Novel Ice Cream

The greatest thing I have eaten all year was ice cream from this place, get in the car! Go! Had the toffee bourbon flavor of the employee rec. in a donut, free topping comes with, about $9 with tip. The audio of me eating that would get FCC fined so much, it was a good size dessert as well. Super fast and easy service, felt like a classic ice cream window and they probably beat out all the dairy farms I grew up next to with the flavor, maybe even all the pastry chefs I worked with/for. Great patio space. Congrats across the board Novel

This spot wasn’t named number one nationally for no reason! What a treat to have Novel Ice Cream in Phoenix. We visited tonight around 7:30 pm. Novel is nestled besides a charming courtyard with tables to eat at after you’re done ordering. There are a few other shops around as well including a tattoo/piercing shop, coffee shop and wedding planner. Novel offers a menu full of your standard flavors (think Madagascar vanilla and strawberry) and several rotating flavors (matcha and Thai tea were offered today). My partner and I both opted for a Dough Melt — a glazed donut sandwiches your choice of ice cream. He ordered bourbon toffee and I ordered Thai tea. My daughter ordered strawberry in a cone. Service was quick. The ice creams were creamy and tasted so good! Bourbon toffee was EXCELLENT in a dough melt — the flavors went so well together and it ended up tasting similar to a maple bar. Thai Tea unfortunately wasn’t the best choice for a dough melt but alone is excellent (the donut highlighted the bitterness in the ice cream). The strawberry was very good as well. Prices were fair. We will definitely be back on our own accord but this spot is also being added to the list to take friends and family from out of town.

This year, Novel Ice Cream earned the top spot as the nation's number one ice cream shop, and deservedly so. They were also the top ice cream shop in the United States in 2019, so I am not surprised to see them ranked No. 1 once more. My discovery of Novel Ice Cream was in either late 2017 or early 2018. When I saw the overwhelmingly positive reviews it received on Yelp, I gave it a try. When I arrived there, it was still a good thirty minutes before they opened. I never thought that a tiny red shack would become my favorite ice cream place. There is a reason they say not to judge a book by its cover. When the previous owner, Brandon, saw me patiently waiting outside, he allowed me to come in ten minutes early to sample flavors to see if there was anything I liked. Upon trying my first sample, I realized I had found a new favorite ice cream place, and Novel Ice Cream has been my favorite ice cream shop since. Novel has eight flavors available every day, and four that rotate periodically. Of all the flavors I have tried, not a single one has disappointed me. Not only is their ice cream divine, but their sorbets are also exceptional. Their sorbets are also very refreshing. I also like that they allow samples. The service is friendly. No matter how long the line is, it moves quickly, and the wait is worth it. While I enjoy everything on the menu, my favorite item that Novel offers is the dough melt. While many ice cream flavors go well with the dough melt, the sorbets are hit or miss, depending on the flavor you get. They put a generous scoop of ice cream in the dough melt, along with a topping of your choice. It is their most popular item for a reason. You can never go wrong with the dough melt. For such high-quality ice cream, the prices are very reasonable. That is another thing I appreciate about Novel. I also like that they are a local, family-owned business. You can tell they care about making the best ice cream possible. The current owner, Shawn Allard, purchased Novel in August 2023, and I would like to give him a shout-out for ensuring the quality has remained consistent all these years. I also like the courtyard the shop is in. There are many shops in the area, including a barber shop. It has been a great pleasure being a regular customer for the last several years. If you are looking for a great ice cream shop in the Phoenix area, Novel Ice Cream is the place to go. I will continue to support Novel and spread the word about how great they are. When it comes to ice cream in Arizona, Novel is the king.

Deserves Best Ice Cream ranking, really good Ice cream. Interesting location, small little building that shares patio with coffee place, tattoo shop, barber and wedding planner. Bourbon Ice Cream deserves the praise it receives, exceptional! Vanilla Ice Cream is also delicious and the waffle cones are spot on. Little bit of a drive but worth it!

Novel Ice Cream is absolutely the best ice cream spot in town! Their handcrafted scoops are as creamy and flavorful as they come, with exciting rotating flavors that keep things fresh. Don’t miss the doughnut-ice-cream “Dough Melt”, a warm glazed donut pressed around your favorite scoop and toppings. The shop’s cheerful vibe and friendly staff make it an easy favorite. It’s no wonder it was just named the top ice cream shop in the country. Truly a must-visit!

Okay so this might be the best ice cream place in Phoenix! It was so flavorful and had great consistency. The dough melt was just WOW. So soft and warm, truly melted in our mouths. The service was friendly and quick — even with the line being long, it went by fast. Will definitely be coming back!

Novel Ice Cream & Roosevelt Row Vibes – A Perfect Weekend Spot We absolutely love this area! On weekends, The Wayward and Snapback Pizza were my go-tos, but discovering Novel Ice Cream was the cherry on top. This cozy little spot is tucked into a strip full of charm—art galleries, plant shops, unique local restaurants, and even a quirky print shop. There’s something cool around every corner. Novel Ice Cream serves up creative, delicious flavors—and I highly recommend trying the Fat Elvis. It’s rich, fun, and totally lives up to the name. The whole strip has a quiet, chill vibe that's perfect for a weekend stroll. Bonus points: if you linger long enough, you might spot a few friendly neighborhood cats. And if you're really observant, you just might find Where's Waldo hiding somewhere nearby—let me know if you do! Definitely worth a visit if you're into good eats, great ice cream, and local character.

I had a great experience; my ice cream donut sandwich was delicious. The guy who took my order was very kind, the service was fast, and my donut was fluffy and fresh.

If you haven't stopped by Novel, you are missing out. You can't go wrong with warm glazed donuts with fantastic ice cream flavors. Depending on when you go, line can be SUPER Long but it goes pretty fast. There is not a lot of outdoor seating or parking so you just have to be lucky; don't let that steer you away because Novel is truly a gem.

What could be better than donut and ice cream. Fat Elvis is exactly that...plus bacon! On my! Donut was good all on its own but ice cream and bacon put it over the top. Mango apple sorbet for non dairy eaters was also yummy! Line was long but went quickly. No indoor seating but service was excellent. Highly recommend!!

The ice cream and the donut are absolutely delicious. Friendly help too! I was just a little disappointed that they were out of the flavor I wanted but I really enjoyed their ice cream in a donut. One time I ordered the waffle with ice cream but I prefer the donut.

I have to tell you, if you haven't stopped by this sweet little spot, you're real in your FOMO! the flavors are so good and so unique, and their setup is really neat. You walk up through a pretty nook to order, and you're greeted with friendly service. Yep, that's right - you're just going to have to check it out to see what I mean! The blue ice cream was one of my absolute favorites. Super memorable, and so worth the drive from Maricopa. Will be back!

This is one of the most unique places to have a sweet treat in Arizona. I had the Chai tea ice cream dough melt (2 donuts with ice cream in the middle). The staff is very helpful when it comes to giving free samples and explaining how the process works. There is a nice seating area with string lights under a roof.

There's just not a lot of places in town that my wife and I both get what we want for dessert. However whenever we are downtown the wife wants novel and I want beer. Thanks to the kind folks at the Novel we continue to have the best times together. Tonight was no different and we will be back again soon

Such a cute little ice cream spot in the heart of DT Mesa! You have to walk all the way down the cutely decorated alley way towards the back of the store front to order, but it's worth it!! AND you get to burn off a few of those calories before piling on more splurging on your scrumptious ice cream!! We got the bourbon toffee and Fat Elvis flavors. Ka-ching! We totally scored! You wouldn't think that the flavors blend well with each other, but we were super happy mixing the two together! Either they were great flavors together, or we could just be two off monkeys, but either way, it'd be fun for you to find out! We were limited to gluten free flavors, which is why we ended with the bourbon toffee and Fat Elvis, but if you're not, knock yourself out! I'm sure ALL the flavors are dreamy! We took our puppers with us and they got a free pup cup of their ice cream of choice! Novel definitely knows how to make their customers happy!!

Picture this. A warm lightly glazed light doughnut with a sweet creamy ice cream of your choice in the middle ....YES PLEASE! it's also a really cool courtyard to sit and socialize in as well. I love the Cookie Monster but beware it changes your entire mouth blue

The ice cream is DYNAMITE! My son got the Cookie Monster ice cream and I got the doughnut with blueberry cheesecake!!

Fantastic local ice cream with a variety of flavors. You can even make it a donut ice cream sandwich if you have a sweet tooth.

Love novel! The bourbon caramel ice cream is my favorite! Service is always friendly and it's often busy, understandably so!

Friendly staff, great flavors, lots of choices ! Perfect for a hot day- just too dang hot to hang out & enjoy. lol Gotta love AZ.

Wonderful ice cream here! My daughter got a vanilla ice cream in a waffle cone, I got a honey lavender in a waffle cone, and my wife got a caramel ice cream in a dough melt. We all loved it!! The guy at the cashier was helpful and the tables in front were great to sit under the stars and enjoy our delicious desserts.

This is our favorite ice cream place in the area. I love the indecision because I get to have multiple flavors and every flavor is worth it. For example, their peach sherbet literally tastes like a fresh peach. Good choice of toppings tucked away in a cute neighborhood with local businesses and friendly cats. Nice, friendly employees. Outdoor seating only so sometimes be wary of bugs in the evening. Will be taking my friends and family here.

Latest addiction in Phoenix! My friends and I make sure to stop here after a fun night out! The ice cream flavors are unique and flavorful. The Bourbon Caramel Toffee Crunch flavor is my go to flavor and their specialty is a Dough Melt where the ice cream is placed within a hot doughnut sandwich. Warm and cold, crunchy and smooth; this creation has everything you want! There are also weekly rotating flavors and you can find some real winners. They had Orange Julius a couple weeks ago and it was so fresh tasting. A highlight of Phoenix food!

This is the cutest little place! We went when they were close to closing, so they were out of many things . But I what I had was amazing and I highly recommend going early and not at the last minute.

Delicious ice cream, donuts. We are from California and every time we visit Phoenix, this is a must stop shop! This last time we went the location where the brewery used to be is under construction causing a bit of dust and reduce seating in the patio.

My girlie had heard about Novel and so after our dinner, we came to enjoy a much acclaimed delicious ice cream dessert. It's right off of grand and not incredibly easy to find unless you're looking. We were driving at night, but thankfully their little sign helped guide us to the place. There was a food truck outside, kind of covering it from the street, but once we got out of our car and walked, it was easy. They have a big property and it seems to be the back or outside of whatever building is on actual Grand avenue. It had cute string lights outside, and a variety of tables (and looks and kinds of tables too), and there was a line when we arrived. We worried a bit because it went around the corner but as soon as we got in line, it moved super quick. Seriously less than 6 minutes total until we were at the window! It's hard to see the menu from the line although on other Yelp reviews I'd noticed folks getting what looked like a stuffed donut. They call it their Dough Melt. The Dough Melt is a warm, freshly baked donut bun, topped with one of their unique artisan ice cream flavors, pressed (so it's warm on the outside) and the ooey, gooey, deliciousness of the flavor, it comes with a free topping, and wrapped in paper for your enjoyment. They call it a delightful contrast of warmth and cold, sweet and savory. That's exactly what it was for me... the flavor I had was bourbon caramel and the topping (by recommendation by the gentleman at the window), and my girlie had a pistachio scoop in a cup with Oreo topping. Within a minute of us ordering, we were handed both of our treats! No wonder the line went down so quickly! We went to a table and sat down, and dug right in. The mixture in mine was soooo perfect. The outside donut was soft but had just the right type of external shell to house the ice cream... and if you love Cinnamon Toast Crunch, (my girlie said CTC!), then you're in for a perfect sweet treat. I'm not sure if I had the salty and savory from the donut or the ice cream or both but it was incredible!!! The pistachio also had small shavings and some chunks of pistachio... it was so good. And the Oreo was a stellar combo with that too. It came with a grahamy type of cookie bit on the side, was chewy and fun, went nicely with the treat. Go try it! They have 6 flavors that are forever and then they have about 4 that are seasonal and keep changing. We will definitely be back!

I take everyone who comes to town to novel. I recommend the bourbon ice cream in the donut. Some negative reviews are taking an ice cream place too serious. Service is fine! Ice cream in a donut is less work for the employees than in a waffle sandwich so they typically try to steer you away from the waffles, but who wouldn't near the end of their shift?

Get The Bestie. Just order it like that. You'll thank me later. Open late for mostly a younger 20 something crowd. The outdoor seating is inviting for romantic dates, Especially at night. We happened to find this place by accident and we are so glad we did. Service is fast. I recommend the doughnut melt with any flavor of ice cream. The ice cream flavors always change. But they do have several permanent ones you can always count on. Try them all. It's a delicious treat with many toppings to choose from.

High recommend this place. Hole in a wall with the best ice cream flavors. Tried the bourbon caramel and liked it. Strawberry was also really good.

Novel Ice Cream is THE place I take my family when they are visiting from out of state. It's quality and creamy ice cream hits the mark every time. My personal go-to is the lavender honey, which is my absolute favorite flavor. I usually go the cup route with a small waffle chip, but you can also get their homemade waffle cones, donuts or waffles! The flavors range from some classic staples, but usually a few unique and speciality rotating flavors. The service at this location is always so wonderful, the lines often spreads out on their porch, but moves efficiently and is well worth the wait. They have a lovely little outdoor seating area, but nothing indoors, so something to keep in mind. In addition, parking is limited in the lot, but does offer free street parking if you can snag a spot! We usually can find one, but also something to keep in mind. I look forward to many more visits and enjoyment of delicious ice cream!

Go! I had honey lavender and a bourbon toffe caramel - both incredible! My daughter tried the donut with strawberry ice cream - so unique and surprisingly not heavy tasting like I thought it might be - I'll definitely venture out of my usual to order it next time!

I use to absolutely love this place but they took away the small waffle chip that comes with the ice cream in so disappointed. They do have amazing ice cream and that donut is sooo bomb, especially with the bourbon Caramel.

Easily the best ice cream I've had in AZ! The bourbon caramel toffee crunch is incredible--definitely a must-try. The staff is always friendly and welcoming, which makes each visit even better.

Gosh you cannot go wrong with the honey lavender ice cream (if you already like lavender-husband didn't care for it but he isn't in to floral). Honestly it is my favorite ice cream now. So fresh and light. Finally I have found something that he won't steal from me. It's always fun to go at night and people watch. Parking is difficult but who cares. It's worth it. Staff is friendly and explains menu items, and I did see that they offered samples if asked.

The ice cream here was delicious, I got mine in a donut that they warm. First time trying this, and it is SO GOOD. The employees let us sample a few flavors before deciding- they have 4 rotating flavors daily so there's always something new to try. You order out of a window but there's some tables outside for you to sit down and enjoy the dessert at.

The dough melt is so good and prices are great! We stopped by after dinner on Grand Ave and I am so sad I've never been before!! The cutest little spot tucked away off Grand Ave with a few other businesses. I never would have known it was there if I wouldn't have been looking for dessert! My husband and I both got the dough melt, which is a donut ice cream sandwich.. do I need to say more? You choose the ice cream and toppings you want. We got their version of cookies and cream, Cookie Monster, and vanilla with Oreos and fruit pebbles for our toppings. I ate the whole thing and I wanted 3 more!! Service was so fast and the staff were nice and helpful. Ran through the menu for us since it was our first time and got us out order quickly. The outdoor patio is really cute and there are lots of tables to hang out and enjoy your dessert. I am already looking forward to my next visit!

A friend of mine said we had to stop by here to try their Dough melt and that's exactly what we did. I already knew I was in for a good time when the lady taking our order was talking about how many times they've been on the food channel for their ice cream! At that point I wanted to get one of everything but we kept it short. I ended up trying getting the butter pecan dough melt which is basically ice cream inside of a warm donut. It was DELICIOUS. I ended up walking right back up and getting a second one. It's all worth the hype. I want to come back and try the Leslie Knope since I love Parcs and Rec. There's a lot of outdoors seating but it's minimal parking so be mindful of that due to its location but 100% worth stopping by and checking out.

I heard so many great stories about this place so I wanted ti try it out for myself, and I can see why so many people like this place. The woman, who helped me out, was friendly and patient while I was looking through their menu. This ice cream shop is known for their blue ice cream that makes your tongue blue (Cookie Monster ice cream). They are also known for their donut melt ice cream! A must try for sure. It's something different yet it works so well. The place is a bit hidden and parking isn't the best; however the place is surrounded with chairs and tables to sit out. It's colorful and comfortable. Definitely coming back for sure!

LOVE LOVE LOVE ME SOME NOVEL The Butter Pecan, Fat Elvis, Straight Up Strawberry, Cookie Monster and Honey Lavender are my family fans but honestly majority of them are so good. I think the only one my family wasn't a fan of was the Mexican Hot Chocolate flavor but l tell you now that didn't stop us from going back. The staff is awesome and are so friendly when you ask to try a flavor. My #1 spot for ice cream in Phx!!!

This location is a cute walk up shop, and you eat outside on benches or standing up. They have a very creative assortment of flavors. A friend got cereal as a topping, and another one got an ice cream sandwich with blue ice cream!

Amazing find OMG. A must try hole in the wall. Friendly and super cute and funky outdoor vibes. The signature melted dough was love at first but. Warm fresh tasting donut like ice cream sandwich with choice of topping. Butter Pecan ice cream with Oreo topping and Bourbon Toffee ice cream with waffle crunch topping. Highly recommend with reasonable prices.

The ice cream is wonderful so I wouldn't get the ice cream in the donut of the donut itself pretty much obliterates the flavor on some some of the ice creams that are there, but it's well worth going to for the ice cream alone increases up there more traffic people. Australian cruise ship. All the time

This place is awesome. It's located in a really cute area and the business itself has a trendy vibe. The service is great and the prices are fair. I tried the two vegan options they had... a honeydew lime sorbet and a blueberry basil sorbet. I usually don't order sorbets but this place was so highly recommended that I decided to give it a go - they did not disappoint. My only complaint is that the only vegan options they had were sorbets and I would've loved to have a vegan cream based option even if it was something basic like vanilla or chocolate. Either way I would strongly recommend this place. They cater to vegans and those with gluten allergies as well.

There no way in 115 degree weather will you pass on novel ice cream! I was dying for some novel. It was my first time but that honey lavender ice cream was my favorite. Although the location here is busy being in downtown phoenix we wanted to get a taste of happiness to drown out the heat exhaustion. I loved everybit of the flavors we got. The cookie monster will leave your lips blue. The melon sorbet was nice and refreshing and I had two scoops of honey lavender that I didn't want to share. It was especially good together with the cinnamon toast crunch. This place wins for the unique flavors. I wanted to try the doughnut with ice cream that everyone raves about next time.

Both locations are amazing and well worth the wait! I love their Bourbon Caramel Toffee Crunch ice cream as a dough melt! If you've waited patiently in line for your turn to order at this quaint little artisanal ice cream stand you deserve to have it in a freshly made donut the lighting is super cute at night and makes for a nice outdoor date spot or perfect end to a girl's night out!

Super kind staff and delicious ice cream. If you're a new visitor they treat you with extra care. If you want something light and refreshing, I recommend the spiced pear. Smoked cherry cheesecake was yummy as well. Loved eating the ice cream in the donut - it's fluffy, soft, and slightly doughy in the inside (but not raw by any means) with a really light glaze so it doesn't feel too heavy. They put plenty of ice cream in there. Finished the whole thing in 5 minutes Would 100% recommend if you're new to phoenix during sunset around this season. It's beautiful and really satisfying

One of my favorite ice cream spots in the valley! They're constantly putting out new delicious flavors out and the service is always fast and pleasant. I have never had a bad experience at novel!

It used to be kind of good but now it's not. All the ice cream is really hard and freezer burned. It's been like that the last three or four times I've been.

Every time I'm in Phoenix now, I have to stop at Novel. This ice cream shop is unlike any other and definitely worth a stop. The menu features a wide range of delicious flavors. Some of the flavors you can get year round while 4 flavors rotate out on a daily basis. Out of the standard flavors, the Bourbon Caramel Toffee Crunch is my favorite flavor. Usually, the rotating flavors will also include a fruity sorbet which has never disappointed. The orange dream and lime flavors were amazing. You can customize your ice cream with different toppings, cones, and my personal favorite, the Dough Melt where a doughnut is turned into an ice cream sandwich with your choice of ice cream flavor. Yum!!!

I got a double scoop and liked the Cookie Monster that turns your mouth blue BUT don't get the lavender honey ice cream unless you want to chew on what feels like endless amounts of flowers in your mouth (maybe it was the scoop I got??). I get the concept and the flavor was nice but picking the petals out of my braces for the 10 minutes after was not. Idk if straining is an option or not considering the strong lavender flavor but if it is, please put that into consideration! :)

10/10 homemade ice cream! It was so delicious -- The "Fat Elvis" flavor is a MUST (peanut butter ice cream w/ bacon pieces & caramelized bananas) We loved our dough melts as they were super tasty. Everything you could ask for Literally a warm, pillowy, glazed donut filled w/ ice cream! I got the coffee ice cream w/ Oreos & my partner got the bourbon pecan w/ Cinnamon Toast Crunch!

Yummy ice cream served in a unique way. So many different options to pick from! A great treat!

Yummy Phoenix ice cream! I brought my parents here when they visited as well as other family members. I have tried both the Cookie Monster and the cinnamon roll. The Cookie Monster makes your entire mouth blue for a long time, you have been warned. The cinnamon roll was fabulous especially with Cinnamon Toast Crunch on top. My husband got his ice cream sandwiched between donuts and the donuts were definitely fresh so I will be getting that next time!

Yooooo!! Had to swing by this Ice Cream Shop after the game today, been on my list for a minute. Tons of unique, handmade flavors, whipped up on the spot. A must try Ice Cream stop for sure!! Here's how the sweet tooth satisfaction went down!! Fat Elvis Dough Melt w/ CTC - Ummmm, shit, how do I explain this mouthgasm!! I ordered the Fat Elvis, which is Peanut Butter Ice Cream infused with Bacon and Bananas, Dough Melt style with Cinnamon Toast Cruch!! Nuff said, super smackalicious, Fantasterrific!! Must try for me!! Cookie Monster with extra Oreos - This blue bundle of love, is their popular Cookie Monster Blue, Oreo Cookie Ice Cream w/ extra Oreos. Not gonna lie, wasn't a super fan, flavors just didn't pop here for me. But, it'll turn your mouth blue for a cool 30 mins!! Either way, still good, it's Ice Cream, duh. They also have a ton of Soda Pop options, I went old school with a childhood flavor of mine, Cactus Cooler. Bomb!! Go check em out, definitely worth it, let me know what kind of concoction you whip up!! Enjoy my friends!!

This is a fun ice cream shop when you're craving a late night sweet treat. I don't come here too often since parking is challenging, but when I do, I always enjoy it. They have plenty of outdoor seating and a constantly changing menu.

First time here today. Blew my mind. I didn't think it got better than Sweet Republic. I was wrong. That place is amazing but Novel takes it to another level. My new favorite ice cream shop. Best ice cream Iv ever had!

Great ice cream. They have Dairy free and gluten free cone! Will definitely come back again.