A Jersey summer isn’t complete without an ice cream stop. Ice cream is the perfect option after a day at the beach, a scoop following a sports game or even a late-night sweet treat after dinner.
Lucky for us, New Jersey is packed with neighborhood creameries, roadside stands and must-try scoop shops.
Classic chocolate, vanilla and strawberry flavors will always have their place. But some of the best ice cream shops in the state are also churning out black sesame, ube, olive oil, cereal milk and other unexpected flavors that keep customers lining up all summer long.
And while you’re in line, show a little extra kindness to the staff. Scooping ice cream on a busy summer day isn’t easy.
After plenty of scoops and brain freezes, we’ve updated our ranking of New Jersey’s best ice cream shops below.
83. Dahlia’s Ice Cream Spot, Jersey City
The Heights might be the most underrated food neighborhood in Jersey City, and that’s where you’ll find Dahlia’s. With a long list of homemade ice cream as well as soft-serve, sherbet and ice cream cake options, you can’t go wrong here. The chocolate fudge crunch ice cream is a personal favorite, while the cherry jubilee and mint chip are sublime as well. (JS)
82. Cherry on Top, Mullica Hill
Mullica Hill is a charming small town, with its collection of antiques/craft shops and the state’s best Amish Market. Cherry on Top offers about 30 flavors, from salted caramel, fudge ripple and rum raisin to raspberry cheesecake and banana monkey. The mint chocolate chip is much better than most, and the mango is also recommended. (PG)
81. Duffer’s, Wildwood
No Wildwood summer would be complete without a stop at Duffers. Opened in 1974, Duffer’s also comprises a restaurant, arcade, and miniature golf course. There are 30-plus flavors, including chocolate banana, cotton candy, peaches and cream, and vanilla fudge. (PG)
80. Ice Cream Charlie’s, Rutherford
Goofy graphics on the exterior, delicious ice cream on the interior. This spot started serving tasty frozen treats in Rutherford back in 2000, Ice Cream Charlie’s has wild flavors like caramel Kit Kat, and Rice Krispy Treat along with the classics. Their sand pails, filled with soft-serve and topped with graham cracker crumbs are a summer delight. Cash-only, so hit the ATM on the way. (JS)
79. Polar Cub, Whitehouse
One of the state’s ice cream legends, Polar Cub’s popularity is easily gauged— look for the line of cars on the Route 22 shoulder waiting to enter the lot on weekend afternoons. They’re especially known for their soft-serve; flavors have included peach, black raspberry and pistachio. There’s vegan ice cream, too. (PG)
78. Magic Fountain, Bayonne
An old-school, no frills roadside shop with vintage signage and a throwback vibe, Magic Fountain is proof that Jersey City isn’t the only place in Hudson County with great ice cream. Their Italian ice and soft serve are all great, but don’t sleep on the hard ice cream either. They offer countless flavors of the stuff, including “Monster Cookie” with both Oreos and chocolate chip cookies. (JS)
77. Colonia Dairy Maid, Woodbridge
Colonia Dairy Maid is an old-school stand right off Route 35 with more than 40 flavors. One of its best? Bunny tracks, which includes caramel, fudge and peanut M&Ms swirled into vanilla ice cream. I have no idea what that has to do with bunnies, but that won’t stop me from eating it. (JS)
76. Last Licks, East Hanover
Say hello to the cow out front and walk up the inclined stairs to the ice cream window at Last Licks. They offer about 40 year-round flavors of hard ice cream, 12 seasonal flavors, and 16 flavors of Italian ice. Along with some dazzling-looking ice cream cakes. The peach ice cream is nice and fruity-tasting, and the triple chocolate, astoundingly thick and fudgy, is one of the top five chocolates I’ve had in the past several years. (PG)
75. Bayside Creamery, Perth Amboy
The only thing better than ice cream is ice cream with a view. As this ice cream shop’s name would suggest, Bayside Creamery is located right on the Raritan Bay. Well, technically it’s the Arthur Kill, but Killside Creamery doesn’t have the same ring to it. Grab a scoop or a shake from the shop, which serves Hershey’s Ice Cream (and a few from Nasto’s in Newark) with flavors like banana pudding, orange blossom and oatmeal cookie craving, and take a stroll in the marina. (JS)
74. OddFellows Ice Cream, Montclair
What started as a husband trying to satisfy his pregnant wife’s cravings for savory ice cream has turned into one of the most innovative ice cream shops in New York — with recent expansion to Montclair. Outside-the-carton flavors like Mango sticky rice, strawberry jam, salted caramel honeycomb and passionfruit apricot pistachio are all available here, perfect for a foodie town like Montclair. Get ready, Hoboken, you’re the next New Jersey locale getting an OddFellows. (JS)
73. Day’s Ice Cream, Ocean Grove
Good luck finding an ice cream shop in New Jersey with deeper roots than Day’s, which celebrates 150 years of business in 2026. It comes as no surprise that such an old-school shop nails the classics like chocolate and mint chip, but think outside the box with Milky Way or their “trash can” ice cream, which comes loaded with potato chips, M&M’s and more. (JS)
72. Lindy Hops, Galloway
Galloway is one of the state’s under-the-radar dining destinations, with the Oyster Creek Restaurant & Boat Bar, Motts Creek Inn and Athenian Gardens among its must-food-stops. And don’t forget Lindy Hops, one of the state’s coolest ice cream parlors, all 50s vim and vibe. My favorite flavors: banana nut chocolate chip, and the orange pineapple. (PG)
71. Ummm Ice Cream Parlor, Burlington City
This is maybe the state’s most gorgeously retro ice cream parlor. With wooden booths and chairs, UMMM Ice Cream Parlor is housed in what was once a detective agency, hearing aid store and maybe a bookie joint. My favorite flavors are the chocolate-covered espresso bean and “Rosanna Banana Dana,” a tribute to Gilda Radner’s character on Saturday Night Live. And this is the place to try Boost! — a lemony cola little-known outside Burlington and Camden counties. (PG)
70. Scoop to My Lou, East Brunswick
Scoop to My Lou opened on Valentine’s Day (how sweet!) in 2020. When the owner, Lou, told his wife he wanted to open an ice cream stand, she replied, “I’ll scoop for you, Lou,” thus the name. There are about 40 flavors. The chocolate is creamier than most, but the standout here is the rum raisin, a great alternative to plain old vanilla. (PG)
69. South Street Creamery, Morristown
South Street Creamery has sandwiches, crepes and pizzettes — but go for the ice cream. Their “Grandma’s Kitchen” ice cream has cookie dough, frosting and cake batter — a delicious sugar overload. “Chocolate Cookie Monster” has three different types of cookies, including cookie dough, Oreos and mini chocolate chips. (JS)
68. Daddy O’s Creamery, Marlton
“Is it sprinkles or jimmies?” Daddy O’s asks on its Facebook page. “Jimmies” are named after James Bartholemew, who in 1930 operated the machine that turned out the sugary toppings made at the Just Born Candy Co. Enough with the history, let’s get down to business. The black raspberry here is berry-licious, the death by chocolate lives up to its name, and the mint chocolate chip — so bright it might glow in the dark — boasts an assertive minty flavor. (PG)
67. Penguin Ice Cream, Bernardsville
With its red and white awning, mock picket fence and American flag flying out front, Penguin Ice Cream is the very picture of ice cream Americana. Not-so-ordinary flavors include Gracie’s ginger snap cookie, Annie’s apple pie, and crunchy pretzel nutztella. The double chocolate lives up to its description, and the lemon lavender blueberry makes for a terrific trio of flavors. (PG)
66. Van Dyk’s, Ridgewood
From the outside, it looks like just another house on the block, and the interior isn’t much to look at, but Van Dyk’s has been scooping out cups and cones for nearly 50 years. Vanilla, chocolate and strawberry, those three ice cream standards, top the menu board, but you’ll also find cappuccino Oreo, lemon vanilla and blueberry pie, among others. It’s cash-only. (PG)
65. Leo’s Ice Cream, Waterford
If you’ve never heard of yum-yum, it’s okay, because the ice cream/sherbet/water ice hybrid at Leo’s is a South Jersey thing. Giovanni Leo started making it in 1936. The Waterford shop offers regular and soft-serve; the yum-yum flavors are in a display case to the right. They include cherry-vanilla, blue raspberry, strawberry-banana and mango. My favorite: the sugar-free watermelon, astoundingly refreshing. The triple chocolate regular ice cream is highly recommended. (PG)
64. The Towne Scoop, Verona
The Towne Scoop’s checkered, maroon-and-white floor — Verona’s town colors — remind you where you are as you walk in. The scoopers wearing white shirts, maroon aprons and black bowties, adding to the vibe. Then the confetti cake batter, cappuccino and vanilla fudge ice creams seal the deal. (JS)
63. What’s the Scoop, Metuchen
Metuchen is a charming small town and food lover’s paradise — the Greek on Main, Antonio’s Brick Oven Pizza, Pink Lotus and Hailey’s Harp and Pub are all recommended. What’s the Scoop, open since 2001, offers a mere 70 or so flavors, from creamsicle, strawberry rocky road and moosetracks to cafe espresso, Irish whiskey and vanilla monster cookie. There’s soft-serve and sorbet, too. (PG)
62. Conrad’s Confectionary, Westwood
Conrad’s opened in 1928 as a candy store. Even today, the chocolates, hot fudge, caramel, whipped cream, even the syrup are made from scratch in small batches. Check out the vintage artifacts and newspaper clippings in the window. The chocolate ice cream is thick and fudgy, but the winner here is the black raspberry; silky and oh-so-good. (PG)
61. Coney Waffle, multiple locations
Some ice cream shops keep it simple. Coney Waffle goes in the opposite direction. The eatery’s towering “Sideshow Shakes” are piled high with candy, cookies and cake, while the signature coney waffles cradle generous scoops of ice cream for a dessert that’s just as impressive to look at as it is to eat. (LM)
60. Skipper Dipper, Long Beach Township
For many vacationers, trips to Skipper Dipper are as essential to a week on Long Beach Island as the beach, mini golf and breakfast at Chicken Or The Egg. Known more for its soft-serve, but it has some terrific hard options that are split into the categories “classics,” “tasty,” “fruity” and “nutty.” Fat Elvis, s’mores, and java chunk are among their best flavors. (JS)
59. Summer Ville Homemade Ice Cream, Somerville
Elio DeFranco, owner of Summer Ville Homemade Ice Cream, first thought about opening a bakery, then switched to ice cream because he didn’t want to put in the back-breaking, long hours a bakery would demand. He could work his computer tech job during the day, and make ice cream at night. One of his most popular flavors is Somerville mud, a mix of chocolate chip cookies, M&Ms, Reese’s pieces and Oreos. “I have little kids crying when they can’t get their Mud,” DeFranco told me. Also recommended: the Earl Grey and the tart Key Lime. Recently added to the menu: grapefruit paloma ice cream, made with cream, grapefruit, vodka and a pinch of salt. (PG)
58. Lickety Splitz, Maple Shade
Alcoholic ice cream may be coming to an ice cream stand near you. The state’s first ice cream “speakeasy” opened in Jersey City in 2018, and stands around the state are starting to put “boozy” flavors on their menus. Lickety Splitz, in the former Tony Luke’s location, offers 18 “sweet” and eight “sinful” flavors, the latter including blueberry prosecco, bourbon butter pecan, and whiskey peanut butter party. My favorite: the blackberry rum ice cream. I need an IV of it right now. (PG)
57. Peace Pie, Cape May and Ventnor City
Forget the cone. At Peace Pie, ice cream is tucked between two soft shortbread cookies with a ribbon of pie filling at its core. It creates a dessert that’s equal parts ice cream sandwich and pie. The charming and colorful shop, with locations in Cape May and Ventnor City, rotates flavors ranging from key lime pie to caramel apple. (LM)
56. Beenie’s, Morristown
The biggest difference between Beenies and most everyone else? “We’re one of the few places that makes our own dairy base,” informs the website. “What this means is we actually buy gallons of fresh milk and heavy cream, hundreds of pounds of granulated sugar... ” The owner is Tony Franco, who opened the shop in May 2017 in between art classes and a stint as a professional drummer. There are 40-some flavors year-round — horchata, Nutella pretzel and Thai iced tea are among the unique ones. The chocolate is rich, rich, rich, but the standout here is the honey lavender, fragrant and pretty close to fantastic. (PG)
55. The WooHoo, Beach Haven
“The Jersey Shore’s favorite ice cream” is the slogan at The WooHoo, which opened in 2016. The walk-up stand offers a range of familiar and feisty flavors, from vanilla (better than expected), chocolate, and triple chocolate (my favorite) to Minty Madness, made with mint chocolate candies and Girl Scout Thin Mints. The WooHoo partners with the David’s Dream and Believe Cancer Foundation; proceeds from a specialty ice cream flavor benefit the foundation, and the ice cream shop donates ice cream to many DDBCF fund-raisers. (PG)
54. Daniela’s Ice Cream, Closter
My biggest ice cream surprise of the past two years may have been the ginger ice cream at Daniela’s. Tart, tangy and sensuous, it’s an eye-opener and mouth-quencher. The apricot and pistachio ice cream make for a great combo. (PG)
53. Scoops The Ice Creamery, Scotch Plains
One of the best ice cream shops in Union County for more than 25 years, Scoops The Ice Creamery is an ice cream oasis on Route 22. Their 50-plus hard flavors are all made in-store. Go for the cinnamon oatmeal, strawberry cheesecake, snickers or cookie jar. (JS)
52. Dairy Swirl, Vernon
Dairy Queen is cool. Dairy Swirl is cooler. The western Jersey shop with the eye-catching rainbow sign makes great ice cream cakes and has delicious soft serve (including creamsicle sometimes) — and their hard ice cream is even more impressive. They have Graham Central Station, a graham cracker flavor made famous by Applegate’s in Montclair. (JS)
51. Vincent’s Ice Cream, Mount Holly
You’ve got to like any place with Train Wreck Rum Raisin on the menu. Vincent’s started in Trenton, opening a location in Mount Holly in 2013. Owner Vincent Amico makes his ice cream in small batches, two and a half gallons each time. The chocolate is nice and creamy, but the must-order is the coconut Almond Joy, with real coconut flakes and almonds. (PG)
50. Petrucci’s Inside Scoop, Piscataway
This walk-up window shop has been offering scoops at the corner of a small strip mall since 1998. It offers an assortment of hard ice cream flavors like brownie batter, caramel pretzel crunch, cake batter and more. Upgrade your scoops to a sundae or banana split or try the soft serve, Italian ice, smoothies, custom cakes, shakes and funnel cakes. (LM)
49. Margate Dairy Bar, Margate City
The coolest thing in Margate other than Lucy the Elephant, the Margate Dairy Bar is known for incredible burgers and silky smooth soft-serve. But don’t sleep on the shakes or the hard ice cream here, either, which comes in flavors like banana pudding, cinnamon bun, graham slam and Boston cream pie. (JS)
48. Beach Plum, Bradley Beach
Bradley Beach is one of the shore’s best food towns, so it’s no surprise it has some dang good ice cream to finish off a meal. Check out the banana cream pie, the malt crisp or cake batter flavors. It’s the perfect compliment after a thin-crust pizza at Vic’s. (JS)
47. The Scoop n Scootery, Red Bank
Born in the Boston area, Scoop N Scootery transformed the classic ice cream sundae into an over-the-top dessert adventure. What was once just a single delivery truck is now a viral franchise known for outrageous sweet creations. Since opening its first New Jersey location in Red Bank in April, the shop has become infamous for its lengthy line, thanks in part to its kiosk ordering system and more than 70 signature sundaes to choose from. Guests also have the option to build their own masterpiece with dozens of flavors and toppings like cannoli filling, edible cookie dough, cake cores, a variety of frostings, homemade whipped creams and more. (SR)
46. A La Mode Ice Cream Parlor, Ocean City
No need to scramble for a parking spot downtown; A La Mode is way at the south end of town, near Corson’s Inlet State Park. There are about 25 flavors; my favorite is the double chocolate chip, nutty, fudgy and so fine. Strawberry gets little respect as an ice cream flavor, but the one here is sweet and fruity. (PG)
45. Cranberry Junction, Hackensack
One of the newer kids on the ice cream block, Cranberry Junction sits on a massive lot alongside the railroad tracks, with seven picnic tables outside. Inside the little red house you’ll find about 20 flavors, including banana pudding, dulce de leche and vanilla chocolate chip. If you love chocolate ice cream, this place makes one of the state’s best — seriously rich and deep. If I didn’t have more stops the day I visited, I would have polished off the whole darn cup, and maybe ordered another. The coconut ice cream tastes like the real thing (there’s a lot of fake-tasting coconut ice cream out there). (PG)
44. Halo Pub, Princeton, Hamilton
Halo Farm’s main store is next to the Trenton Farmers Market in Lawrenceville, with their Halo Pub locations in Princeton and Hamilton. The chocolate chocolate almond is delightful and delicious. Vanilla is the world’s most popular — and most boring — flavor, but the Tahiti vanilla bean here is slightly spicy and tangy and altogether delicious. (PG)
43. Magnifico’s Ice Cream, East Brunswick
For more than 45 years, this ice cream shop has offered a variety of sweet treats. But it is best known for soft serve ice cream. Their cookie butter ice cream tastes like a Christmas sugar cookie with a hint of caramel flavor, I highly recommend it. Steering away from my cookie ice cream craving, I also tried their bright green pistachio, which was creamy, smooth and packed with pistachio flavor. (VH)
42. Royale Crown Homemade Ice Cream, Hammonton
Hammonton is the blueberry capital of the world, so it comes as no surprise that Royale Crown makes blueberry ice cream. Make that unbelievably good blueberry ice cream. The diner-shiny ice cream stand opened on the White Horse Pike in 1953, back when the waitresses wore white majorette boots, skirts and gold crowns. There are about 40 kinds of hard ice cream and eight flavors of soft ice cream. Another must-try: the black raspberry soft-serve. They’re not afraid to push the envelope, especially with such flavors as Italian pizzelle, southern pecan and chocolate Milano. (PG)
41. Ice Cream For All, Bridgewater
This shop’s central mission is to spread kindness one ice cream scoop at a time, hence its name. With the help of their super-friendly clerk, I tried one of their most popular flavors, dark chocolate. Paired with a waffle cone, the dark chocolate ice cream was rich, creamy with the right amount of chocolaty sweetness. If you enjoy a good simple ice cream flavor without all the mix-ins and toppings, definitely give this shop a try. For those looking for a non-chocolate option, go for the honey lavender blueberry swirl with subtle lavender sweet blueberry ribbons. (VH)
40. Creanie’s Ice Cream, Sicklerville
The Sicklerville ice cream shop has long been known as one of South Jersey’s premier destinations for frozen treats on hot summer days. The creamery offers more than 30 different flavors of hand-dipped ice cream including banana pudding, Boston cream pie, vanilla fudge, lemon meringue pie and more. Creanie’s also has soft-serve, frozen yogurt, milkshakes, and novelties like churros and chipwiches. The shop garners long lines so wear comfy shoes if you plan to visit during the busy evening hours. (CB)
39. Curly’s Homemade Ice Cream, Riverdale and Boonton
More than 60 years of scooping ice cream, more than 40 flavors. It’s 100% awesome, whichever Curly’s location you go to. Their soft serve is terrific, but their hard flavors aren’t to be slept on. They also make blended flurries like mint cookie, brown fudge, chocolate-covered banana. (JS)
38. Nasto’s Ice Cream, Newark and Woodbridge
One of the great food institutions in Newark’s Ironbound, Nasto’s opened in 1939 in a former brewery. The secret to its success and long life? “Put the good stuff in and get good stuff out,” Frank Nasto III once told me. The blue-awninged shop supplies ice cream to about 750 restaurants around New Jersey. Try the key lime if they have it. (PG)
37. Grochowicz Farms, Glen Gardner
More and more farms are getting into the ice cream business; add Grochowicz Farms, on Route 31, to the list. Their double rich chocolate is divine, the mint chocolate chip marvelous and the black raspberry is berry, berry good. Other flavors include French vanilla, java jolt, chocolate coconut cream and banana strawberry swirl. Pull up a seat at one of the tree-shaded picnic tables, and enjoy. (PG)
36. Fajji’s Homemade Ice Cream, Perth Amboy
“The best ice cream ever!” is the modest claim at Fajji’s. There’s no one named Fajji there — that was an employee of the former owners — but current owner Tom Griffin doesn’t mind if you call him Fajji. “They buy my ice cream, they can call me anything they want,” he says. The staff wear tie-dyed t-shirts; ‘60s flashback alert! Many of the flavors are Caribbean-accented, including coconut (Griffin cracks the coconuts himself), pineapple and passion fruit. The Thin Mint ice cream tastes just like the real thing. (PG)
35. Springer’s, Stone Harbor
Springer’s is one of the Jersey Shore’s two or three best-known ice cream shops. Taylor Swift knows it (all too) well. From age 2 to 14, the pop superstar’s parents owned a summer house in Stone Harbor. Springer’s was a mainstay of her Jersey Shore summers. The original owners apparently changed it from a bar to an ice cream store during Prohibition. If you like creamy ice cream, Springer’s is your place; all those I’ve sampled in recent visits were surpassingly smooth. My favorites: Dark Nite, Prohibition Tradition. (PG)
34. Gabriel’s Fountain, Martinsville
Lemon lavender blueberry. If the sound of that doesn’t make your heart flutter, you need to check for a pulse. It’s my favorite flavor at Gabriel’s Fountain, which offers burgers, sandwiches, wings and salads in addition to ice cream. Like chocolate? You’ll love the milk chocolate here; smooth and creamy. (PG)
33. Pee Wee’s Ice Cream, Medford
Talk about one-stop food shopping. Pee Wee’s Ice Cream can be found at the Feed Mill in Medford, also home to Whole Hog Cafe (a barbecue joint), King’s Road Brewing, and Harvest Coffee Roastery. Vegan ice cream lovers will delight at Pee Wee’s vegan offerings, which include vanilla bean, Betty’s banana pudding, strawberry rhubarb and blueberry lemon. The latter is sweet, sensuous and superb. I also tried three dairy ice cream flavors — chocolate, Jersey strawberry and mint chocolate, all first-rate. (PG)
32. Milltown Ice Cream Depot, Milltown
Nestled next to the town’s rescue squad building, this cash-only ice cream shop offers a wide variety of ice cream, gelato, shakes, Italian ice and Dole whip. The salty caramel pretzel ice cream delivered on its name, with crushed chocolate pretzels and a caramel drizzle folded into creamy vanilla ice cream. If you’re into baked goods, try their red velvet ice cream stuffed with bite-sized pieces of chocolate cake, a sour cream icing swirl and rich red-hued chocolate ice cream. (VH)
31. Cliff’s Homemade Ice Cream, Ledgewood
My single favorite Jersey ice cream flavor: The double dark chocolate fudge crunch at Cliff’s, shown in the photo. It’s a choco-holic’s vision of the sugar-coned pearly gates. There are about a dozen flavors of soft serve and 70 flavors of hard ice cream, so good luck picking one. Cliff’s made my list of 20 Essential Jersey Food Experiences. (PG)
30. Fine Fellows Creamery, Cape May
Just across the street from the second-best beach in New Jersey, and there are few better ways to compliment a day on the beach in Cape May than some Fine Fellows. Their raspberry truffle ice cream is a revelation. (JS)
29. Hilltop Creamery, Blackwood
Hilltop Creamery is a paradise for ice cream lovers as it boasts over 50 flavors of regular ice cream and more than 35 soft-serve options year-round. Brownie batter cookie dough, vanilla chip, cinnamon churro and pumpkin cheesecake are just the tip of the iceberg at the Black Horse Pike creamery. The cookie monster flavor, with chocolate chip cookie, chocolate sandwich cookie and cookie dough bits, is the perfect base for a sundae on summer day. (CB)
28. Hassles Ice Cream, North Wildwood
Hassles has been serving excellent ice cream for more than 40 years, and now has multiple locations in Wildwood — and a mini-golf course is still attached to the OG shop by the boardwalk. Whichever outpost you visit, you’re in for excellent flavors and over-the-top sundaes served on freshly made waffles. Well-worth the wait. (JS)
27. Guernsey Crest, Paterson
It doesn’t look very promising from the outside, sharing the neighborhood with Swift Lube and a used car lot. But appearances in the ice cream world can be deceiving. The faded “Taste Tells’' sign outside Guernsey Crest tells you all you need to know about this long-time favorite. Step up to the glassed-in counter and order from among 30+ flavors. Milk shakes often take a back seat at ice ream shops, but the ones here are silky-smooth. There’s no web site, and a barely-there Facebook page. (PG)
26. Dot’s Homemade Ice Cream, Woodbury Heights
Banana ice cream may not the most popular flavor, but the banana at Dot’s tastes like the real thing, not some lab experiment. The chocolate ice cream is thick and rich, and the Rocky Road commendable. Must-try: one of the water ices. The strawberry lemonade is bracing and beautiful. Oh, and it’s “wooder ice,” not “water ice.” You’re in South Jersey. (PG)
25. Das’ Creamery, Budd Lake
Komal Das uses her culinary school background to test and push ice cream boundaries at Das’ Creamery, a bright and cheery strip mall store. Black licorice ice cream? It’s in the Black Knight Rises. There’s pomegranate, peaches and cream, Kulfi toasted coconut almond, plus excellent vanilla and chocolate. Insider tip: there’s a “secret” flavor every day. It’s not on the store menu board or its Facebook page; you have to ask for it. (PG)
24. Jersey Freeze, Colts Neck, Freehold and Holmdel
Jersey Freeze has grown well beyond its original roadside stand in Freehold. The beloved ice cream shop expanded to Bell Works in Holmdel in 2020 and added a third location in Colts Neck in 2025, bringing its famous soft-serve, towering sundaes and thick milkshakes to even more fans. While the footprint is grown and expected to get bigger as they are franchising, the formula hasn’t changed: classic ice cream done exceptionally well — especially their banana cream pie flavor. (LM)
23. Magic Fountain Union Creamery, Union
You won’t find a magic fountain here, but you’ll definitely leave charmed by their variety of handmade ice cream flavors. The ice cream parlor, which transports you back in time with to its ‘80s-themed decor The parlor’s “old-fashion cannoli” ice cream is creamy, flavored with ricotta cheese and packed with crushed cannoli shells plus chocolate chips. I also tried their banana pudding ice cream, which featured creamy banana ice cream filled with chunks of soft wafer cookies in every bite. If you’re craving banana flavored desserts this summer, pick this one up. (VH)
22. Kwality Ice Cream, Edison, Jersey City and Kendall Park
Alphonso King Mango! Those are the three most important words at Kwality Ice Cream in Edison. My dentist recommended the Alphonso King Mango, and always listen to your dentist! It’s a sweet fruity treat. I also loved the guava ice cream. Other flavors include black currant, English toffee, and saffron pistachio. But start with the King. Kwality is the largest maker of Indian ice cream in the country. (PG)
21. Marita’s Ice Cream, Sea Isle City
Best peach ice cream Down the Shore? My vote would go to the one at Marita’s, a Sea Isle fixture since 1987. They offer 30-plus standard flavors, including cookies and cream, snickers, chocolate marshmallow and banana cream pie, and 10 specialty flavors (chocolate raspberry chip, sea isle butterfinger, ginger cookie, etc.). The love by chocolate and Almond Joy are both standouts, but start with that peach. Marita’s is more than just ice cream; since 2001, they have hosted an annual cancer researcher fundraiser. Since 2015, Marita’s has matched all donated funds, with the combined monies going to the Jimmy V Foundation. (PG)
20. Falls Creamery, Little Falls
Falls Creamery is a tiny shop with a long list of impressive and creative flavors. Main black bear (vanilla swirled with black raspberry and chocolate raspberry mini melts) is decadent, as are butter pie, banana Oreo and Elvis — banana with peanut butter ripple, fresh banana pieces and chocolate flakes. Falls Creamery also has an overwhelmingly large array of sundaes on its menu. (JS)
19. Blue Sheep Bake Shop & Ice Creamery, Somerville
There aren’t many bakeries that make their own ice cream; Blue Sheep is one. If you can get past the 12 flavors of gourmet cupcakes, 12 kinds of macarons, plus cakes and brownies, proceed to the homemade ice cream. Current listed flavors include birthday cake batter, Oreo lovers and strawberry shortcake. I tried three: mocha cappuccino, French lavender honey cream, and coconut cream. All were first-rate, with a slight edge to the coconut cream, so sweet and smooth. (PG)
18. Alaura Kitchen, Pitman
Alaura Kitchen, a candy and ice cream shop founded in 2015, grew out of a family tradition of making caramels. About 20 ice cream flavors are available at any one time; flavors include chocolate (made with Ghirardelli chocolate), fresh blueberry, lemon basil, black raspberry chocolate chip and boardwalk orange. (PG)
17. Cream King, Hopewell
Drive along Route 31 in Mercer County and you’ll come across a small walk-up shop with incredibly delicious ice cream. The shop has been a staple since 1956. One scoop of chocolate and another of raspberry chocolate truffle, and you’re in heaven. Or, try their soft serve, which made our list of New Jersey’s best in 2022. (CF)
16. Cookman Creamery, Asbury Park
Star-strewn lavender walls, and a compact but wide-ranging flavor board: Cookman Creamery is a far cry from your usual 50-flavor neighborhood ice cream shop. It’s about a mood and mellowness here, but there’s passion behind the laid-back vibe. Cookman Creamery was started by a mother-daughter team — Norah and Melissa Marler — and now it’s owned by a father-son duo, Jimmy and Mike Johnson. There are traditional and vegan flavors, and if you think vegan ice cream equates flavorless ice cream, you need to stop here. My favorite flavor may be the Almond Joy vegan ice cream. (PG)
15. Muller’s Creamery, Toms River
Vegan ice cream lovers, we didn’t forget you. I wrote just one word in my notebook about the vegan strawberry here: Wow. Nothing more needs to be said. It’s a sweet sensation. The mint chip is top-flight, and the chocolate custard (real custard, not soft serve) boasts a deep, rich flavor. Muller’s is located inside the Downtown Shops @53 Main. (PG)
14. Latteria, Swedesboro
You can go home again, especially when ice cream is involved. Jaclyn Ilacqua, originally from Alloway, Salem County, was making ice cream wholesale in North Carolina. But she wanted more control over the creative side, missed her family, and moved back home to open Latteria in Swedesboro. About 30 flavors rotate on and off the big chalkboard behind the counter, everything from Mr. Vanilla Chip and cheesecake Oreo to strawberry cake batter PopTart. There is no ice cream shop interior in New Jersey quite like Latteria — the tables and wall are painted in swirly kaleidoscopic colors — think Cezanne, Van Gogh and Peter Max meeting over ice cream. Latteria was one of ten finalists in our epic ice cream showdown in 2016. (PG)
13. Windy Brow Farms, Fredon
Jake Hunt, managing partner at Windy Brow Farms, is the guy who unleashed Taylor ham ice cream and tomato pie ice cream on an unsuspecting world. But classic ice cream flavors are here, too, and they’re done surpassingly well. The dark chocolate is the stuff of legend, and the vegan coconut blueberry lime is nothing short of sensational. (PG)
12. Denville Dairy, Denville
A Morris County staple for more than 50 years, Denville Dairy is known for its eye-catching ice cream cakes and pies as well its mastery of both classic and unconventional flavors — from vanilla chip and strawberry to death by cookie dough and raspberry weave. After being nearly destroyed by Hurricane Irene in 2011, the store was rebuilt and revamped and is as popular as ever. (JS)
11. Ice Cream Station, Cape May Court House
The most interesting thing about the Ice Cream Station is the trolley out front where you can sit inside and enjoy your cone. The best thing about Ice Cream Station is the handful of Indian ice cream flavors available along with mainstream flavors. The Patel family — Jay, Sonal, Nita, Keya — took over the business several years ago. The saffron pistachio is a magical mix of two seemingly unlikely partners, and the mango, fabulously fruity, may be the best mango ice cream I’ve had in the last three, four years, and I’ve had a few. Excellent chocolate, too, creamier than most. Soft serve and water ice are also available. Just down the road, also on Route 9, you’ll find the best gas station food in the state. (PG)
10. Torico Homemade Ice Cream, Jersey City
In 1968, Pura and Peter Berrios started making slushes and sorbets in a former deli on Erie Street. Their ice cream shop was initially called Tropical Delight; it was later changed to Torico, a contraction of “todo rico” — everything is delicious. Today, the couple’s daughters, Christine and Denise, run the casually stylish ice cream store. The store’s tropical roots are still in evidence; the 40 or so flavors include ube (purple yam), jackfruit, soursop and mamey. (PG)
9. Francy’s Artisanal Ice Cream, Bergenfield
Francy’s gets my vote for the state’s best ice cream newcomer. The strip mall ice cream shop offers 26 flavors, many tropical-themed. There’s lychee; mango graham; passion fruit, yuzu and white chocolate; and bukomansi (coconut and Philipine lime). I could eat the guayabano (soursop) ice cream all day. (PG)
8. Applegate Farm Homemade Ice Cream, Montclair
Long before I was writing about ice cream, I was scooping it at Applegate’s. I spent a summer in high school working at the bright red Montclair institution. While many say their time working in the ice cream buisness ruins the treat for them, I actually came away from my time on the farm appreciating it more. Applegate’s Graham Central Station, graham cracker ice cream with chocolate-covered graham crackers, is spectacular. Their orange pineapple and vanilla peanut butter are also wildly popular. Starving? You can literally buy “the farm” — featuring a ridiculous 16 scoops of ice cream, four toppings, bananas, whipped cream and cherries. (JS)
7. Nicholas Creamery, multiple locations
It would take exceptional ice cream to knock Cookman Creamery off its previously-held perch as Monmouth County’s best ice cream, but newcomer Nicholas Creamery has done just that. Nicholas is Nicholas Harary, owner of Restaurant Nicholas in Middletown. Small-batch ice cream “using natural dairy and working directly with local farmers and food artisans to source the freshest, seasonal ingredients” is the mission statement here. The ice cream is incredibly rich and impossibly creamy. In the photo are the Jersey blueberry and the Chocolate Valrhona. The monster mash is a killer mint ice cream. (PG)
6. Hoffman’s, Point Pleasant Beach and Spring Lake Heights
The lines for Hoffman’s get notoriously long, especially in the summer. But trust me, their delectable creamy goodness is well worth the wait. Their coffee Oreo is so good it deserves a spot on New Jersey’s ice cream Mount Rushmore, but you truly cannot go wrong with any of their dozens of flavors. The chocolate marshmallow is divine, as is the mint cookie. The Octopus Challenge — eight scoops of ice cream with eight different toppings in eight minutes, is guaranteed to cause a delicious brain freeze. (JS)
5. Taylor’s Ice Cream Parlor, Chester
Chester in Morris County offers a quaint downtown area with a not-so-hidden gem: Taylor’s Ice Cream Parlor on Main Street. The shop has nearly 50 flavors to choose from, including more uncommon ones like Bailey’s Irish Cream and French toast. Don’t skip on the vanilla fudge brownie — it won’t disappoint. I dare say it’s the best ice cream I’ve ever had. (CF)
4. Owowcow Creamery, Lambertville
Winner of our New Jersey’s best ice cream showdown in 2016, Owowcow is a high-ceilinged ice cream hangout in New Jersey’s best small town. OwowCow started in Ottsville, Pa.; there are four other stores, in Chalfont, Pa., Easton, Pa., Wrightstown, Pa. and Lambertville. There are three kinds of high-end vanilla: Madagascar, Indonesian and Tahitian. They push the ice cream envelope here. Flavors include lime cilantro, chocolate jalapeño and I Hate Chocolate, a sweet, rich chocolate overload that fortunately doesn’t live up its name. The mint chocolate chip is not the usual bright green and boasts mint leaves, and may be the best I’ve had anywhere. (PG)
3. Milk Sugar Love, Jersey City, Asbury Park
She started with a simple hand cart, taking her ice cream to local farmers’ markets. Now Emma Taylor, owner of Milk Sugar Love, runs two stores. Her journey to ice cream enlightenment began as a kid eating Kohr’s soft-serve on the Ocean City boardwalk. Her genre-bending flavors now include Thai tea, lemon olive oil, and honey lavender. Her chocolate peppermint ice cream, sublime and sensational, was the best thing I ate in 2013. Not just best ice cream, best thing, period. (PG)
2. Holsten’s, Bloomfield
If it’s good enough for Tony Soprano, it’s good enough for us. But the old-school soda fountain was an Essex County institution long before the TV legend filmed its final scene there. You simply won’t find a better nostalgic vibe than the one at Holsten’s. Its neon-signed exterior gives way to a long counter and cozy leather booths to sip malted milkshakes and munch burgers. The throwback energy would be enough to make Holsten’s great, but the ice cream itself is elite as well, nailing all the classic flavors. You don’t really need to venture past their magnificent mint chip and vanilla fudge. But their seasonal flavors like cinnamon and peach are utter perfection. The duster sundae, a Holsten’s signature topped with malt powder, is my single favorite ice cream concoction on Earth. (JS)
1. The Bent Spoon, Princeton
For the first time since NJ.com established the statewide ice cream rankings, we have a new top scoop. Sorry, top spot. The Bent Spoon has been a stone-cold hit since Gabrielle Carbone and Matthew Errico opened it in 2004, and it has only gotten better over time. No shop does as good a job of mastering both classic flavors and unconventional flavors. Their dark chocolate or vanilla bean is just as incredible as their Thai basil coconut, Christmas tree, Thanksgiving stuffing and sweet corn. The more absurd the flavor sounds, the more confident I am it will be good — that’s how masterful The Bent Spoon is. No shop handles lines better than here. Even if there’s a queue when you get to the quaint little Mercer County shop, it will move quick and the almost comically friendly staff still won’t rush you when you ask for samples. Their hot chocolate is the stuff of legend, as is their whipped cream. There simply is no better ice cream shop in New Jersey than The Bent Spoon. Take the trip to Princeton, get in line, and thank me later. (JS)
