Popular Blue Bell Ice Cream Flavors, Ranked Worst To Best

If you've spent any time in Texas, you've heard about Blue Bell ice cream. When eating ice cream in the Lone Star State, it better be Blue Bell, or else the locals will look at you like your cowboy hat is on sideways.

The story of Blue Bell Creamery began in 1907 in Brenham, Texas. Slowly but surely, the popularity of this brand grew. It wasn't until 1989 that Blue Bell ice cream was sold outside of the state of Texas (via Reference for Business). Nowadays, you can find their products in 23 states, although it's still mostly found in the South. Despite being available in less than half of the states in the country and despite a 2015 listeria outbreak that forced the company to temporarily close their factories, Blue Bell is now the third highest-selling brand of ice cream in America, per Statista. That just goes to show how loyal and how obsessed Blue Bell fanatics are when it comes to this ice cream.

While there are many flavors of Blue Bell ice cream, not all of them are top-notch. For this list, we've separated the cream of the crop from the brand's most forgettable flavors and ranked all the flavors in order from worst to first. While you may be able to find flavors of Blue Bell ice cream that aren't on the list, we've made sure to include all of the most popular flavors in this ranking.

When shopping for Blue Bell ice cream, the one flavor you most need to avoid is Light Homemade Vanilla. This stuff is so bad that its very existence is a travesty. In fact, if this is the first flavor of Blue Bell ice cream you try, you will undoubtedly avoid this brand for the rest of your days.

On the Light Homemade Vanilla container, Blue Bell tries to convince you to buy this ice cream by claiming it has less fat and fewer calories than typical ice cream. While that's true, all it will take is one spoonful for you to agree that the tradeoff isn't worth it. Who cares if the ice cream is technically healthier for you if it's inedible?

The first problem with Light Homemade Vanilla is the texture. By removing the fat, Blue Bell removed most of the creamy goodness that makes all their other ice cream options so memorable. In place of the creaminess, you'll find ice cream that is so icy that you practically need to chew it. The second problem is the overbearing sweetness of this flavor. To camouflage the lack of creaminess, Blue Bell has attempted to distract your taste buds by adding extra sugar. But instead of being an effective distraction, that extra amount of sweetness makes everything about this flavor even more off-putting. Even if this is the last ice cream flavor in the freezer at your local grocery store, you shouldn't even consider buying it.

If you picked Blue Bell's Mint Chocolate Chip flavor before reading this ranking, you already knew you were taking a risk. When it comes to this flavor, the outcome is either absolutely terrible or utterly delicious. For example, Baskin-Robbins' version is so spectacular that it's one of their best-rated flavors. Sadly, Blue Bell's version is far away on the other end of the spectrum.

From the moment you first smell this ice cream, you'll know you've made a mistake. Instead of smelling like a delightful ice cream that will brighten your day, Mint Chocolate Chip smells like extra-strength toothpaste. If you're brave enough to dig in, your worst fears will come to fruition. Not only does this dessert smell like toothpaste, but it also tastes like toothpaste. While there's nothing wrong with the taste of the chocolate chips, the chips aren't nearly plentiful enough for you to overlook this overly minty disaster. Even if you typically love mint-flavored ice cream, do yourself a favor and just say no to this flavor.

Of Blue Bell's two diet ice creams, No Sugar Added Country Vanilla is the best — but that's not saying much. It's still one of their worst flavors and it's not worthy of your hard-earned dollars. Even if you're gifted a bowl of this ice free of charge, you should politely yet firmly decline.

If you look at the label, you'll see that there are still eight grams of naturally occurring sugar in this ice cream. Although there is no added sugar, there are five grams of sugar alcohol. This is a common trick that companies do to sell food that technically doesn't have added sugar. Don't fall for it.

It'd be possible to look beyond Blue Bell's nutritional trickery if this flavor was otherwise tasty. Unfortunately, that's not the case. This flavor has a strong chemical aftertaste that overwhelms any positive attributes — most likely due to the presence of the sugar alcohol. If you want healthy ice cream, pick one of the fantastic low-calorie ice creams. There are a number of brands that blow Blue Bell's diet ice creams out of the water. Stick with one of those brands when you crave ice cream but don't want all the corresponding calories.

This world is filled with three kinds of people. There are those who have eaten pistachio ice cream and quickly regretted their decision to try it. Next, you have the people who are so grossed out by the thought of pistachio ice cream that they wisely stay away. Finally, there are those weird individuals like Vladimir Putin who actually enjoy pistachio ice cream.

Even if you're one of those weirdos who likes this flavor, you still shouldn't buy Blue Bell's Pistachio Almond ice cream. Instead of a deep, rich pistachio taste, this ice cream only has the slightest hint of pistachio flavoring. The dominant flavor is actually from the almonds that are added to the mix. The almonds are roasted and chopped, which admittedly add a satisfying amount of taste and texture to this ice cream. Though you might think that a mix of pistachio and almond would work well together, in reality, the combination is a flop. They interfere with each other so much that both pistachio lovers and almond lovers will be dismayed.

If you're curious what pistachio ice cream tastes like, pick a different brand. Better yet, forget about it altogether. More than 20% of ice cream eaters agree that pistachio is the worst flavor of them all.

When you opt for vanilla ice cream, that means you want to keep things simple and want to avoid all distractions and confusion. However, when it comes to Blue Bell ice cream, opting for vanilla isn't as straightforward of a process as it is with other brands. Blue Bell has multiple vanilla offerings, but only one of them is worthy of your selection. And, lest you get led astray, Natural Vanilla Bean is not it.

For vanilla ice cream, this flavor is actually quite interesting, as it contains actual flecks of vanilla bean in the mix. In theory, the visible bits of vanilla should add some pizzazz to an otherwise boring scoop of ice cream. Unfortunately, that's not actually what happens. Rather, the flecks are just for show and don't add much of anything when it comes to taste.

The truth of the matter is this Natural Vanilla Bean flavor is just too much. The vanilla flavoring is too strong and the aftertaste is too sweet. If you're in the mood for vanilla ice cream, this probably isn't what you have in mind. If you wanted something more than a relaxing bowl of ice cream, you would have selected another flavor. All told, this flavor doesn't make sense for anyone.

When done right, cookie dough ice cream is undeniably scrumptious. It's everything you love about ice cream mixed with the forbidden wonder of raw cookie dough that you've been told over and over again not to eat. If you've tasted Ben & Jerry's version, you know how much potential cookie dough ice cream has when it has been perfected. In fact, people are so obsessed with the cookie dough that Ben & Jerry makes that they sell bags of it and they even explain how to make it in your own kitchen.

Tragically, the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough flavor by Blue Bell won't live up to your expectations. Firstly, instead of tasting like cookie dough, it tastes like pieces of fully baked chocolate chip cookies have been added to the ice cream. While that's not necessarily a bad thing, you'll definitely be disappointed if you thought you were in store for something that tastes like raw cookie dough. Secondly, there are just not enough cookie pieces in the ice cream. You can go entire mouthfuls without a piece of a cookie making a cameo appearance on your spoon.

Blue Bell didn't exactly go into great detail when naming their coffee-flavored ice cream. It's simply called Coffee. While it's commendable that Blue Bell got straight to the point, it would have been helpful if they gave you more of a clue of what to expect. Then again, Diner Coffee probably wouldn't be a hot seller, either.

And "diner coffee" might be a bit too accurate here. Instead of tasting like your favorite store-bought coffee or the great fast food coffee that you can get at chains like Starbucks, Chick-fil-A, or even McDonald's, this flavor of Blue Bell ice cream tastes like the type of coffee that you'd be served at a diner that is open 24 hours a day. Sure, it tastes like coffee — but not the good stuff.

Since this ice cream is made with real coffee beans, it's unquestionably a cool way to get your daily caffeine fix. That said, you'll be happy if you pick a tastier flavor of Blue Bell ice cream and then pair it with an actual cup of coffee. If you want to keep things chilly, go for an iced coffee or a cold brew.

If you blindly select Blue Bell's Bride's Cake flavor, you probably have no idea what to expect. When it comes to cakes and ice cream colliding in the dessert universe, you usually see ice cream mixed with red velvet cake or birthday cake, for instance. As an example, Häagen-Dazs made a birthday cake ice cream that featured vanilla cake batter, brownie batter, chocolate frosting, pieces of yellow cake, and rainbow sprinkles.

What does Bride's Cake taste like? It tastes like almonds. Yes, almonds. Blue Bell could have saved a lot of confusion by just naming this flavor Almond, really. The container claims that there are pieces of white cake in the mix, along with cream cheese that's been flavored with amaretto (which is generally made with almond extract). Although your taste buds will be able to tell that there are multiple flavors at play, the only flavor you will be able to pinpoint with any assuredness will be almond.

This flavor would be a handful of spots higher in the ranking if it had actual pieces of roasted almonds in it. That'd be a huge upgrade — but apparently, Blue Bell wanted to keep pretending that this is cake-flavored and not just a roundabout way of selling almond-flavored ice cream.

Blue Bell has two types of strawberry-flavored ice cream. The one you shouldn't purchase is called Strawberries & Homemade Vanilla. It's not a bad flavor, mind you, but it's a real disappointment compared to the alternative.

If you pick this flavor, you should know that it mostly tastes like vanilla. The strawberries only play a minor role compared to the starring role the vanilla enjoys. The strawberries give the ice cream a pink color. If you look hard enough, you'll find chunks of strawberries here and there. But if you're expecting strawberry ice cream in which strawberries are given the center stage, be prepared for a letdown. Instead of being called Strawberries & Homemade Vanilla, a more accurate name for this flavor would be Homemade Vanilla & A Smidge of Strawberry.

If you want vanilla ice cream with a tiny bit of fruitiness mixed in, go ahead and buy this Blue Bell flavor. In any other scenario, however, you should pick another ice cream with a more fruit-forward flavor.

If you're too scared to pull the trigger on a single flavor, you may decide to pick Blue Bell's The Great Divide and hope that you're getting the best of both worlds. As you can guess simply by looking at the name and the carton, this ice cream is half vanilla and half chocolate.

Even though this ice cream features Blue Bell's best vanilla flavor and best chocolate flavor, the combination of the two is simply not a winner. Unless you painstakingly keep the two flavors separate, what you'll end up with is a spoonful of chocolatey vanilla or a spoonful of vanilla-ey chocolate. While the combined flavors are still yummy, you'll soon realize that you should have either gone with the vanilla or the chocolate. Frankly, both flavors are better when they're standing on their own two feet and not jockeying for attention.

If what you're craving is a more blended mix of chocolate and vanilla ice cream, then just head to Wendy's and order a chocolate Frosty. This legendary fast food dessert is made by expertly combining chocolate and vanilla ice cream, which ensures that every bite is glorious.

For adrenaline junkies who enjoy taking risks, Cookies 'n Cream Cone is sure to get your juices flowing. If you select this flavor of Blue Bell ice cream, you will either be thrilled beyond belief or completely despondent. There's no middle ground for you to safely land in when it comes to this dessert.

If you get a good batch of this stuff, it's an awesome experience. It's like regular cookies and cream ice cream with some extra goodies added in to put an even bigger grin on your face. Beyond the cookie crumbles, you'll discover swirls of fudge along with pieces of chocolate ice cream cones that have been blessed with an additional layer of dark chocolate. It won't take long for you to be convinced that you've found one of your favorite flavors of Blue Bell ice cream.

However, before you celebrate, you should know that Cookies 'n Cream Cone is still a work in progress. Some batches of this ice cream are downright dreadful. Occasionally, the pieces of cones are so hard that they're difficult to chew. You'll also sometimes find that it contains so much fudge that it overpowers everything else and becomes a slog to eat. Considering that Blue Bell launched this flavor in 2021, it's not shocking that they're still working out the kinks. Hopefully, they can soon achieve consistency because this flavor has sky-high potential.

Ultimate Neapolitan is very similar to the aforementioned The Great Divide. The only difference is that Strawberries & Homemade Vanilla is added to the fiesta in order to create a true Neapolitan ice cream.

If you're throwing a birthday party for a child, this is a smart choice. While children can be picky, there's a strong chance that practically every child either likes chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry. Non-picky eaters will gladly devour all the flavors, too. Even if you mix all three together, it still tastes good.

That said, adults won't be too enthralled with Ultimate Neapolitan. Even if you cherish Neapolitan ice cream, you won't be too impressed. The problem is that the strawberry portion of this ice cream mostly tastes like vanilla, so the actual result is a container of ice cream that is basically two-thirds vanilla. That's not the end of the world but it's also not what you want if you're in the market for genuine Neapolitan ice cream.

If you want your tongue to do a Texas two-step, Blue Bell helpfully sells a flavor called Cookie Two Step. This ice cream is a combination of two favorites: cookies and cream and cookie dough. While it sounds amazing, it won't quite blow you away like you hope it would.

The thing that holds Cookie Two Step back from climbing higher in this ranking is the inclusion of Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough. Instead of being a combination of cookies and cream and cookie dough, this stuff is more like a combination of cookies and cream and chocolate chip cookie crumbles. That's nothing to complain about and the cookies and cream aspect makes this a much better option than Blue Bell's Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough flavor, but just know that you should keep your expectations in check. As long as you know not to expect cookie dough, this flavor can swiftly elevate you to cookie heaven.

The first Blue Bell flavor on this list that deserves a recommendation without any hesitation is Cherry Vanilla. This ice cream is exciting from the first moment its distinctive aroma hits your nostrils.

At first glance, you may think this flavor is similar to Strawberries & Homemade Vanilla. However, while it may look similar, there are some important differences. First, while Strawberries & Homemade Vanilla has a slight strawberry flavor, there's nothing imperceptible about the cherry flavor in this ice cream. The cherry flavor is so strong that you may want to eat this dessert slowly so that your senses don't become overloaded. Second, there are no shortages of cherries in the mix. Each spoonful will feature a flavorful maraschino cherry that tastes like it was plucked from the top of a sundae.

The only slight drawback when it comes to Blue Bell's Cherry Vanilla is that it's not binge-friendly. After your first or second bowl, you'll want to take a break. But, eventually, you'll happily return for more cherry-powered goodness.

Rocky Road is a flavor of ice cream that has a history that dates back as much as 100 years. By 1929, Dreyer's was the brand that was leading the charge and it didn't take long for Rocky Road, which is typically chocolate ice cream mixed with nuts and marshmallows, to become a big hit from coast to coast. It's still a very popular choice for ice cream connoisseurs.

Likewise, Blue Bell's Rocky Road won't let you down. It combines dark chocolate ice cream with pieces of roasted almonds and mini marshmallows. If you like Rocky Road ice cream, you'll like this stuff. It's just that simple.

That said, this won't go down as the best version of Rocky Road that you will ever eat. It's above average, but not quite elite. The issue that holds it back is the fact that the road just isn't rocky enough. The dark chocolate ice cream is yummy but the number of almond pieces is lacking. Additionally, the marshmallows are so miniature that sometimes you'll eat them without noticing.

Buttered Pecan is a flavor of Blue Bell ice cream that has been around for more than four decades. Take one lick and the old-timey goodness of this dessert will instantly grab your attention and won't let go. Unlike most newfangled flavors these days that are obnoxiously sweet, this flavor relies on extra creamy ice cream that is deliciously rich and unmistakably buttery.

Not only does this ice cream taste like pecans, but Buttered Pecan also includes actual pecan pieces in the mix that have been roasted and then salted just enough to make the flavor pop. However, if you're hoping for caramel swirls, brownie bits, or chocolate chips, you should know that there aren't any extraneous surprises in this ice cream. It's an uncomplicated, classic masterpiece.

Ice cream with salty and buttery elements might scare off those who have a demanding sweet tooth, but everyone else will thoroughly enjoy this flavor of Blue Bell ice cream.

Originally, Blue Bell released Moo-llennium Crunch as their way of celebrating the new millennium. But this flavor grew in popularity so quickly that Blue Bell decided to keep it around. More than twenty years later, their millennium celebration is still rocking as loud as ever. The momentum is so strong that Blue Bell is sure to be partying like it's 1999 for decades to come.

Unlike the simplicity of the Buttered Pecan flavor, Moo-llennium Crunch is super complicated. It starts with a foundation of vanilla ice cream. From there, this flavor features chunks of dark chocolate, along with bits of chewy caramel, walnuts, almonds, and pecans. The nuts are roasted to perfection and broken into perfectly sized pieces. The resulting ice cream is a jamboree of flavor from the first scoop to the last.

While Blue Bell struck gold with Moo-llennium Crunch, not all their trials have been successful. Once upon a time, they even went so far as to release a Dill Pickle 'n Cream with actual pieces of pickles in it. Predictably, it was a major flop.

When you first learn that Homemade Vanilla is the most popular flavor of Blue Bell ice cream, you may be shocked. How could vanilla reign supreme when this brand has so many scrumptious flavors? But after you put this ice cream to your lips, all your confusion will vanish. Yes, vanilla usually isn't exhilarating, but this is a next-level dessert.

As the name suggests, the secret to Blue Bell's Homemade Vanilla is that it legitimately tastes like it was crafted by your grandparents with a hand-cranked ice cream machine. If you've eaten homemade ice cream, you know there's a difference in terms of texture and richness. While those attributes are missing in virtually all mass-produced vanilla ice creams, Blue Bell has somehow managed to retain that homemade experience with this timeless offering. Eat it plain, top it with chocolate fudge, or add your favorite fruits. No matter what you do with Homemade Vanilla, you'll be overjoyed.

Blue Bell has a lot of nut-centric flavors that are oh-so-tasty. You can't go wrong with winners such as Buttered Pecan and Moo-llennium Crunch. Few brands handle nuts as well as Blue Bell. If you want the best nutty flavor of them all, push all the others aside and reach for Pecan Pralines 'n Cream. This stuff is majestic and will make you a Blue Bell fan for life.

Pecan Pralines 'n Cream begins with their best vanilla ice cream. Next, swirls of praline sauce are added to the party. Last but certainly not least, a generous number of pecans that have been coated with praline are tossed in. Once you begin to dig in, there will be no turning back. Your love affair with this flavor of ice cream will commence instantaneously. Unlike Cherry Vanilla, Pecan Pralines 'n Cream is highly binge-able. You won't want to relinquish your spoon until every last drop is gone.

When you see Southern Blackberry Cobbler available for purchase, you need to buy it first and then ask questions later. Blue Bell only sells this flavor for part of the year, typically during the summer. However, it's so popular and has such a devoted fan base that even during the summer months, Southern Blackberry Cobbler is prone to selling out rather quickly and becoming impossible to find.

If you've ever eaten blackberry cobbler, you know exactly what to expect. It's a popular dessert in the American South and is always an epic way to end a long, hot summer day. Blue Bell's Southern Blackberry Cobbler has a plentiful amount of blackberry sauce. The sauce tastes fresh and never lacks a powerful punch of blackberry flavor. The joyousness doesn't stop there, as pieces of pie crust are added to make this ice cream even more cobbler-like. The pie crust is so moist and flaky that it will melt in your mouth.

When you're looking for strawberry-flavored ice cream from Blue Bell, don't make the error of picking the Strawberries & Homemade Vanilla flavor that was detailed above. What you're actually looking for is the Blue Bell flavor that is simply called Strawberry. It's easy to get confused, which is unfortunate because there's a monumental difference between the two.

While Strawberries & Homemade Vanilla is too reliant on vanilla, that's not an issue with Strawberry. This ice cream is strawberry-flavored to its core and there's nothing vanilla about it. To add to the fun, pieces of sweet strawberries add small yet pronounced explosions of flavor to each scoop.

Strawberry-flavored ice cream first hit the mainstream in the United States when First Lady Dolley Madison served it at President James Madison's 1813 inauguration (via IDFA). Fast forward to modern times and Blue Bell's Strawberry flavor is as good or better than any strawberry-flavored ice cream you can find in America.

When you're tossing and turning in bed dreaming about your next bowl of chocolate ice cream, Blue Bell's Dutch Chocolate is what you have in mind. It's truly what chocolatey dreams are made out of. When chocolate is what you desire, pick up a carton of this Blue Bell ice cream and by the time you see the bottom of the container, you'll be completely and overwhelmingly satisfied.

Some chocolate ice cream is so light that you need to hold your breath and concentrate to really taste its flavor. Conversely, some chocolate ice cream is so dark and so dense in flavor that it can actually become burdensome to eat after just a few spoonfuls. Dutch Chocolate by Blue Bell strikes a happy medium between those two lamentable situations. It's deep, rich, and creamy enough for you to revel in its chocolate flavor, yet delicate and buoyant enough for you to eat bowl after bowl of it.

As is apparent if you've read this far, Blue Bell has a plethora of outstanding flavors. From fruity to nutty and everything in between, this brand doesn't have a shortage when it comes to fabulous options. But when only the best flavor of the bunch will appease your taste buds, Cookies 'n Cream is the real answer. Other brands have tried to master this flavor but Blue Bell's version is undoubtedly the creme de la creme.

Why is this ice cream so unbelievably tasty? It's likely due to Blue Bell's vast experience when it comes to making this flavor. In fact, Blue Bell claims that Cookies 'n Cream was their invention and every other brand just followed their lead. If you doubt their claim, it will take only one mouthful for you to realize that they are probably telling the truth. Even though there are no real Oreos in it, that doesn't change the fact that this is some of the best ice cream you will find anywhere on the planet. Everything about it is cold, sweet, delectable perfection.