I haven't been to penny ice creamery in a long time. I remember liking the marshmallow ice cream. I sampled a few flavors and was disappointed that the ice cream was quite icey and not that flavorful. We got the stout bon bons. The dark chocolate coating was so good but the ice cream had no flavor. We also got a vanilla ice cream bar covered in chocolate and almonds. The ice cream flavor was mild but the toppings were good. Overall, this place is over priced for what it is. I prefer Marianne's. read more

The Penny Ice Creamery - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Aptos, California

They serve Verve coffee and their ice cream is famous so I thought I'll kill two birds with one stone and got the Affogato. The espresso shot was rich and creamy and paired perfectly with their vanilla ice cream. The one thing I didn't appreciate - the Affogato was served in a paper cup. They look like a big facility so probably can afford some glass utensils and a dishwasher. Their strawberry milkshake was thick and delicious. Maybe it was a one time thing, if not then they need to fix the straws. We tried a couple and each was broken at the mouth. They have a limited selection of ice cream flavors - maybe 8 or so and all were quite generic. Again, could be just the day when we went. read more

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I usually enjoy coming here for ice cream with my husband, but today I decided not to purchase anything. The employee had been cleaning and moving chairs outside, and when she came to take my order her hands appeared dirty and she was wearing multiple rings. I didn't see her wash her hands before serving, and I didn't feel comfortable saying anything in the moment, so I chose to leave without buying ice cream. read more

Great service and location! We had the bitter caramel with the marshmallow topping, sooo good!

Best ice cream in Santa Cruz for adults. Fresh, great flavors and not too sweet. Pricey but a handmade treat.

The penny is a Santa Cruz classic! I discovered this gem during a performance residency with other artists while working at the boardwalk. What's the ice cream like?! : The ice cream is hand made and weekly flavors are a thing as well as delicious vegan options (shout out to the vegan familia) service is simple, kind, and classic. The photos and video you see here are from the aptos one just fyi! Either location is excellent, I like the Downtown one...(the OG) you can see the kitchen in action there as well through the pretty window. Cool things: The also have a collab with Verve coffee for all y'all fellow coffee lovers and their sorbet options are always really smooth on how the fruit is proportioned. Personal tip and favorite combo: Lastly, if you're at the Aptos location....get a double shot at cat and cloud coffee!....then a single scoop of vanilla at #thepenny and make yo self a dank' Afogato! Much love Penny! read more

The Penny Ice Creamery - Vegan fluffy brah! - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Aptos, California

The good: My husband took me here as part of my surprise birthday trip and I truly enjoyed it! There are lots of options for indoor or outdoor seating. The area is newly developed and trendy. The interior is really hip and new. There's a lot more outdoor space here compared to their other location. I tried an earl grey and a cinnamon ice cream. The interior is aromatic with the scent of freshly made waffle cones. The cone had a great crunch and fresh texture. I liked that it wasn't too hard but also not too crumbly or thin. The bad: The texture wasn't creamy. It had an icy texture or a texture as though the ice cream was vegan. There weren't as many flavor options as I expected. The flavor was nice but the texture could've been improved. The interesting: The cinnamon ice cream was pretty salty. They sell gift cards online. read more

The Penny Ice Creamery - Cinnamon and earl grey - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Aptos, California

You can never go wrong with ice cream! Did a content day around Santa Cruz and I got the chance to go to this location. I've been to the one in downtown Santa Cruz and both are aesthetically pleasing. I ordered the Tahitian Vanilla Bean ice cream topped with toasted marshmallows. The marshmallow definitely made it a little more sweet than I prefer but I know it would taste just perfect with other ice cream flavors. This location is a lot less busy and it's quiet. It's perfect for a calm stroll before the sun sets. read more

The Penny Ice Creamery - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Aptos, California

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I was in town visiting family when The Penny Ice Creamery was recommended for dessert. I didn't know that The Penny Ice Creamery was a local chain! I knew about the location in Los Altos, but I was pleased to find that there was one located in Aptos. Customer service was fine. The server was helpful and friendly. What appealed me about The Penny Ice Creamery shop was the toasted marshmallow, which I knew I wanted to get for my scoop. I tried several flavors, which all tasted great and true to their descriptions. However, I did find that the texture of the ice cream was on the icy side. Cant remember the specific name of the flavor, but I remember it having a hint of lime. Loved the toasted marshmallow on top, so everything tasted like a key lime pie sans the graham cracker crust. read more

Amazing ice cream with a great business model. They work with local farms for featured ice cream flavors. Visited multiple times and every featured flavor I tried was delicious. They have standard flavors as well which are also great. Make sure you try the toasted marshmallow topping on your ice cream, you won't regret it! read more

The Penny Ice Creamery - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Aptos, California

Great little ice cream shop! Had a good selection of unique flavors and two delicious non dairy options which suited my family well! Always a plus to find that as I'm sure it is with many others! Quick friendly service. We'll be back :) **you HAVE to get the toasted marshmallow topping! read more

The Penny Ice Creamery - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Aptos, California

We went here the other evening right before they closed. It was pouring rain. However, there was no one in the shop. We love the Penny ice creamery. The ice cream was always good. There was a younger, very tall gentleman working he was very nice and we of course will always go back. read more

Very happy to see a new location in Aptos Village! Perfect location to enjoy an ice cream. We ordered the burnt cinnamon and fresh mint chip with their waffle cones and both were delicious! I was really caught off guard with the fresh mint taste on my first scoop, but fell in love instantly. So refreshing and the thick dark chocolate pieces were so good! Definitely game changer to the typical and artificial mint choco chip anywhere else. Very impressed with their quality and can't wait to be back for more! Service was nice and quick as well. Gotta love that! read more

The Penny Ice Creamery - Mini Fresh mint chip + Burnt Cinnamon with waffle cones. - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Aptos, California

Always love this creamery. So glad we can and visited this newer site. I love their ice creams with the toasted marshmallow!! Kids love the ice cream and devour it. This time I also order the house hot chai and they were delicious. This is a must when we come for our summer visits at seascape!!! read more

The Penny Ice Creamery - the counter and counter area - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Aptos, California

We were in Aptos getting pizza from Mentone and saw Penny Ice Cream. We hadn't had it before, and I was excited to learn they make their ice cream completely from scratch. We both got the mint chocolate chip which was really good. It had a nice mint flavor (like real mint leaves) rather than the usual artificial flavor. The chocolate chunks were dark and went great with the ice cream. My daughter had the fruit pop which was pluot. I tried a few bites and it had real pieces of pluot. It wasn't too sweet so it's great for kids! They have a nice lawn right in front of their shop, so you can sit on a bench and have the kids run around while you enjoy your ice cream :) read more

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Wonderful, fresh and delicious ice cream! We loved their topping offerings - what a brilliant idea to torch some marshmallows on top of your scoop! Yum! We had: Scoop of honey lavender with dark caramel sauce Scoop of honey lavender with marshmallow fluff Scoop of Mint + Chip with marshmallow fluff One espresso Everything was perfect and the woman who worked there said she was making espresso for the very first time and it was SO tasty! Nice job. read more

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Beautiful space located behind New Leaf Community Market. Although scoops are on the smaller side and a little pricey, the selection of ice cream is innovative, refreshing, and very delicious. Choice of scoop in a cup or in a freshly made cone. (Mini, single or double scoops..sundaes also an option.) Ordered chocolate sorbet which was super tasty and family ordered other flavors. One of the kids ordered her ice cream topped with marshmallow fluff which made her happy! Next time, a double mini is on the agenda in a cone :-) read more

Came here on a Sunday afternoon and got the double with vanilla bean and the blackberry sorbet. The vanilla was delicious and the blackberry sorbet tasted actually fruity. They have tables indoors but it was a nice day so we sat outside. My cone tasted a little hard; it probably wasn't one of the fresher ones so I ended up just finishing the ice cream and not the cone. 3.5/5. read more

Local ingredients, creative concoctions, delectable dessert. I tried the Candied Buddha's Hand which was unexpectedly amazing, and the Bitter Caramel which had a very full flavor. You can pay a little extra to add toppings, and they will blow-torch toasted marshmallow to order. That is literally the best thing that happened to me all week! I love ice cream, and they make really good ice cream here. A lovely mix of innovative flavors and favorites tried and true make for a difficult decision with no wrong answers. read more

Really fun place with super interesting ice cream flavors. In addition to great twists on classics like bitter caramel, natural mint leaf mint chip, coffee and sorbets, we really enjoy trying the unique flavors like basil, strawberry-peppercorn, blackberry-sweet-corn, etc. A bit more high end than the others around. The staff is always very friendly and helpful. We went there yesterday and the woman working the counter was super sweet. Thanks!! Friendly suggestion: we do sort of wish the sunday option had a bit more variety instead of just being chocolate based. Some of the unique flavors especially seem like they might work better with something more neutral, like shortbread crumbs and marshmallow drizzle or something. Largely to let their fun flavors shine through a little more. Bottom line: fantastic high end ice cream experience, we love it. read more

Super cute little shop. There can be a bit of a wait. They hand scoop each order. We got some of our cones w the toasted marshmallow fluff. Very sweet and had a bit of that nostalgia camp fire flavors. Flavors seem to change regularly. Of the 2 I got, I really loved the Tahitian Vanilla! I'd definitely get it again. Cones are made fresh in shop. Prices are a bit more than you'd expect than at a chain ice cream - but everything is hand made in shop. Which is really delicious. Would definitely come again. read more

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The Penny ice creamery is my go to for a good quality ice cream whenever I'm in the area. It's one of the many places I look forward to when I'm either going down to the beach, going on a hike, or mountain biking here in Aptos. They have a great list of rotating flavors to choose from that they proudly want you to sample before settling on the perfect one for you. The ice cream itself is on the icy side rather than a creamy one, which in my opinion is better as it settles a little easier in my stomach. They have a great coffee flavor that seems to be locally sourced from the Verve coffee shop nearby. While the Verve coffee and bitter caramel flavors are my personal favorites, I decided to venture out with the earl of grey which was interesting considering this a popular tea flavor that I typically like to drink every now and then. My girlfriend also decided to venture out and try the salted caramel brownie flavor which I need to get myself next time we visit. I recommend this ice cream shop if you're looking for ice cream that's fresh, not too creamy, along with excellent customer service. read more

The Penny Ice Creamery - To the left: Earl of grey To the right: Salted caramel brownie - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Aptos, California

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This was our first experience at Penny ice creamery. We usually go to Marianne's, which is welcoming, and the ice cream of course is great. I would say the ice cream at this establishment is great, but the service we received was quite disappointing. The lady working there was extremely rude, cold, and it was offputting. I hope we have a better experience the next time around. read more

Corner location by apartments. Very nice and friendly staff. Goes by the day's flavors. I had the dark chocolate sorbet in a cone with marshmallow fluff. I love dark chocolate so it definitely hit the spot. Marshmallow fluff is a must here. You cannot not get it! 10/10 would come again whenever I'm in the area! read more

The Penny Ice Creamery - Dark chocolate sorbet, vanilla bean, and bitter caramel in a cone topped with marshmallow fluff - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Aptos, California

I didn't think I'd get ice cream today since I felt cold. But this place changed my mind. The flavor selection was amazing! I got bourbon persimmon and Verve coffee with chocolate almond praline. The sundae comes with caramel, cookie crumble on the bottom and whipped cream and nuts! This was spectacular! I loved the flavor of the Verve and the texture of the persimmon in the ice cream. There were some small pieces which I enjoyed. I couldn't really taste the bourbon but it was still nice. I think the Verve was a bit creamier than the bourbon persimmon (this was a tad icy), but I very much enjoyed this sundae! The person who helped me did a great job and was super patient with my order. I was pretty indecisive lol. Loved this! read more

The Penny Ice Creamery - Look into the bourbon persimmon flavor and Verve coffee - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Aptos, California

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Found this place on a whim. And glad we did! Service was fast and friendly. Establishment was very clean and inviting. The ice cream was so good! A bit expensive for 1 scoop at $6.50 but that's ok. We decided to splurge for once. lol I will def bring my kids back when we are back in town. read more

The Penny Ice Creamery - Cookies and cream and strawberry sherbet - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Aptos, California

This place is great, although a little expensive. They have unique, flavorful ice creams that use local ingredients. You can even see the farms they source ingredients from! They have a few classic flavors (chocolate, vanilla, caramel, etc) that are always on the menu and then some fun ones that rotate. Last time I was there they had strawberry pink peppercorn and plum sorbet, yum! While the seasonal flavors are always tasty, I typically find myself going for the dark chocolate sorbet, Tahitian vanilla bean, and burnt caramel most frequently. These 3 flavors are executed very very well. My only minor complaint would be the dark chocolate sorbet is very rich but this is easily solved by getting another flavor with it. Last time I went I got dark chocolate and burnt caramel which were very yummy! I didn't get the toasted marshmallow fluff but that is very fun for kids. They make marshmallow from scratch and then dollop it on your ice cream and torch it in front of you. Penny's is a bit expensive so I like to get a mini double which is two smaller sized scoops together in a cup. It's still filling though because these ice creams are so rich! During COVID they are not allowing samples but typically you can try all the flavors before deciding. Look out for that in the future if you're undecided. read more

The Penny Ice Creamery - Mini double of Dark Chocolate Sorbet and Burnt Caramel - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Aptos, California

I had the dark chocolate sorbet, and it tasted surprisingly very sweet (not that I'm complaining! I actually dislike dark chocolate). The sprinkles brought me such simple yet immense childlike joy, especially with the star-shaped ones. Service was fast and friendly, and the vibes inside were chill. read more

The Penny Ice Creamery - Dark chocolate sorbet - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Aptos, California

oooh... came here after an amazing lunch at Sparrow Cafe and Penny Ice Creamery delivers. Unique flavors, small batch - rich, flavorful and fun combinations. The fresh mint chip is just that FRESH and Minty ... everything you want. The chips are dark chocolate and generous. The bitter caramel is like a creme brulee savory/sweet caramel taste ... depth of flavor. Had to get the marshmallow fluff because it's in almost every pic in the yelp reviews. Its light, not overly sweet with a hint of marsh mellow flavor. Nice addition, though if you are not a fan of toppings or marshmallow, you'll be fine. The waffle cone is crunchy and holds up to the rich, creamy ice cream. Service is also friendly and helpful. We saw many parents with their children come in for a mid-day pick me up, sitting at the tables outside or bench by the park. Very high quality ice cream treats! read more

The Penny Ice Creamery - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Aptos, California

Delicious ice cream, with a very knowledgeable and informative employee who explained all the different ice cream flavor profiles to me. Ended up getting a double mini scoop of Meyer Lemon Poppy Seed and the Verve Coffee, with a toasted marshmallow topping. Will definitely be stopping by one of their locations to try other flavors next time I'm around Santa Cruz! read more

The Penny Ice Creamery - Double mini with toasted marshmallow topping - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Aptos, California

Although the ice cream was a little icy, the flavors were superb and the option to try three mini scoops made this shop a win in my books. The strawberry was natural tasting and subtle, the coffee ice cream tasted like a sweet latte with crunchy elements, and the dark chocolate sorbet was very deep and rich. The staff were incredibly friendly and cheerful, and I walked out of the store feeling happier than I went in! There is a lovely courtyard and some well spaced tables outside to enjoy your treats. read more

The Penny Ice Creamery - Outdoor seating area was not busy mid-afternoon on a weekend - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Aptos, California

Oh my, can I put in a plug for you opening a location in Monterey? So pleased with the newer Aptos location but it is still a bit of a drive. That burnt caramel ice cream is a thrill and a half. Please keep it on your roster. I love the bitter/sweet umami flavor! Other stars were the sweet corn with blackberries and the mascarpone/hazelnut. Also, can't say enough for the saleswoman. A beautiful smile and a warm welcome were special preludes to the tasty treats! read more

Sadly overpriced, bougee ice cream. Not worth the hype. There are other better options around that offer better value. The service was not that great either on the day we went. The girl seemed more annoyed and bothered as we were checking out the menu and deciding what to get. Can't seem to justify the cost for what you get. Again, because there are SO many other better options in the area. read more

If you are looking for high quality ice cream that is made with the freshest ingredients, Penny is your spot. The flavors rotate based on what is in season with only a couple of staple flavors (like the delicious coffee flavor that is made with Verve coffee). The staff here are incredibly nice and always encourage you to try all the flavors that interest you. The marshmallow fluff topping is pure heaven. read more

Overpriced ice cream. Marianne's better. The service is exceptionally well though. It's very hard to park in this area. Overall, a bit on the higher side of price, but a decent ice cream. :))) read more

Delicious ice cream as always at new location. Their hand rolled waffle cone is the best! read more

The Penny Ice Creamery - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Aptos, California

Good interesting flavors that aren't heavy on your stomach . Bitter caramel and coffee were my favs

I wish it were a penny; then I could spend a dollar and get 99 more scoops. Both the chocolate and the Verve coffee were excellent. The coffee in particular. Only issue is the size of the scoops. read more

Love Penny creamery in Santa Cruz. I was so excited to see one in Aptos. The staff was so friendly and engaging. I ordered the bitter caramel and verve coffee flavors. Both were amazing. I thought the caramel was slightly better. I know you pay for quality but I thought it was a little expensive, when I could pop into the market next door that sells pints and quarts of organic ice cream for the same price if not less. Food for thought. Otherwise nice visit if looking to support small chains. read more

Worst ice cream place EVER period. it gave us diarrea. We tried every flavor and they were all atrocious. read more