Gainesville FL Restaurant profile: Sweet Dreams Homemade Ice Cream

If you're looking for absolutely the BEST ice cream shop in Gainesville, FL, you've come to the right blog!  I have been going to Sweet Dreams for years.  Initially, my love affair with their fresh, creamy, sweet divinity began with Plantation Brown Sugar, an ice cream containing brown sugar and a bourbon extract.  It does not taste anything like alcohol, but rather a deep butter flavor that I can closest compare to a Werther's Original, just not as sickly sweet.  To this day the Plantation remains my top favorite with a similar flavor, Brown Sugar Toffee, following closely behind.

What I like about Sweet Dreams is that they are not afraid to branch out and make unique flavor combinations, some that may even be considered a little "weird" by some people's standards.  But as I've espoused in my other restaurant profiles: if it's different, I'm on it.  I love trying new things and flavors and I get bored of your basic meals and sweets.

Just a FEW of Sweet Dreams' amazing and unique flavors (I've tried everyone on this list) include:

• Guinness - This is very good.  If you've ever had a Guiness, then you are aware of the dark chocolate and coffee notes this thick Irish Stout contains.  It pairs extremely well with the sweet ice cream.  The Guiness flavor is subtle and this is a good ice cream to try if you're normally a vanilla person because the flavor is mild.
  
  
• Pineapple Upside Down cake - Uncanny to and just as delicious as its namesake.   One of my favorites.
  
  
• Zucchini Bread - Wow.  I had this today and it is amazing.  It is extremely smooth with very small flecks of zucchini.  The zucchini bread spices come through.  Would definitely buy again.
  
  
• Lavender Blueberry Honey - Next to the Plantation Brown Sugar and the Pineapple Upsidedown cake, I have to say this is my favorite.  Made with fresh blueberries, this refreshing ice cream with its additional of lavender buds and honey for sweetness is so unique, I just love it. 
  
  
• Mayan Chocoloate - Mmmm.  This is a mix of a relatively dark chocolate ice cream (not bitter though) with cinnamon and a kicker of cayenne pepper.  It's not for everyone because some people have a hard time with the idea of the cayenne, but it's really excellent.  Think Mexican hot chocolate.  Yeah, it's that good!
  
  
• Kulfi - This is not a very "weird" flavor so to speak, but rather a traditional Indian dessert that you don't ever see anywhere other than, maybe, an Indian Restaurant (I've had it at Chutnees, an Indian Restaurant I love, but it doesn't even remotely compare).  Kulfi is a sweet cream ice cream with pistachio, cardamom (one of my favorite spices) and a splace of rosewater.  
  

• Pear Brandy Stracciatella - Not an ice cream, but rather an Italian Ice type of concept.  What is amazing about this is that you aren't scraping at it to get a spoonful like those store-bought ices.  This is an incredibly smooth and creamy ice that you don't have to work at.  It is extremely light and refreshing if you want something sweet but not as heavy as ice cream.  This is what you need to have in your freezer to reward yourself after doing summertime yardwork!  This is a pear ice with a splash of brandy flavoring for depth and chocolate shavings throughout.
  

Sweet Dreams is not just for scoops!  You can also have your ice cream in a fresh made on-site waffle cone or regular cone, a milkshake, sundae, brownie, or the occasionally spotted chocolate dipped banana or chocolate dipped cheesecake.  The also have ice cream cakes available or you can order a custom cake.  Every year for my Mom and Dad's birthdays, I order a Plantation Brown Sugar cake (as that is their favorite ice cream as well). 

Check out some of Sweet Dreams' offerings:

Sweet Dreams also runs **CHOCOLATE NIGHT** twice a year, which features around 30+ flavors of chocolate based ice cream!  You can look forward to next Chocolate Night this fall, date to be announced.  They have *mystery flavors* of chocolate as well.  These are last chocolate night's flavors revealed:

CRAZY FLAVOR DAY, JULY 20TH!!!   This is what I'M talking about!

Sweet Dreams is located at:

Map it with Google Maps

Sweet Dreams blows your chain ice cream stores out of the water.  What are you waiting for?  Go get yourself a treat!

*Make sure to visit my Article Index for more Gainesville Restaurant Profiles, Gainesville real estate and other Gainesville Info.*

Active Rain members: Make sure to join Active Rain Foodaholics!

Angela Elliott is a licensed Florida REALTOR® with Century 21 Classic Properties in Gainesville, FL. Please visit my profile for more about me and browse my Gainesville, FL real estate website for additional Alachua County information and listings. Your phone calls are always welcome at (352) 256-7038 as are your e-mails to angela.elliott1@century21.com.  A portion of all my closed sales will be donated to the Alachua Co. Humane Society (View my mission statement).