We're in the midst of the first official heat wave of the year, and I'm pretty sure summer “officially” starts tomorrow, but that's just the beginning of the “hot” season, so it's the perfect time to talk about cooling off with some delicious ice cream. Let's talk about the best ice cream here in New Jersey, and maybe something to help you cool off this summer.

We discovered an article by New Jersey Digest highlighting their TOP 30 ice cream shops in the Garden State. “Summer is when ice cream dates are in full swing. This frozen treat is the perfect end to any meal, will cool you down on a hot summer day, and can easily cure any bad day you may be experiencing.”

TOP 30 Ice Cream Shops in New Jersey

30. Denville Dairy: Denville, NJ

29. Springer’s homemade ice cream: Stone Harbor, New Jersey

28. Days of Ice Cream: Ocean Grove, New Jersey

27. Jersey Freeze: Freehold, NJ

26. Nicholas Dairy: Atlantic Highlands, Fair Haven, Tinton Falls, Long Branch, Middletown NJ

25. Trina's Treats Ice Cream Parlor: Lyndhurst, New Jersey

24. Llama ice cream: Rockaway, NJ

23. Duffers Restaurant & Old Fashioned Ice Cream Parlor: Wildwood, NJ

22. Surreal Dairy: New Brunswick, Ridgewood and Westfield NJ

21. The curved spoon: Princeton, New Jersey

20. Windy Brow Farms: Fredon Township, New Jersey

19. Hoffmans Ice Cream: Point Pleasant Beach, NJ (and other locations)

18. Muesli bars with milk and cream: Jersey City, New Jersey

17. Gabriel’s Well: Bridgewater, NJ

16. Thick-headed Dipper: Long Beach Island, New Jersey

15. Conrad’s Confectionery: Westwood, NJ

14. Milk-Sugar-Love: Jersey City, New Jersey

13. Royale Crown Ice Cream & Grille: Hammonton, NJ

12. Iceberg ice: Laval, NJ

11. Ernie’s Ice Cream: Mahwah, NJ

10. Beenie's Ice Cream: Morristown, NJ

9. Nasto’s Ice Cream Co. Newark, NJ

8. The Original Kohr Brothers Frozen Custard: Multiple locations in New Jersey

7. Holsten’s Brookdale Confectionery: Bloomfield, New Jersey

6. Torico Ice Cream: Jersey City, NJ

5. Cliff's Homemade Ice Cream: Ledgewood, NJ

4. Curly's Ice Cream: Riverdale, NJ

3. Thomas' Ice Cream Cafe: Hoboken, NJ

2. Applegate Farm: Montclair, NJ

1. Van Dyk’s homemade ice cream: Ridgewood, New Jersey

I'm pretty easy to please when it comes to ice cream. I keep it simple and authentic. Vanilla is my go-to ingredient in ice cream. If you start with a good vanilla, you can add a little more flavor to make it palatable. Candy, sprinkles, etc. can be left out. Hot fudge sauce and some chopped nuts will do just fine 🙂

Where can you find your favorite ice cream? Share your recommendations and post your comments below.