When I began my illustrious career as an ice cream scooper in college, it wasn’t the lines that stretched out the door in the summertime or the people who took ten minutes (and multiple samples) to order that bugged me the most. Instead, it was the occasional person who ordered a scoop of vanilla in a cup. No hot fudge sauce, no sprinkle of nuts, not even a sugar cone on top. I couldn’t fathom why someone would satisfy her sweet tooth with something so ordinary in a sea of Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Dough and Coffee-Almond Fudge.
But after some time behind the counter, I realized that vanilla ice cream is more than just the best foundation flavor (better than chocolate, in my opinion). When done right, it has a robust, sweetly nostalgic flavor that needn’t be marred by additional ingredients. Unfortunately, far too many brands fail to achieve this. That’s why the DivineCaroline team sampled a variety of national brands to find the ones that give vanilla in a cup a good name—and the ones you can leave in the freezer aisle.
Run Out and Buy This Right Now
Häagen-Dazs Vanilla
Out of all seven brands we tried, this was the majority favorite by far. It was creamy and undeniably decadent, and the vanilla flavor came through without being too overwhelming. It lacked the artificial taste of the others, thanks to its five recognizable ingredients: cream, skim milk, sugar, egg yolks, and natural vanilla. It tasted like a spoonful of luxury, possibly because it has almost double the fat content of the other brands. But one bite of this, and you’ll forget all about that.
Suitable in Desperate Situations
Breyers All Natural Vanilla
This was the prettiest ice cream of the bunch, with a snowy white color and small flecks of vanilla bean. Because it claimed to be all-natural, I think the group had high hopes for a fresh, standout taste. Instead, half the tasters felt the aftertaste was too artificial, despite the brand’s claim to the contrary. The vanilla flavor was overwhelmingly strong, to the point that it bordered on almondlike.
