The Yummiest Vocabulary Guide on Ice Cream in Spanish

I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream in Spanish and in every language!

Who doesn’t love a scrumptious, delicious, ice cream cone on a hot summer day?

The world of ice cream in Spanish has endless possibilities and options to choose from. Knowing all about helado (ice cream) will take you further in expanding your Spanish vocabulary and improving your fluency and confidence for starting a conversation about everybody’s favorite dessert and comfort food. 

Keep reading for the yummiest vocabulary guide on ice cream in Spanish.

Essential Ice Cream in Spanish Vocab

First let’s cover basic concepts and phrases you can use for expressing your desire and love for ice cream in Spanish. 

El helado es mi postre favorito.
Ice cream is my favorite dessert.

Mi heladería favorita tiene muchas opciones.
My favorite ice cream parlor has a lot of options.

Me gusta el helado en cono.
I like ice cream in a cone.

El heladero es muy amable.
The ice cream man is very kind.

Quiero mi helado con dos bolas.
I want my ice cream with two scoops. 

Types of Ice Cream Spanish

Helado (Ice cream)

Helado is probably the most common word for ice cream in Spanish. It’s easily understood in the majority of Spanish-speaking countries and is the base for more elaborate preparations. In other countries you can also hear the word mantecado as a replacement.

Tengo ganas de un helado.
I want an ice cream. 

Helado suave o Cremoso (soft serve)

Los helados suaves or cremosos are the type of ice cream in Spanish you know as soft serve. They come out of a machine or can also be served in scoops on a cono (cone) or vasito (small cup). These types of ice creams are usually made with milk and have a creamy consistency.

Quiero un helado cremoso en vasito.
I want a soft serve in a cup.  

Nieve (Sorbet)

The word nieve (snow) is mostly used in Central America and Mexico and is used to refer to those ice cream flavors that are made with water. Nieves are usually served in a cono or vasito and are also called sorbete.

La nieve de limón es mi favorita. 
Lemon sorbet is my favorite. 

Paleta (Popsicle)

A paleta or paleta de helado is what you know in English as a popsicle. Paletas can be made either from nieves or cremosos and have a stick in the middle that is used for holding it. The term paleta is widely understood in Spanish-speaking countries but they’re also a staple of Mexico. Paletas are found pretty much everywhere and are sold by paleteros. Paletas can also be made out of frozen juice or fresh drinks. Other common names for saying paleta are:

• polo (Spain)
• palito (Argentina)
• chupete (Argentina, Chile, Perú, Ecuador, and Bolivia)

Quiero una paleta de helado para este calor.
I want a popsicle for this heat. 

Helado de yogur (Frozen yogurt)

El helado de yogur is what you know as fro-yo in English. This type of ice cream in Spanish is made with a yogurt base and is combined with fruits, toppings, and syrups to make it extra flavorful. They are a low fat option and tend to be healthier than other types of ice cream.

El helado de yogur es más saludable.
Frozen yogurt is healthier. 

Granizada (Snow cone)

A granizada is made out of shredded ice and flavor syrup. It’s served in a cone of paper or in a vasito. The flavors are usually fruity and it’s a great option for a hot summer day. They are usually sold by street vendors who carry machines for shredding the ice on the spot. Granizadas are very popular in Spanish-speaking countries and there’s different names you can use according to where you are:

• Raspado (México, Argentina, Nicaragua, and Panama)
• Granizada (Guatemala, Chile, Costa Rica)
• Raspadilla (Perú)
• Raspao (Colombia)
• Cepillado (Venezuela)
• Prensado (Ecuador)
• Yun Yun (Dominican Republic)

Las granizadas son muy populares en Guatemala.
Snow cones are very popular in Guatemala. 

Ice Cream in Spanish Flavors

Ice cream in Spanish comes in different sabores (flavors) and has plenty of options for all tastes. Let’s take a look at some signature flavors you’ll find when you visit an ice cream shop in a Spanish-speaking country.  

Mi sabor favorito de helado es el ron con pasas.
My favorite ice cream flavor is rum raisins.

La nieve que más me gusta es la de uva.
My favorite sorbet is grape.

El helado de mantequilla de maní es delicioso.
Peanut butter ice cream is delicious.

Mi helado lo pido con dos bolas, una de napolitano y otra de chocomenta.
I order my ice cream with two scoops, one of neapolitan and another of mint chocolate chip. 

Ice Cream in Spanish Toppings

Can you think of another way of making your ice cream extra interesting and delicious? How about choosing your favorite toppings? 

Toppings are extra ingredients that enhance the flavors and elevate your ice cream choices to the next level. The translation in Spanish is cobertura, but the word topping has been taken from English and adapted to Spanish as an americanism. You can also call them ingredientes extra (extra ingredients). If you use the word topping to describe these extra ingredients, you’ll be easily understood in most ice cream parlors in Spanish-speaking countries. Let’s take a look at the wide selection of toppings you can choose from. 

Mis toppings favoritos de helado son las nueces y jarabe de chocolate.
My favorite ice cream toppings are nuts and chocolate syrup.

Me gusta mi helado con crema batida y cerezas.
I like my ice cream with whipped cream and cherries.

Puedes escoger tres toppings para tu helado.
You can choose three toppings for your ice cream.

El helado de vainilla con chispas de chocolate es delicioso.
Vanilla ice cream with chocolate chips is delicious.  

Quiero una paleta cubierta de jarabe de caramelo.
I want a popsicle covered in caramel syrup. 

How to Order Ice Cream in Spanish

Now we’ve covered all the flavors, toppings, and types of ice cream in Spanish—it’s time to take your new vocabulary for a ride and practice. Let’s take a look at phrases you can use for asking for your favorite ice cream in Spanish.

Quiero un helado de chocolate en cono por favor. 
I want a chocolate ice cream cone please.

Me da un galón de nieve de limón por favor.
Can I have a gallon of lemon sorbet please.

¿Me das una caja de paletas de vainilla por favor?
Can I have a box of vanilla popsicles please?

Quiero una banana split con una bola de chocolate, una bola de fresa, y una bola de caramelo.
I want a banana split with a scoop of chocolate, a scoop of strawberry, and a scoop of caramel. 

Quiero ordenar una copa de helado de pistacho con crema batida, chispas y gomitas.
I want to order a pistachio sundae with whipped cream, sprinkles, and gummies. 

Compremos un helado.
Let’s buy ice cream. 

Tengo antojo de un sándwich de helado.
I’m craving an ice cream sandwich. 

¿Quieres compartir un cono de ron con pasas?
Do you want to share a rum raisin cone?

Hace mucho calor, se me antoja una granizada.
It’s very hot, I feel like having a snow cone. 

Me pides un helado de yogur de cereza en vaso por favor.
Please order a cherry frozen yogurt in a cup for me. 

¿Puedes comprar un galón de helado para la fiesta?
Can you buy a gallon of ice cream for the party?

Déjame comprarte un cono de tu sabor favorito de helado. 
Let me buy you a cone of your favorite ice cream flavor.

¡Vamos a la heladería!

How are you feeling after reading this yummy list of ice cream in Spanish vocabulary? Are you ready to visit your favorite heladería?

Feel free to come back to this lesson as often as you need until you’ve fully memorized all the flavors, toppings, and ice cream in Spanish flavors. If you want to take your Spanish-speaking abilities one step further, you can sign up for a free trial class with our native, certified, Spanish-speaking teachers from Guatemala. 

They can’t wait to teach you more useful vocabulary and talk to you about other desserts and ice cream in Spanish. The class requires absolutely no form of payment and can be tailored to your needs, and at your convenient schedule. Don’t miss out on this unique opportunity to improve your confidence and fluency for free.

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Sofía Godoy

Freelance Writer at Homeschool Spanish Academy

Native speaker of English and Spanish, I’m a sustainable travel and social impact entrepreneur who loves going to new places and meeting people from different cultures and backgrounds. I love spending time with my family and being outdoors with my dogs. Writing, communicating, and creating are my passions. I strongly believe there are more creative ways to solve the issues our world is facing and I like doing my part in any way I can.

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