13 North Carolina Creameries Serving Up Fresh, Farm-Made Ice Cream Flights
Scoops piled high, colors swirling from creamy vanilla to bright seasonal fruits, each bite tells a story straight from North Carolina’s farms. Across the state, dairy makers are turning simple ice cream into an experience, serving flights that let visitors taste their way through inventive flavors and hometown traditions.
From rolling mountain pastures to breezy coastal towns, these spots celebrate fresh ingredients, craftsmanship, and the pure joy of dessert done right.
1. Homeland Creamery – Julian
Located at Bowman Dairy Road in Julian, Guilford County, Homeland Creamery is run by the Bowman family and offers farm-fresh dairy products including ice cream.
Vat-pasteurized milk comes from their herd of Holstein and Jersey cows. Visitors can tour the creamery, sample flavors at the farm shop, and enjoy classic and seasonal ice cream offerings made with local milk.
2. Riverbend Creamery – Lincolnton
In Lincoln County, a family dairy farm offers small-batch ice cream produced directly from its own Jersey cows. Riverbend Creamery serves cones, milkshakes, and – according to visitor reports – occasionally provides ice cream flights so customers can sample several flavors at once.
The store gives guests a close connection to local agriculture while delivering frozen desserts made on site. Outside, tables overlook the pastures, creating a scenic place to enjoy a summer treat with family or friends while supporting a working North Carolina dairy.
3. Simply Natural Creamery – Ayden
Eastern North Carolina travelers can find a dairy farm near Ayden producing fresh milk and frozen desserts. Simply Natural Creamery is known for cones, pints, and its confirmed ice cream flights, which offer multiple flavors in one serving for those who like to sample widely.
The farm hosts tours showing how the Jersey cow herd supplies milk for its dairy products, giving visitors a better understanding of local agriculture. Seasonal varieties appear throughout the year alongside customer favorites, making the creamery a regular stop for residents and tourists alike.
4. Howling Cow Creamery – NC State University, Raleigh
In Raleigh, a university-operated creamery lets guests try ice cream made as part of a food science program. Howling Cow Creamery at NC State University uses milk from the campus dairy herd to produce pints, cups, and cones sold at its dairy education center.
Students help run the facility, connecting agricultural education directly to the frozen desserts served there. Rotating flavors often reflect seasonal ingredients or new recipe experiments, ensuring there is always something different for returning customers to enjoy on campus.
5. Maple View Farm Ice Cream – Hillsborough
Orange County visitors will find a countryside shop offering wide-open views along with frozen desserts made from local milk. Maple View Farm Ice Cream serves cones, cups, and sundaes created using dairy products sourced from surrounding farms.
Guests often bring lawn chairs or use the shop’s outdoor seating to watch the sunset while enjoying their ice cream. Seasonal flavors join classic favorites on the menu, giving customers a taste of North Carolina agriculture in a casual, family-friendly setting just outside Hillsborough.
6. Looking Glass Creamery – Columbus
Near the Blue Ridge Mountains, a small farmstead dairy combines cheese making with small-batch ice cream production. Looking Glass Creamery sells rotating flavors along with its award-winning cheeses and caramel sauce at the on-site store.
Visitors can sample products or purchase pints while learning about the farm’s operations through scheduled events and tastings. The creamery focuses on quality ingredients and traditional methods, offering guests a chance to experience locally produced dairy items in a scenic Western North Carolina location.
7. Scoops Microcreamery – Sneads Ferry
Along the North Carolina coast, an independent dessert shop provides house-made ice cream in multiple forms. Scoops Microcreamery, with locations in Sneads Ferry and Topsail, produces small-batch flavors served in cones, pints, and a six-flavor ice cream flight available for anyone who wants to sample several varieties at once.
The menu changes seasonally, bringing new combinations alongside popular standards throughout the year. Both locations focus on hand-crafted production methods, offering a casual spot for families to cool down after a day near the beach.
8. Carolina Scoops – Pineville
A trip to Pineville includes a stop at a neighborhood ice cream shop serving classic frozen desserts. Carolina Scoops offers cones, sundaes, milkshakes, and floats prepared with a rotating selection of hand-dipped flavors.
Guests enjoy traditional servings rather than sampler-style tastings, reflecting the shop’s focus on familiar favorites. The location has become part of the local community, giving residents and visitors a relaxed environment for enjoying ice cream treats throughout the spring and summer seasons in downtown Pineville.
9. Landis Creamery – Landis
In Rowan County, an ice cream shop provides dessert options for locals and travelers passing through the area. Landis Creamery serves multiple flavors in cones, sundaes, and milkshakes, using commercial ice cream brands rather than producing its own dairy on site.
Customers choose from classic options designed for a simple, familiar ice cream experience. The shop focuses on standard servings rather than sampler flights, appealing to anyone looking for a straightforward place to enjoy frozen treats in a small-town setting.
10. Chapel Chill – Chapel Hill
Near the University of North Carolina campus, a locally owned dessert shop produces house-made ice cream for students and residents. Chapel Chill rotates its menu throughout the year, offering cones, milkshakes, and sundaes with both classic and seasonal flavors available.
Guests often stop by after classes or while exploring downtown Chapel Hill, enjoying desserts indoors or at outdoor tables. The shop emphasizes a casual, welcoming atmosphere rather than specialty presentations, keeping its focus on hand-crafted frozen treats served fresh each day.
11. Sunni Sky’s Homemade Ice Cream – Angier
Central North Carolina travelers can visit a roadside shop known for offering one of the state’s largest ice cream selections. Sunni Sky’s Homemade Ice Cream features more than 100 flavors ranging from traditional favorites to unusual seasonal creations.
Guests are encouraged to sample before ordering full servings, allowing them to explore a wide variety of tastes. Operating on a seasonal schedule, the shop remains a popular stop for families and visitors looking to try new combinations in a relaxed, outdoor setting.
12. Andia’s Ice Cream – Durham/Cary
A regional ice cream brand produces small-batch desserts with a mix of classic and creative flavors. Andia’s Ice Cream has earned recognition for its quality ingredients and rotating menu, which changes throughout the year to include seasonal specialties.
Customers order cones, cups, and pints from locations designed for quick service as well as family gatherings. The shops focus on hand-crafted production methods rather than sampler flights, keeping attention on flavor variety and presentation.
13. Mama Bird’s Ice Cream – Holly Springs / Apex
In Holly Springs and Apex, two shops produce small-batch ice cream with locally sourced ingredients when available. Mama Bird’s Ice Cream rotates its menu throughout the year, offering cones, pints, and ice cream cakes for birthdays or special events.
Visitors can sample flavors before ordering full servings, ensuring everyone finds a favorite option. Both locations focus on community connections, welcoming families, students, and visitors looking for fresh, hand-crafted frozen desserts in a neighborhood setting.
