My daughter is a true ice cream fanatic who lives, breathes, and dreams about her next bowl or cone filled with creamy, cold, sweet deliciousness. I am a person who appreciates a good scoop of ice cream on occasion, but it has to be worth the splurge. You aren’t going to find me eating some bland scoop of a generic brand just to get my fix. No, ice cream has to be worth the splurge for me to indulge – in both calories and cost. If you are like me, and will only eat ice cream if it is the best of the best, here 7 premium ice cream brands worth the splurge.
Alden’s Organic
Alden’s
Alden’s Organic recently sent me a few cartons of ice cream to try out, and it was love at first bite. My daughter, son, and I agreed that the brand’s Vanilla Bean, which uses all USDA Organic ingredients, including dairy sourced from family farms in Oregon, and ethically sourced ground vanilla beans and extract, is the best we have ever tasted. It’s the most unboring vanilla on the market. Trust me on this. Redditors agree, with many listing the brand as the top premium ice cream. “Alden’s is pretty great,” one says.
Häagen-Dazs
Target
Häagen-Dazs never gets old, and Redditors rally around the brand as still, one of the highest quality in the freezer section. “Haagen Dazs is still number one for me,” one says. “I haven’t found a better vanilla than Haagen daaz but am open to being corrected,” another agrees. “Haagen Dazs in my opinion ! I haven’t found a better Rocky Road and I’ve looked,” a third says.
Van Leeuwen
VanLeeuwen
“Van Leeuwen, hands down,” is the best gourmet ice cream brand, one Redditor says. The brand prides itself on using the best ingredients. For example, the Van Leeuwen Vanilla Bean French Ice Cream brings out vanilla’s more “non-vanilla-ey traits by using Tahitian vanilla beans, cold-ground whole,” the brand writes in its website description. And for its “rich, decadent” chocolate flavor, “we use only the highest-quality chocolate from Republica del Cacao, a chocolate supplier in Ecuador where the world’s best cacao is produced,” the product description reads.
Ben & Jerry’s
Ben & Jerry’s
Shoppers also rally around another old favorite. “Ben and Jerry’s and it’s not close,” says one shopper. The brand also prioritizes high-quality ingredients, using vanilla extract and real vanilla beans in its vanilla and avoiding “natural flavors” that taste chemically. “To me it’s totally worth it, it’s the only few brands I can actually taste the vanilla,” one Redditor says about the price.
Kirkland Signature
Costco
Costco takes ice cream seriously. Kirkland Signature Super Premium Vanilla Ice Cream is regularly considered a favorite of Costco shoppers, with many maintaining it is more delicious than more expensive options. “The super premium vanilla ice cream is unbeatable,” one highly liked comment reads. The creamy ice cream is “the most delicious ice cream I’ve ever tasted. I’d heard all the hype and finally got some the other day, and boy did the hype deliver! Fan for life now,” another poster said.
Jeni’s
Jeni’s
Jeni’s, a newer brand of ice cream with shops in major cities and cartons at grocery stores, is recognized by culinary experts as one of the finest on the market. For example, it’s “Darkest Chocolate” is deeply intense, per experts, made with real dark chocolate taste, and features a velvety texture. Jeni’s sources real bean‑to‑bar chocolate from Askinosie for its artisan flavors, rooted in authentic cocoa craftsmanship.
Graeter’s
Graeter’s
Graeter’s ice cream has over 150 years of experience in handcrafting French Pot ice cream, and fans go wild over it. “I’ve never had someone complain when I recommend Graeter’s,” writes a Redditor. “Graeter’s peppermint ice cream with chunks of peppermints is incredible,” another says.
