The Ultimate Guide to Ice Cream Trucks and Catering in Los Angeles (2026 Menu & Tracker)
Mister Softee is my favorite ice cream truck in Los Angeles
Best Ice Cream Trucks with menus you need to try in LA!
Updated: April 28, 2026 - Original Post: 2020
If you haven’t noticed by now, we love trucks and ice cream around here, and living in Los Angeles, there are a lot of ice cream truck and catering options. These aren’t your creepy vans that sell Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle pops, these are exceptional artisan ice cream trucks that Angelino’s seek out!
Ice cream trucks are fun for parties and work functions, but also nice to enjoy when they are in your area.
Sweet N Hollow Chimney Cake
Trucks for Kids!
If you’ve read the latest adventure in my children’s book series, The Trucks That Saved, you know that the ice cream truck is the ultimate hero that brings the whole park together!
Seeing these incredible trucks in Los Angeles reminds me so much of that spirit of community and joy.
Whether we're exploring the city for a travel guide or reading about our favorite truck friends, it’s all about those sweet moments.
The Top Ice Cream Trucks in Los Angeles Neighborhood (2026 Edition)
The classic pre-packaged bar model has evolved into a world of artisanal scoops and Instagram-ready treats. Here are the most popular trucks currently dominating the LA food scene:
1. The Aesthetic & Artisanal Ice Cream Truck Menu Leaders
Recess Ice Cream Truck sundae with chocolate sauce served at a work event
Creamy Boys Ice Cream Truck
Arguably the most "Instagrammable" truck in LA right now. They specialize in New Zealand-style Real Fruit Ice Cream, blending fresh fruit into a vanilla base on the spot.
Their custom-branded wraps make them a favorite for major brand activations and influencer events.
Recess Ice Cream Truck
Known for its "back-to-school" nostalgia, this truck focuses on ultra-premium, small-batch ice cream with high butterfat content. They are legendary for their "un-cone-ditional" hospitality and creative cookie sandwiches.
The Menu: Recess offers fun options like french toast sliders, frozen hot chocolate, ice cream sandwiches, sundaes, and more!
We ordered this truck a few times for work functions (located in Burbank) and the Recess Ice Cream Truck didn’t disappoint!
Van Leeuwen Ice Cream Truck
I often see the Van Leeuwen truck on Abbott Kinney on the Westside, but you can also rent for parties, weddings, baby showers, wedding showers, birthdays, and events!
The Menu: Their artisan ice cream flavors will please any audience and they offer gluten-free and vegan flavors!
McConnell’s Fine Ice Creams Truck in Los Angeles
McConnell’s Fine Ice Cream Truck
“Have ice cream, will travel” is this Santa Barbara-based company’s motto! LA locals are familiar with McConnell’s scoop shops around town and their ice cream truck can often be found at street fairs.
You can book them for parties, weddings, corporate events, and more!
The Menu: Delicious creamy scoops of ice cream flavors that are irresistible.
Oat-ly Ice Cream Truck in Los Angeles
Oat-ly Ice Cream Truck
The Menu: Oat-ly is an original oat milk company from Sweden that turns nutritious liquid oat milk into ice cream! It’s plant-based, vegan, and gluten-free!
Oat-ly also are earth-conscious, making their ice cream while reducing their carbon footprint as much as possible.
Download a free truck scavenger hunt for kids - screen-free activity for toddlers
🚒 Want to make your Ice Cream Truck hunt even more fun?
Download my Free Truck Hero Scavenger Hunt Printable! It’s the perfect way to keep the little ones engaged while you track down the best scoops in LA. See if you can spot all 17 truck heroes—including the ice cream truck!
2. The Niche & Unique Crowd-Pleasers
Blaque Parlor Ice Cream Truck
Famous for its striking organic black ice cream, this truck fits the "edgy" LA aesthetic perfectly. It is a top choice for luxury brand events and stylish weddings.
Ridges Churro Bar
This fan favorite serves Churro Sundaes—creamy soft serve topped with warm, artisanal churro loops. It consistently ranks as one of the most-liked dessert trucks on local food platforms.
Saffron & Rose Ice Cream Truck
Bringing their Westwood brick-and-mortar quality to the streets, their mobile truck serves Persian Ice Cream featuring flavors like rosewater, saffron, and pistachio.
SuperCool Creamery ice cream catering with a touch of magic
SuperCool Creamery Catering - Ice Cream and a Magic Show
Supercool combines ice cream and magic with a little liquid nitrogen! Fantastic flavors and a variety of toppings (including booze), they’ll add pizaazz to any party!
The Menu: Nitro-artisan ice cream, nitro-artisan frozen cocktails, and a fabulous toppings bar. Gotta try the Dragon’s Breath - patrons chew frozen corn puffs with mouths closed and breath smoke out of their nose!
Kosher and dairy free options are available, see the full menu here.
They used to have a shop in Silver Lake but are currently only offering their catering service.
🎩 See our full post: SuperCool Creamery Review
Great for corporate function, red carpet premieres, kids parties, and more!
Mister Softee Ice Cream Truck
3. The Cult Classics & Modernized Favorites
CVT Soft Serve Truck
CVT’s goal is to make the best soft serve around! Using local California dairy, they have perfected their soft serve and claim it is the best west of the Atlantic. As they say, “is it arrogant if it’s true?” Their comedic and transparent personality makes for a great follow on their Instagram! Whatever you do, don’t ask them for free things in exchange for social media posts, Influencers pay double! #welovemostofourcustomers
The Menu: Simple Soft Serve choices of chocolate, vanilla, or twist. Their East Coast-style soft serve and vintage truck are iconic in the city.
Mister Softee Southern CA
My personal favorite!!! This isn't your average neighborhood truck; it’s a high-end, polished fleet. They recently expanded with "Surfside Softee’s Bikes & Carts," perfect for smaller event spaces.
The classic Mister Softee ice cream truck menu has received a polished, high-end makeover for the Southern California scene.. From traditional dipped cones to the new "Surfside" specialties, it’s a menu built for modern LA adventures.
Goodies Truck
A clean, professional take on the traditional model, serving classic pre-packaged bars from a bright, trusted truck.
King Kone Ice Cream Truck
The Menu: If you’re looking for soft serve and sprinkles, this truck’s got you covered! Their menu doesn’t end there, try an ice cream sandwich, milkshake, or banana split!
No matter what, there is something for everyone!
Happy Ice Truck
You can spot this truck from miles away with the vibrant colors.
The Menu: Happy Ice, per their website, is an “ultra-premium Water Ice product, made from a secret recipe from Philadelphia with an artistic LA twist. It has the smooth, rich, creamy texture of ice cream and the light, fruity refreshment of a sorbet, without egg or dairy products of any kind.”
It is also black-owned business, show some support!
Kona Shaved Ice Truck
Have a luau or tropical island-themed party? Have some authentic shave Ice to go with your tiki decor!
The Menu: Shaved ice, fruit smoothies, Tops - sour powder, Kandy spoons
They even do fundraisers for functions like schools and sports teams!
My favorite detail, they offer color changing cups! Great truck for kids birthday parties - colorful truck, cute characters, endless flavor combinations.
King Kone Ice Cream Truck Soft Serve cone with sprinkles in Los Angeles
The Sound of Summer: Iconic Ice Cream Truck Music
Nothing signals the start of summer in LA quite like the distant, tinkling jingle of an ice cream truck. Whether it's the classic "Turkey in the Straw" or the unmistakable Mister Softee theme, that music is the universal "bat-signal" for a sweet escape.
In my children’s book, The Trucks That Saved, the jingle is more than just a song—it's the signal that the hero has arrived to save the day at the park!
Looking for more sweet inspiration? If these jingles have you feeling nostalgic, check out my ultimate list of Ice Cream Quotes & Songs to find the perfect caption for your next sundae selfie.
Finding the Best Ice Cream Truck Near You in Los Angeles
While these trendy trucks travel all over the city, finding an ice cream truck near you in a place as big as LA requires a little bit of "insider" knowledge. Most of the trucks on this list don't just wander neighborhoods; they park at specific "sweet spots" like First Fridays in Venice, Smorgasburg LA, Marina del Rey’s Beach Eats, or popular parks like Lake Balboa and Griffith Park.
Pro-Explorer Tip: The best way to track down a specific truck "near me" in real-time is to check their Instagram Stories. Most LA favorites, like Creamy Boys and Ridges Churro Bar, post their daily "GPS" locations every morning.
Just like in my book, The Trucks That Saved, the best part of finding a truck hero is the community that gathers around it! Whether you find them at a local park or a city festival, it’s all about those shared sweet moments.
RIP Ice Cream Trucks
A few ice cream trucks that were amazing but have ceased operation and are deeply missed:
Blast Ice Cream Truck
Sweet n Hollow Ice Cream Truck
Blast Ice Cream Truck - no longer in service
Love trucks as much as we do?
At The Sweetest Escapes, we believe every journey should be a little bit sweeter. If your little ones loved learning about these LA ice cream trucks, they’ll fall in love with the heroes in The Trucks That Saved book series.
📚🚚 Shop the Books & Travel Guides here: www.thesweetestescapes.com/trucks-that-saved
Please note this is not a sponsored post and based on my own personal experience, all thoughts are my own.
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Best Ice Cream Trucks in Los Angeles
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