Passing down a love for ice cream is easy in Henderson County, where more than a dozen shops — including Baabals — serve up cups, cones, and sundaes on the Hendersonville Ice Cream Trail. photograph by Tim Robison
With 36 ice cream flavors and 40 milkshake flavors — plus hot dogs, barbecue, sandwiches, and Brunswick stew, served for lunch Tuesday through Friday — Baabals has the largest daily selection of flavors on the trail, as well as a shaded lawn and a wide wraparound porch on which to enjoy them.
188 Saint John Road
Fletcher, NC 28732
(828) 676-6449
facebook.com/baabals
Fans of Sylva-based Jack the Dipper, which operated at this location until late 2022, will recognize the made-to-order waffle cones, still warm as they’re heaped with any of 36 flavors. But there’s a new twist, too: boba tea, or bubble tea — a sweet, milky iced tea with tapioca pearls that originated in Taiwan.
5591 Hendersonville Road
Fletcher, NC 28732
(828) 595-9886
Owners George and Mara Nicholas met in culinary school before opening The Baker’s Box in 2015. George makes burgers, pitas, wraps, salads, and lunch and dinner specials, while Mara handles all things sweet, including six flavors of homemade ice cream: chocolate and vanilla, always, and more creative flavors that rotate regularly.
1508 Asheville Highway
Hendersonville, NC 28791
(828) 595-9983
thebakersbox.net
People recognize Piggy’s for the eclectic figurines adorning the roof. photograph by Tim Robison
Piggy’s began in 1979 and serves 32 to 40 flavors each day. Besides the ice cream — and the food options at Harry’s Grill, on the other side of the building — the big draw is the antiques and collectibles in every room, accumulated by the Thompson family and their customers over the past 45 years.
102 Duncan Hill Road
Hendersonville, NC 28792
(828) 692-1995
harrysandpiggys.com
Kim Hogan and her kids, Austin and Maddie, bring the flavor of Kerry, Ireland, to the Ice Cream Trail with recipes born on the Emerald Isle, including Celtic Coffee and Irish Butter Pecan. photograph by Tim Robison
Jeff Hogan spent years trying to convince Joanna McCarthy, a family friend in Ireland, to share the recipes for her thick, creamy ice cream — the best he’d ever tasted. When he finally succeeded, he spent another month learning the process before opening Celtic Creamery in Carolina Beach in 2019. Two years later, his sister, Kim Hogan, opened another location in their hometown of Hendersonville.
227 Seventh Avenue East
Hendersonville, NC 28792
(828) 595-9250
celticcreamery.com
One of Hendersonville’s iconic bear statues greets guests outside Kilwins. photograph by Tim Robison
Part ice cream shop, part chocolatier, Kilwins offers a taste of nostalgia — and 32 rotating flavors — in downtown Hendersonville.
506 North Main Street
Hendersonville, NC 28792
(828) 698-9794
kilwins.com
Grab a cup and fill it up: Choose from 14 individual frozen yogurt flavors and seven twisted combinations and pull the lever to get as much as you’d like. Then, head to the toppings bar to load up on candies, fruits, crumbles, and more before weighing your concoction to determine the price.
201 North Main Street
Hendersonville, NC 28792
(828) 698-5200
sweetfrog.com
Lily Robison, Natalie Jones, and Wells Robison (from left) enjoy sweet treats from Whit’s Frozen Custard. photograph by Tim Robison
Featuring vanilla, chocolate, a Flavor of the Week, and a Flavor of the Day, plus dozens of toppings, Whit’s turns its dense, creamy custard into shakes, sundaes, cakes, ice cream sandwiches (called Whitties), and “Whitsers” with toppings blended in.
602 Kanuga Road
Hendersonville, NC 28739
(828) 595-2118
whitscustard.com
This family-owned shop offers ice cream, fresh fruit sorbets, and paletas, or Mexican popsicles. For something with a kick, try the chamoyada, a popular Mexican treat that features mango ice cream, a fruit topping, and spices.
825 Spartanburg Highway, No. 16
Hendersonville, NC 28792
(828) 747-1248
ourstate.com/la-vida-loca
El Río’s ice cream flavors range from tequila to queso. For a traditional taste of Mexico, try a chamoyada (right), packed with mango and topped with spicy chamoy sauce. photograph by Tim Robison
For 10 years, El Río has brought the flavors of Mexico to Henderson County. Try homemade ice cream and paletas in flavors like cantaloupe, guava, rum raisin, horchata, queso, tequila, and many more, all made from scratch.
2000 Spartanburg Highway, Suite 200
Hendersonville, NC 28726
facebook.com/elrioicecream
The beloved burger and hot dog chain that began outside Winston-Salem in 1947 finally made its way to Henderson County in 2023. True to its name, dairy is the star here, with more than 30 flavors of hand-scooped and soft-serve ice cream.
140 Upward Road
East Flat Rock, NC 28726
(828) 388-7342
dairio.com
Sample the flavors (clockwise from far left): mascarpone fig, strawberry, blue strawberry, burnt honey, Punkin Chunkin, and blueberry crumble. photograph by Craig Distl
Danny McConnell began making ice cream in 1999 using strawberries from his farm. Now, he uses his own produce to make about 14 other flavors, including experimental combinations like blackberry chocolate chip and fig mascarpone.
177 Old Dana Road
Hendersonville, NC 28792
(828) 692-2819
facebook.com/mcconnellfarmsinc
This tiny, colorful ice cream hut was designed with families in mind: After ordering from the walk-up window or at the drive-through, kids play hopscotch and draw with chalk on the pavement, while parents and pups enjoy the shade at the covered picnic tables.
96 Etowah Center Drive
Etowah, NC 28729
(828) 708-4708
ourstate.com/karolinakremes
The Scoop of Ice Creamville: Click here to read a local writer’s inside scoop about the Hendersonville Ice Cream Trail.
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