Still want a treat to cool you off but not into ice cream?
Here are five frozen treats that aren’t ice cream.
Cool off with a blueberry and raspberry popsicle ($3) at Isabella’s Ice Cream, 210 N. Fourth Ave.
Popsicles at Isabella’s Ice Cream. Yes, the shop is definitely known for the ice cream made from local, sustainable ingredients. But the popsicles are definitely worth a try.
Before moving in to the brick and mortar location on Fourth Avenue, Isabella’s Ice Cream served ice cream from a traveling truck, inspired by a Ford Model T. At the time, the only treat served was ice cream. But now, Isabella’s Ice Cream also serves novelties such as fro-nuts (ice cream sandwiched in a donut), shakes, and bon-bons. And of course, popsicles.
Owner Kristel Johnson makes the popsicles herself. They’re delicate and fruity. In the past, she’s served up strawberry and cucumber popsicles. Isabella’s Ice Cream also serves 2-3 sorbet options at a time, if that’s more your jam. (210 N. Fourth Ave., 440-3583, isabellasicecream.com)
Mangoyada at Juice N’ Fruit Raspados (or basically any raspado shop).
If you don’t have a sweet tooth, order a Mangoyada. It’s the last thing from sweet.
A Mangoyada (or Mangonada) consists of shaved ice, chamoy, and chunks of fruit, usually mango. On top of that is an endless amount of Mexican candies — saladitos, rielitos, and serpentinas, to name a few. It’s sour, bold, and definitely worth trying.
Alternatively, if you want something sweeter, try a regular raspado. Typical flavors include strawberry, mango, and pineapple. (3502 S. Sixth Ave No. 100, 295-5188, on Facebook)
Halo-halo at Nick’s Sari-Sari Store. The Filipino store also has a fast-casual restaurant attached to it, which serves the delicious dessert that is halo-halo.
It could be called the Filipino version of a raspado. The bottom of halo-halo is filled with a lot of textured-goodies including chunks of fruit, gulaman (kind of a jellylike gummy texture), and beans. Every spoonful is truly a surprise.
All of those ingredients are topped with a giant scoop of shaved ice covered in sweetened condensed milk, and a pretty purple scoop of ube ice cream sits on top — ube is similar to yams, but it’s purple. (2001 S. Craycroft Road, 406-3593, on Facebook)
The snow smoothies at Bing’s Boba Tea are blended with ice and milk. It’s fluff shave ice is shaved ice mixed with milk.
Fluff shave ice and other frozen creations at Bing’s Boba Tea.
Bing’s Boba Tea is most known for — you guessed it — boba tea. But it also offers slushes and snow smoothies. The slushes are flavored drinks blended with ice. The snow smoothies are similar but blended with ice and milk.
Both the slushes and snow smoothies come in more than 20 flavors, ranging from raspberry and pineapple to red bean and passion fruit. According to marketing manager David Palazuelos and the rest of the Bing’s Boba Tea team, customer favorites are taro, matcha, strawberry, and cookies and cream.
And at their location on Campbell Avenue, Bing’s Boba Tea serves fluff shave ice — shaved ice mixed with milk. The outcome lies somewhere between shaved ice and ice cream. It’s a flaky combination of the two.
Fluff shave ice is offered in four flavors, including honeydew and taro, and there is a long list of toppings such as mochi, boba, and black sesame condensed milk. (2510 N. Campbell Ave., 288-8302, and 2040 W. Orange Grove Road, Suite 104, 288-8220, bingsbobatea.com)
Eegee's is best known for its frozen fruit drinks and its flavor of the month. This month's flavor: Scary Berry.
An Eegee at none other than Eegee’s.
I don’t think I need to explain what an Eegee is. But in case you have no clue what I’m talking about, an Eegee is the specialty at local sandwich chain Eegee’s. They’re similar to slushies, but not. And Tucsonans go crazy for them.
They come in four staple flavors: strawberry, lemon, pina colada, and skinny berry. And during June, the flavor of the month is orange dream. Pro tip: Add a scoop of ice cream for an extra 75 cents. It’s worth it. (Multiple locations, eegees.com)