Let's Compare Vanilla Ice Creams

Updated: 08/30/2026

Overview - Vanilla

Some consider vanilla plain and uninteresting, but it has many subtle nuances. There is variation in the creamy flavor, richness, the amount of Vanilla flavoring, and the use of eggs, all of which give the ice cream different flavor characteristics. A version of a brand's vanilla base is typically used by its maker as a base for many other flavors (from that brand).

Similar to other flavor pages, 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.

For the tables below, Vanilla Bean ice creams were compared, since this version of vanilla is widely available across brands. The tables compare the following information:

The top row is the brand name, the second row is the flavor name, and the ingredients are listed below.
Below the ingredients, the ice cream's quality grade and serving weight are listed.
The next row displays the number of ingredients.
The second-from-the-bottom row lists the price equivalent per pint. (See Notes 1 and 2)
Two ingredients are highlighted: cream in green and egg yolks in red.

Not all the brands listed in the tables are available locally, so not all of them show up in the individual reviews. Further, there are different vanilla types, e.g., Old Fashioned, French, etc.; a few were taste-tested and appear in the review section, as do a couple of local ice cream shop brands.

Table 1. Vanilla Bean Ice Cream Ingredient Comparison Tables.

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

Some interesting observations from the tables are:

Good news! All the ice creams listed in Table 1 have cream. In fact, on almost all brands, cream is listed as the first or second ingredient.
Edy's/Dryer's ice cream lists cream as the 5th ingredient, indicating there is probably very little cream in their product. It is also the only vanilla brand listed in the table that does not qualify as an ice cream. It is a frozen dessert.
Another subtle but important ingredient is egg/egg yolks, highlighted in red. The more egg yolks an ice cream contains, the more custardy the 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.
The number of ingredients listed varies dramatically. Turkey Hill and Breyers have the most ingredients listed (not usually a good sign), with 13.
The ice creams with the fewest ingredients are Straus and Häagen-Dazs at 6.
About half of the brands contain eggs or egg yolks. Egg yolks tend to give ice cream, especially vanilla, a slightly "custardy" flavor, whereas ice creams without egg yolks tend to have a more whipped-cream-like flavor.
One late addition to the tables is the last row, which lists the container volume for each ice cream brand. Commendably, only Blue Bell still sells ice cream in half-gallon containers.
Pricing across brands varies dramatically, from 8 to 1 (though by weight, the variation is closer to 5 to 1).

Below are the mini-reviews, which include some info from the 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 ice creams that we have not yet reviewed.)

Upon reviewing this ranking, a couple of comments come to mind. First, it's difficult to describe in words why a particular band is given a particular rank, especially when many ice creams on the list are very similar. It becomes a personal preference as to which one we like more. This is especially true for the top 6-7 brands, which are all similar yet have subtle differences; they are all excellent, and, to be fair, any of them could be at the top. Second thought: among the "less-or-barely" premium ice creams, Tillamook is notably better (in both flavor and texture) than other regular ice creams.

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 Vanilla Ice Cream Reviews

Bank Street Vanilla

Flavor Rating

Density Rating

Ingredient Rating

Serving Weight (gm.)

Calories/Serving

Fat/Serving (gm.)

149

Bank Street is a boutique ice cream shop in Easton, PA. No ingredient, calorie, or fat information is available, so values are set to zero.

Density: This ice cream is very dense, with little added overrun (air), as expected from a batch creamery. As a result, like other similarly dense ice creams, it is hard to scoop straight from the freezer (but really worth the extra effort).

Flavor: Despite its high density, the ice cream has a very butter-creamy texture and a strong vanilla-and-cream flavor. Definitely not icy or chewy, it is wonderfully smooth and has a pleasantly strong vanilla flavor.

Graeter's Madagascar Vanilla Bean

Flavor Rating

Density Rating

Ingredient Rating

Serving Weight (gm.)

Calories/Serving

Fat/Serving (gm.)

131

320

Density: It is pretty obvious that there is little added overrun (air). Coming out of a freezer, like similarly dense ice creams, it is hard to scoop.

Flavor: We had not encountered Graeter's until recently; we should have. This is an excellent vanilla. A great combination of sweet base, strong (but nicely balanced) vanilla flavor, a slight custardy flavor that adds interest, and a very nice, substantial, buttery, and creamy texture as it melts in the mouth.

Haagen-Dazs Vanilla Bean

Flavor Rating

Density Rating

Ingredient Rating

Serving Weight (gm.)

Calories/Serving

Fat/Serving (gm.)

129

350

Density: Typical of Häagen-Dazs, this is a very dense, ultra-premium ice cream. One would expect a buttery-rich flavor to hang in the mouth as it melts.

Flavor: And for a simple vanilla bean flavor, we were not disappointed. Perhaps we're a little biased because this has been a favorite for quite a while. This ice cream has a fresh, creamy texture and a strong vanilla bean flavor that pairs perfectly with the sweet cream base. The ultra-premium richness of this ice cream creates an excellent mouthfeel as it melts on the tongue.

Ben and Jerry's Vanilla

Flavor Rating

Density Rating

Ingredient Rating

Serving Weight (gm.)

Calories/Serving

Fat/Serving (gm.)

143

330

Ben and Jerry's loves their complex and unusual flavors, so it's a little surprising that they sell a plain vanilla, but they do. However, they don't sell a Vanilla Bean, so we'll compare their plain (but exceptional) vanilla.

Density: For an ice cream without mix-ins, this is very dense. Usually (for me), when comparing flavor and mouthfeel, denser and richer helps.

Flavor: An amazing vanilla-flavored ice cream. The sweet, rich, creamy base, combined with a strong but not overpowering vanilla flavor, is excellent. The texture is smooth and very creamy, and the sweet, creamy vanilla flavor lingers as the ice cream melts on the tongue.

McConnell's Vanilla Bean

Flavor Rating

Density Rating

Ingredient Rating

Serving Weight (gm.)

Calories/Serving

Fat/Serving (gm.)

130

290

McConnell's is based in Central California. It was originally a dairy that made ice cream and still does today.

Density: A very substantial and creamy ice cream. It is one of the densest ice creams we've tried.

Flavor: An excellent-tasting ice cream. The texture is very smooth, with a sweet, creamy flavor. The egg yolks give the ice cream a slightly custardy (not whipped-cream) flavor, and there is a good balance between the sweet, creamy base and the strong vanilla flavor, with lots of visible vanilla bean flecks throughout.

Tillamook Vanilla Bean

Flavor Rating

Density Rating

Ingredient Rating

Serving Weight (gm.)

Calories/Serving

Fat/Serving (gm.)

210

Tillamook, as a brand, positions itself as a slightly upscale ice cream in both flavor and density compared to regular ice creams.

Density: Overall, this is a lighter ice cream than most "premium-pint" ice creams, but it feels a little more substantial than most mainstream regular ice creams.

Flavor: This vanilla has a very nice flavor and texture. There is a strong vanilla flavor and a creamy, slightly custardy cream flavor. The texture is smoother than some super-premium ice creams, and the ice cream feels more substantial than regular ice creams, placing it very high on our flavor rating.

Jeni's Honey Vanilla Bean

Flavor Rating

Density Rating

Ingredient Rating

Serving Weight (gm.)

Calories/Serving

Fat/Serving (gm.)

123

280

Density Rating: Definitely a super-premium (near ultra-premium) vanilla ice cream. Although it is not quite as rich and dense as some other ice creams

Flavor Rating: Jeni's Honey Vanilla has a strong vanilla flavor that is the first thing to notice, along with a large number of vanilla flecks. The texture is thick, smooth, and creamy, without any iciness. The honey flavor is subtle, and it adds a unique, noticeable and interesting touch to the sweet vanilla flavor, avoiding a simple whipped-cream-like flavor. Overall, this is one of our favorite vanilla flavors.

Alec's Vanilla Bean

Flavor Rating

Density Rating

Ingredient Rating

Serving Weight (gm.)

Calories/Serving

Fat/Serving (gm.)

122

290

Alec's Ice Cream is a little unique in that it differentiates itself from other brands by using gut-friendly, regenerative-organic ingredients. Additionally, its recipes avoid artificial additives.

Density: Alec's ice cream is less dense than ultra-premium brands (Jeni's, Graeter's, etc.), but is definitely a couple of "notches" above regular ice cream.

Flavor: Very good flavor, a little unique. This ice cream has a very smooth, creamy, rich vanilla flavor. The overall texture is very smooth and creamy, and a bit lighter than that of ultra-premium ice creams. Notably, there is a very slight tartness (or maybe nuttiness) that adds some complexity to the overall flavor.

Wegman's Madagascar Vanilla

Flavor Rating

Density Rating

Ingredient Rating

Serving Weight (gm.)

Calories/Serving

Fat/Serving (gm.)

141

350

Density: This is a bit of a surprise; usually, store-brand premium ice creams fall on the lower end of the "Premium" rating. However, Wegmans store-brand vanilla ice cream is the second-densest vanilla we have tried, definitely Ultra-Premium.

Flavor: The creamy, buttery texture is very noticeable. As it melts, the rich flavor and dense texture (with little overrun) give a pleasant mouthfeel. The buttermilk and egg yolk add a "French" custard complexity, making the flavor more interesting. The only knock on the flavor is that the vanilla is more subdued than in other similar brands (to be fair, the ice cream is labeled as "French Vanilla," not "Vanilla Bean").

Van Leeuwen Vanilla Bean

Flavor Rating

Density Rating

Ingredient Rating

Serving Weight (gm.)

Calories/Serving

Fat/Serving (gm.)

108

270

Density: Van Leeuwen's Vanilla is not as dense as other pint-sized premium ice creams. This gives the ice cream a slightly lighter mouthfeel, which some may like (but I prefer a bit less air).

Flavor: This ice cream's flavor is excellent. Van Leeuwen calls this a "French" ice cream, which I take to mean it contains a little more egg. This gives the ice cream a more "custard-y" flavor and, combined with a strong vanilla flavor and a little salt, creates a very interesting, more complex creamy taste. Unlike some of the other premium ice creams, the texture is very smooth and creamy.

Straus Vanilla Bean

Flavor Rating

Density Rating

Ingredient Rating

Serving Weight (gm.)

Calories/Serving

Fat/Serving (gm.)

110

270

Density: Straus vanilla ice cream is one step above Tillamook and falls into the Super Premium category.

Flavor: On this ice cream, I have two distinct opinions. First, based purely on the taste, this ice cream has a sweet, noticeable vanilla bean flavor, not "whip cream-y sweet." On the other hand, and perhaps due to more overrun (or a lack of certain artificial ingredients), the texture is not as smooth as that of more premium ice creams and has a very slight ice-crystal-like texture.

Tillamook Old Fashioned Vanilla

Flavor Rating

Density Rating

Ingredient Rating

Serving Weight (gm.)

Calories/Serving

Fat/Serving (gm.)

210

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

Density: Like all Tillamook flavors reviews, this is a lighter ice cream than more premium ice creams, but a definite "step up" compared to most mainstream regular ice creams.

Flavor: This vanilla has a very nice flavor and texture. There is a less pronounced vanilla flavor compared to Tillamook's Vanilla Bean. The French Vanilla has a little stronger custardy flavor (perhaps more egg yolk?) but still maintains the pleasant creamy texture. Like the Vanilla Bean flavor, this ice cream's texture is smoother than some super-premium ice creams, and feels more substantial than regular ice creams, placing it a little higher on our flavor rating, but slightly behind Tillamook's Vanilla Bean..

Turkey Hill Simple Natural Vanilla Bean

Flavor Rating

Density Rating

Ingredient Rating

Serving Weight (gm.)

Calories/Serving

Fat/Serving (gm.)

200

This is Turkey Hill's (partially successful) attempt to sell a more "premium-ish" product. The ingredient list is surprisingly simple: Nonfat Milk, Cream, Sugar, Vanilla, Vanilla Bean. But Turkey Hill is deceptively packaging this ice cream in 46 ounces (not the usual 48).

Density: This ice cream is considered regular, but is very close to premium weight. Turkey Hill seems to position Simply Natural against the barely premium Tillamook.

Flavor: One notable pleasant surprise is that even without emulsifiers, this ice cream has a very smooth, non-icy texture. Beyond this, the flavor is sweet with some creaminess and a noticeable vanilla flavor. Still, overall, this is a plain vanilla flavor- nothing particularly outstanding- though it does have a slightly more substantial mouthfeel than regular ice cream.

365 (Whole Foods) Organic Vanilla Bean

Flavor Rating

Density Rating

Ingredient Rating

Serving Weight (gm.)

Calories/Serving

Fat/Serving (gm.)

200

Density: 365 Vanilla qualifies as a premium ice cream. Many deluxe store ice creams don't. The density is slightly higher than Tillamook, which is barely a premium ice cream by weight.

Flavor: This is a decent ice cream; it has a good vanilla flavor and a smooth, creamy texture. As it melts in the mouth, it feels a little less substantial than the more premium ice creams (as expected). The flavor tends toward a simpler "whipped-cream" flavor.

Breyer's Natural Vanilla

Flavor Rating

Density Rating

Ingredient Rating

Serving Weight (gm.)

Calories/Serving

Fat/Serving (gm.)

190

Density: Similar to other basic ice creams, very light due to more overrun, but at least that reduces calories for those who care.

Flavor: Fairly plain, sweet, and light ice cream, not a lot of vanilla, nor any egg flavor, but otherwise harmless like other Breyers offerings. In the mouth, it has an initially sweet flavor that disappears as it melts; not a substantial ice cream.

Bassett's Vanilla

Flavor Rating

Density Rating

Ingredient Rating

Serving Weight (gm.)

Calories/Serving

Fat/Serving (gm.)

102

270

America's oldest ice cream brand is a family-owned business started by Lewis Dubois Bassett in 1861, and began selling from a location at 5th and Market in Philadelphia.

Density: This was a bit of a letdown. Coming from a more boutique ice cream maker, the ice cream is not very dense, averaging slightly denser than Tillamook.

Flavor: This was also a bit of a "mixed bag". The vanilla flavor was very good, not plain sweet, but with a nice cream-vanilla character. The texture, however, was not as smooth. It was slightly icy and crumbly, despite the presence of some emulsifiers listed in the ingredients. Perhaps it had been on the shelf a long time. The texture is the main cause of the lower rating compared to other ice creams.

Turkey Hill Vanilla Bean

Flavor Rating

Density Rating

Ingredient Rating

Serving Weight (gm.)

Calories/Serving

Fat/Serving (gm.)

170

We purchased this before and managed to rate it, but forgot to write up a review for it. Buying another container and redoing the review is straightforward, but it's not high on our list so that it may take a while.

Density:

Flavor:

Blue Bell Natural Vanilla Bean

Flavor Rating

Density Rating

Ingredient Rating

Serving Weight (gm.)

Calories/Serving

Fat/Serving (gm.)

117

240

Blue Bell is not sold locally, so if we want to review it, we'll eventually need to order it through their website.

Density:

Flavor:

Giant Real Vanilla Bean

Flavor Rating

Density Rating

Ingredient Rating

Serving Weight (gm.)

Calories/Serving

Fat/Serving (gm.)

180

We purchased this before but overlooked reviewing it. It was not our favorite, so it might be a while before we buy again.

Density:

Flavor:

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.