Ice Cream Shops in Somerset County, NJ
By Tiffany Slowinski
Ice cream is one of those categories where “closest to me” is almost never the whole question.
Because if we are already getting in the car for ice cream, I want to know what kind of ice cream situation we are driving toward.
Homemade?
Soft serve?
Gelato?
A giant sundae?
Milkshake?
Frozen custard?
A place where the kids can order something familiar while I get the flavor nobody else in my family will touch?
Now we have a plan.
If you are looking for ice cream in Somerset County, this guide is built for that kind of decision.
The county has everything from classic scoop shops and national chains to homemade ice cream, gelato, dessert cafés, frozen custard and businesses where ice cream is technically only part of the menu but absolutely still counts when what you want is dessert.
That last part matters.
Some of the best “let’s get ice cream” stops are not businesses that lead with the words ice cream shop.
Somerville alone proves that. The countywide list includes a bake shop, cafés, restaurants and other places selling ice cream to eat on the spot alongside the more obvious scoop shops.
So instead of deciding what “counts” based on branding, Garden State Circle uses a very simple test: can you actually buy ice cream there and eat it now?
If yes, it belongs in the conversation.
From there, I would use this guide based on the kind of night you are having.
If you want homemade ice cream
Look at the “made on premises” column.
Somerset County has several shops that publish homemade, handcrafted or small-batch ice cream, and that can be worth a drive if trying local flavors is the whole point.
This is where I become annoying in the best way.
If I am going for ice cream specifically, I want to see the flavor board.
I want the seasonal thing.
I want the flavor somebody in the group thinks sounds weird and then steals half of after tasting it.
That is the outing.
If you need somewhere open on Monday
This is apparently a more complicated ice cream question than it should be.
The guide tracks Monday because independent food businesses very often choose Monday as the day everybody finally gets a break.
Nothing is more disappointing than promising three children ice cream, pulling into the parking lot and learning a valuable lesson about operating hours.
Check first.
Especially off-season.
If someone needs dairy-free
The table also records dairy-free options when a business actually publishes them.
That wording matters.
“Not published” does not mean a place has no dairy-free option. It means we did not find the business making that claim in the source we checked.
Menus change.
Flavors change.
Ingredients change.
If dairy-free is a preference, that gives you a starting point.
If you are dealing with a food allergy, that is different. Always speak directly with the business about current ingredients, preparation and cross-contact before ordering.
An online menu is not an allergy protocol.
If you want the full ice-cream outing
Somerset County is spread out enough that I think in clusters.
Maybe you are already in Somerville after dinner and want somewhere walkable.
Maybe you are in Basking Ridge or Bernardsville and want a local stop without heading across the county.
Maybe you are in Hillsborough and want somewhere the kids can pick exactly the kind of frozen thing they have already decided they need.
Maybe the ice cream itself is the destination and you are willing to drive 20 minutes for the place somebody swears is worth it.
All valid.
This guide is useful if you are searching for ice cream Somerset County NJ, homemade ice cream near me, ice cream Basking Ridge, ice cream Bernardsville, ice cream Bridgewater, ice cream Somerville, ice cream Hillsborough, gelato Somerset County, soft serve, milkshakes, sundaes, dairy-free ice cream or ice cream open Monday.
We are not ranking these places.
There is no single best ice cream shop for every occasion.
Sometimes I want the homemade scoop in a waffle cone.
Sometimes I want gelato after dinner.
Sometimes a child wants vanilla soft serve with rainbow sprinkles and will accept absolutely no substitutions.
The correct ice cream is the ice cream that solves the situation.
We did the homework so you can skip directly to that part.
The Guide: Ice Cream Shops in Somerset County, NJ
Ice cream by area
How We Selected These Ice Cream Shops
To appear on this guide, a business sells ice cream to eat on the spot — scooped, soft serve, gelato, sundae, float or an ice cream shake — regardless of what else it sells, with premises somewhere in Somerset County, NJ. That is a test, not a judgment, and it is the only route onto this page.
About This Guide
This guide is produced by Garden State Circle. Ice cream shops, gelaterias, dessert cafés and other businesses selling ice cream appear here because they meet the criteria described above — a published item for sale, and a location somewhere in Somerset County, NJ. That is a test, not a judgment, and it is the only route onto this page. No business can pay to be included in this guide, to be listed higher, or to change what the table says about it.
Everything under the heading that begins this guide is governed by the rules above, on every guide we publish. Garden State Circle is supported by the businesses that participate in it. Participation pays for our ongoing work: keeping a business’s entry accurate, re-checking its record, and publishing a page of its own details that the business maintains. There is no paid placement in this guide. Participation does not buy a place here, a position here, or anything the comparison table says. Where a row carries a verification date, that is when we last checked that business’s record ourselves. A row without one has not been checked recently — that is a fact about our work, not about the business. Ingredients, preparation and allergen handling change, and we record what each business publishes rather than inspecting kitchens. If you have a food allergy, confirm directly with the business before you order. Hours, menus and alcohol policy change often. Every detail here was verified on the date shown above.
Garden State Circle is published in New Jersey by Tiffany and Jake Slowinski and covers Somerset County. Contact the publisher at jake@gardenstatecircle.com. How every guide is made, in one place: how every guide is made.
Ice Cream Shops in Somerset County — Compared
| Shop | Type | Made on premises | Monday | Dairy-free published | Record checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| As You Like It Ice Cream Shop — 62 W Somerset St, Raritan, NJ 08869 | Ice cream and dessert café | Not published | Not found by us | Not published | Sep 2026 |
| Ava’s Homemade Ice Cream — 1 W. Henry St, Basking Ridge, NJ 07920 | Homemade ice cream | Yes — states homemade, made fresh in-house | Not published | Not published | Sep 2026 |
| Baskin-Robbins — 109 E Main St Ste 111, Bound Brook, NJ 08805 | Chain ice cream | No — national chain | Not found by us | Not published | Sep 2026 |
| Baskin-Robbins — 19 W Main St, Somerville, NJ | Chain ice cream | No — national chain | Open | Not published | Sep 2026 |
| Baskin-Robbins — 315 US-206, Hillsborough, NJ | Chain ice cream | No — national chain | Not found by us | Not published | Sep 2026 |
| Baskin-Robbins — 750 Somerset St, Watchung, NJ 07069 | Chain ice cream | No — national chain | Not found by us | Not published | Sep 2026 |
| Blue Sheep Bake Shop — 84 W Main St, Somerville, NJ 08876 | Ice cream and bake shop | Yes — confirmed by owner | Closed | Not published | Sep 2026 |
| Capital Craft — 171 US-22, Green Brook, NJ | Ice cream and gastropub | Not published | Not found by us | Not published | Sep 2026 |
| Carvel — 120 Cedar Grove Lane, Franklin Township, NJ 08873 | Chain ice cream | No — national chain | Not found by us | Not published | Sep 2026 |
| Carvel — 422 Route 206 S, Hillsborough, NJ | Chain ice cream | No — national chain | Not found by us | Not published | Sep 2026 |
| Carvel — 900 Easton Ave, Franklin Township, NJ 08873 | Chain ice cream | No — national chain | Not found by us | Not published | Sep 2026 |
| Char Burger and Creamery — 777 US Highway 202, Bridgewater, NJ | Ice cream and burger joint | Not published | Not found by us | Not published | Sep 2026 |
| Cold Stone Creamery — 3150 State Hwy Rte 22, Unit 15, Branchburg, NJ 08876 | Chain ice cream | No — national chain | Open 12–9pm | Not published | Sep 2026 |
| Cold Stone Creamery — 428B Route 202-206, Bedminster, NJ 07921 | Chain ice cream | No — national chain | Open 12–9pm | Not published | Sep 2026 |
| Confectionately Yours — 3391 NJ-27, Franklin Park, Franklin Township, NJ | Homemade ice cream | Not published | Not found by us | Not published | Sep 2026 |
| Cowabunga Cones and Sweets — Amwell Center, Hillsborough Township, NJ | Ice cream shop | Not published | Not found by us | Not published | Sep 2026 |
| Dairy Queen — 109 Morristown Rd, Bernardsville, NJ | Chain ice cream | No — national chain | Not found by us | Not published | Sep 2026 |
| Dolce Gelato & Espresso Bar — 16 Division St, Somerville, NJ 08876 | Gelato | Yes — states handcrafted | Closed | Not published | Sep 2026 |
| Epic Desserts — 63 W Main St, Somerville, NJ | Not published | Not published | Closed | Not published | Sep 2026 |
| Fresh Tiki — 15C Division St, Somerville, NJ | Not published | Yes — states homemade | Closed (seasonal) | Not published | Sep 2026 |
| Gabriel’s Fountain Kitchen & Creamery — 1948 Washington Valley Rd, Martinsville, Bridgewater, NJ | Homemade ice cream | Not published | Not found by us | Not published | Sep 2026 |
| Ice Cream For All — Bridgewater, NJ | Homemade ice cream | Not published | Not found by us | Not published | Sep 2026 |
| Kafe de Manila — 120 W Main St Ste B, Somerville, NJ | Not published | Not published | Not found by us | Not published | Sep 2026 |
| MilkShake Factory — 189 W Main St, Somerville, NJ | Ice cream and milkshake shop | See entry — contested | Open 12–10pm | Yes | Sep 2026 |
| Penguin Ice Cream — 3 Claremont Road, Bernardsville, NJ | Homemade ice cream | Yes — states fresh, locally-sourced dairy | Open 3:15–9pm | Not published | Sep 2026 |
| Pinas Locas Quetzaly — 309 E 2nd St, Bound Brook, NJ | Ice cream and dessert | Not published | Not found by us | Not published | Sep 2026 |
| Project P.U.B. — 41 N Bridge St, Somerville, NJ | Not published | No — made by Drunken Dairy, Somerville | Not found by us | Not published | Sep 2026 |
| Reunion Hillsborough Sweet Parlor Small Batch Homemade Ice Cream — 601 US-206, Hillsborough Township, NJ | Homemade ice cream | Not published | Not found by us | Not published | Sep 2026 |
| Rita’s Italian Ice & Frozen Custard — 3175 Route 27, Franklin Park, Franklin Township, NJ | Chain (Italian ice and custard) | No — national chain | Not found by us | Not published | Sep 2026 |
| Rita’s Italian Ice & Frozen Custard — 381 Triangle Rd, Hillsborough, NJ | Chain (Italian ice and custard) | No — national chain | Not found by us | Not published | Sep 2026 |
| Rita’s Italian Ice & Frozen Custard — 53 Mountain Blvd, Warren Township, NJ | Chain (Italian ice and custard) | No — national chain | Not found by us | Not published | Sep 2026 |
| Scoops & Pearls — 484 NJ-28, Bridgewater, NJ | Ice cream and dessert café | Not published | Not found by us | Not published | Sep 2026 |
| SLAB Gelato & Ice Cream LLC — 21 Church St, Basking Ridge, NJ | Gelato | Not published | Not found by us | Not published | Sep 2026 |
| Summer Ville Homemade Ice Cream — 144 E Main St, Somerville, NJ | Homemade ice cream | Yes — states homemade | See entry — contested | Not published | Sep 2026 |
| Sweet Parlor — 72 W Main St #A, Somerville, NJ | Not published | Yes — states small batch | Open 12–10pm | Not published | Sep 2026 |
| Tapastre — 1 W High St, Somerville, NJ | Not published | No — made by Drunken Dairy, Somerville | Not found by us | Not published | Sep 2026 |
| The Ice House — 378 South Branch Road, Hillsborough, NJ 08844 | Ice cream and dessert café | Not published | Open 12–9:30pm | Yes — states non dairy options | Sep 2026 |
| Thomas Sweet Montgomery — 1378 US-206, Skillman, NJ 08558 | Homemade ice cream | Yes — states handcrafted, made in-house | Open 12–9pm | Not published | Sep 2026 |
The Ice Cream Shops
As You Like It Ice Cream Shop · 62 W Somerset St, Raritan, NJ 08869
Sells hard ice cream, soft-serve and frozen yogurt, with ice cream cakes made on site, per its own site. icecreamshop.com
Ava’s Homemade Ice Cream · 1 W. Henry St, Basking Ridge, NJ 07920
States its ice cream is “made fresh in-house with high-quality ingredients, and in small batches,” per its own site. avasicecream.com
Baskin-Robbins · 109 E Main St Ste 111, Bound Brook, NJ 08805
A national ice cream chain location, per its own store locator. locations.baskinrobbins.com
Baskin-Robbins · 315 US-206, Hillsborough, NJ
A national ice cream chain location, per its own store locator. locations.baskinrobbins.com
Baskin-Robbins · 19 W Main St, Somerville, NJ
A national ice cream chain location, per its own store locator. locations.baskinrobbins.com
Baskin-Robbins · 750 Somerset St, Watchung, NJ 07069
A national ice cream chain location, per its own store locator. locations.baskinrobbins.com
Blue Sheep Bake Shop · 84 W Main St, Somerville, NJ 08876
Makes 20 rotating flavors on site, confirmed by the owner in an interview, plus milkshakes, sundaes and custom cakes. gardenstatecircle.com
Capital Craft · 171 US-22, Green Brook, NJ
Serves one- and two-scoop ice cream and a sundae in vanilla, chocolate and strawberry, per its own site and ordering page. capitalcraftnj.com
Carvel · 900 Easton Ave, Franklin Township, NJ 08873
A national ice cream chain location, per its own store locator. locations.carvel.com
Carvel · 120 Cedar Grove Lane, Franklin Township, NJ 08873
A national ice cream chain location, per its own store locator; this address previously held Lola’s Ice Cream, now confirmed closed. locations.carvel.com
Carvel · 422 Route 206 S, Hillsborough, NJ
A national ice cream chain location, per its own store locator. locations.carvel.com
Char Burger and Creamery · 777 US Highway 202, Bridgewater, NJ
An ice cream and burger joint selling floats and hand-spun shakes, per its own ordering page. order.toasttab.com
Cold Stone Creamery · 428B Route 202-206, Bedminster, NJ 07921
A national ice cream chain location, per its own store locator. coldstonecreamery.com
Cold Stone Creamery · 3150 State Hwy Rte 22, Unit 15, Branchburg, NJ 08876
A national ice cream chain location, per its own store locator. coldstonecreamery.com
Confectionately Yours · 3391 NJ-27, Franklin Park, Franklin Township, NJ
Carries a “Homemade Ice Cream Flavors” desserts page on its own site. myconfects.com
Cowabunga Cones and Sweets · Amwell Center, Hillsborough Township, NJ
An ice cream shop with its own Facebook and Instagram; no own website found. facebook.com
Dairy Queen · 109 Morristown Rd, Bernardsville, NJ
A national ice cream chain location, per its own store locator. dairyqueen.com
Dolce Gelato & Espresso Bar · 16 Division St, Somerville, NJ 08876
States its gelato is handcrafted, alongside espresso and paninis. gardenstatecircle.com
Epic Desserts · 63 W Main St, Somerville, NJ
A dessert business at this address; its own site does not use the word “ice cream” in self-description. gardenstatecircle.com
Fresh Tiki · 15C Division St, Somerville, NJ
A seasonal walk-up window states its ice cream is homemade; its own site’s title tag and About-page body describe the business two different ways. gardenstatecircle.com
Gabriel’s Fountain Kitchen & Creamery · 1948 Washington Valley Rd, Martinsville, Bridgewater, NJ
Carries a dedicated Flavors page on its own site. gabrielsfountain.com
Ice Cream For All · Bridgewater, NJ
A mission-driven scoop shop opened by a local teen, per its own site. icecreamforall.com
Kafe de Manila · 120 W Main St Ste B, Somerville, NJ
Confirmed serving ice cream inside floats and an ice cream sandwich. gardenstatecircle.com
MilkShake Factory · 189 W Main St, Somerville, NJ
An ice cream and milkshake shop; its own site’s homemade claim is contested by another source and is not resolved here. gardenstatecircle.com
Penguin Ice Cream · 3 Claremont Road, Bernardsville, NJ
States its ice cream is made from fresh, locally-sourced dairy, “four days from cow to cream.” penguinicecream.com
Pinas Locas Quetzaly · 309 E 2nd St, Bound Brook, NJ
Sells ice cream desserts, banana splits, paletas and milkshakes, per its own site and storefront ordering page. pinaslocasquetzaly.com
Project P.U.B. · 41 N Bridge St, Somerville, NJ
Sells Drunken Dairy scoops, made by that Somerville producer rather than on premises. gardenstatecircle.com
Reunion Hillsborough Sweet Parlor Small Batch Homemade Ice Cream · 601 US-206, Hillsborough Township, NJ
A small-batch homemade ice cream shop with its own store-locator page; whether it shares a brand with Somerville’s Sweet Parlor is not confirmed here. sweetparlor.com
Rita’s Italian Ice & Frozen Custard · 3175 Route 27, Franklin Park, Franklin Township, NJ
A national Italian ice and frozen custard chain location, per its own location page. ritasice.com
Rita’s Italian Ice & Frozen Custard · 381 Triangle Rd, Hillsborough, NJ
A national Italian ice and frozen custard chain location, per its own site. ritasice.com
Rita’s Italian Ice & Frozen Custard · 53 Mountain Blvd, Warren Township, NJ
A national Italian ice and frozen custard chain location, per its own location page. ritasice.com
Scoops & Pearls · 484 NJ-28, Bridgewater, NJ
An Indian-inspired ice cream and dessert café, per its own ordering site and Facebook. order.scoopsandpearls.com
SLAB Gelato & Ice Cream LLC · 21 Church St, Basking Ridge, NJ
A gelato shop with its own Instagram; no own website found this pass. instagram.com
Summer Ville Homemade Ice Cream · 144 E Main St, Somerville, NJ
States its ice cream is homemade; its own Monday hours are contested between our record and other sources and are not resolved here. gardenstatecircle.com
Sweet Parlor · 72 W Main St #A, Somerville, NJ
States its ice cream is small batch; its trading name remains unresolved across its own channels. gardenstatecircle.com
Tapastre · 1 W High St, Somerville, NJ
Sells Drunken Dairy scoops, made by that Somerville producer rather than on premises. gardenstatecircle.com
The Ice House · 378 South Branch Road, Hillsborough, NJ 08844
Sells hard ice cream, soft serve, frozen yogurt and vegan ice cream, and states it offers non-dairy options, per its own site. theicehousenj.com
Thomas Sweet Montgomery · 1378 US-206, Skillman, NJ 08558
States its ice cream is handcrafted and made in-house, per its own site. thomassweetmontgomery.gotoeat.net
Common Questions
What does “as published” mean in the table?
Each cell prints what the business itself states on its own website or its own channel, read on the date in the Record checked column. Where a business does not state something, the cell says Not published; where we searched and found nothing, it says Not found by us.
Are chains included?
Yes. Businesses selling ice cream to eat on the spot, with premises in Somerset County, are here on the same terms as anyone else, and the Type column shows what each one is.
Why isn’t downtown Somerville’s ice cream roster repeated as its own page here?
It isn’t separate — every Somerville ice cream business on this county page is also on the narrower Downtown Somerville ice cream guide, linked below.
When was this list last checked?
The Record checked column shows the month each business’s details were last read. If something here is wrong or has changed, the correction note at the end of this guide says how to tell us.
Published September 12, 2026.
Additional Resources
Coffee Shops and Cafés in Somerset County, NJ
Ice Cream in Somerville, NJ
Something out of date?
This guide is maintained. If anything here is wrong or has changed — a name, an address, hours or ownership — tell us and we will check it. And if you run a business selling ice cream that should be on this list and is not: the test is the same one every business here cleared — that you sell ice cream to eat on the spot, regardless of what else you sell, with premises somewhere in Somerset County, NJ. Show us that and you go on the page.
admin@gardenstatecircle.com
This is not a ranking.