8 Top Rated Local Ice Cream Shops in Dutchess County, NY

Labor Day is the unofficial start of fall. Most people are phasing out of summer habits like going to the beach and grilling up food because they're gearing up for apple orchards and pumpkin spice. That's fine but there are still several days left of summer and there's no tastier way too cool off on a hot day than with some ice cream.

I love ice cream but it turns out that I'm not a lone. Almost all Americans love it too. Just think of all of the outrage from the discontinuation of the Choco Taco. It is one of the country's most coveted desserts. How much do Americans love the creamy treat? According to the Census, the average American eats nearly 20 lbs of ice cream per year. that's about 4 gallons.

Whether you eat that much ice cream or whether you just have a bowl from time to time shouldn't you want the best ice cream you can possibly find? I think so and if you want the best where can you get the best around here?

The Hudson Valley is filled with places that sell ice cream but for this list we decided to focus on small locally owned businesses instead of large chains or convenient stores that sell ice cream.

Here is a list of 8 highly rated local ice cream shops in Dutchess County, New York. Have you been to any of these before? Is your favorite on the list? What places should we add?