I Sampled 11 Top Chocolate Ice Cream Brands and Found the Ultimate Delight
Summer is finally here, which means it’s time to talk about ice cream . From old-fashioned popsicles and bars that you get from an ice cream truck to scoops packed into styrofoam cups and sugar cones at your local shop, I'll never say no to this sweet treat . Of course, it helps when the ice cream is really delicious, which is why I went on a journey to find the best chocolate ice cream at the grocery store.
The freezer section can get crowded with cartons of all different shapes and sizes, brands ranging from well-known institutions to small-batch creameries, and so many flavors. But when it comes to chocolate ice cream, should you splurge on a premium brand or are you better off sticking to a tried-and-true grocery store brand? After trying 11 different brands, my taste testers and I found a clear winner—and it wasn't the one we were expecting. Read on for all of the sweet details and to find the pint that's right for you.
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How I Tested These Chocolate Ice Cream s
To find the best chocolate ice cream, I led a blind taste test that included myself, my husband, my mother and father, my brother-in-law and my grandmother. Over the course of about an hour, we tasted 11 brands of chocolate ice cream.
For the sake of this taste test, I tried exclusively plain chocolate ice cream—no fudge swirls, no chocolate chunks, no tracks of any sort. I made a point to test several brands that would be accessible anywhere in the country, as well as a few slightly more regional selections.
I went to three different stores across Hartford County, Connecticut—Stop & Shop, Trader Joe’s, and Whole Foods. In the end, I scooped up 11 different brands of plain chocolate ice cream, ranging in price from $3.29 to $8.49. Spoiler alert: The winner wasn't the most expensive option.
During the taste test, I passed out one scoop of each ice cream in plain bowls to each tester and no one except me knew which brand was which. (I promised that I remained unbiased scoop after scoop!) After spending about a minute tasting and contemplating and tasting some more, each person offered commentary on the appearance, texture and flavor of each ice cream. In the end, we worked together to create a ranked list from worst to best. And if that’s not a lesson in family bonding, I don’t know what is. Below, find out which ones you should pile high on a waffle cone this summer.
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11 Popular Chocolate Ice Brands, Ranked From Worst to Best
11. Stop & Shop Chocolate Ice Cream
Testers were initially skeptical of this chocolate ice cream, which had a pinkish, reddish, greyish, brownish color—not exactly something that inspires you to go for a double scoop. I thought that it tasted like “ice and air with a hint of chocolate” and my brother-in-law and Grandma agreed that they wished there was a more prominent chocolate flavor. It has a super light, whipped texture that makes it seem like there is way more air than butterfat, which gives it a thin, somewhat bland flavor.
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10. Tillamook Chocolate Ice Cream
Our testers had high hopes for Tillamook—and after tasting it blind, we were shocked to learn that the brand's chocolate ice cream landed so low on our list. “If I were blindfolded, I don’t know that I would be able to tell this is chocolate ice cream,” my husband said. “Not enough chocolate flavor for me,” my grandma added. Both of my parents thought it tasted “cheap” and I was underwhelmed by both the texture and flavor.
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9. Friendly's Classic Chocolate Ice Cream
Growing up, ordering a Friendly’s Monster Mash Sundae felt like the height of luxury, which is why I was so disappointed by the brand’s classic chocolate ice cream flavor. The texture wasn't particularly creamy, but it was the flavor that really threw the group for a loop. “More bitter than the others,” my brother-in-law said. My dad echoed that sentiment by noting the “weird bitter aftertaste.” Still, my husband said that he “would take this over the ones that had no flavor,” which is how it landed in ninth place.
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8. Arethusa Farm Old Fashioned Chocolate Ice Cream
I couldn’t wait to try this small-batch chocolate ice cream from a local Connecticut farm, but everyone was put off by how salty it was. It had a super rich chocolate flavor, but the most dominant flavor was salt. And a lot of it. If it sounds like I’m repeating myself, that’s because that’s the one characteristic that everyone in the group kept commenting on.
Some people also commented on the off-putting mouthfeel. It was too rich for our crowd. My mom said that it reminded her of a fudgesicle rather than a traditional scoop of ice cream. It was one of the most expensive chocolate ice creams that we tried.
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7. Breyers Chocolate Ice Cream
My family grew up eating Breyers, so I assumed everyone would be able to immediately identify it and rank it at the top of the list. I was wrong. Everyone was unimpressed by the inconsistent texture and its inability to melt in your mouth. “Nothing great. I like my ice cream soft and this is not it,” my grandmother noted. My dad called it “dense and chewy” and my husband agreed. My mom said it reminded her of chocolate mousse, which is a great compliment to pay a bowl of chocolate mousse, but not a scoop of ice cream.
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6. Jeni's Ice Creams Darkest Chocolate
This dark chocolate ice cream came with a sprinkle of mixed reviews. I thought it tasted like a dark chocolate bar that was reminiscent of a good cup of hot cocoa. “Sweet, but not too sweet,” my husband said. “Doesn’t taste like your typical grocery store ice cream,” my mom added. Still, most tasters didn’t care for the dense, firm texture, which didn’t entice us to go back for another scoop.
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5. Häagen-Dazs Chocolate Ice Cream
Similar to Jeni’s, this one tasted like a good cup of hot chocolate. My grandma, husband and brother-in-law liked it, but my parents were more skeptical. “Very dense and thick. Not my favorite. A little chalky,” my mom commented. My dad noted that it “doesn’t have that classic chocolate ice cream flavor” (jury is out as to whether or not that’s a good thing) but he definitely didn’t like how dense it was. I thought it had a strange aftertaste and coated the roof of your mouth in an unappealing way.
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4. Hood Chocolate Ice Cream
I probably haven’t had a scoop of Hood ice cream since kindergarten and hadn't thought of this classic dairy brand in ages. I thought the ice cream was creamy and tasted like a really good milk chocolate candy bar and my husband agreed. While the group generally liked the creamy, milky texture, most people felt that the chocolate flavor dissipated a little too quickly. “Creamy, but not chocolate-y enough,” my grandma said. “It left a little bit to be desired for me,” my brother-in-law added. A pretty solid showing for this old-school regional brand.
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3. 365 by Whole Foods Market Chocolate Ice Cream
If you’re looking for a classic, nostalgic chocolate ice cream, this should do the trick. Multiple tasters remarked on the creaminess and milkiness, as well as how “familiar” it tasted—even though none of us had ever had it before. I found it to be light and refreshing in a way that some other ice creams weren't. The chocolate flavor was solid as well. “I like this. The flavor lingers longer than the others,” my dad said.
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2. Turkey Hill Dutch Chocolate Ice Cream
This freezer aisle mainstay impressed us with its creamy, velvety texture that was reminiscent of gelato or frozen custard. “I like the consistency,” my dad noted. I thought it tasted like the good kind of chocolate ice cream that you get at a restaurant. “Wouldn’t surprise me if this is a premium-ish brand,” my husband said during the blind tasting. There were zero complaints about this one, but it wasn’t as good as our gold medal winner.
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1. Trader Joe’s Super Premium Ultra Chocolate Ice Cream
Trader Joes' packs the label with adjectives: ultra chocolate, super premium. Luckily, those promises are backed up when you dig into a scoop. This was the first ice cream we tasted during the blind taste test and it quickly became the one to beat. “The flavor is great,” my brother-in-law said. “Rich chocolate flavor. Creamier than a lot of ice creams. Good summertime ice cream,” my dad noted. We loved the dark chocolate flavor, creamy, scoopable texture and all-around pleasant mouthfeel. This is definitely one to seek out on your next TJ's run.
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