends) Butler County’s Flub’s Dari-ette has been serving locals for nearly 60 years. Originally named The Dari-ette in 1965, owners Mike and Ann Connaughton changed it to “Flub’s Dari-ette” in the first year of their ownership. There are 45 homemade and unique Cyclone flavors to choose from. No. 1 on the menu is the Flub’s Fudge Ripple — vanilla creamy whip layered with their famous Johnston’s hot fudge, topped with more of the same, a whipped topping and a cherry. Photo: instagram.com/@flubsicecream
Back 2 the Dipper 6918 Plainfield Road, Silverton Beloved Silverton ice cream shop Back 2 the Dipper, or The Dipper, serves up every different type of sweet frozen you could want. They’ve got slushies, shakes, malts, floats, slushies, banana splits and more. Their creamy whip selection features inventive flavor bursts you can add in your soft-serve like the famous “blue” ice cream plus bubble gum, green apple and mint. The spot also has hot dogs, coneys and walking tacos available. Photo: facebook.com/The-Dipper
Walker Bros. Ice Cream 9425 Montgomery Road, Montgomery This family-owned ice cream shop in Montgomery is named after the owners’ four boys who (like most kids) love ice cream. On top of the typical soft-serve flavors, they serve up imaginative sundaes with the likenesses of various characters and animals like the Cookie Monster and Montgomery’s Bear sundaes. Photo: facebook.com/WalkerBrosIceCream
Sweets N Eats 4719 Delhi Pike, Delhi This West Side staple serves up all the creamy whip classics from its walk-up window on Delhi Pike (you’ll be able to spot it easily thanks to the big, pink ice cream cone on its visage and the ever-long line that forms there on hot days). Their slushies and snow cones come in an extensive list of flavors, and you’re never too old to try their famous dirt sundae: soft serve doused in crushed Oreos and dotted with gummy worms. Photo: Google Maps
Loveland Dairy Whip 611 W. Loveland Ave., Loveland A former Dairy Whip and hamburger stand that opened on the Fourth of July in the ‘50s, Loveland Dairy Whip now specializes in creamy soft-serve ice cream made with a thick and creamy Dairyman’s blend. With chocolate, vanilla and twist cones, plus chocolate, cherry and butterscotch dip top — and a cake batter dip top — or sprinkles, the whip offers a taste of nostalgia. They also have a drive-thru. Photo: facebook.com/LovelandDairyWhip