Vanilla Bean Creamery — Restaurant in Shipshewana

There’s ice cream and there’s ice cream. Tonight is a Sunday night in Shipshewana and we come to this quaint Amish town to do work within the RV industry now and again. We had an errand to run (on a Sunday!) and, on the way back, I couldn’t stop thinking of ice cream. We passed several places that sold ice cream, but they were all closed.

Then, as we rolled through Shipshe I saw cars in the parking lot and lights in the building of Vanilla Bean Creamery. Is it an omen? Is it a mirage?

The first thing I passed was a cooler with a tremendous number of clearly hand-packed containers of ice cream. I was already beginning to smile. This was a good sign.

This place is spotless inside with two rows of various flavors of ice cream listed on the menu board. The people behind the counter are the kind of people whom you’d want as your own niece or nephew - friendly, polite, and just seemingly good kids.

We got a single scoop of Amish peanut butter and another of salted caramel. My wife accidentally dripped a bit on her finger and she smiled ear-to-ear. This was good ice cream.

No. It’s great ice cream. It’s clearly made the way some folks remember on their grandma’s porch where all the kids get a turn at the churn. Pure simple ingredients and vibrant flavors clearly show how good this stuff is. The texture is creamy. Rather than tasting like the low-bidder chemist’s lazy afternoon assignment that they create before a well-deserved vacation, this tastes like ice cream.

In fact the flavor and consistency and simplicity of this wonderful treat are so pure I think I’m going to go back and get vanilla ice cream. I was so happy with the flavors we chose but I want to taste the soul of this ice cream as I perceive it may be a religious experience. And I won’t even have to be there on a...

This is a GEM in the area when it comes to ice cream! The place itself is updated, cute, and welcoming. Lots of outdoor seating and cozy lights to make you feel relaxed. The staff was all incredibly kind, patient, and helpful. You get to try samples of the ice cream which is fun and not as common nowadays. The ice cream itself tasted incredible. They have tubs you can buy to take home. The pricing is reasonable as well! This would definitely be a go to spot if I lived here. I can't wait to...

Really great place! I did brownie sundae that was awesome!!! I had two different flavors, the brownie was great, it was warmed and thinner so you can get all the brownie!! My wife said her usual mint chip was really really good, but they Had some really good different flavors tried a few and they were delicious.. Very cute shop lots of cute decorations ladies there were super nice, they had a big patio with lots of tables too! A big freezer to take...