Dave’s Gourmet Paletas: Artisan Ice Pops Opens in Fairfield

Craving something sweet but not in the mood for the full indulgence of ice cream? Do you want something that tastes just as good without as much guilt? Have no fear, Dave’s Gourmet Paletas has just opened in downtown Fairfield serving up 20 flavors of homemade paletas…made fresh daily. These pops are far cry fro from the average popsicle as paletas are made entirely from whole ingredients, delicious things…like fresh fruit and nut butters. Dave’s Paletas also feature gluten free, dairy free and vegan options with a menu ranging from classic flavors like strawberry and banana to more unique ones like matcha and mango chamoy. Paletas are a traditional Mexican frozen treat and owner and CEO Dave Rock says,

“We wanted to offer standard flavors, traditional ones that everybody likes, but we also wanted to sprinkle in some of the more uniquely Mexican options like a mango chamoy.” 

Rock understands that downtown Fairfield offers many options to satisfy a sweet craving, but he found his niche: his gourmet pops are made without preservatives, or really, any chemicals at all. Rock seeks to satisfy customers with an indulgent dessert without as much guilt. 

“We use no preservatives so you get a better taste throughout the entire menu,” Rock said. “The shelf life is about 72 hours so I don't even need any preservatives.” 

Even though their menu starts with fresh healthy ingredients, it does not skimp out on the fun flavors we indulgent individuals know and love. If you want something beyond the fruit, they also serve peanut butter cup flavor (with an actual peanut butter cup inside!), cookies and cream and even cotton candy. 

“We wanted to do things that were fun, like a lavender honey,” Rock said. “We wanted to do a peanut butter cup with an actual peanut butter cup inside and the kids love cotton candy, cookies and cream and strawberries and cream.” 

The extensive menu has something for everyone. If you are craving something refreshing rather than super sweet, they offer flavors like passionfruit and key lime. They even have two different bases for the pops, either water-based or cream-based. 

“We wanted to make sure that we had something that fit anybody who walked in the door,” Rock said. “We figured if you have 20 flavors, someone is going to like something.”

As for Rock, his personal favorite is the somewhat underrated flavor, kiwi. This flavor is a bright green color that contains half a kiwi inside. Additionally, he loves the passion fruit-filled and strawberry-filled pops. 

“The passion fruit-filled and strawberry-filled are unique because when you bite into them, there’s a second layer that’s inside so it’s like sweetened condensed milk,” Rock said. “It’s almost like a vanilla taste surprise inside.” 

After selecting which flavor paleta you want, you can add a dark or white chocolate dip, and toppings like pretzels, coconut and rainbow sprinkles. This customization is one of the main reasons people continue to come back. You can create almost anything with his 20-ish base popsicles.

“I think people want to keep coming back because each time they can try a new flavor and topping combination,” Rock said. “That way if they could not pick which paleta to get their first time here, they can try another one the next time.”

The inspiration for opening up the shop came from one of his trips down to Miami. He went to some of the paleta shops and decided that he had to bring this treat to his hometown of Fairfield. He took inspiration from his travels and created a menu that had some flair and would suit just about everyone 

“We try to look at every single flavor and do something fun, or just have something standard that everyone will like,” Rock said.

Check these guys out the next time you visit Fairfield. Or if you live in the Fairfield area, we have a strong hunch that Dave’s Gourmet Paletas will be on repeat.

Dave’s Gourmet Paletas 1492 Post Rd, Fairfield, CT
Mon-Thurs 12-9 Fri-Sat 1-10 Sun 1-9