As the adage goes, we all scream for ice cream—and not many scream louder for this sweet treat than Vermont. With real, wholesome ingredients and a classic vibe, the best ice cream parlors in the Green Mountain State are exactly what an ice cream parlor should be. Here are the best in Vermont!
Ben & Jerry’s is what most people think about when they think of hand-churned ice cream using all fresh ingredients. And it all started right here in the Green Mountain State in 1978 “with a $5 correspondence course in ice cream-making from Penn State.” One year later, Ben and Jerry introduced their Free Cone Day as a way to give back for the groundswell of support they'd received. Free Cone Day is still offered every year and the company has added hundreds of locations nationwide since then.
Since 2012, Doug Mack and his family have been sleeping and breathing ice cream. Offering small batch, handmade ice cream from locally sourced ingredients, like Seriously Chocolate, vanilla bean, and maple walnut menu items pop with flavor and freshness because the ingredients are sourced locally and prepared by hand. Plus, you can taste test as many flavors as you like for free.
Established in 2012 by Theo Kennedy and his wife, Chill offers funky flavors such as tiramisu, coconut and ginger, rose and mango cream, clove orange and blueberry black currant, espresso, salted caramel, raspberry, and more. Sicilian-style gelatos (no eggs) are made from scratch in daily small batches, using local Vermont milk and natural cane sugar. Much like ice cream, contains less cream, less air, and is served slightly above freezing.
Founded last year, The Scoop is owned by Tim Williams and Doug Nedde, neither of whom had made ice cream before. Using ingredients like maple syrup from Stowe Maple Products, cream from Kingdom Creamery of Vermont, and baked goods from Good Comida, they have developed flavors like "White Gold” (white chocolate, butterscotch chips, and cookie dough in vanilla ice cream).
Opened last year, “the line was 30 deep before the doors first opened” recalls chef and owner, Charlie Menard. This is a classic snack bar with a modern twist, creemee mixes, and chocolate dips are made in-house using high-quality ingredients, many of which are locally sourced. But creemees are not the only sweet thing on the menu as Canteen offers knock-out sundaes and milkshakes as well.
Established in 1989 and owned by Tim Hamblett, Tim & Doug’s is a small hole-in-the-wall shop attached to the hardware store, Pick & Shovel. The serve hard ice cream from Gifford’s and their own soft serve, along with smoothies, blizzards, award-winning sundaes, homemade ice cream sandwiches, malted milkshakes, and more. The portions are huge, and the service is always friendly and fast.
Established in 2002 and owned by Amy and Steve Adams, the Creemee Stand is a seasonal roadside ice cream stand committed to delivering fresh-made soft serve ice cream that is dense and creamy. Hard scoop Wilcox ice cream is also available in a variety of flavors, and shakes, sundaes, splits, and low-fat and sugar-free alternatives offer a variety of choices for weary travelers.