We all love to indulge in a sweet treat from time to time! Traveling along I-70 you’ll come across many opportunities to try a new sweet treat or once again enjoy a favorite. We’ve compiled a list of some of our favorite sweet treats you can find along Kansas I-70.
Kansas City
Come discover the sweeter side of Kansas City, KS this summer. From authentic fruit-laden Mexican ice cream from Paleterías Tropicana to gourmet popcorn from Velvet Crème Popcorn. and delicious assorted donuts from Brown Sugar Chicken & Donuts – you’ll want to order extra to take home! Here’s a roundup of local mom & pop shops offering tasty, photo-ready treats in Kansas City, KS: Indulge in Kansas City, Kansas.
Shawnee
If you find yourself in Shawnee, you must try Aunt Jeans Cup & Cone in the downtown Shawnee area. Featuring Gelatos & Sorbettos that are hand crafted right on site from quality ingredients from across the pond (Italy). They have standard flavors and even wild and fun ones like: Wild Strawberry, Mexican Vanilla or Celebration Cake. Extra special bonus: They always have lactose free options as well.
Leavenworth
Leavenworth has become a haven for those with a sweet tooth. With several bakeries and coffee shops in the historic downtown district, a person can find everything from fresh homemade cookies and donuts to sublime cheesecakes to die for. You’ll be glad you came.
We have the best cannoli this side of NYC along with Italian ice and gelato in almost every flavor you can think of. National Cheesecake Day is coming (July 30th) and we have several local places competing for the best of the best. Some of the flavors they are making up this year include Root Beer Float, Watermelon, Chocolate, Fruity, and everything in between. We also have the best cakes and cupcakes in the local area baked fresh daily just for you. They are as tasty as they are pretty!
One of our bakery owners wakes up early every day to make her specialty cookies and brownies and decorating and icing each and every one so they are just right! Let’s not forget the coffee to go with the whole affair including those fresh pastries. Click here for a listing our our businesses serving sweet treats.
Lawrence
There’s nothing like a cold treat on a hot summer’s day. Here are a few unique places in Lawrence to find one:
Lawrence is home to the original Sylas and Maddy’s – where the ice cream and waffle cones are made fresh daily. If you have trouble deciding which of the nearly forty flavors to choose, try the 5 Flavor Sampler.
If you like soda, then you have to stop by Mass Street Soda – they have 1,300 varieties of craft soda from all over the world. Pick the soda you’d like and belly up to the bar where staff will cool it in two minutes with a spin chiller or hook you up with an ice cream draft soda float.
What better way to achieve relief from the heat than with a sno cone from Tad’s Shaved Ice? The hardest thing about ordering from this little walk-up establishment is choosing the flavor – there’s like hundreds!
Click here for more Lawrence Sweet Treats.
Sylas and Maddy’s 
Mass Street Soda
Lecompton
Come taste the most marvelous cupcakes, cinnamon rolls and homemade pies ever! While you’re visiting Historic Lecompton, enjoy breakfast or lunch at Aunt Netters, voted a Best Small Town Cafe in Kansas!
And make sure you try one of their Sweet Treats too!
Manhattan
Manhattan is full of options to satisfy your sweet tooth. Find classic shaved Hawaiian ice at Tad’s Shaved Ice. The small trailer packs a punch with a never-ending list of flavor combinations that boast vibrant flavors. Go for something sweet or go for something sour, you can’t go wrong.
Head to Aggieville for Instagram trending rolled ice cream at Pandora Rolled Ice Cream. It is a choose your own adventure ice cream experience with endless combinations.
Don’t miss Joanna Jane Sweet Treats just off of Tuttle Creek Boulevard. The small trailer brings a variety of unique desserts from “raw” cookie dough to shaved ice to their well-known ice cream taco. Their summer season begins May 26, 2021 and typically lasts through August. There is something there to satisfy the whole family.
Don’t miss other sweet treat options at local restaurants. Vista Drive-In offers delicious ice cream options along with their famous homemade brownies a la mode. Check out cookie bakes, a Manhattan classic at Mr. K’s and Kites. A cookie bake is the ultimate comfort food of a warm cookie mostly baked topped with a scoop of ice cream and whip cream. There are several cookie flavors to choose from, even seasonal flavors like pumpkin in the fall. And you can’t forget about Bourbon & Baker downtown where you can order cookies and cakes that are sure to delight. Manhattan has something sweet for everyone.
Abilene
No trip to Abilene is complete without a trip to Russell Stover Chocolates! Featuring a complete assortment of Russell Stover, Whitman’s, and Pangburn’s products, including sugar-free and Weight Watchers by Whitman’s, the Russell Stover Factory Outlet is sure to please. Insider tip: don’t forget to check out their “backroom” for deeply discounted chocolates. If chocolate isn’t your thing, Russell Stover also offers a great variety of ice cream flavors and sundaes for a cool treat on a hot day, as well as gourmet caramel apples and 48 flavors of Jelly Belly brand jelly beans. Russell Stover Chocolates in Abilene, Kansas your perfect stop for a sweet treat!
Salina
The Stromberg family is the proud owners and operators of Dagney’s Ice Cream at 105 E. Iron in the heart of the new streetscape of downtown Salina. What began as a project to better utilize their downtown space has become the sweet spot of downtown Salina! The ice cream is made at the shop, and the flavor selections change. It’s a MUST STOP if you are in town for an event, a family getaway, or a shopping spree. This writer’s favorite is Lemon Curd. Come check it out and find YOUR favorite! See their website for menu options and hours of operation.
Russell
When you stop off of I-70 into Russell to satisfy your sweet tooth you will want to stop at our local A&W Restaurant, where they still do car hop service, and get yourself an old fashioned root beer float! Or head to downtown Russell and stop by Espresso Etc., where they have all kinds of sweet treats and coffees for that sweet tooth.
A&W Restaurant – Russell, KS 
Espresso Etc.
Hays
From sno cones to gourmet popcorn, there are plenty of options to tantalize your taste buds! Augustine’s Bakery was named “Best Bakery in Kansas” by Taste of Home magazine for their hand-crafted baked goods. They specialize in custom cakes, breakfast pastries, and decadent cheesecakes. Also available are German favorites including fruit kuchen, spitzbuben, and Herzen cookies. Hays’ very own Sno Cone Express serves up ice-cold treats to cool you off in the summer heat. Locally owned and operated Popt! Gourmet Popcorn has a wide variety of old-fashioned candy, fudge, and frosted nuts, in addition to gourmet popcorn in flavors like dill pickle or strawberry cheesecake. Smallcakes Cupcakery and Creamery serves up freshly made cupcakes and homemade small-batch ice cream. Your sweet tooth will be satisfied in Hays for sure!
Smallcakes Cupcakery and Creamery 
Augustine’s Bakery
WaKeeney
Be a kid again at the OLD-FASHIONED SODA FOUNTAIN inside Gibson Health Mart Pharmacy. Enjoy handmade treats such as Cherry Limeade, Vanilla Coke, Chocolate Soda, or Green River. The soda fountain has been located in Gibson Drug Store since 1892. It has evolved through the years and currently features nine stools in retro-1950s style. Stop in and dream of days gone by!
Yummy! Enjoy fresh baked items with fresh-brewed coffee at the HOMETOWN BAKERY in Downtown WaKeeney. Select from donuts, cookies, cupcakes, breads, and bierocks, a specialty German treat. Special orders, including cakes and pies, are welcome. Stop by and choose a homemade treat.
Gibson Health Mart Pharmacy 
Hometown Bakery 
Hometown Bakery
Oakley
Tuesday through Friday, at 5:00 am, Sunshine Bakery opens their door offering trays of beautiful and tasty donuts and pastries hot out of the oven. They go perfectly with a specialty coffee, latte or cappuccino of your choosing. Just off I-70 at exit 76 on US 40 – the bakery offers dine in, carry out or drive through service.
Drive into town and visit Dairy King for your afternoon or evening ice cream fix. Ice cream cones, shakes, cylcones, and slushies offer something for every sweet craving. You’ll find the usual flavors, along with daily specials and unique treats.
Colby
Make your visit sweeter in downtown Colby! Grab a tasty treat at Sweet Sadie, the in-house goodie shoppe at Maevis & Magpie off Highway 24. Then you can steer your car up Country Club drive and pop into Deb’s Dandy Little Shop to try the handcrafted French macarons for every occasion made by Bella Macaron. In a hurry? No problem with the oodles of flavors and variety of drinks and treats at our Sonic Drive-in. Happen to be in town on a Wednesday? Then you are in luck and treat yourself to a free slice of pie at our Village Inn. And don’t forget a night on the town can be made even sweeter with the fried ice cream or a sopapilla at the El Dos de Oros Mexican restaurant or treat yourself to the cocktails and delicious desserts at the City Limits Bar & Grill. Whatever strikes your sweet tooth’s fancy, you can be sure you can find it on the Oasis on the Plains: Colby, KS.
Deb’s Dandy Little Shop 
Village Inn 
City Limits Bar & Grill
Goodland
Terra Bona serves handcrafted traditional shaved ice, just like you’ll find in the islands. All the syrups are made in-house using only cane sugar and the finest flavor ingredients. Try the authentic iced chai latte or one of the shaken iced teas and lemonades. Enjoy the uniquely flavored spiced popcorn, made the old fashioned way using organic coconut oil and Terra Bona’s own recipe of gourmet popcorn seasoning – it’s always free at the table.
Are you up for a board game with your family or friends for a special kind of night out? Or how about putting together a jigsaw puzzle, there is one always in progress. Join the fun and conversation with others in the community and area or those visiting.
McKinney’s Sweet Treats is dedicated to bringing you the best homemade treats available. We pride ourselves on using the best ingredients to make sure our treats are the very best around. Let us make your event one to remember.
Good Grounds Coffee & Bistro in Goodland has a variety of sweet treats, donuts, and frappes. They are also now serving fresh hot breakfast sandwiches, coffee, espresso, and handcrafted hot, iced, and frozen beverages. We also offer a variety of lunch options, with fresh made choice of sides. Stop by and see for yourself!
