14 Shops That Serve the Best Ice Cream in Maine
Would you like to save this full guide?
We'll email this article to you, so you can come back to it later!
Do you have a sweet tooth? Grab some of the best ice cream in Maine!
Move over lobster rolls and lighthouses — Ice cream is another must-try food during a visit to Maine. The sweet treat is often paired with the famous whoopie pie, Maine’s official state treat.
From Kittery to Caribou, everyone screams for ice cream with unique stands and stores that bring out the best flavors of Pine Tree State. Locals look to ice cream stands — not the weather forecast — to determine when summer actually starts. Some are roadside booths, while others are tucked into quintessential Maine villages.
Skipping the national chains and exploring the ice cream options in local communities not only fuels the economy but also gives you the rare flavors of Maine, like the impressive blueberries and maple. Satisfy your sweet tooth by touring this Maine ice cream trail.
Mrs & Me Ice Cream
400 US-1, Kittery, ME 03904
Before or after visiting the Kittery Outlets, cross the street to Mrs & Me Ice Cream in Kittery Maine to get a heaping scoop (or three) of revolving flavors of ice cream or sherbet.
Dairy-free and no-sugar-added options are on the menu. Take some to go in pints, quarts, or gallons. And, don’t forget to ask about the rotating special called the Nor’Eastah.
Wicked Good Ice Cream
2 Beach St, York, ME 03909
Look for the hot pink chairs outside the Wicked Good Ice Cream shop in York Maine. You’ll need one of them to go through the expansive menu.
Traditional ice cream is just the start — beach blasts, Italian ice, coffee, frozen lemonade, fruit smoothies, ice cream beverages, and specialized sundaes round out the menu with pastries.
Rococo Ice Cream
8 Western Ave STE 5, Kennebunk, ME 04043
A Kennebunk Maine classic, Rococo Ice Cream does more than satisfy your sweet tooth. It takes you on an international taste bud tour.
From bestsellers like Goat Cheese Blackberry Chambord and Maine Whoopie Pie to Googling “What is Sambayon?” or going all in on Glogg Mulled Wine Sorbet, you truly have never tasted frozen treats like this before.
Ship yourself some sweet treats once you’re back from the beach, or send a Pint of Kindness to a beloved friend.
Dairy Joy
311 Elm St, Biddeford, ME 04005
Dairy Joy in Biddeford Maine proves that you don’t need to change a good thing. After more than half a century of scoops and cone swirls, this business is still going strong with standard sweets and shakes, bars, energy drinks, and parfaits.
Dogs get a discounted cone, and your pup can be considered for the Dogs of Dairy Joy Dog of the Week. Also, the shop serves the only Nor’easter you’ll ever look forward to, with a forest of soft serve mixed with your favorite candy.
Kettle Cove Ice Cream & Shack
2 Bowery Beach Rd, Cape Elizabeth, ME 04107
Get one-stop meal ordering done at the Kettle Cove Ice Cream & Shack in Cape Elizabeth. One side serves some of the best lobster in Maine, while ice cream takes over the other side.
Hard serve, soft serve, sorbet, and frozen yogurt fill the menu with a dizzying number of options using fresh farm ingredients whenever possible. Consider the ice cream sandwiches too, and there are even a few dog dishes available.
Beals Famous Old Fashioned Ice Cream
12 Moulton St, Portland, ME 04101
Beals has a patented Maine-made process to dish up Beals Super Premium Ice Cream. This Old Port staple in Portland Maine corners the market on ice cream, frozen yogurt sorbet, sherbet, dairy-free ice cream, and sugar-free options. It also shatters the cone with ice cream pizzas, pies, and cakes.
“This place is true baller status and I can see Beals standing its own in NYC.”
Yelp reviewer
Mainely Custard
150 US-1, Freeport, ME 04032
Mainely Custard is a classic choice while exploring the mothership of L.L. Bean in Freeport Maine. This female-owned business serves four classic flavors with a carousel of seasonal options changing every week or so. Vegan ice cream is even on the menu, and all flavors are available to go in pints or quarts.
Bresca & the Honeybee
106 Outlet Rd, New Gloucester, ME 04260
This historic location is housed in the old building of Sabbathday Lake’s shoreline while being on a beach and offering rental equipment. How much more “Maine” can you get?
The fine folks who run The Purple House churn the ice cream from local ingredients purchased on a nearby farm. Ice cream, gelato, sorbet, and vegan options fill the menu with a view of Outlet Beach while you test out the flavors announced weekly.
Pine Tree Frosty
2459 Main St, Rangeley, ME 04970
A rare treat among rare treats on the menu of Pine Tree Frosty — you can eat your ice cream on the 45th Parallel, halfway between the Equator and the North Pole. Special changes occur throughout the season, with creations like the Dino Dig, and if you’re lucky, it will be Lobster Roll Day.
Scenic lake views mix with the charm of Rangeley Maine and the true spirit of family. This local business has been scooping for several generations of Rangeley families and tourists.
Fielder’s Choice Ice Cream
271 Bath Rd, Brunswick, ME 04011
From small-town origins in Sabattus Maine to a prime location in the legendary summer vacation town of Old Orchard Beach, this ferocious franchise keeps winning accolades, like the Best of Maine and Retailer of the Year.
You’ll need a little baseball knowledge to decide between the Papi and the Closer on the baseball-themed menu. Flavors range from the all-star cookie dough to rookie standout baked Indian pudding. With five locations throughout Maine, but we really like the Brunswick Maine location best.
Dorman’s Dairy Dream
189 New County Rd, Thomaston, ME 04861
Dorman’s Dairy Dream is another local legend that has been in business since 1951, serving the greater Rockland Maine area. Raspberry ice cream flavors are among the favorites, and peppermint stick is always in demand.
The owners are a sentimental bunch, now offering a take-out grill service with dishes named after the founding family members. Additionally, you can purchase the Dorman Family Cookbook.
Harris Drug Store Dairy Bar
10 Pritham Ave, Greenville, ME 04441
Moosehead Lake visitors can’t miss a stop at the historic Harris Drug Bar. During the high season, the dairy bar next door serves sweet treats.
Inside throughout the year, the old soda fountain bar has more seasonal sugary sensations. Tables are set up across the street at Thoreau Park for a cherry on top of an ice cream date with wonderful views of the lake.
Mount Desert Island Ice Cream
7 Firefly Ln, Bar Harbor, ME 04609
325 Main St, Bar Harbor, ME 04609
You know ice cream must be good when two locations are less than a half-mile from each other! This team really goes above and beyond when calling its cream homemade:
“If we make a vanilla bean ice cream, we scrape the beans; if we make a lemon sorbet, we squeeze the lemons, one at a time.”
Even with all the ice cream parlors in all of Maine, President Barack Obama chose this one when he visited Bar Harbor with his wife. Is that the reason there’s a Washington, D.C., location? You can find this brand in Portland Maine and Japan too.
Houlton Farms Dairy Bar
98 Bennett Dr, Caribou, ME 04736
Why buy just the ice cream when you can get items from the whole cow? Houlton Farms Dairy is an Aroostook County signature treat, with three dairy bar locations — the Caribou Maine shop is our favorite.
Soft serve options come in cones, waffle bowls, and a dipped version of both. Don’t forget your favorite dip or sprinkles on top. Sundaes, shakes, and specialty drinks are on the menu too.
Hard-serve ice cream containers of more than two dozen flavors are available in local retailers, along with milk, butter, sour cream, and egg nog sold by the farm year-round.
Prepare for Your Tour of the Best Ice Cream in Maine
If a Maine ice cream parlor says that it has a “third flavor,” that means there are two staple flavors — usually chocolate and vanilla — and then a “third flavor,” which is some kind of special concoction.
The parlors that serve the best ice cream in Maine are well known for being cash-only. You can check social media pages or call ahead to confirm. In any case, you can’t go wrong with any Maine-made ice cream.