You say soft serve, Vermonters say creemees. But nothing says it’s summer in Vermont more than your first creemee of the season.

Whether you opt for the traditional vanilla-and-chocolate twist or a maple creemee, or a harder-to-find coffee, orange creamsicle or black raspberry flavor, creemees are a stable of a Vermont summer.

I love nothing more than seeing kiddos diving into a creemee cone on a hot summer day, with sprinkles adorning their faces and vanilla goop running down their hands. Creemees are a quintessential taste of Vermont and New England and a crowd-pleaser for all ages.

So what really is a creemee? A creemee is soft-serve ice cream, yes, but it typically has a higher fat content than your run-of-the-mill soft-serve, making it creamier in texture and richer in flavor, hence the name creemee. Most Vermont creemees have a fat content of 5 grams or so per serving, adding to its silkiness (and splurge-worthy goodness), although some can reach up towards 12 grams of milk-fat.

What makes one creemee better than another? The best creemees in Vermont aren’t just a mix that anyone and everyone could serve, although many creemee stands do get the same ingredients directly from Hood. The best creemees in Vermont are super silky and smooth and, if made properly, don’t have any kind of ice crystals in them. The best maple creemees use grade A maple syrup and maple sugar that impart a maple aroma and light caramel flavor to a creemee. More Vermont creemee stands are procuring local mixes from Vermont and New Hampshire as well, so you can feel extra good about indulging in a Vermont creemee.

Where do you find creemees in Vermont? It’s not hard to get your hands on a creemee. You can find them in gas stations, hardware stores, pizza places, general stores and many roadside creemee stands.

But where are the best creemees in Vermont hiding out? I did the research for you. Here are my top 10 creemee stands in Vermont where you’ll find Vermont’s best creemees. I encourage you to sample them all on an epic creemee tasting trip around the state.

What’s your favorite Vermont creemee stand? Share your go-to creemee spot in the comments below.

The 10 Best Creemees in Vermont

10. Boise Citgo Mini Market, Bridport, Vermont
You might be surprised the list starts with a gas-station creemee, but the Boise Citgo at the corner of Route 22A and Route 125 in Bridport offers a seriously good maple creemee. The prices are cheap, and the creemees are huge. Buying a killer creemee from a gas station is a unique Vermont experience, and this is the place to get one. While there, don’t miss buying a big slice of cheddar from their cheddar wheel!

9. Burlington Bay Market & Cafe, Burlington, Vermont
Burlington Bay Market & Cafe is an odd combo; they serve breakfast through dinner and are also a liquor outlet and creemee stand located on Battery Street near the waterfront in Burlington. The maple creemee is their best seller. A creemee with a beautiful lake view make for a stellar combo.

8. Morse Farm Maple Sugarworks, Montpelier, Vermont
In search of the best maple creemee in Vermont? Well, of course, purchase it from a maple syrup operation directly! The Morses are an eighth generation sugaring family, and their history in the maple syrup business shines through their syrup and maple creemees. Leave the farm with a satisfied sweet tooth and a growler of their 100% natural Vermont maple syrup or maybe their Maple Kettle Corn as well.

7. Charlotte Berry Farm, Charlotte, Vermont
What makes Charlotte Berry’s Farms creemees stand out are their berry flavors made from their own fruit. In season, visit to pick your own strawberries, black raspberries or blueberries, and enjoy a strawberry creemee or blueberry creemee after you’ve finished picking.

6. Goodie’s Snack Bar, Addison, Vermont
If you make the trip out to Goodies, just inland of Lake Champlain across from the Addison General Store, expect an oversized creemee (that may or not may be as big of your head) for a few bucks. The popular snack bar is where locals congregate for fried food and massive creemees. They’re some of the cheapest in the state, too. Check their Facebook page for their flavored creemee of the week (from coffee to strawberry to orange creamsicle). And remember, Goodie’s is cash or check only.

5. Hatchet Tap and Table, Richmond, Vermont
Hatchet may be equally known for their killer draft list of 24 taps and their creemee window, at which you can often find baseball teams and families lined up for a taste of summer. What makes Hatchet’s creemees stand out from the rest of the pack? They come from Kingdom Creamery of Vermont, a third generation dairy farm. At Hatchet, you’ll only find maple, vanilla and chocolate creemee offerings, but their candied-bacon sprinkles adda hint of smoky goodness and pair super well with maple. Brunch creemee, anyone?

4. Village Creeme Stand, Bristol, Vermont
The Village Creeme (the unique spelling still boggles my mind) is the most iconic creemee stand in Vermont. With it’s bright yellow and white striped awning, the Village Creeme has plenty of small-town charm and is always packed in the evenings and on weekends. I dig the Vanilla-Creemee Root Beer Float as a refreshing option after a swim at Bristol Falls or a hike at Mt. Abe, or a creemee coated in hard chocolate. Nom nom.

3. Vermont Cookie Love, North Ferrisburgh, Vermont
Vermont Cookie Love is home to so much more than just freshly baked cookies and frozen cookie dough. Their creemees are to-die-for and can be made into love-wiches (a creemee sandwiched between two of their heavenly cookies) and love-boats. Their creemee mixture comes from a farm in New Hampshire, which makes all of the difference with flavor and creaminess. Don’t miss a maple-coffee twist, my personal favorite, and some cookies to bring home for later!

2. Canteen Creemee Company, Waitsfield, Vermont
New to the Vermont creemee scene is Canteen Creemee, located in the same “strip mall” as Mehuron’s Grocery and the Mad Taco. Owned by the team that operates the Inn at the Round Barn Farm, Canteen Creemee opened in summer 2016 and is dishing up the most inventive, deluxe creemees in the state. Canteen Creemee offers unique flavors (toasted marshmallow, ginger and coffee) along with truly special sundaes, such as Bad Larry’s Maple Madness (maple creemee, maple floss, crystals and sugar cookie dust in a cake cone) or Someone’s Else’s Wedding Cake (chocolate and marshmallow twist, genoise, white chocolate-olive oil dip and fondant flowers) and fried chicken, burgers and hot dogs (to get your salty balance). Ask about their bacon-winged creemee for a salty-sweet treat!

1. The Village Scoop, Colchester, Vermont
After a day of boating or swimming on Lake Champlain, a creemee from the Village Scoop in Colchester seriously hits the spot. The drive-through creemee stand is ingenious for those summer days when it’s just too hot to leave the air-conditioned cool of your car. There’s also a regular entrance for those who prefer to enjoy their creeemee in an Adirondack chair on site. The interior is super tiny with a black-and-white checkered floor that reminds me of diners in the good ole days. The staff of local teens really makes the Village Scoop. They’re quick, friendly, always smiling and take their creemee-pouring and ice-cream shaking seriously.

In addition to creemees, which are available with Colchester Laker Blue sprinkles and in delicious homemade waffle cones, The Village Scoop also offers ice cream cupcakes, creemee milkshakes in a variety of flavors and Gifford’s hard ice cream for those who want inventive ice cream flavors.

What is your favorite creemee stand in Vermont? Share in the comments below.