If you’ve spent even one summer in Vermont, you know one thing for certain: no visit is complete without a creemee.
They’re what you stop for after an afternoon hike, a paddle down the Mad River, or a scenic drive through the Green Mountains. Everyone has a favorite stand, and if you ask five Vermonters where to go, you’ll probably get five different answers.
To help you get started, we’ve rounded up some of our favorite places, from longtime local stops just minutes from our lodging in Vermont to a few destinations worth the drive.
What Is a Creemee?
A creemee is Vermont’s version of soft serve, but locals will tell you it isn’t just another ice cream cone. Made with fresh local dairy, it’s known for its rich, creamy texture and simple, high-quality ingredients. While you’ll find classic vanilla and chocolate, the flavor that truly defines a Vermont summer is maple. A Vermont maple creemee is made with real maple syrup, giving it a flavor that’s sweet, earthy, and unmistakably local.
Every stand puts its own spin on the tradition. Some keep things simple with a perfectly swirled cone, while others serve homemade waffle cones, creative seasonal flavors, or toppings like maple dust and fresh cookies. Part of the fun is discovering which version becomes your favorite.
Where to Find Creemees Near Our Vermont Lodging
Canteen Creemee Co., Waitsfield
Just minutes from our lodges, Canteen Creemee has become one of the Mad River Valley’s most popular summer stops. Along with classic maple and vanilla creemees, they’re known for rotating homemade flavors like basil, honey lemon, ginger, and toasted marshmallow, as well as over-the-top presentations.
If you’re in the mood to go all in on Vermont maple, order the Bad Larry’s Maple Madness. This towering vertical sundae layers maple creemee with maple drizzle, maple crystals, a maple cookie, and a cloud of maple cotton candy. It’s messy in the best way and a fun treat to share (or keep all to yourself).
Village Grocery, Waitsfield
Village Grocery is a local institution. It’s part neighborhood grocery, part deli, and one of the easiest places to grab a creemee after exploring the valley.
They have self-serve creemee machines where you can create your own twist or go simple with vanilla, chocolate, maple, or whatever rotating flavor they have available. Pick up lunch or snacks while you’re there, then head out to the porch with your creemee and watch life in Waitsfield go by.
Morse Farm Maple Sugarworks, Montpelier
Just outside Montpelier, Morse Farm combines one of Vermont’s best maple creemees with a full maple sugarhouse experience. Their maple creemees are finished with a dusting of fresh maple sugar, and after dessert, you can wander the walking trails, browse the maple shop, or learn more about how Vermont maple syrup is made.
Bragg Farm Maple Sugar House, East Montpelier
Bragg Farm is a name that comes up again and again. This eighth-generation maple farm has been welcoming visitors for decades, and its maple creemees have earned a loyal following among locals and returning visitors alike. After your cone, browse the farm store for maple syrup, candy, and other Vermont-made products.
Red Hen Baking Co., Montpelier
The cones at Red Hen are worth the stop on their own. They’re made with locally grown wheat that they mill themselves, giving them more flavor than the average waffle cone. The creemee base is also local, coming from Kingdom Creamery, a dairy farm in East Hardwick. They offer a maple creemee made with local Mad River Maple syrup, along with rotating specialty flavors. The seasonal creemee window also serves ice cream sandwiches, floats, and pints.
Palmer Lane Maple, Jericho
The award-winning maple syrup at Palmer Lane is the star of the show, and it’s the same real Vermont maple syrup that flavors their creemees.
They’re also the home of the original REAL maple sprinkles, adding a little crunch and even more maple flavor to every cone. If you want to try something different, order a maple creemee cookie sandwich, pick up a pint to take home, or sample one of their rotating seasonal flavors. They also offer vegan soft-serve sorbet and gluten-free cones, making it an easy stop for groups with different tastes and dietary needs.
Harrison Keely, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Vermont Cookie Love, Ferrisburgh
Vermont Cookie Love is known for its fresh-baked cookies, but the Love Shack Creemee Stand has developed just as much of a following. Along with classic maple, coffee, vanilla, and chocolate creemees, you’ll find sundaes topped with homemade cookie crush, rich affogatos made with espresso poured over vanilla creemee, and plenty of ways to customize your order.
If you’re in the mood for hard ice cream instead, don’t miss the signature Love-Wich with your choice of hard ice cream sandwiched between two homemade cookies. Dairy-free maple and vanilla options, fruit sorbets, and gluten-free cones mean there’s something for just about everyone in your group.
It’s an easy stop if you’re exploring the Champlain Valley, and one that’s just as much about the cookies as it is the creemees.
Mr. Creemee Stand, Burlington
Formerly known as Little Gordo Creemee Stand, Mr. Creemee has become one of Burlington’s favorite stops for creative creemees. They now have two locations: a year-round shop on Pine Street and the original seasonal stand on South Union Street, tucked behind City Market.
Alongside excellent maple creemees, you’ll often find rotating flavors like Thai tea, ube, coffee, Earl Grey, or mint, plus fun toppings and their signature “Wizard”, their take on a blended creemee mixed with cookies, candy, or other house-made treats. Everything, from the donuts and pastries to the creemees and sorbets, is made from scratch in-house using Vermont dairy, so even the classic flavors have an incredibly rich, creamy texture.
The Big Spruce, Richmond
Summer evenings in Richmond often end at The Creemee Window. Families line up on the porch, cyclists stop in after a ride, and hikers make one last detour before heading home. Alongside classic maple creemees, you’ll usually find rotating seasonal specials, sundaes, and shakes, so there’s often something new to try if you’ve visited before.
Find Your Favorite Creemee
Nobody agrees on the best creemee in Vermont, and that’s part of the fun. Some people swear by the roadside maple farms. Others never skip Village Grocery after a day on the river. Plenty of locals will tell you Canteen is the only answer.
Our advice? Try as many as you can.
Whether you’re hiking Sugarbush, browsing the Waitsfield Farmers Market, paddling the Mad River, or simply taking the scenic route through the valley, make time to stop for a creemee along the way. It’s one of those simple Vermont traditions that somehow makes an already great day even better.
When you’re ready to relax, our four Mad River Lodges put you close to many of the valley’s favorite creemee stands, so dessert is never far away.
Book your stay with us and discover your own favorite creemee stop this summer.