Sweet Spots in Murrieta: A Local's Guide to Ice Cream and Desserts

Ask any Murrieta local where to get ice cream and you will get a passionate answer. This is a city that takes its sweet treats seriously: rolled Thai ice cream and cereal-inspired scoops sit alongside Old Town bakeries, a veteran-owned pie shop, and old-school drive-in soft serve that has cooled down families for decades. Whether you are celebrating a good report card or just need an excuse to get out of the house, this guide to the best ice cream and dessert spots in Murrieta has you covered.

Ice Cream and Frozen Treats Around Town

Murrieta's ice cream scene has a little bit of everything, from an artisanal creamery to playful dessert bars kids beg to visit. Here are the scoop shops locals actually drive to.

• Aerostat Creamery on Clinton Keith Road is the closest thing Murrieta has to an old-fashioned creamery. It was founded by a retired U.S. Navy chief petty officer, and everything is made in house: a rotating lineup of homemade flavors and fresh waffle cones. See current flavors at aerostaticecream.com.
• Blue Elephant Thai Ice Cream and Drink on Murrieta Hot Springs Road brings Thai-style rolled ice cream to the valley. Each order is made fresh on a chilled steel board with flavors like Thai tea and taro, plus crispy matcha egg waffles and fruit-topped sundaes.
• Twisted Spoons Ice Cream Cereal Bar on California Oaks Road turns breakfast cereal into dessert. Scoops are infused with favorite cereals and paired with build-your-own bowls, and the shop is pet friendly. Peek at the menu at twistedspoonsicecream.com.
• Rita's Italian Ice and Frozen Custard on Washington Avenue is the spot for a lighter, cooler treat. The Italian ice comes in bright seasonal flavors, and the layered gelati, custard and ice swirled in one cup, are a summer tradition. Find hours at ritasice.com.
• Delight Ice Cream and Drinks on Margarita Road pairs scoops with drinks, while Cold Stone Creamery on Madison Avenue handles mix-in cravings on fresh waffles. Tastee Freez on Madison Avenue serves old-school drive-in soft serve and shakes, and the Dairy Queen on California Oaks Road is a reliable stop for Blizzards and cones.

Old Town Sweets, Bakeries, and Coffee Bars

Historic Downtown Murrieta along Washington and Kalmia has quietly become a dessert destination. Park once and wander, and you can cover a pie shop, a bakery, and a bake shop turned coffee bar in a single afternoon. Our guide to discovering Old Town Murrieta covers the district itself.

• Hey Sugar Sweets on Kalmia Street is a veteran-owned bakery serving classic Southern desserts: signature cheesecake jars, red velvet cake, peach cobbler, banana pudding, and cupcakes, plus custom cakes. Founded by a U.S. Navy veteran in 2021, it keeps regulars coming back for the home-style quality. Order details at heysugarsweets.com.
• Love, Dreams and Pie on Washington Avenue is a handcrafted pie shop with more than 150 sweet and savory varieties and over 30 custom crust options, including vegan, keto, and sugar-free pies. Coconut cream, salted caramel apple, and bourbon maple pecan are favorites. See the lineup at lovedreamspie.com.
• The Crafted Scone nearby pairs freshly baked sweet and savory scones with espresso, and its sconewiches, scones turned into sandwiches, make it a beloved stop for breakfast and afternoon coffee. It is pet friendly and a great meetup spot before a walk through Old Town. Menus at thecraftedscone.com.
• TK's Donuts on Kalmia Street is the neighborhood's early-morning ritual, turning out fresh donuts that rarely survive the drive home.

Cookies, Grab-and-Go Treats, and Special Occasions

Sometimes the sweetest thing is the easiest: a warm cookie, a custom cake, or treats you did not have to bake yourself. Crumbl on California Oaks Road rotates a lineup of gourmet cookies weekly, which keeps regulars coming back to see what is new. For birthdays and celebrations, The Cake Cottage on Los Alamos Road is a go-to for custom cakes, and Hey Sugar Sweets in Old Town also takes cake orders. For holiday meals, a pie from Love, Dreams and Pie beats anything from a grocery freezer, and our guide to farmers markets and local food points to seasonal fruit for homemade versions.

A Sweet Day Trip to Temecula

Fifteen minutes down the 15 freeway, Temecula adds two more must-visit names to the dessert map. Handel's Homemade Ice Cream on Margarita Road churns dozens of flavors daily in small batches, and Afters Ice Cream on Winchester Road serves the milky bun ice cream sandwiches that made it famous. Pair a stop with Old Town Temecula or a wine country drive using our guides to day trips from Murrieta and Temecula wine country.

How to Plan a Family Dessert Crawl

A dessert crawl is one of the best low-cost ways to spend an afternoon in Murrieta. Pick a district, order one or two things at each stop, and share. In Old Town, that means scones at The Crafted Scone, a slice of pie at Love, Dreams and Pie, and cheesecake jars from Hey Sugar Sweets, with a stroll past the historic storefronts between. On the California Oaks side, start with a cookie at Crumbl and finish with cereal bowls at Twisted Spoons, then walk it off on a neighborhood trail or at one of the city's best parks. On warm evenings, Market Nights in Old Town pair live music with dessert, and our community events page lists them. For more ideas, browse our family weekend guide and the Murrieta family guide.

Frequently Asked Questions About Dessert in Murrieta

Where is the best ice cream in Murrieta?

Locals have their favorites, and that is part of the fun. Aerostat Creamery wins for in-house flavors and waffle cones, Blue Elephant for Thai rolled ice cream, Twisted Spoons for build-your-own cereal bowls, Rita's for Italian ice, and Tastee Freez for classic soft serve.

Are there dessert options in Murrieta for special diets?

Yes. Love, Dreams and Pie offers vegan, keto, and sugar-free pies, and most scoop shops let you build a treat without the extras. A quick call ahead confirms the day's options.

Which dessert spots in Murrieta are kid friendly?

Twisted Spoons, Blue Elephant, and Rita's are kid magnets with build-your-own styles and bright colors, while Tastee Freez and Dairy Queen keep it classic. Several Old Town spots, including The Crafted Scone, are pet friendly too.

Why Murrieta's Sweet Scene Feels Like Home

The dessert scene says a lot about Murrieta: it is small enough that you know the owners by name, varied enough that there is always something new to try, and dotted with veteran-owned, family-run shops that reinvest in the neighborhoods they serve. It is the kind of place where your kids grow up with a favorite cone spot and your pie order becomes a holiday tradition.

If a sweet little life in Murrieta sounds right, we would love to help you find a home near your new favorite stop. Start with our neighborhood guide, which covers everything from family-friendly master-planned communities to quiet acreage on the plateau, and our relocation guide walks through schools, cost of living, and the moving roadmap. Laura and Cheryl are local brokers who know each neighborhood and the dessert spots near them, so you can buy with confidence and celebrate with a cone.

Taste Murrieta for Yourself

The best way to find your family's favorite dessert spot is to visit, and the best way to find your neighborhood is to talk to someone who knows it. Laura and Cheryl would love to show you around and point you to the ice cream shop closest to your future front door.