The 10 Worst And 10 Best Vanilla Ice Cream Brands, Judged By Taste
Who doesn’t love a scoop of vanilla ice cream on a hot summer day?
This classic flavor might seem simple, but the difference between a good and bad vanilla can make or break your dessert experience. I’ve taste-tested countless brands to separate the creamy dream-makers from the icy disappointments, so you don’t waste your money on subpar scoops.
20. Worst #1 – Healthy Choice
Yikes! This so-called ‘healthy’ option tastes like frozen sadness. The texture resembles gritty snow rather than smooth ice cream.
Where’s the vanilla? You’ll need a detective to find any real flavor here. Though it boasts fewer calories, the sacrifice in taste makes those saved calories entirely pointless.
19. Worst #2 – Turkey Hill Light
How can something so innocent-looking taste so wrong? Turkey Hill Light vanilla has that artificial sweetener aftertaste that lingers like an unwelcome party guest.
If cardboard could freeze and pretend to be dessert, this would be it. The watery consistency makes you wonder if they accidentally mixed in melted ice from the freezer floor.
18. Worst #3 – Great Value
Sometimes you actually get what you pay for, as demonstrated by Walmart’s low-cost brand. ‘Vanilla’ is spoken so softly that you may completely miss it. Great Value vanilla leaves an odd filmy covering on your tongue, while being reasonably priced.
What about the texture? If glue and snow had a child, it wouldn’t be the creamy treat that ice cream is meant to be.
17. Worst #4 – Halo Top
Is the attractive package deceiving you? I agree. With a dash of artificial sweetness, Halo Top’s vanilla tastes remarkably like frozen protein powder.
Instead of being creamy, the texture is strangely effervescent. After tasting this strange, light mixture that passes for ice cream, your taste receptors will officially protest, even though your diet might like it.
16. Worst #5 – Arctic Zero
“Arctic Disappointment” is a better moniker for Arctic Zero. Tastes like vanilla-scented water that was inadvertently placed in the freezer, this protein-rich fake.
It feels more like frigid, melancholy slush than ice cream. Instead of going through a whole bowl of this, consider eating half a scoop of genuine ice cream if you’re watching your calorie intake.
15. Worst #6 – Blue Bunny Vanilla Bean
Blue Bunny’s vanilla bean should hop right back to the drawing board. Those black specks promise real vanilla bean flavor but deliver something closer to frozen sweetened milk.
The texture melts into a weird puddle almost instantly. What’s with that chemical aftertaste? Those little black flecks seem more like decoration than actual vanilla bean – just saying!
14. Worst #7 – Skinny Cow
A skinny cow? More akin to skinny Whoa, this is awful! It tastes more like chemicals that are close to vanilla than the actual thing. This is what disappointment would taste like if it had a flavor.
Despite being advertised as a guilt-free dessert, the only thing you’ll regret is squandering your money on this strangely frothy, artificially sweet mixture that turns into an unpleasant liquid.
13. Worst #8 – Breyers CarbSmart
Breyers CarbSmart demonstrates that joy is also lost when carbohydrates are eliminated. You get a strange sugar punch at the start of the flavor, followed by a whimper that sounds somewhat vanilla.
The feel? What if sandpaper had the ability to melt? No one is praising this flavor, but keto dieters may be applauding the macros. This failed scientific experiment will make even the most forgiving sweet tooth twitch.
12. Worst #9 – Weight Watchers
Vanilla from Weight Watchers ought to observe its own recipe. It tastes more like air freshener with a vanilla fragrance than real vanilla. It’s remarkably low in points, but it’s also remarkably low in satisfaction.
A very strange ice cream experience, the texture feels suspiciously frothy and melts into a puddle that nonetheless still leaves a powdered feeling on your tongue.
11. Worst #10 – Lucerne
Safeway’s Lucerne vanilla might be the most forgettable ice cream ever created. If beige had a flavor, this would be it. The texture starts icy, then melts into something weirdly greasy.
Where’s the vanilla? Maybe they forgot to add it. This is the ice cream equivalent of elevator music – present but making absolutely no impression whatsoever.
10. Best #1 – Häagen-Dazs Vanilla Bean
Holy moly! Häagen-Dazs vanilla bean is the Beyoncé of ice creams – flawless.
Those tiny black specks deliver pure vanilla bliss in every bite. The luxuriously dense, creamy texture feels like velvet on your tongue. No artificial nonsense here – just cream, sugar, eggs, and real vanilla. One spoonful explains why this premium price tag is absolutely worth every penny.
9. Best #2 – Tillamook Old-Fashioned Vanilla
Tillamook’s vanilla tastes like it came straight from a country farmhouse churner. The flavor? Imagine if clouds and vanilla beans had a delicious baby.
The extra butterfat creates an impossibly smooth texture that coats your mouth in happiness. There’s something nostalgic about this ice cream – like summer evenings and fireflies captured in frozen dairy form.
8. Best #3 – Jeni’s Honey Vanilla Bean
Not merely ice cream, Jeni’s Honey Vanilla Bean is a taste explosion! Subtle floral aromas from the honey blend well with the vanilla. It has the consistency of frozen silk.
This handcrafted invention turns plain vanilla into something spectacular, even if it costs more than your typical pint. Comfortable enough for nighttime eating in pajamas, yet elegant enough for entertaining.
7. Best #4 – Ben & Jerry’s Vanilla
Are you shocked that Ben & Jerry’s vanilla made the best list? Don’t be! Although they are well-known for their thick tastes, their vanilla foundation is strong enough on its own. The texture is just the right amount of thick and scoopable.
With its crisp, fresh cream flavor, Vermont dairy really comes through. simple vanilla is anything but simple thanks to the rich, nearly bourbon-like depth that their fair-trade vanilla extract adds.
6. Best #5 – Graeter’s Madagascar Vanilla Bean
Graeter makes vanilla ice cream, which is like edible velvet, using a small-batch French pot method. Before the spoon even reaches your lips, the heady scent of Madagascar vanilla beans fills your nostrils. How dense? Wonderful.
By not adding air to its product, this Cincinnati-based creamery creates a richness that makes other ice creams look like knockoffs.
5. Best #6 – McConnell’s Vanilla Bean
McConnell’s vanilla bean is the quiet genius of the ice cream world.
Made with grass-fed milk and cage-free eggs, the clean flavor lets the Madagascar vanilla truly shine. The texture feels substantial without being too heavy.
Family-owned since 1949, this California creamery proves sometimes tradition trumps trends. One taste explains why they’ve survived while flashier brands have melted away.
4. Best #7 – Straus Family Creamery Vanilla
Vanilla ice cream from organic dairy pioneers Straus Family Creamery feels like summertime on a family farm. What about the taste? Like vanilla beans and the greatest milk in the world, pure, clean, and honest. Even directly from the freezer, the texture is still delightfully scoopable.
Somehow, their dedication to sustainable, organic processes transfers straight into flavor that makes you sigh with joy and close your eyes.
3. Best #8 – Van Leeuwen Vanilla Bean
Now producing some of the best ice cream in America, Van Leeuwen started out as a food truck. Only six pronounceable ingredients make up their vanilla! It has a strong yet incredibly smooth texture. Despite its Brooklyn roots, this artisanal company has gained a cult following across the country.
Perfectly balanced in frozen form, the taste offers a wonderful vanilla punch without being overbearing.
2. Best #9 – Alden’s Organic Vanilla Bean
Alden’s proves organic ice cream can hang with the premium big boys. The vanilla flavor tastes remarkably pure – like someone extracted the essence of happiness and froze it.
The texture strikes that perfect balance between rich and light. Available in most natural grocers, this Oregon-based brand delivers high-end taste without requiring a special trip to a fancy ice cream shop. A true freezer staple for vanilla lovers!
1. Best #10 – Trader Joe’s French Vanilla
Trader Joe’s French Vanilla is the kind of ice cream that surprises you in the best way. It’s rich and custardy thanks to extra egg yolks, with a texture so smooth you’d swear it came from a fancy creamery.
No icy bits, no weird aftertaste – just clean, creamy vanilla with subtle hints of caramel and fresh cream. For the price, it easily beats out pints that cost twice as much.