'A Little Bit Of Something For Everyone': Handcrafted Ice Cream Shop Opens In NJ

MANALAPAN, NJ — A new, handcrafted ice cream shop has officially opened its doors in Manalapan.

Aunt Carrots Ice Cream, located on Route 9 South, hosted its grand opening celebration on Friday.

Subscribe

In an interview with Patch, Monmouth County native and store owner Kara Gaul spoke about the shop's opening as well as her journey into the ice cream business.

"I've always been very creative, kind of a jack of all trades, but I never quite found the right career fit," Gaul said. "I was teaching for a while. At one point, I went back to school and got another degree in Accounting & Business Management and worked in finance. I went back to teaching, but it was just never quite the right fit."

Though Gaul struggled to find her perfect career match over the years, one thing remained consistent: her love for cooking.

As she started making ice cream for her family at home, that love eventually grew into the idea of starting her own shop.

From there, it wasn't long until Aunt Carrots Ice Cream was born.

"I've always loved cooking, baking, anything in the culinary world — to the point where I didn't want to risk ruining that love by bringing business into it and turning it into work," Gaul said.

"But ice cream seemed to be the perfect in-between for that," she continued. "I started making ice cream for my family, and when we revisited the idea [of starting a shop], we decided it was a worthwhile venture."

At Aunt Carrots, customers can choose from a variety of ice cream flavors ranging from classics like mint chip, coffee and strawberry to more original flavors like carrot cake, cotton candy, chocolate peanut butter and more.

For those with dietary restrictions, Aunt Carrots also offers vegan options, dole pineapple and orange, and no-sugar-added vanilla.

When customers come to visit, they can see "Aunt Carrots" herself behind the counter, ready to help with orders and make ice cream for the store.

"'Aunt Carrots' is what my nephews call me," Gaul told Patch. "My name is Kara, but when the boys were younger it was 'Carrot' instead. And because I have reddish hair, the name kind of stuck."

"Now, it's a thing of love," she continued. "We were going back and forth when deciding the store's name, and I think it was my brother-in-law who was like, 'What about Aunt Carrots?' because I wanted to give it a personal touch."

Since opening their doors in Manalapan, Gaul has described the community feedback and support for Aunt Carrots as "overwhelmingly positive," adding that fellow store owners and neighbors in the plaza have been sure to stop by as well.

"Everybody's been so fabulous and supportive," she said. "They're really rooting for us...It's such a happy bunch of customers."

For those visiting Aunt Carrots for the first time, Gaul encourages customers to try whichever flavors call to them, adding that she aims "to have a little bit of something for everyone."

"I get in the mood for different flavors all the time. At one point, I was on a cookie butter kick, then I was on a pistachio kick," she said. "I was always a mint chip girl growing up, but now I love them [the ice cream flavors] all. They're like my kids."

"I think everybody should be able to come to the same ice cream place with their family, sit down, and have an option, you know?" she continued. "I think we all just need to eat more ice cream."

To learn more about Aunt Carrots Ice Cream, you can visit their website.

Aunt Carrots is located at 345 U.S. 9 South, Suite 9, Manalapan.