Helado de paila is a sorbet-like specialty that hails from Ibarra. It comes in an array of flavors, and it is made with fruit juice, ice, sugar, and sometimes fruits. All the ingredients are traditionally churned by hand inside a large bronze or copper pot (paila) that is placed on ice.

Some of the most common flavorings are blackberries, soursop, coconut, passion fruit, strawberries, naranjilla, and tamarillo. Although its origin is associated with Ibarra, helado de paila is available outside its native region, but it is still mostly artisanal and hand-churned.

It is said that this frozen treat was initially made with the snow from the glacier on top of the Imbabura volcano. Allegedly, Rosalía Suárez first collected the ice, and her descendants still keep the tradition alive and run an ice cream shop in Ibarra.