We don't want you to miss out on the true delights of vanilla, so we tried 16 different ice cream brands available in U.S. grocery stores to find the best of the best, the brands that actually do vanilla justice. Here are some of the top grocery store vanilla ice cream brands, ranked from worst to best.
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00:00If vanilla means boring to you, you should probably try some better ice cream. Toss out
00:05whatever bland stuff is sitting in your freezer and try some of the options at the top of this list.
00:10Friendly's is an East Coast restaurant chain with locations concentrated in New England.
00:14The restaurant serves American comfort food classics, burgers, and most famously,
00:19ice cream sundaes. They serve so many ice cream sundaes that they created their own
00:23line of Friendly's ice creams, which are also sold in grocery stores regionally.
00:27There are even more flavors available in stores than on the restaurant menu.
00:30We bought a 1.5-quart container of the rich and creamy vanilla flavor,
00:34and we couldn't see what all of the fuss is about. The Friendly's vanilla ice cream
00:37doesn't actually contain any vanilla. The ingredients list, quote,
00:41natural flavors, which probably accounts for what little flavor it actually has,
00:45but it really just tastes like sweet, cold marshmallows. The ice cream uses
00:48stabilizers instead of eggs to keep it from melting too quickly or becoming icy,
00:52which isn't inherently a bad thing. But in this case,
00:55the stabilizers coat the inside of your mouth instead of comfortably melting on the tongue.
00:59The two-thirds of a cup serving size, a common serving size across almost all brands we sampled,
01:04weighs just 88 grams per serving, which is low and means you're buying a lot of air.
01:08On the upside, since you're mostly buying air, there are only 180 calories per serving.
01:13The 1.5-quart package is also one of the least expensive on the market,
01:17often costing less than $3, which is certainly a deal, but in this case, you're getting what you
01:21pay for.
01:22You know what? It's easy to fix. I can help you with that.
01:24What do you know about fixing ice cream machines, Higgins?
01:26Uh, I went to DeVry for a year.
01:28Oh, that's right.
01:29I can fix anything with a plug.
01:31Edie's has been around for nearly a hundred years, so there's a good chance you've probably
01:35had a few scoops of it at some point. You may know it by the Dreyer's name,
01:39the original ice cream maker of the Dreyer-Edie duo, but since 1928, the names have been
01:44interchangeable. The brand has pioneered some of our favorite flavors, including Rocky Road
01:48and Cookies & Cream, so we were looking forward to giving the vanilla a try. The texture of the
01:52ice cream is smooth and milky and melts a little nicer in the mouth than the Friendly's vanilla
01:56ice cream, but it was still overly fluffy and lacked that bold vanilla flavor that we're
02:01looking for. The Edie's vanilla ice cream weighs just 85 grams per two-thirds of a cup serving,
02:06which is still pretty low and indicates a good deal of air. That slight difference
02:10makes a single serving only 140 calories, but doesn't lower the price of the ice cream.
02:15You can hardly walk into a convenience store in Pennsylvania without coming across
02:19Turkey Hill ice cream or bottled teas. They're a local brand since 1931 that's
02:23grown into a national company with products sold from coast to coast.
02:27A quart and a half of Turkey Hill vanilla ice cream cost us just a little less than
02:30the Edie's Dreyer's we'd tasted previously and has roughly the same weight per serving
02:35and nutritional value, but we thought the flavor was a step up from what we'd tried so far. The
02:39ice cream softens up pretty quickly when you remove it from the freezer, so you won't have
02:42to wait long for a scoop when the craving hits. While the vanilla still isn't very strong,
02:47the dairy has a nice flavor to it, even a bit toasty, which we liked.
02:50This ice cream is ideal for serving a large crowd at a kid's birthday party,
02:54or for making a lot of milkshakes where you're probably going to add another flavor.
02:57But ultimately, just like the ice creams before it, if you're missing real vanilla and eggs in
03:02the ice cream, you're basically just getting a container of sweetened, stabilized, and frozen
03:06whipped cream. Ah, Halo Top. The answer to our comfort food sugar cravings without sacrificing
03:12our diet goals. Halo Top has designed a large selection of ice creams and popsicles built
03:16specifically with dietary needs in mind, including low-calorie, non-dairy, and keto-friendly options.
03:22We didn't really know what to expect when tasting the vanilla bean ice cream from Halo Top,
03:25given the very specific idea we have about what makes a good vanilla ice cream.
03:29But we were pleasantly surprised. Part of the decision to choose Halo Top includes managing
03:34your expectations about what it's reasonably going to taste like. We were looking for a real
03:38vanilla taste, at least a hint of milkiness, and no fake chemical flavors. With those standards in
03:43mind, Halo Top's vanilla bean ice cream met all of our expectations. And at roughly 280 calories per
03:49tub, there's zero guilt in eating as much as you want, where other ice creams will run you over
03:53200 calories for only two-thirds of a cup. With that said, this isn't a perfect ice cream. It's
03:58milky but not creamy. It contains egg yolks, which contribute to the flavor, structure,
04:02and nutritional value of the ice cream, and real chunks of vanilla bean. It seems more like skim
04:07milk being held together with enough stabilizers to keep it from turning into a giant milk ice cube.
04:12Even with that said, we'd take a bite of this vanilla bean ice cream over the flavorless,
04:16over-churned options. And between cookies? Uh, yes please.
04:20We think that if there were ever an ice cream to skate the true middle ground between
04:24industrially produced, nostalgically comforting, and good quality, it's the Breyers Natural Vanilla
04:29Ice Cream. We were also thrilled to see that it's available by the pint, as well as one-and-a-half
04:34and two-quart sizes. The pint cost less than three dollars before taxes, which we thought
04:38was a great deal. And in a side-by-side taste test with the next ice cream on our list,
04:42it was difficult to say which one was the better option. Ultimately, the Breyers score just a
04:47little bit lower because it doesn't claim to contain any actual vanilla, only natural flavor.
04:51Strangely enough, there are flecks that resemble vanilla beans in the ice cream,
04:55so we're going to give Breyers the benefit of the doubt and assume that the, quote,
04:58natural flavor means vanilla bean, but we just can't say for sure.
05:01What sets this ice cream above the competition is not the weight by volume or calories per serving,
05:06which is the same as its previous competitors, but the texture of the ice cream. It isn't
05:10stabilized with eggs, but a single vegetable gum. It's a risky move for an ice cream maker to use
05:15only one stabilizer, but this one keeps the ice cream smooth without getting icy and holds the
05:20aeration of the ice cream nicely. Additionally, the ice cream melts in your mouth without lingering
05:25too long, which is a big plus.
05:27Cheers!
05:27Cheers!
05:28Mmm! How good is that?
05:31You can taste it.
05:32Taste it? It's like my tongue had a baby with a sunrise.
05:36You may or may not have heard of Blue Bunny, although it's the eighth best-selling ice cream
05:39brand in the U.S., according to Statista, beating out high-end competitors like Talenti and Tillamook.
05:45We could only find it in one of the eight grocery stores we went to in search of ice cream,
05:48but we were pleased when we did. Owned by the Wells brand and based in Lamars,
05:52Iowa, they've been making ice cream for nearly a hundred years.
05:56While Blue Bunny offers several different styles of vanilla ice cream,
05:59we were able to pick up a container of vanilla bean for our taste test.
06:02This ice cream is definitely a little bit higher quality than some of the other large brands.
06:06You can instantly tell by looking at the serving size, which packs a slightly higher weight per
06:10serving, and the ingredient list. It's about as simple as an ice cream ingredient list gets,
06:15with milk, cream, sugar, egg yolks, natural flavors — vanilla extract, specifically — and vanilla
06:20beans. You can't deny the convenience that Whole Foods brings to eating organically,
06:25and many people find the 365 store brand to be comparable to some of the more expensive
06:30name-brand organic foods available. A pint of the organic vanilla bean ice cream from Whole Foods
06:34cost us a couple of dollars less than some of the big-name high-end pints, which we liked.
06:39But other than being organic, most of the ingredients listed were similar to the ice
06:42creams we've tried up to this point, with the exception of vanilla extract and organic vanilla
06:47bean, which is clearly included in the ingredients. It's even clear to see the
06:50flecks of vanilla bean seeds in the ice cream. While it's not egg-based,
06:54the 365 ice cream has a little more body to it than some of the other ice creams.
06:59This is the point in our rankings where we really start to see the quality of ice creams take off,
07:03and unique flavors emerge to set the competitors apart.
07:06Talenti is a relatively new brand, having launched in 2003 as one of the first widely
07:11available artisanal gelato brands in U.S. grocery stores. Gelato is an Italian-style
07:16ice cream that uses more milk and less cream than traditional European and American ice creams,
07:21as well as less air in the churning process. It's known for being rich,
07:25dense, and creamy — all traits that Talenti exemplifies.
07:28The Madagascan vanilla bean gelato is on the sweeter side, but the vanilla flavor is obvious
07:33and welcoming. Interestingly, this gelato does not include eggs, but the texture doesn't suffer
07:37because of it. It also weighs a hefty 129 grams per two-thirds of a cup serving, which will run
07:43you 260 calories. While we're here for the flavor, we'll admit that this treat may be pushing it for
07:48some people. You undoubtedly already know Ben & Jerry's, but most likely for one of the iconic
07:53flavor combinations the Vermont-based company produces. Cherry Garcia and Half Baked are just
07:58two of the dozens of unique flavors Ben & Jerry's makes, but they also make vanilla. All of the
08:02fanfare and spectacle is stripped away for this ice cream, with just one delicate flavor to make
08:07or break it. On the spectrum of vanilla intensity, we'd consider this vanilla ice cream to be clean
08:12and crisp with moderate intensity. For once, it seems like Ben & Jerry's isn't trying to overwhelm
08:17us with a particular flavor. The ice cream is milky with a nice custard flavor, but doesn't
08:21melt immediately in the mouth. Instead, it coats the mouth a little bit, which we can only attribute
08:26to the addition of stabilizers. It's certainly better than most of the cheaper ice creams we
08:30tasted. Since 2008, Van Leeuwen has rapidly expanded from an ice cream truck driving around
08:35NYC to a company that now ships and sells ice cream nationwide, with ice cream shops on both
08:41coasts and many places in between. You may have even heard about the new Kraft Macaroni & Cheese
08:45ice cream they're creating. Van Leeuwen also has a wide selection of non-dairy and vegan ice creams
08:50available, so we were curious how the Van Leeuwen vanilla ice cream would set itself apart from the
08:54competition, and we had our answer from the very first taste. The ice cream is billed as, quote,
08:59French ice cream, and on the side of the container, they explain what that means.
09:03The container reads,
09:04"...eggs, plenty of them."
09:05Turns out, when you use twice as many egg yolks as standard ice cream,
09:09you have to call it French ice cream. It's rich. It's thick. It's indulgent. As a matter of fact,
09:14a two-thirds-of-a-cup serving will run you a whopping 290 calories.
09:19Instead of Madagascan vanilla beans, Van Leeuwen also claims to use Tahitian vanilla beans,
09:24which many vanilla enthusiasts consider a better bean for cold and frozen desserts,
09:28since it's got a more delicate and floral flavor profile, which can be lost in warm
09:32and more complex desserts, according to Nielsen Massey.
09:36Technically, Stonyfield Organic doesn't make ice cream — it makes frozen yogurts. But we're
09:40including the vanilla for a few reasons. It's widely available in many grocery stores across
09:45the country, it's still classically dairy-based, and it's one of the few frozen yogurt brands
09:49easily accessible in pints instead of going to a Froyo shop. And it tastes great.
09:54As a matter of fact, it tastes so good that you'll be tempted to set up a frozen yogurt
09:58dessert bar in your own kitchen with as many toppings as you can lay your hands on without
10:02the shock of how much your cup weighs when you get to the checkout like you would in a Froyo shop.
10:06It's also got a lovely texture and taste, which isn't really a surprise when you look
10:10at the ingredients. It's got the same lineup of ingredients that other ice creams have,
10:14but organic. One of our testers even said that it reminded them of eating frozen yogurt at TCBY
10:19growing up and wanted to cover the whole thing with rainbow sprinkles, gummy bears, and worms,
10:23totally optional. We also like that this frozen yogurt has the weight per two-thirds of a cup
10:28serving of higher-quality ice cream, but the low 170 calories per serving of ice cream with more
10:34air in it. With all of that said, we realize that frozen yogurt isn't for everyone, and you
10:38may be looking for more neutral ice cream without the taste of those yogurt cultures.
10:42Now, if you need an extra shirt or anything, they're gonna be in there,
10:45because these seem to shrink. Uh-huh. Oh, you know what, girl? I can't get enough of this stuff.
10:50While Haagen-Dazs is considered a premium ice cream brand, it's not exclusive or hard to find.
10:54It can be found everywhere from gas stations and corner stores to grocery stores and specialty food
10:59shops, and it's popular for a reason. The vanilla ice cream has an incredibly straightforward
11:04ingredient list, including cream, milk, sugar, egg yolks, and vanilla extract. It doesn't get
11:08more essential than that. The flavor is rich and creamy, with a beautiful milky flavor that
11:13doesn't taste watered down or overly sweetened. The only downside is that the two-thirds of a
11:17cup serving size will run you about 320 calories, according to the nutrition label. Keep in mind
11:22that this is a premium ice cream that hasn't been pumped full of air, so two-thirds of a cup weighs
11:27in at 129 grams, which is about 50% more actual product than some of the ice creams at the bottom
11:33of this list. We like that this ice cream is so easy to find, reliably made with high-quality
11:38ingredients, and even an average price among higher-end pints. The vanilla flavor is clearly
11:42there, but delicate and balanced for people who don't want to be bombarded with the sweet perfume
11:47of a lot of vanilla. It's at this point in our rankings that the ice creams are starting to ramp
11:51up, both in vanilla flavor and quality of the ice cream.
11:54If you're in the market for an ice cream produced with authentic ingredients at high standards that's
11:58still light as a cloud on the tongue and packed with a smooth vanilla flavor, Tillamook Old Fashioned
12:03Vanilla Ice Cream is going to take you where you want to go. You don't have to sacrifice quality
12:08for the overly aerated milk marshmallow-style ice cream from some of the other industrial producers,
12:12but just know that it's going to come with a little bit of a price tag, as Tillamook sometimes
12:16costs a little more than its competitors. Tillamook ice cream is also primarily sold in
12:2148-ounce tubs, so you're going to be committing to a larger container than a 16-ounce pint.
12:25But we don't think you're going to regret having a little more of this ice cream around.
12:30Blue Bell is arguably one of the best ice creams made in the U.S. today,
12:33although you have to live or travel through one of the only 22 states it's available in to try it.
12:38There are a few different vanilla ice cream flavors in the Blue Bell lineup,
12:41but the uncontested favorite is the homemade vanilla. Reminiscent of hand-cranked ice cream
12:46that your grandparents probably made in their backyard, the homemade vanilla ice cream is
12:50milky and crisp with a moderate vanilla flavor and heaps of nostalgia. The ice cream company
12:54is based in Brenham, Texas and handles everything from the ice cream production to direct delivery
12:59to stores, which is why you won't be able to find it in New York or California. With that said,
13:04you can order the ice cream online if you're interested in bulk buying. While we adore this
13:08vanilla ice cream, it loses points for not being as widely available as other brands.
13:13You may not be familiar with McConnell's ice cream, but when you do come across it,
13:16we recommend giving it a taste. The ice cream makers have been churning ice cream in Santa
13:20Barbara, California for 70 years and now ship ice cream all over the U.S. to grocery stores
13:25and homes alike. Without ever having tasted McConnell's ice cream before,
13:29we picked up a pint of the vanilla bean ice cream. The vanilla flavor is nice and bold in
13:33this ice cream. The texture is smooth and creamy without being overly fluffy, although it was a
13:38little on the sweeter side for our tastes. So we tossed a few scoops of the vanilla ice cream
13:42into a blender with some milk and made a vanilla milkshake, which came out perfect.
13:47If you're in the market for bold vanilla ice cream, look no further than Grater's
13:51Madagascar Vanilla Bean Ice Cream. With the very first bite, we were blown away by how
13:55much vanilla they packed into this pint. Even Bobby Flay is a fan. One of the oldest ice cream
14:00producers on this list, Grater's has been making ice cream since 1870 and has remained a family
14:05business ever since. There's so much vanilla in this ice cream that it might actually be too much
14:10for some people. And that's all right, because there are a lot of great ice creams to choose
14:13from on this list. But for a real vanilla lover who relishes in the sweet, floral,
14:17and deeply fragrant notes of high-quality vanilla, it doesn't get better than Grater's.
14:22The ice cream itself is noticeably sweet, accented by the heavy vanilla, but also soft
14:26and creamy. According to the website, the ice cream is still handcrafted in small-batch,
14:31two-and-a-half-gallon French pots, a method that most producers don't use,
14:34since ice cream can't be made in large volumes quickly. This ice cream is a little more difficult
14:39to find, but we were able to lay our hands on it at Whole Foods, and it's also available to
14:43order through Grater's website.