Popular ice cream chain opens first Fresno scoop shop. Here are 5 flavors to try out
.jpg "Four scoop sampler from Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream")
Craving a sweet treat? Fresno-area dessert lovers now have a new place to go for ice cream.
Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream opened at 8472 North Friant Road in Fresno in October.
Here’s what you need to know:
What is Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream?
Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream founder Alice Handel started her ice cream chain in 1945 in Youngstown, Ohio, using fresh fruit from her backyard garden and her own personal recipes.
“To this day, Handel’s upholds the traditions Alice started all those years ago,” Handel’s said on its website. “From making each batch fresh daily to using her original methods and recipes, we’re still sharing our homemade ice cream and serving the communities.”
Handel’s has been highlighted by various publications.
National Geographic named Handel’s its No. 1 ice cream in its “The 10 Best of Everything” book in 2006.
Handel’s ranked in second place on Newsweek’s America’s Best of the Best 2024 list of top ice cream spots, and Easy Reader News voted Handel’s the best ice cream parlor in its Best of the Beach awards in 2024.
Where is new Fresno ice cream shop?
Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream is on North Friant Road in Fresno near Trader Joe’s and Petco.
The 1,900-square-foot store has a staff of around 20 employees.
What’s on the menu?
Handel’s serves more than 45 different flavors with a menu that rotates every month.
Those frozen treats are made fresh on-site, franchisee owner Cali Sorensen told The Fresno Bee.
Popular flavors include Graham Central Station, featuring graham ice cream with graham cracker ripple and chocolate-covered crunchies, and Blue Monster, an azure-tinted vanilla ice cream with Oreo cookies and Nestle chocolate chip cookie bits.
Sorensen’s favorite ice cream is Monkey Business, featuring banana cake batter ice cream with caramel ripple and brownie pieces.
Her husband’s favorite flavor is the French Silk Pie, which combines chocolate butter fudge ice cream with graham cracker ripples and chocolate chips.
Handel’s also has vegan and dairy-free options.
Sorensen recommends trying the pomegranate sorbet, which is “made with pomegranate juice and no artificial dye or flavors,” she said.
For patrons who can’t decide which flavor they want, Handel’s offers a four-scoop sampler for $7.95, Sorensen said.
Dishes of ice cream cost $5.75 to $7.95 depending on size, while pints cost $8.95 apiece.
Hurricanes, which cost $7 to $9 each, feature vanilla ice cream blending with your choice of toppings.
Other sweet treats include ice cream sandwiches and Handel Pops, featuring ice cream dipped in chocolate. Those desserts cost $3.95 and $4.25, respectively.
Where are other California locations?
Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream has more than 125 corporate and franchise locations across the United States.
That includes 50 Handel’s stores in California, including locations in Sacramento, Visalia, Bakersfield and Los Angeles.
When is Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream open?
Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream is open in Fresno from noon to 9 p.m. daily.
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