On a recent trip to Burlington, I made it my mission to seek out Vermont creemees after just about every lunch and dinner. By my sixth one, I was still savoring every lick from my cone, trying to get every last bit.
It may seem like ice cream, but Vermont’s specialty soft serve is made with a higher butterfat content, resulting in a richer dessert with a velvety texture. You can find creemees at sugar houses, boutique parlors, barnlike country stores, and family-owned farms across the Green Mountain State.
First introduced to Vermont in the 1950s, the sweet treat became such a beloved statewide staple that now, for the first time, the creemee has its own Vermont passport. The 20-page green booklet provides details about 189 locations serving creemees across the state. It can be purchased in person at more than 40 participating Vermont businesses or online, and it comes with a digital directory (that also serves as a map). The passport pages can be stamped by local businesses.
“The only prerequisite is that you need to buy a creemee,” says Adam Rice, creator of the passport and founder of the nonprofit Vermont Creemee Passport. Rice came up with the idea as a birthday present for his father-in-law and then got the idea to reach out to businesses to make an official version.
According to Rice, 100 percent of the proceeds from sales of the passports are donated to various Vermont organizations, such as Voices for Vermont’s Children, Vermont Community Foundation, HOPE (Helping Overcome Poverty’s Effects), and Echo, Leahy Center for Lake Champlain. Echo also manages Champ’s Legendary Creemee Stand, named after Lake Champlain’s famous monster.
The Vermont Creemee Passport officially launched in April 2026, and shop owners have already started creating their own custom stamps with creative logos. Henry Mizrahi, co-owner of Mr. Creemee in Burlington, is delighted to stamp passports for customers who order creemees such as maple, Thai tea, or “twists” that combine two flavors in one swirl.
In Burlington, the Sweet Spot offers s’mores and blended “sweet swirls” flavors. The maple creemees at Burlington Bay, near the water, make a great follow-up to a hardy breakfast or burger. Rice recommends Vermont Cookie Love in North Ferrisburgh and Middlebury, which sources ingredients directly from local Vermont businesses, and Holy Halvah in Bristol, which makes fun flavors like black sesame.
Of course, since this is Vermont, maple is a top choice. The Vermont Maple Sugar Makers’ Association says the maple-flavored creemee was introduced at the Vermont State Fair in 1981, and it’s become an iconic menu staple. The association separately created a Vermont Maple Creemee Trail in July 2020, highlighting 15 businesses that use 100 percent maple syrup in their soft serve.
But if you want the full variety of colorful flavors across the state, go for the new passport. As Rice says, “It’s a really great way to celebrate Vermont.”
