The 7 Lowest And 6 Highest Quality Ice Cream Brands To Look Out For
Does bad ice cream actually exist? Eh — maybe. Most ice cream enthusiasts love a scoop of the cold, creamy stuff based on its flavor, texture, and joy-inducing properties. If you're honest, though, you'll acknowledge that some types of ice cream are simply better than others. After all, this is why designations like premium and super premium ice cream exist. And while you may think ice cream is fairly simple to make and that the ingredients should be few, the truth is that some companies are putting more than is necessary into their icy treats. It's worth taking a closer look at the ingredient lists across different brands to help you make the best decision.
So, what does this mean for you? Depending on which brands you indulge in, it could mean introducing unnecessary ingredients to your body. Doing so may yield an increase in health ailments like stroke, heart disease, blood sugar complications, or obesity, depending on the ingredient. For this reason, we think it's beneficial to expose which companies produce the highest and lowest quality ice cream based on ingredients. Stay tuned to get the scoop on how your favorite ice cream brands stack up.
Let's get started.
Buy: Talenti
Okay, okay. We know Talenti is technically a gelato, but we couldn't help but make mention of this ice cream alternative sold in stores. We've sampled a few Talenti flavors, and have really enjoyed many of them. Still, taste isn't everything when it comes to buying high-quality ice cream (or gelato), and when it comes to Talenti, we're happy to report that its flavor matches its ingredients in terms of excellence. Talenti contains few additives, natural flavors, and no high fructose corn syrup in any of the flavors we've checked so far.
Although Talenti excels in the area of high-quality ingredients, there are still a few things we'd like to point out before you go off and buy a pint. Some flavors, like Salted Caramel Truffle, for example, contain certain additives that some of you may wish to avoid. Occasionally, the Talenti ingredients list includes "gums," like guar gum, known for disrupting the intestine when consumed in excess, according to Healthline. Talenti may also include dextrose and soy. If you're steering clear of these or simply don't want them in your dessert, it's something worth noting.
Avoid: Kemps
You've probably seen Kemps ice cream in grocery store freezers. If you haven't tried it yet, you might be curious about what this brand has to offer. We're here to tell you that although Kemps is popular, it doesn't necessarily mean it's high-quality. In the case of Kemps ice cream, you'll find ingredients that aren't synonymous with an excellent creamy treat. The brand often contains additives, artificial flavoring, and even high fructose corn syrup. In fact, almost every flavor, including plain old vanilla, contains high fructose corn syrup, which is a real bummer. While producers often use high fructose corn syrup to lower production costs, we're seeing Kemps charge more than some of its competitors who don't use high fructose corn syrup for the same amount of ice cream, pricing a carton around $4.47 (at the time of publication).
As for those additives, expect to find guar gum, mono- and diglycerides, carrageenan, and more infiltrating this popular but not-so-high-quality brand. We hate to break it to you, but Kemps ice cream is one of the lower-quality ice creams on the market.
Avoid: Great Value
The ingredients in Great Value Walmart ice cream aren't the best, to be frank. It isn't the worst quality ice cream we've seen in the freezer, but we've seen other brands use cleaner ingredients. Some Great Value ice creams contain food coloring, some of which, though FDA-approved, have been linked to hyperactivity in children and may have cancer-inducing properties, according to Healthline. Even in flavors like vanilla that don't require food coloring, Great Value still uses additives such as mono- and diglycerides, which have small amounts of trans fat in them that could cause stroke and heart disease in some cases, according to MedicineNet; we'd prefer not to see them in our creamy treats. There's also cellulose gum and cellulose gel, which other high-quality ice creams tend not to use.
Like we said, we know these ingredients aren't too terrible and this isn't the worst we've seen, but compared to other higher-quality ice creams on the list, Great Value ice cream isn't quite the cream of the crop.
Buy: Ben and Jerry's
You knew Ben and Jerry's had to make the list, but are the ingredients high-quality? We think so! Comparing the ingredients found in the company's fun and unique array of flavors, we have very few concerns regarding quality. Ben and Jerry's uses only a few additives in most flavors, no artificial flavorings or food colorings, and we've not found any pints containing high fructose corn syrup.
With that said, you should be aware that the company does have a few flavors containing carrageenan, corn syrup, soy, and guar gum, which may raise concerns about purity for some. Still, compared to the laundry list of additives found in other ice cream brands, we consider Ben and Jerry's minimalist ingredients a breath of fresh air. The label also notes that the cocoa, sugar, and vanilla are Fair Trade-certified. Let's not forget that Ben and Jerry's comes in awesome flavors that fans almost always tend to give a thumbs up. Thus we're ranking Ben and Jerry's ice cream brand as one of our favorites on the list.
Buy: Häagen-Dazs
You can't discuss ice cream without mentioning Häagen-Dazs. As one of the most recognizable brands out there, you can find this name in nearly every store that sells ice cream. So how does it compare to the many other brands on the list of lowest- and highest-quality ice cream? Unsurprisingly, it ranks quite high. Each pint we've examined has contained few to no additives, no artificial coloring, and no high fructose corn syrup. We aren't even seeing stabilizers like guar gum or xanthan gum. But what we find most remarkable is that the simplest flavors are kept simple, with options like plain strawberry containing only cream, sugar, milk, strawberries, and egg yolks. Now that's how it's done!
Even so, there are a few ingredients we see in Häagen-Dazs' more creative flavors that may not be the best. Additions like corn syrup, soybean oil, soy lecithin, and pectin aren't always synonymous with what some might call "clean" eating. However, considering the ingredients we've seen in some of the other ice cream brands, we think these few additives can be given a pass.
Avoid: Blue Bunny
Blue Bunny is another one of those commonly available ice cream brands, but when it comes to high-quality ingredients, this brand doesn't measure up. Despite many glowing reviews, Blue Bunny ice cream uses the typical additives, artificial flavors, and high fructose corn syrup that many other lesser-known brands on this list also include.
Surprisingly, we found a review in which a customer was praising the company for having some of the best ingredients in the ice cream business. What we discovered, however, was that only certain flavors contain high-quality ingredients. The vast majority of Blue Bunny ice cream flavors, especially the more eccentric varieties, contain a slew of additives and artificial flavors. So while the vanilla ice cream indeed only has milk, cream, sugar, egg yolks, and vanilla, other flavors like Bunny Tracks contain additives and high fructose corn syrup, making this generally a lower-quality ice cream.
Buy: Dr. Bombay
Snoop Dogg's Dr. Bombay ice cream certainly grabs attention. With its array of really cool flavors and eye-catching graphics on each pint, it's designed to spark curiosity. Given the very unique and eccentric flavors offered by the company, we naturally assumed that Dr. Bombay ice cream would be chock-full of additives, artificial colors, flavors, and maybe even a little high fructose corn syrup to enhance the taste. However, the truth surprised us. Dr. Bombay ice cream flavors aren't without their flaws, but they don't contain as many chemicals and additives as we initially thought. In fact, this brand is one of the more minimalist options you'll find in your local grocery store freezer.
For example, in Dr. Bombay's Syrupy Waffle Sundaze, you'll find carrageenan, caramel coloring, mono- and diglycerides, soybean oil, locust bean gum, and more. Other flavors contained similar ingredients, and honestly, we were on the fence about whether we should actually recommend this brand. Still, after careful thought and consideration, we do feel that the ingredients list is minimal enough to deem this ice cream relatively high quality. There's no high fructose corn syrup, and the extra ingredients present are common in higher-quality ice creams. Try a sample of this ice cream if you want, or skip it. But honestly, this is one of the better creamy treats on the market.
Buy: Breyers
For a long time, Breyers ice cream has been synonymous with high quality, but is that always true? For the most part, it appears so. Breyers' flavors like its standard vanilla contain very minimal ingredients, including only cream, sugar, milk, natural flavor, and vegetable gum, and the vanilla is Rainforest Alliance-certified. However, it really does depend on the flavor you buy. For example, Breyers offers at least two different kinds of vanilla, one being natural vanilla and the other French vanilla. The natural vanilla contains the five ingredients we've already discussed, but the French vanilla includes additional additives.
Furthermore, some of Breyers' more eclectic flavors, such as the Breyers Snickers variety or Breyers Cookies and Cream, contain ingredients typical of lower-quality ice creams. This gives us pause and makes us hesitant to recommend it as a top-tier brand. Nevertheless, because Breyer's vanilla and chocolate flavors are quite popular and contain such minimal ingredients, we're more inclined to recommend this as a higher-quality brand. Oh, and let's not forget that the company reportedly partners with American farmers to produce its ice cream from 100% grade-A milk and cream that are free from artificial growth hormones. It's worth a mention!
Avoid: Hudsonville
This was a brand we personally hadn't heard much about, but it seems as though customers like it well enough. We spotted our first Hudsonville ice cream at Walmart and assumed, given its sophisticated packaging, that it was a step above its competitors. Sadly, as it turns out, Hudsonville ice cream is just one of many that encompass lackluster ingredients, complete with risky additives and all.
Now, we will say that fun and exciting flavors like Blue Moon, as featured on Hudsonville's website, probably can't achieve that electric blue color without artificial coloring of some sort, and we get that. Even so, ingredients like corn syrup and mono- and diglycerides found in Hudsonville's vanilla seem hardly necessary when other brands like Breyers and even Blue Bunny manage to produce their plain vanilla without these additives. Not to mention the high fructose corn syrup and artificial flavoring we spotted in the Caramel Deep Traxx flavor. All in all, Hudsonville, despite its promising regality as suggested by the packaging, ends up a bit disappointing when it comes to featuring low-quality ice cream ingredients.
Avoid: Turkey Hill
Turkey Hill ice cream is another brand you'll likely see in various stores. Given its modest price point at about $3.52 per carton in our area at the time of publication and widespread availability, we judged it off the bat, assuming its ingredients probably wouldn't be much different from the Kemps or Blue Bunny varieties on the market.
Unfortunately, we were right. Turkey Hill is yet another additive-laden ice cream concoction, with some flavors that are worse than others, as is usually the case. In the case of Turkey Hill's Mint Chocolate Chip, you'll find artificial food coloring, cellulose gel, cellulose gum, soybean oil, mono- and diglycerides, and more. Oh, and in case you thought Turkey Hill was above using high fructose corn syrup in their creamy treats, think again. Though the Triple Berry flavor contains plenty of fruit purée, it also contains high fructose corn syrup, which is known to increase risks for obesity and fatty liver disease. Sigh.
Buy: So Delicious
So Delicious, on the other hand, is a bit of an offbeat brand, but we're totally into it. In case you've never heard of it, So Delicious is a company that produces deliciously decadent non-dairy options for people who can't have milk and cream but still want the dessert experience. It offers loads of dairy-free options, including ice cream, but is it worth the buy? We say yes.
Now remember, we're not recommending this ice cream (or "frozen dessert") based solely on taste, but rather on the quality of the ingredients. So Delicious often uses organic ingredients, and even when the company doesn't, it still uses purer ingredients than most other ice creams on the market. We have yet to find a product from this company that contains artificial flavors or high fructose corn syrup, and the company also does a good job of keeping additives to a minimum.
Of course, that doesn't mean you won't find any additives in So Delicious ice cream; after all, it is a dairy-free variety, meaning it'll probably need some help in terms of flavor and consistency. Still, because we haven't been overwhelmed with a multitude of additives thrown into the mix for even the simplest ice cream flavors, we think the So Delicious brand is pretty good in our book.
Avoid: Private Selection
We might not be fans of the ingredients in these ice creams, but can we just acknowledge that they've got some pretty mouthwatering flavors? From Maine Blueberry Belgian Waffle Cone to Brown Butter Bourbon Truffle (um, yes please!), we totally understand why people are drawn to this ice cream brand. With that said, we've found some concerning ingredients lurking on the label, and despite Private Selection's amazing variety, we thought you should be aware of the components within.
First and foremost, many of these flavors contain a ton of additives. Yes, plenty of other brands also include additives in their ice creams, but for some reason, Private Selection — which is sold at Kroger stores — goes above and beyond. The additives in the Maine Blueberry Belgian Waffle Cone flavor seem endless, including everything from artificial flavoring to artificial coloring and everything in between. On top of that, there's also, you guessed it, high fructose corn syrup in the mix making this a pretty low-quality ice cream grab if you ask us.
Sigh. Why can't these companies take a page from the minimalist ingredient playbook and devise something tasty without all the additives? We're not sure, but if you're now faced with the dilemma of savoring pure ice cream deliciousness and avoiding these ingredients, we're right there with you.
Avoid: Edy's
We almost overlooked this one, but we just had to include it because, after all, who doesn't love Edy's ice cream? Edy's is one of those ever-popular brands commonly associated with a yummy bite, but we were a bit surprised to find the ingredients that we did — and we're kind of split on how to deliver the information to you, to be honest.
It isn't that Edy's ice cream ingredients are terrible. Instead, we'll simply say that while Edy's is certainly a classic ice cream company with plenty of delicious and seemingly high-quality flavors, its ingredients are so-so.
Taking a deep dive into the labels on Edy's cartons, we were confronted with the harsh reality of artificial colors and additives. However, one thing we didn't see was high fructose corn syrup, which was a relief given that so many other brands had included this ingredient in some of their more popular flavors. So we aren't exactly sure what to tell you about this one, other than it may not be as high-quality in terms of ingredients as you might think. Still, if Edy's is your favorite ice cream, we wouldn't recommend you swear off it just yet. It isn't the best, but it certainly isn't the worst.
Methodology
Ice creams deemed highest or lowest quality were evaluated mostly based on their ingredients. We'd also like to note that just because some consumers may think a certain ice cream brand produces delicious ice cream, it doesn't necessarily mean the ingredients are of the highest quality. Factors considered when deeming the ingredients in ice cream as high or low quality included the presence of additives, especially in basic flavors like vanilla. Ice creams containing artificial flavors, colors, or high fructose corn syrup were typically designated as low quality, as these ingredients can sometimes pose health risks. If individual ingredients like vanilla were notable for their sustainable sourcing or Fair Trade practices, we've made an effort to include those details.
All in all, you may not agree with our designation of the highest and lowest quality ice creams, and that's okay. We hope you at least walked away with plenty of information to make an informed decision the next time you find yourself in the freezer aisle.