11 Popular Vanilla Ice Cream Brands, Ranked Worst To Best

Vanilla ice cream can get a bad rap as the least exciting flavor available on the aisle. But that's an unfair assessment considering that a classic taste shouldn't be confused with a bland one. At least, that's what quality producers of vanilla ice cream prove. In truth, if you've been underwhelmed by a scoop of vanilla, it may be because the brand wasn't delivering all that rich floral flavor that a vanilla bean can bring. Sure, you could make excellent vanilla ice cream at home, but I promise there's still quality brands dedicated to producing a classic cup of supreme vanilla. 

I'm on a mission to resurrect vanilla ice cream's reputation by highlighting the best brands out there, plus name a few that you should unequivocally skip. Some of the brands I've selected surprised even me with the unexpected quality and flavor, and one brand that I'd never even heard of turned out to be a surprising crowd-pleaser. Join me as I get the inside scoop on the best very vanilla ice cream on the market. 

Founded in 1923, Mayfield Creamery is a very familiar sight for most ice cream shoppers. Labeled as a premium ice cream, a distinction which means the ice cream contains less overrun (air) and higher fat than a typical scoop of ice cream, Mayfield's Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream seemed a shoo-in as a people-pleaser. For 1.5-quart container, I paid a measly $4.97, a decided bargain in comparison to many other ice creams on this list. 

When I popped the top off of this quart, I was immediately struck by the rich yellow hue of the ice cream. I chocked this up to a heavy presence of egg yolks in the custard base, but a look at the label quickly disabused me. There are less than 2% of egg yolks in this tub; instead, the color comes from annatto and turmeric extracts. If you're looking for an ice cream lacking the additives of corn syrup or gums, Mayfield probably isn't a good choice for you. But how did it taste? 

For me, the texture bordered on the icy, not creamy. This wasn't the cardinal sin, however. No, that lies with the fake vanilla flavor and its equally dismal aftertaste that comes after the first spoonful. Perhaps this is what vanilla tastes like to some ice cream lovers, but it hit all the wrong notes for me, feeling plastic in a weird way. 

Another famous ice cream brand, Breyers technically falls under the classification of Philadelphia-style vanilla ice cream, as it first was launched in Philadelphia in 1866. Over the years, the brand has attempted to keep up the quality by making a commitment to using sustainably grown vanilla and milk and cream that comes from cows that haven't been treated with growth hormones. This quality pledge is admirable, especially when paired with the affordable price point ($4.67 for 1.5-quart tub). 

It should be noted that Breyers, and its Natural Vanilla Ice Cream flavor in particular, got into a bit of hot water this year. A class-action lawsuit was brought against the company accusing Breyers of intentionally misleading customers into assuming that the natural vanilla claim on the label meant that only products of the vanilla plant were used for flavoring. In reality, it doesn't use natural vanilla. Though Breyers won't admit any wrongdoing, the company has settled for roughly $8.85 million. 

 Lawsuits aside, I could have told you that this tub of vanilla lacked natural flavoring. While the texture was nice and light, courtesy of a whipped-air quality, the taste left much to be desired. While it didn't seem that egregious at first, the fakeness was apparent in the aftertaste. Add to that an ice cream that seemed to melt much too fast for easy enjoyment, I'd give this brand a pass. 

Whether you call it Edy's or know it better as Dreyer's, know that these two brands are one and the same. Also, let's get an annoying package detail out of the way: The marketing brains at Edy's have decided to package almost all of the Edy's ice creams, including the Vanilla Bean flavor, in a brown container. To me, this made it practically invisible, as my color-coded existence associated the brown with chocolate flavor. Misleading packaging aside, I did eventually recognize it, and purchased a 1.5-quart tub for $7.53, a slightly steeper price than other options. I'll let it slide considering Edy's basically invented Rocky Road ice cream. 

Upon opening, I could immediately see some attractive vanilla bean speckling in a snowy white expanse. This visual gave way to a texture that was light and creamy, truly enjoyable to scoop into. The only issue I took up with it was its mild verging on bland vanilla flavor. With all of that romantic vanilla bean seeds swirled in, I expected a heavier punch of the vanilla flavor. For it's price, I suggest you invest in something that brings more flavor to the table.   

My first summer job was working behind the counter of a Blue Bunny ice cream shop, where the smell of fresh baked waffle cones permeated every Blue Bunny work t-shirt at the end of a shift. In all my time scooping, no one every asked for vanilla ice cream, and I never actually sampled any myself. So although I'm intimately familiar with the brand, I'd never tried the most basic of flavors. It's an inexpensive option, with 1.5-quart container costing $4.48. 

Blame it on old fashioned nostalgia, but I enjoyed the overall texture and taste of this ice cream. It was a tad on the buttery side, which may be off-putting for some people, but I found it kind of luxe on the palette. It was a very faint on the vanilla front, but the It made me think of bygone ice cream parties as a kid, where I could hardly be accused of having the most refined tastebuds. When you're a kid, texture beats taste nine times out of 10. At that time in my life, Blue Bunny was a good option. Now, I'd opt for something more sophisticated, but I may buy a tub for my future kid's birthday party. 

Trader Joe's has tried its hand at making a number of classic desserts with varying degrees of success. The brand's New York Deli Style Cheesecake and Mochi Ice Cream have been stand outs to me in the past, so I was excited to give the Trader Joe's French Vanilla Ice Cream a try. The carton was the first in my collection to sport the super premium label, which basically signals that this ice cream is made with the highest quality ingredients, has plenty of dairy fat, and doesn't have too much air. For 1 quart, I paid out $4.45, a fine price for a super premium ice cream. Sadly, I didn't find that this tub delivered enough on its many promises. 

This may seem a painfully low ranking for anything coming from Trader Joe's, a grocery chain that normally makes virally delicious snacks — and there are a lot of tasty gems hiding in the Trader Joe's frozen aisle. This just isn't one of them in my opinion. The texture of the ice cream, which was a selling point for some, was a detractor for me, coming off a bit dense instead of creamy. The vanilla flavor didn't wow me either, though it didn't disappoint. It was just so-so on all fronts. 

Turkey Hill is a brand that I hadn't heard of prior to writing this article as its expansion into the South (where I've typically lived) really kicked off 2020 when the company bought an ice cream manufacturing plant in Arkansas. The brand originally sprang up in Dutch Pennsylvania country,  but has done plenty to modernize its process. The company has a pretty neat green initiative in place, using wind turbines to help cut down on greenhouse gases produced in the dairy. Add to all this an affordable price tag, $3.52 for 1.44-quart container, I was looking forward to giving this a shot. 

This was pretty light and creamy ice cream, having an almost whipped texture. I tend to like the lighter ice creams on my tastebuds, so I found this to be pleasant and help the vanilla flavor stand out more. With an ice cream that has more air whipped in it, you can expect it to melt a bit faster than normal, making it a little bit of a short term treat. Overall, I found this to be a very smooth, enjoyable vanilla ice cream with a few minor flaws that kept it from the top.  

Representing Costco's take on ice cream, the Kirkland Signature Super Premium Vanilla Ice cream is both a mouthful and a cartful. For $18.65, you'll get a boxed set of 2 half gallon-tubs of ice cream, enough to tide over even the most dedicated of frozen dairy lovers. But who exactly makes this particular Kirkland brand vanilla ice cream? Humboldt Creamery based in California, if the rumors are true. While promising the highest quality ice cream (courtesy of the super premium label), Kirkland's batch uses vanilla extract rather than the ambiguous "vanilla flavorings" you'll find on other tubs of ice cream. So what did this do in terms of the flavor of the ice cream? 

For me, this was all about being a great buy for those looking to buy quality ice cream in a massive quantity. The texture and taste are quite nice, certainly above par for many other inexpensive brands out there. Is it the very best tasting vanilla? No, it doesn't come through enough to be considered a vanilla virtuoso. Does it have the best texture? Again, no, but I'm very pleased with it none the less. If you want a lot of a good thing rather than a little of a great thing, try Kirkland's. 

Tillamook is a dairy company that seems to have recently taken the country by storm. I might have been unfamiliar with the name 10 years ago, but now, I can hardly travel to a store without being tempted by Tillamook's numerous cheeses and ice creams available. I now consider myself a longtime fan of Tillamook's Malted Moo Shake Ice Cream and Medium Cheddar, so I had high hopes for the company's Old-Fashioned Vanilla Ice Cream take as well. It's fairly well priced too, clocking in at $5.49 for a 1.5 quart container of ice cream. 

Once you crack into it, you'll be surprised at how quickly you can begin scooping and serving this ice cream — no thaw time necessary. Part of this is due to the little badge on the pint that claims its "made with extra cream," a richness you can definitely feel on your tongue. As far as creaminess goes, this is the best of the best, unfolding like velvet on your tastebuds. Sure, this means it melts a bit faster than the other brands, but it still delivers plenty of delights while you've got it. The vanilla is classic and aromatic, perhaps not the strongest or the best, but certainly good enough to make me consider tossing it into the grocery cart next time around just so I can enjoy that decadent texture again. 

Ben & Jerry's is famous for its many fantastical flavors, but vanilla does not usually qualify as one of these wild and wonderful mixes. In fact, it can be somewhat hard to find a pint of Ben & Jerry's Vanilla Ice Cream at your local store (I struck out in Walmart and Walgreens but finally found it in Publix). When you do find it, you'll note that it lacks a lot of the bells and whistles a typical pint has — no celebrity endorsements, no clever puns, no long list of mix-ins. It's just vanilla, and at $6.37 for 1 pint, it's a very expensive vanilla. So does it deliver a flavor worth the price tag? 

For me, this was a surprisingly rich and satisfying ice cream. As a brand that has the reputation for cramming so much cookie dough, candy, and chocolate chunks into it's dairy that you can't even taste the ice cream, I wasn't expecting much from the vanilla. But the vanilla flavor was nuanced and aromatic, with a slightly salty note that complemented the overall sweetness. This is a dense ice cream, a bit of a slog to scoop into, but nice enough on the palate to keep me scooping none the less. 

Cards on the table. My father is a fanatical Blue Bell ice cream lover, and my childhood home only served one flavor: the golden topped Homemade Vanilla. This ice cream brand, kind of like Blue Bunny, is a beloved part of my nostalgic upbringing. That being said, I've always rebelled against my father's "homemade vanilla only" house rule, and I've spent many years eating anything but Blue Bell to counteract the years of monotony. But any round up of vanilla ice cream is incomplete without an evaluation of this cult favorite brand from Texas. I had some leftover vanilla ice cream cups from the last time I had my dad over, but you can get a half-gallon bucket for around $8.32. 

I'd say that the vanilla intensity compares nicely to the Ben & Jerry's vanilla flavor. Weirdly, I found a lot of flavor and texture similarities between the two, with both packing strong vanilla flavors in slightly dense, icy-ice cream textures, but Blue Bell is a much cheaper option. This iciness is the only downside to Blue Bell in my opinion, which means it can be hard to scoop and that it melts quickly. Melted Blue Bell is still delicious, but I prefer creamier textures. As for that vanilla taste? You almost can't beat that incredible vanilla-richness. Almost. 

Häagen-Dazs is a beloved brand for a reason. The company has built its reputation on nailing the most simple of flavors out there, like chocolate, caramel, and, of course, vanilla bean, refusing to hide behind gimmicky mix-ins or extracts. All this quality means that the item in question is not a cheap one. You'll have to fork over $3.99 for a mere 14 ounces, but it comes with the territory. 

Once I opened up my pint, I immediately knew I was looking at an ice cream working at a whole other level. It had the real vanilla flecks that screamed quality, and a slightly golden hue that spoke of an additional splash of vanilla extract. And you taste all of that floral, delicate vanilla in every spoonful. Yes, you have to wait a few minutes for it to soften up a bit — that's the price of a having a high-fat ice cream. But after that, this ice cream can't be beat in terms of nuanced vanilla flavor or in smooth and creamy texture. 

I stuck to testing varieties of ice cream that designated the flavor as homemade or old-fashioned vanilla, vanilla bean, or French vanilla, avoiding any extra mix-ins or miscellaneous flavors. If a brand had multiple vanilla flavors, I opted for the most simple or traditional vanilla flavor (like old-fashioned or natural). The brands I tested were based on availability and accessibility at my local grocery stores. 

I did not test ice creams that were labeled as reduced fat or reduced sugar. As a general rule, anything labeled ice cream should have about 10% milk fat. (Fun Fact: that's why Dairy Queen doesn't sell real ice cream, as its soft serve only contains 5% milk fat.) I also abstained from buying ice creams that were made with alternative dairies, like oat milk or soy milk, as well as pints that weren't technically considered ice creams, like frozen yogurt or gelato.

During testing, I evaluated both vanilla flavor and aftertaste while also assessing the overall texture and mouthfeel of the ice cream. The ice cream was served without any accompaniments like chocolate syrup or whipped cream in order to correctly rate each ice cream on its own merits.