5 can't-miss ice cream spots in Delaware

Need to cool off this summer, or just craving a sweet treat?

Luckily, Delaware knows how to do ice cream — just take it from President Biden. Plenty of local family farms based in Delaware have spoiled the state with high quality, homemade ice cream and other treats perfect for summertime.

Here's a short guide to just some of ice cream spots in Delaware you just can't miss this summer.

Woodside Farm Creamery

1310 Little Baltimore Road, near Hockessin, 302-239-9847; woodsidefarmcreamery.com. Hours: Noon to 8 p.m.

With a farm nearly as old as the country itself and a location perfect for a summer getaway, Woodside Farm Creamery might be the staple ice cream shop in Delaware.

Its dozens of flavors are made fresh on the farm using milk from the dairy cows who perch themselves out front.

Options range from the classic chocolate and vanilla to the more unusual bacon flavor (vanilla ice cream with bacon bits, apparently very popular with dogs). Staff members also recommend the Turtle ice cream flavor, which is chocolate with caramel and pecans.

If you feel overwhelmed by the number of choices, no need to worry. There's a wheel hanging from the ceiling with all of the flavors, relieving customers from the burden of choosing a flavor.

Woodside Farm celebrated its 25th anniversary as a creamery last year and is still riding that high. In honor of National Ice Cream Day on Sunday, July 21, people can sign up for tours of the historic farm. This is the only day the farm allows the public to get a sneak peek at the ice cream-making process.

Keep a lookout for bluegrass concerts on the lawn, monthly telescope nights as posted on the farm's website, fundraisers that support local causes or just stop by and say "hi'' to the cows.

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Sweet Lucy's Ice Cream & Treats

3201 Concord Pike, Talleyville. (302)-477-0777 or sweetlucysicecreamandtreats.com. Hours: Monday to Thursday, 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Sunday, noon to 9 p.m.

If an elevated cold treat is what you're in the mood for, Talleyville's Sweet Lucy's is the place to check out. After switching owners in 2020, the shop now offers different flavors from three local suppliers: Woodside Farm, High Point and Frozen Farmer, plus some Hershey flavors to fill in the gaps. This way if you don't have the time to make the drive to support your preferred local farm, Sweet Lucy's has you covered.

What's resulted is a sweet shop that takes the best flavors from some of the most well-known local suppliers and makes it its own. If the 75+ flavors of ice cream and over-the-top sundae presentations just aren't cutting it, Sweet Lucy's also specializes in shaved ice desserts (with over 150 flavors rotating throughout the season), ice cream cakes, milkshakes and pastries.

One of its most popular ice cream flavors is the Oatmeal Cookie Crumble, which is a brown sugar-cinnamon ice cream swirled with sweet caramel sauce and topped with chocolate flakes and crumbles of oatmeal cookie. Woodside Farm also supplies the shop with an original flavor called Jamaican Me Crazy, a coconut-based ice cream with coconut flakes, caramel swirl and chocolate chunks.

Sweet Lucy's also has two food trucks that make appearances at local events. Cajun-Sno specializes in its shaved ice treats and Donut-NV offers freshly baked donuts and lemonade.

Hopkins Farm Creamery

18186 Dairy Farm Road, Lewes.  (302) 645-7163 or hopkinsfarmcreamery.com. Hours: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Since 2008, Hopkins Farm Creamery has been making its own ice cream and serving new flavors to the community every summer.

This summer will be Hopkins' second summer since its expansion brought back some of the beloved cows to the site, as well as added covered seating, bathrooms and a viewing door to watch the ice cream being made.

Located on Green Acres Farm just off Route 9 near Lewes, Hopkins has over 30 ice cream flavors made on-site ready to be served in cups, cones, milkshakes, sundaes, ice cream sandwiches and more. In the spring, the farm and creamery will be open from noon until 7 p.m. before switching to its summer hours (11 a.m. to 8 p.m.) beginning Memorial Day weekend.

Bonkey's

35849 Atlantic Ave., Millville, and 44 Atlantic Ave, Ocean View. bonkeys.com

Bonkey's unique mid-Atlantic chain has two location at Delaware's beaches.

Another extensive menu with around 25 flavors offered daily (chosen from a list of over 70), Bonkey's also has a reputation for giving back to charitable causes with its sundaes. Proceeds from sales of Justin's Sundae are donated to the Justin W. Jennings Foundation, which provides families struggling with cancer with a place of respite at Justin's Beach House in Bethany Beach. The HOPE Sundae's proceeds also go towards the Help for Oncology Problems and Emotional Support foundation.

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Bonkey's often holds special events and deals, which are meticulously updated on its social media pages. The shop recently held a Stuff Your Stanley event, where customers were able to fit five scoops of ice cream if they brought an empty Stanley tumbler bottle.

Spring hours at the beach locations are currently 2 to 8 p.m., as the season gets closer hours will likely switch to 12 to 9 p.m.

Dairy Palace

2 Jay St., near New Castle. Hours: 11 a.m. - 10 p.m. Visit facebook.com/DairyPalaceDE or call (302) 328-9740

Another historic Delaware operation, Dairy Palace has been in operation under the Parker Family since 1956, when the Parkers bought the former Dairy Queen New Castle location.

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History and tradition are what make Dairy Palace so beloved by locals. Its specialty soft serves and wide range of flavor options don't hurt it either. If you're ever feeling overwhelmed at their extensive menu, Dairy Palace's social media pages consistently post menu recommendations.

Owner Joy Parker, who inherited the shop from her parents in 1999, is about to celebrate her 25th anniversary as the owner this summer (a fact that she nearly forgot, which she chalks up to loving her job so much).

New flavors will be displayed on the shop's signs as they come in. While the black-and-white shakes seem to be the staple orders, don't be afraid to try some new flavors. Parker recommends trying out the raspberry and banana shakes, made with real fruit.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: 5 can't-miss ice cream shops in Delaware