Dairy-free ice cream getting easier to find in western Maine

A “baby” size cone of Oatmazing Cookie Dough Chip dairy-free ice cream is served June 11 at Sweet Scoops in Jay. (Rebecca Richard/Staff writer)

Finding an ice cream stand in Maine is easy. Finding one with dairy-free scoops can take more work.

Dairy-free key lime pie soft serve from Softie Delite is served June 11 in Livermore Falls. The flavor tasted like lime sherbet and was one of the shop’s rotating nondairy options. (Rebecca Richard/Staff writer)

For people avoiding dairy, several western Maine ice cream stands now offer vegan sorbet, oat milk-based scoops or rotating nondairy soft serve, making the traditional summer ice cream stop more accessible.

Sweet Scoops, 258 Main St. in Jay, has three Oatmazing oat milk dairy-free flavors.

“One is a chocolate chunk, one is like a cookie dough, and the other one is called Super Acai … and they are all very, very good,” the owner said.

The Bethel Sugar Shack in Bethel regularly keeps one fruit-based, dairy-free sorbet option on the menu, such as strawberry lemonade. Availability and flavors may change, so customers should check current options before making a special trip.

Pine Tree Frosty, 2459 Main St. in Rangeley, also has dairy-free options, including vegan sorbet and vegan coconut milk ice cream.

The Farmer’s Daughter Farm Stand & Market in Oquossoc offers vegan and dairy-free options at its old-time ice cream window, including vegan vanilla and rotating sorbet flavors. (Courtesy of The Farmer’s Daughter Farm Stand & Market)

The Farmer’s Daughter, 13 Rumford Road in Oquossoc Village in Rangeley, has vegan and dairy-free options at its old-time ice cream window, including vegan vanilla and mango sorbet. The shop keeps a vegan sorbet option on hand, with flavors changing, and is actively looking for more vegan options. Pup cups are also available for dogs.

Wilson Stream Ice Cream, 280 Main St. in Wilton, lists dairy-free red raspberry sorbet on its hard serve menu. Hood Lactaid cups are also available, but they are lactose-free rather than vegan.

Softie Delite displays its roadside sign June 11 in Livermore Falls. The shop offers rotating dairy-free, soft serve flavors, including key lime pie and mango options. (Rebecca Richard/Staff writer)

Softie Delite, 5 Bridge St. in Livermore Falls, offers rotating dairy-free soft serve flavors. Recent flavors included mango and key lime pie. The owner said the shop makes and changes its nondairy flavors and planned to begin making homemade nondairy ice cream within about a week.

The Ice Cream Shoppe of Farmington, 171 Wilton Road, has several dairy-free options, including lemon and raspberry sorbet and Oatmazing oat milk flavors: classic cookie, chocolate chunk, cookie dough chip and vanilla. The shop also carries one lactose-free soft serve option and one dairy-free soft serve option, with the dairy-free flavor changing each week.

Flavors and availability can change, so customers should call ahead before making a special trip.

The Ice Cream Shoppe at 171 Wilton Road in Farmington offers several dairy-free or lower-dairy options, including vegan hard serve, rotating Dole flavors, lactose-free vanilla, and raspberry and lemon sorbet. (Rebecca Richard/staff writer)

The list is not complete, and flavors can change quickly at seasonal stands. But for dairy-free customers in western Maine, the answer is no longer just “maybe.”