Flavors range from the iconic maple and classic vanilla and chocolate to refreshing twists like limoncello, lemon poppy seed, and strawberry. Creemees, specifically maple creemees, are, well, creamier than most other soft serves. The first difference is a high percentage of butterfat. According to Laura Mack, owner and founder of Lu lu Ice Cream in Vergennes, creemees are 10 percent milk fat, compared to 4 percent for traditional soft serve.
Another reason for the luscious texture is the addition of maple, which reduces the freezing point; the more sugar in an ice cream, the softer it will be.
Kingdom Creamery, Leslie Michaud’s family farm in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom, produces ice cream mix for many of the creemee stands in the state. Michaud describes the delicate balance between flavor and floppy: “If you add too much, it won’t freeze right because you’re adding a liquid sugar and if you add too little, your flavor is not going to be as robust as you want it.”
Cara Tobin, chef and co-owner of Honey Road, said the creemee is special because it’s a sign of summer.
“Winters are so dark and cold. When you finally see the light of spring and the warm weather to come, it’s so joyous and welcome,” Tobin said.
The origins of the name remain a mystery. It could be a reference to the Cree-Mee — a regional chain of soft-serve stands popular in the 1950s — a play on the French word for ice cream, crème glacée, or a simple reference to texture.
According to Pam Green, a Rutland County maple producer, the maple creemee was first introduced at the Vermont State Fair in Rutland in 1981 by the Rutland County Maple Producers. C. Blake Roy, an inspector for the Vermont Department of Agriculture, worked with Seward’s Dairy to craft the first maple creemee mix.
“It’s not made in a lab, or a factory — it’s made in small farms across the state,” says Mark L. Isselhardt, who leads the Extension Maple Program at the University of Vermont. “There’s a lot of mystery behind why one batch of syrup tastes different than another, and it’s just tree sap boiled down.”
Tobin adds that the perfect creemee isn’t just about taste, but how it swirls. It should stand in a proper cylinder. It should be creamy, not icy. And the flavor should be as advertised: “Does the vanilla taste like vanilla?” she asks. “Does the maple taste like maple?”
Considering all the factors that make for a memorable creemee, here are six places to try the frozen treat.
Morse Farm Maple Sugarworks
Set alongside the rolling hills of Montpelier, Morse Farm tops the list for scenery. The cones are perfectly balanced with a maple flavor that is not too sweet, but most definitely present. The sugarhouse is open to the public, and you can learn more about the maple syrup making process from the eighth-generation maple farm.
“Most creemee stands are seasonal, but Morse Farms in Montpelier has them year-round, and they are a working farm and sugarhouse that is open to the public,” says Honaker, the food writer. “[It’s] a great day trip when you have kids in tow.”
1168 County Rd., Montpelier, morsefarm.com
Palmer Lane Maple
Sitting on the front porch of Palmer Lane Maple with a maple creemee cone almost makes up for the harsh New England winter. The business operates out of an 1830’s farmhouse, just outside of the center of Jericho.
“Palmer Lane Maple has magical maple dust they roll their creemees in and their maple syrup is delicious,” Honaker says.
In addition to maple, Palmer Lane advertises coffee, peppermint, black cherry and vanilla creemees, as well as creemee cookie sandwiches. The store in Jericho is only about 15 minutes from Honaker’s hometown of Westford. She recommends pairing a visit with a trip to Mount Mansfield, “which is full of gorgeous hiking trails.”
19 Old Pump Rd., Jericho, palmerlanemaple.mybigcommerce.com
Vermont Cookie Love
Baking up nearly a dozen different flavors of cookies, this roadside bakery with a creemee counter is a favorite for tourists and locals alike. Matt Jennings, a chef in Charlotte, Vt., who owns the catering business and events space Red Barn Kitchen, is a fan of flavor combinations like a coffee and maple twist.
“They do crushed cookies on top and you can choose your cookie which is great,” Jennings says. “It’s also right down the road from our house, so our kids are constantly pulling at our shorts to get us over there.”
6915 US-7 North, Ferrisburgh, vermontcookielove.com
Little Gordo Creemee Stand
Little Gordo opened in 2020, operated by the same owners as Burlington’s beloved Taco Gordo. Jacqueline Cain, editor of Time Out Boston, says this downtown spot is “a gem.”
You won’t always find maple creemees on the menu at this takeout window. But the creative flavors on tap are most certainly worth a visit: lemon poppy seed, strawberry, Thai tea, and horchata have all made recent appearances.
71 South Union St., Burlington, littlegordocreemeestand.com
Canteen Creemee Co.
Operating year-round, Canteen Creemee serves up a full menu of savory options (including the best fried chicken I’ve ever had) in addition to classic maple creemees and other rotating flavors.
Owner Charlie Menard has been serving maple since day one, sourcing his syrup from Hartshorn Farm, a certified organic farm down the road.
Other flavors “rotate constantly,” Menard says, including “anything from fun things like root beer and toasted marshmallow to basil and strawberry, peach and cheesecake.”
The shop also serves up decadent and highly Instagrammable sundaes throughout the year, like the Bad Larry, which comes with maple sugar and a wisp of maple cotton candy.
5123 Main St., Waitsfield, canteencreemee.com
Lu lu
Lu lu takes their production process to another level, pasteurizing local dairy in-house rather than purchasing a premade mix. The result is a hyper-fresh and clean-tasting cone, with creative seasonal flavors like limoncello swirling together to complement the always-available maple.
“By sourcing local ingredients and avoiding preservatives or stabilizers, we ensure that every scoop or swirl is packed with pure, unadulterated flavor,” says Mack, the owner and founder. “It is definitely a more labor-intensive process, but the end result is worth it.”
185 Main St., Vergennes, luluvt.com
