If you’re looking for a whimsically trendy, family-friendly ice cream shop that also happens to be named after an adorable squirrel, you have oddly specific taste. 

But you’re also in luck, because Sparkles Ice Cream & Yogurt has just burst onto the Granite Bay scene. Charmingly named after owner Keith’s pet rescue squirrel, he and his co-partner, Paul, have turned the traditional ice cream shop on its head by freezing your treat right in front of you—essentially dessert and a show! 

On the wall behind the counter loom two massive chalkboard lists of flavors and add-on ingredients—from candy to cereal—giving customers like me the chance to flex their mad ice cream scientist imaginations. 

Using a huge vat of liquid nitrogen, I watched Paul make my Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream with Reese’s Chunks, the bowl overflowing with spooky smoke while he melded my creation together. It was a rare sight, and I’m not just talking about the steaming concoction—both Keith and Paul were having as much fun behind the counter as I was watching! 

It was a breath of fresh air and made me feel like a kid again. 

Sparkles Ice Cream & Yogurt, 5550 Douglas Boulevard, Suite 150, Granite Bay. 916-826-8889

— Adrianna Valencia