BRENTWOOD, CALIFORNIA – A city famous for its farms deserves an ice cream shop that tastes unmistakably local.
Brentwood has several respectable places to grab a cone, including a recently opened Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream at The Streets of Brentwood. But for the city’s most distinctive frozen dessert, check out Brentwood Ice Cream Co.
The family-owned shop makes its ice cream in-house and uses fruit from nearby farms and growers to create flavors tied directly to Brentwood’s agricultural landscape.
From U-pick farms to an ice cream shop
Owners Stephanie and Richard entered the food business in 2019 with Kaya Bakery, a pop-up specializing in French-Asian pastries. During the summers, they regularly drove to Brentwood to visit its U-pick farms.
The couple eventually moved to the city and began wondering why more local businesses were not featuring the exceptional fruit grown nearby.
When a storefront became available beside Trader Joe’s in Lone Tree Plaza, they decided to build an ice cream shop around that idea. Brentwood Ice Cream Co. held its soft opening on July 20, 2025.
The couple now produces small batches of premium ice cream inside the shop. Fruit sauces, jams and other components are also made in-house, allowing them to adjust recipes as different crops enter and leave their peak seasons.
The resulting flavors are far more interesting than the standard choices found at many ice cream shops.
Jammy Strawberry incorporates berries from Chao’s Strawberries, while NY Blueberry Cheesecake combines blueberries from Victoria Island Farms with cheesecake ice cream and graham cracker pieces.
Lapin Cherry Ripple pairs tart buttermilk ice cream with cherry jam made from fruit grown by Marsh Creek Cherries. Orange Creamsicle uses citrus from Brentwood Citrus Company, and the dairy-free Snow White Peach sorbet features fruit associated with Bacchini’s Farm and The Farmer’s Daughter.
Those flavors are an especially good fit for Brentwood. During the growing season, visitors can pick fruit at a nearby farm and then see what skilled dessert makers can do with the same local harvest.
Creative flavors beyond the fruit
The seasonal scoops are the shop’s defining attraction, but the menu is not limited to fruit.
Cookie Monster combines ube ice cream with Oreo pieces and rainbow sprinkles. Chunky Cookie Dough starts with malted milk ice cream and adds pieces of brown-butter cookie dough. Banana Matcha brings together banana pudding and Japanese matcha ice creams, while Midnight Mint Chip takes a more sophisticated approach to the familiar combination of mint and chocolate.
There are also straightforward French vanilla, chocolate and cold brew coffee flavors for customers who prefer the classics.
The shop makes a particularly strong effort to accommodate customers who do not eat dairy. Plant-based possibilities have included Mango Sticky Rice, Matcha Coconut, Grapefruit Sangria and Olallieberry Coconut. A coconut flavor sweetened with allulose provides a sugar-free option as well.
Because production happens in small batches, availability changes and popular flavors can sell out. The rotating selection is part of the appeal, although customers seeking a particular flavor should check the shop’s current pickup menu before driving over.
Do not overlook the sundaes
Brentwood Ice Cream Co. also offers milkshakes, floats, waffle cones and customizable sundaes.
The Blueberry Blast sundae layers vanilla bean ice cream with locally sourced blueberry compote, streusel and whipped cream. Another option combines milk ice cream with banana pudding, fresh bananas and crushed vanilla wafers.
Groups can tackle the Mount Diablo, a six-scoop sundae served with three sauces, toppings, whipped cream and the obligatory cherry. It is designed to feed between two and four people, although an ambitious ice cream fan could presumably challenge that estimate.
Handel’s remains a worthy choice for big portions and an extensive collection of candy-packed flavors (it’s also one of our favorite ice cream places overall). But Brentwood Ice Cream Co. wins because it offers something more difficult to replicate: ice cream shaped by the farms, fruit and people of Brentwood itself.
Brentwood Ice Cream Co. is located at 5421 Lone Tree Way, Suite 101, in Lone Tree Plaza. It is currently open daily from noon to 8:30 p.m., although hours and flavors may change.
