Fresh Strawberry Ice Creams Compared

Updated: 08/30/2026

Overview - Strawberry

Strawberry is a popular flavor, and, similar to vanilla, there can be a lot of variation in strawberry ice cream recipes. Variations can be due to the ratio of ice cream base to strawberry flavorings, the amount and size of berry mix-ins, and, like vanilla, differences in the base recipe. For our flavor comparison, we are looking for a strong, fresh strawberry flavor first, accompanied by a sweet, rich, creamy (maybe a little custard-like) flavor. Subjectively, we don't want a too-strong creamy-sweet flavor, as that can hide the strawberry flavor.

This page is divided into three main sections. This top section summarizes and compares the non-flavor aspects of different chocolate ice cream brands, including ingredients, quality, and price, using a couple of easy-to-compare tables. The second section contains individual flavor "reviews" and taste tests. The bottom section is common to all the flavor review pages and details our review methodology.

As mentioned elsewhere, the individual ice cream reviews don't lend themselves to comparing brands or assessing each brand's 'premium-ness,' and the tables enable easy comparison of non-flavor qualities. A few caveats with these tables to note:

Not all the brands listed are available locally, and a few do not appear in the individual reviews.
We tried to stick to comparing basic strawberry ice cream, but a few brands don't offer it, so in those cases, we picked ice creams with a strawberry base and removed mix-ins from the ingredient lists as best we could.
The table's second row lists the ice cream's flavor, which is helpful for brands that don't offer a simple strawberry option.
The third table row indicates whether the ingredient list excludes Mix-ins. For ice creams that include chips, fudge, etc., those ingredients have been omitted from the ingredient list.
Many ingredient names were shortened (by removing descriptive words) to improve the table's formatting. For example, the word "organic" was removed since the brand and/or flavor already stated it was organic.
Although we mostly avoided comparing costs, we included some relative price information at the bottom of the table. (See notes 1 and 2)

Table 1. Strawberry Ice Cream Ingredient Comparison Tables.

(Clicking on a Table will pop-up a larger version.)

Upon reviewing the tables, some interesting observations and comparisons between the brands can be made; Some of these are:

Most of the ice creams listed in Table 1 have at least some cream. This ingredient is highlighted in green. The most premium ice creams usually list cream as their first or second ingredient.
Another subtle but important ingredient is egg yolks, highlighted in red. The higher it appears on the ingredients list, the more egg yolks the ice cream contains, which imparts a more custardy flavor. Van Leeuwen highlights its use of eggs and lists egg yolks as its third ingredient. Straus and Häagen-Dazs also list egg yolks fourth on their lists.
Blue Bunny has the most ingredients listed (not usually a good sign) at a whopping 21.
The ice creams with the fewest ingredients are Häagen-Dazs (5), followed by Jeni's and Straus with 6.
Breyer's is a regular ice cream with only 7 ingredients. Many less expensive brands add more air, so they seem to need more stabilizers.
The price per pint varies by up to 8-to-1 between brands. Price per gram (weight) reduces the variation to 6-to-1. (See Note 1)
Both Blue Bell and Tillamook occupy a middle ground in quality. They are of higher quality than regular ice cream and only slightly more expensive.

Below are the mini-reviews, which include some info from these tables, our exceedingly non-professional opinion on taste and texture, and a few more bits of ice cream info. Across the top of each short review are ratings for flavor, quality, and ingredients. And just for fun, we tried to rank-order the list of ice creams, based solely on our personal preferences.

(See Note 3 regarding pending reviews.)

Note 1: Since retail prices vary widely, this lists the non-sale prices as of 05/2026, mostly at a local grocery, Giant, Whole Foods, Wegman's, and a couple of random Midwest supermarkets for ice creams not available locally.

Note 2: Pint pricing was used where possible; otherwise, pricing was scaled. Some brands offer the same ice cream in both pint and half-gallon sizes. In this case, the larger container price was used and scaled to a pint equivalent.

Note 3: For ice creams, we have not yet reviewed them but intend to; we have given them a placeholder rating of 20 so they appear at the bottom of the list.

Individual Strawberry Ice Cream Reviews

Haagen-Dazs Strawberry

Flavor Rating

Density Rating

Ingredient Rating

Serving Weight (gm.)

Calories/Serving

Fat/Serving (gm.)

133

300

Density: As is typical for Häagen-Dazs ice cream, this ice cream is very dense yet feels substantial on the tongue without being overly fatty.

Flavor: This is one of the best-tasting strawberry ice creams, with a strong, fresh strawberry flavor and stirred-in fruit. The sweet, rich, creamy base (with little overrun) complements without overpowering. It has a smooth, creamy texture, no ice, and many small strawberry pieces for extra fruity texture. Häagen-Dazs uses more small pieces than other brands to achieve a more consistent fruity flavor.

Tillamook Oregon Strawberry

Flavor Rating

Density Rating

Ingredient Rating

Serving Weight (gm.)

Calories/Serving

Fat/Serving (gm.)

200

Tillamook, as a brand, appears to target a slightly upscale ice cream in terms of flavor, mouthfeel, and density.

Density: This ice cream's density is right on the low end of the premium designation, so it is a lighter ice cream than most on this list. For this reviewer, this is a slight negative, but not for those who prefer a lighter dessert.

Flavor: From this perspective, the flavor is one of our two top choices. This ice cream has a strong, fresh strawberry flavor, pleasantly balanced by a sweet, creamy ice cream base. Add to this that the texture is also very smooth, without a hint of iciness, and one ends up with a top rating. Even though this is a less dense ice cream, there is still enough rich cream flavor to satisfy us.

Van Leeuwen Strawberry

Flavor Rating

Density Rating

Ingredient Rating

Serving Weight (gm.)

Calories/Serving

Fat/Serving (gm.)

108

280

Density:

Flavor: While the Van Leeuwen Strawberry is noticeably lighter and less creamy than, say, Graeter's or Häagen-Dazs, it focuses the flavor on the fresh strawberries. This has the strongest berry flavor of those tasted, and when paired with its sweet (but not too sweet) base, it makes an excellent, strong strawberry-flavor ice cream. Interestingly, there are no bits/pieces of strawberry mixed in. Generally, I prefer small bits of fruit and a little more creaminess, but I did not miss them much, given the fresh, intense strawberry flavor.

Bank Street Strawberry

Flavor Rating

Density Rating

Ingredient Rating

Serving Weight (gm.)

Calories/Serving

Fat/Serving (gm.)

146

Bank Street Creamery, a local shop located in Easton, PA, was established in 1998 and is dedicated to making and selling handcrafted premium ice cream. (No calorie or fat information available, but certainly a lot of flavor.)

Density: This is a dense ice cream with little overrun (air). The downside is that, coming out of a sub-zero freezer, it is very hard to scoop.

Flavor: This ice cream has a nice, fresh strawberry flavor, but it is a little subdued, and the sweet, creamy base flavor is more pronounced than in other ice creams. There are no bits of strawberry mixed in, but seeds are present. The overall texture and creaminess are excellent, but in strawberry ice cream, we would have preferred a stronger "fresh berry" flavor.

Straus Strawberry

Flavor Rating

Density Rating

Ingredient Rating

Serving Weight (gm.)

Calories/Serving

Fat/Serving (gm.)

122

280

Density: This ice cream falls into the super-premium category, so it is noticeably lighter and lower in fat than other premium ice creams. I generally prefer a little denser ice cream, but there is something to be said for a little lighter base to emphasize the berries.

Flavor: This ice cream is a little less dense than some, and it may highlight the fresh strawberry flavor, which is very prominent with each bite. Mixed in with the strawberry flavor is a creamy sweetness from the base that isn't overpowering and pairs well with the fresh fruit. It probably also helps that there are a lot of strawberry chunks mixed in. (Although this writer usually prefers small or no chunks, as the icy fruit distracts from the creamy ice cream texture.) The ice cream was a little icy and had a slightly crumbly texture.

Owowcow Strawberry

Flavor Rating

Density Rating

Ingredient Rating

Serving Weight (gm.)

Calories/Serving

Fat/Serving (gm.)

133

Owowcow is a small PA/NJ ice cream shop chain that opened in 2009 to create ice cream that was real and honest, sourcing local & organic cream & milk, fruits, and cage-free eggs.

Density: This is a very substantial "ultra premium" ice cream with a luscious consistency. It is very easy to tell just by the effort to scoop the ice cream.

Flavor: The ice cream has a very dense, creamy texture and a sweet, rich flavor. The strawberry flavoring, while it tastes of fresh strawberries, is somewhat subdued and does not stand out from the rich creaminess of the base. Ideally, I'd prefer a more prominent fresh strawberry flavor.

Alden Strawberry Ice Cream

Flavor Rating

Density Rating

Ingredient Rating

Serving Weight (gm.)

Calories/Serving

Fat/Serving (gm.)

200

Density: This ice cream is in the upper region of regular ice cream (by our definition). It is a "tad" denser than Breyers and Edy's, but still is one of the lighter, airier ice creams.

Flavor: Alden's has a fresh, sweet strawberry flavor, though perhaps not as strong as other brands (like Tillimook), but still pretty good. The texture in the mouth is initially smooth and creamy (probably helped by 4 emulsifier ingredients), but as it melts, it kind of disappears (not surprising for a less dense ice cream).

Bethlehem Dairy Strawberry

Flavor Rating

Density Rating

Ingredient Rating

Serving Weight (gm.)

Calories/Serving

Fat/Serving (gm.)

140

The Bethlehem Dairy Store has been a longtime local ice cream favorite in eastern PA's Lehigh Valley for more than 85 years.

Density: This strawberry's density is similar to that of other boutique ice creams we have tried that fall into the Ultra-Premium category.

Flavor: Overall, a fresh berry flavor, but it is not as strong as in other premium ice creams. The sweet, creamy flavor is more pronounced; thus, the strawberry flavor is a little subdued. There are strawberry chunks mixed in, but a few rather large, icy pieces are scattered throughout the ice cream. The larger bits of frozen fruit tend to add icy chunks to an otherwise nice, creamy, smooth texture of the ice cream.

Breyer's Strawberry

Flavor Rating

Density Rating

Ingredient Rating

Serving Weight (gm.)

Calories/Serving

Fat/Serving (gm.)

150

It is worth noting that Breyer's Strawberry has an unusually concise number of ingredients (only 6) for a regular ice cream.

Density: At least there is enough fat content for this to be called "ice cream," and it falls in the middle of the "regular" category. At least this has enough cream and fat to be called ice cream, unlike most of Breyers' other flavors.

Flavor: With only 6 ingredients in a relatively airy ice cream and no emulsifiers, it seemed likely to have an icy texture, but it has a very smooth texture that, due to its airiness, quickly melts and disappears in the mouth. The ice cream is nicely sweet, and the strawberry flavor tastes like fresh berries, although not as prominent as some of its peers.

365 (Whole Foods) Organic Strawberry

Flavor Rating

Density Rating

Ingredient Rating

Serving Weight (gm.)

Calories/Serving

Fat/Serving (gm.)

170

We have not reviewed this ice cream yet. We'll eventually try it.

Density:

Flavor:

Bassett's Strawberry

Flavor Rating

Density Rating

Ingredient Rating

Serving Weight (gm.)

Calories/Serving

Fat/Serving (gm.)

102

250

We have not reviewed it because we have not been able to find strawberry flavor in local markets.

Bassetts is a family-owned, Philadelphia-based brand that has been producing ice cream since 1861.

Density:

Flavor:

Blue Bell Strawberry

Flavor Rating

Density Rating

Ingredient Rating

Serving Weight (gm.)

Calories/Serving

Fat/Serving (gm.)

190

Blue Bell is a Midwestern brand and isn't available in nearby stores, so we'll eventually have to order through their website.

Density:

Flavor:

Giant Real Strawberry

Flavor Rating

Density Rating

Ingredient Rating

Serving Weight (gm.)

Calories/Serving

Fat/Serving (gm.)

160

We purchased this before but overlooked reviewing it. It should be easy to add this soon.

Density:

Flavor:

Graeter's Oregon Strawberry

Flavor Rating

Density Rating

Ingredient Rating

Serving Weight (gm.)

Calories/Serving

Fat/Serving (gm.)

131

280

We really want to try this flavor, but local markets have not stocked it. We may eventually order some to be shipped to us.

Density:

Flavor:

Jeni's Strawberry Buttermilk

Flavor Rating

Density Rating

Ingredient Rating

Serving Weight (gm.)

Calories/Serving

Fat/Serving (gm.)

123

250

We really want to try this flavor, but local markets have not stocked it. We may eventually order some to be shipped to us.

Density:

Flavor:

Turkey Hill Strawberries and Cream

Flavor Rating

Density Rating

Ingredient Rating

Serving Weight (gm.)

Calories/Serving

Fat/Serving (gm.)

130

3.5

Density: This "ice cream" falls into the lowest density category, placing it in the Economy/Frozen Dessert category. It appears there is a significant amount of overrun in this, which does not meet the FDA requirements for ice cream.

Flavor: Pending Review.

Last Updated: 05/31/2026

Ice Cream Rating Methods

Regarding the ratings, three main ratings are used. Most ice cream comparisons base their rankings solely on the reviewer's opinion of the ice cream's flavor and texture. In addition to our qualitative flavor rating, we also add a density rating and a ranking based on the ice cream's ingredients. For fun, rate the ice cream's density and flavor using a one-to-five ice cream cup rating scale.

Before jumping into the details of how we rated ice creams on this site, it is interesting to see how the government defines ice cream. The FDA requirements for "ice cream" labeling (21 CFR Part 135):

Milkfat: Minimum 10% by weight (some variants with bulky flavors like nuts/fruit allow slightly lower)
Milk solids: Minimum 20% total milk solids by weight
Weight: Minimum 4.5 lbs. per gallon (limits overrun, excludes high-air products)
Must be pasteurized

Density Rating

The density (weight) rating in the mini-reviews is defined as the single-serving weight. The rating for each ice cream is between 2 and 5 cups, as shown in Table 2 below. This was added to document how much air is mixed into each ice cream. It may also suggest that a manufacturer is making efforts to cut costs. Another more course rating is similar to the terms used by ice cream makers. It is the "Quality Category" shown in Table 3.

Table 2. Density Ice Cream Cup Rating

Table 3. Ice Cream Quality Category

Flavor Rating

The flavor rating is really just an opinion, not a specific metric, but it combines our views on the ice cream's flavor and texture into a single qualitative rating. For common flavors (vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry), the flavor rating attempts to include comparisons between brands of the same flavor. Taste testing across brands isn't usually done at the same time, so this comparison may not be very accurate. (But as I said in the page title, this is a random flavor comparison.) Our reviewers' flavor preferences tend to color the ratings.

In general, we favor more substantial (less airy) ice creams. Any hint of ice crystals is a negative.
Ice creams were served directly from the freezer and eaten (individually) over time (so they warmed as we ate).
This testing was not done blind; thus, the cognitive bias of the brand or container was in full effect.
For vanilla bean ice creams, we prefer some flavor complexity beyond just cream, sugar, and vanilla, so noticeable custardy-egg ice creams rate higher.
For strawberry ice creams, we want a strong, fresh fruit flavor, not syrupy, and a base that adds creamy sweetness without overpowering the berry.
For chocolate, we are looking for a strong chocolate-and-sweet ice cream combination. Usually, a stronger chocolate flavor is better.

Ingredient Rating

The ingredient rating looks at the list of ingredients for each ice cream and ranks them based on having fewer, higher-quality, healthier ingredients and fewer preservatives and emulsifiers. This is a partially subjective rating depending on one's feelings about food additives. The rough guidelines were:

The higher on the ingredient list that cream is, the better.
The more ingredients beyond the required basics (Cream, Milk, Sugar, Flavoring) were present, the lower the score.
Several ice creams describe themselves as containing "Organic" ingredients. This rating completely ignores this.
Having emulsifier and preservative ingredients lowers the score. In the list below, higher-ranking ingredients were considered worse than lower-ranking ones.

1) Mono- & Diglycerides; 2) Xanthan Gum; 3) Guar Gum; 4) Locust Bean / Carob Bean Gum; 5) Tapioca Starch; 6) Tara Gum

Why Not Include Cost? (OK, decided to add to the tables)

Ideally, we would have included cost in the individual ratings, but ice cream prices at the supermarket can vary widely, even over the course of a few weeks and from store to store, also depending on promotions. In addition, people's individual opinions on the importance of price vary as widely as opinions on ice cream taste. So originally, we were going to exclude pricing but included in the summary tables.