9 Nostalgic Vermont Snacks That Locals Still Miss From Their Childhood
Growing up in Vermont meant more than just mountains and maple trees, it meant snacking on treats that captured the heart and soul of the Green Mountain State.
From creamy soft-serve dripping down your chin on summer days to warm cider donuts that smelled like heaven, these foods defined childhood for generations of Vermonters.
While some of these snacks are still around, they taste even sweeter when remembered through the rose-tinted glasses of nostalgia. Let’s take a delicious trip down memory lane and revisit the flavors that made growing up in Vermont absolutely unforgettable.
1. Maple Creemee
Nothing screams Vermont summer louder than a towering maple creemee melting faster than you can lick it. This soft-serve treasure combined the state’s liquid gold—pure maple syrup—with velvety ice cream to create pure magic in a cone.
Every kid knew the drill: beg your parents to stop at that roadside stand, then race against the clock before your treat turned into a sticky mess. The creamy swirl had just the right amount of maple sweetness without being too sugary.
Local ice cream shops perfected their recipes, making each creemee slightly different but equally memorable. That first taste of the season always transported you straight back to carefree childhood summers spent exploring Vermont’s backroads and green hills.
2. Cider Donuts at Cold Hollow Cider Mill
Walking into Cold Hollow Cider Mill felt like stepping into autumn itself. The smell of fresh cider donuts baking hit you like a warm, sugary hug that made your mouth water instantly.
These weren’t your average donuts—they were made with real Vermont apple cider, giving them a tangy sweetness that regular donuts could never match. Watching them dusted in cinnamon sugar was the kind of behind-the-counter magic that fascinated kids every time.
Grabbing a warm one straight from the rack was a rite of passage every fall. The outside had that perfect crispy coating while the inside stayed soft and cakey, practically melting in your mouth with each bite.
3. Vermont Maple Sugar Candy (Maple Leaf Candies)
Those adorable maple leaf candies were basically edible Vermont souvenirs that grandparents always kept in their candy dishes. Made from pure maple sugar and often molded into leaf shapes by Vermont sugarhouses, they were simple, sweet, and impossibly Vermont.
Biting into one meant experiencing concentrated maple flavor that dissolved slowly on your tongue. Some kids tried to make them last forever, while others crunched through them in seconds flat.
Teachers sometimes gave them as rewards, making them taste even better than usual. The golden color matched fall foliage perfectly, and they came wrapped in wax paper that you’d carefully unfold like a tiny present. Every maple candy was a little reminder that Vermont’s sweetest export came straight from the trees.
4. Vermont Common Crackers with Milk & Cheddar
Vermont Common Crackers might sound boring, but pair them with sharp cheddar and cold milk, and you’ve got yourself a classic Yankee snack. These thick, sturdy crackers have been around since the 1800s, making them older than your great-great-grandparents.
The ritual was sacred: drop a few crackers in your milk, let them soften just enough, then fish them out with a spoon. Add a chunk of tangy Vermont cheddar on top, and suddenly you understood why generations before you did the exact same thing.
Some folks thought it was weird, but Vermonters knew better. This simple combination represented frugal Yankee ingenuity at its finest—nothing fancy, just good ingredients that worked perfectly together.
5. Ben & Jerry’s Scoops at the Waterbury Factory
Before Ben & Jerry’s conquered grocery store freezers worldwide, Vermont kids knew it as that awesome ice cream factory in Waterbury where magic happened. Taking the factory tour meant watching ice cream get made and usually enjoying a sample at the end, basically heaven for any sugar-loving kid.
The flavor graveyard outside honored discontinued flavors with funny tombstone epitaphs that made everyone giggle. Inside, free samples flowed freely, and the gift shop sold everything covered in cartoon cows.
Getting a scoop of Cherry Garcia or Chunky Monkey straight from the source just hit different. Those generous portions and creative chunks made every visit feel special, turning a simple ice cream run into a full Vermont experience.
6. Sharp Cheddar from the Cabot Creamery Store
Cabot cheddar wasn’t just cheese—it was a point of Vermont pride that locals defended fiercely against any out-of-state competition. The Cabot Creamery store offered samples of every sharpness level, turning cheese shopping into a full-blown tasting adventure.
Kids grew up learning to appreciate the difference between mild, sharp, and seriously sharp, developing sophisticated palates before they could spell sophistication. That crumbly texture and tangy bite separated real Vermont cheddar from the imposters.
Bringing home a brick of extra sharp felt like carrying treasure. Whether melted on crackers, stuffed in sandwiches, or eaten straight from the block during midnight fridge raids, Cabot cheddar fueled countless Vermont childhoods with calcium and state pride.
7. Lake Champlain Chocolates – Truffles & Five Star Bars
When special occasions rolled around, Lake Champlain Chocolates made appearances like edible royalty. These weren’t your everyday candy bars—they were fancy Vermont treats that tasted like someone actually cared about quality ingredients.
The Five Star Bars combined chocolate with local ingredients in ways that made your taste buds do happy dances. Truffles came in flavors you couldn’t pronounce but definitely wanted to devour, all wrapped in elegant packaging that felt too pretty to open.
Getting a box for holidays or birthdays meant you’d hit the jackpot. Each piece melted smoothly without that waxy aftertaste cheap chocolate left behind, proving that Vermont knew how to do chocolate right alongside all that dairy and maple goodness.
8. Vermont Smoke & Cure Meat Sticks
Long before fancy gas stations sold artisan jerky, Vermont kids were chomping on Vermont Smoke & Cure meat sticks during hiking trips and road adventures. These weren’t your typical greasy gas station snacks—they were actually made with real ingredients you could pronounce.
Flavors ranged from classic pepperoni to more adventurous options that challenged young palates. The portable protein packed perfectly into lunch boxes and backpacks for outdoor adventures across Vermont’s endless trails.
Parents loved them because they weren’t loaded with weird chemicals and mystery meat. Kids loved them because they were chewy, flavorful, and made you feel like a rugged outdoorsperson conquering the Green Mountains, even if you were just eating lunch at recess.
9. Fudge & Penny-Candy at The Vermont Country Store
The Vermont Country Store wasn’t just a shop—it was a time machine disguised as a candy wonderland. Walking through those creaky wooden floors past barrels of old-fashioned candy felt like stepping into your grandparents’ childhood stories.
Penny candy filled glass jars from floor to ceiling, offering choices that paralyzed indecisive kids for ages. Meanwhile, thick slabs of homemade fudge sat behind the counter, available in flavors that ranged from classic chocolate to maple walnut madness.
Filling up a paper bag with candy selections while adults browsed flannel shirts and practical gadgets was the perfect compromise. Everything tasted better knowing it came from a place that refused to modernize, keeping Vermont’s sweet traditions alive one nostalgic bite at a time.