WINOOSKI, Vt. (WCAX) – Sandwiched between a park and a pool, there’s an ice cream shop in Winooski that does things a little differently.

“We got to end on it, it’s not just for the top,” said Offbeat Creemee owner Aisha Bassett, dumping sprinkles into the bottom of an ice cream cone, before layering creemee and more sprinkles on top. But, the layers of sprinkles aren’t what sets this treat apart — it’s the lack of dairy, eggs and other allergens. Before she brought dietary deliciousness to the Onion City, Bassett perfected making regular ice cream. That is until the world froze in its tracks.

“During COVID we saw a lot of restaurants have their own ice cream, and we decided we needed to change directions, pivot, have something different that is not in the area,” explained Bassett. “Started to experiment for a couple months, trying to make the perfect ice cream.”

After 12 iterations of dairy-free ice cream, and almost two months of trial and error, Aisha and her lactose-intolerant husband, Dan, nailed down the recipe. The vegan mixture is made of coconut and oat milks and is crafted in a kitchen in Burlington.

“It took a lot of ugly ice cream to get what we have now,” she laughed. “Looked at a lot of university studies and a lot of ice cream studies and tried to find the cleanest and simplest formula.”

In 2020, the duo opened up their creemee window at Myers Memorial Pool in Winooski. To say they were well received would be an understatement.

“I was amazed at how successful we were. The lines were down to the sidewalk and I was working by myself back there and I immediately had to recruit some people,” Aisha Bassett said. “The response was amazing and really blew me away.”

They’ve been busy ever since. The window is ending summer hours on Labor Day weekend. They’ll reopen in late September until the end of October, slinging creemees and hard ice cream.

“Blueberry shortcake, I love brownie batter,” said Bassett, donning ice cream cone earrings. “Berry cheesecake is like one of my favorite desserts.”

The window also offers milkshakes and decadent sundaes, like the pretzel brownie sundae — a brownie batter ice cream base, house-made fudge, house-made caramel, and pretzel pieces triple layered. For those who prefer savory or trendy treats, they even offer an olive oil ice cream sundae.

“Totally my vibe, it’s very… especially Graza olive oil,” said Bassett. “It’s very botanical, very olive-y. And the sea salt just brings it out a little bit more… good balance.”

“I see the people in line, like they’re the reason why I’m so successful, I can’t really take too much credit,” she said, while also expressing admiration for her staff. “I’m gonna cry, stop!”

You can find these sweet treats at their window at 62 Pine St. in Winooski, or you can buy pints from either City Market location and Leo & Co in Essex.

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