How To Make Walmart's Best Great Value Ice Cream Flavor Even Better

When we ranked 14 of Walmart's Great Value ice cream flavors from worst to best, all of them fell short of perfection. The vanilla tasted like chemicals, the textures were lackluster at best, and the manufacturer was so stingy with the add-ins that there were only two pieces of fruit in our entire pint of strawberry ice cream. Despite this, we did find one flavor that's worth the savings you get from buying generic instead of going brand name.

Great Value's cookies and cream flavor is richer and has a better flavor than plain vanilla, with a faint chocolate Oreo flavor (which is lovely when you actually get some cookie in your bite). Much like the aforementioned strawberry and butter pecan, finding the miniscule amount of promised chunks was like panning for gold after other miners had been there first. Fortunately, there's a simple solution to this that's both simple and budget-friendly: adding more cookies to your ice cream.

The process is similar to transforming store-bought ice cream with leftover Halloween candy. Just let the ice cream soften to a scoopable consistency on the counter while you crush Oreos (or their generic counterpart) inside a plastic freezer bag to avoid making a mess or losing cookie bits. Then, stir the cookies into the ice cream as evenly as you can before popping it back into the freezer or enjoying it right away, if you prefer crunchier cookies.

Even if you're not a big fan of Oreos, we still recommend this Great Value flavor as a sweet, frozen treat that won't weigh down your wallet. Since the Oreo flavor isn't very pronounced, this offers an opportunity for you to create a cookie-forward ice cream aligned with your personal tastes. For instance, if your issue with Oreos is the chocolate wafers, feel free to choose among the golden, lemon, or limited edition blueberry pie flavors, instead.

Other crispy cookies, like Chips Ahoy, Nutter Butters, and even Nilla Wafers, are perfect add-ins for this ice cream. Not only does each cookie add a unique texture and nostalgic flavor, but all of these additions help showcase the ice cream's fluffy texture. You might even consider combining different kinds of cookies to create a "kitchen sink"-style dessert, but be sure to blend flavors that work well together. For instance, mint and lemon Oreos probably don't belong in the same gallon of ice cream; instead, try mint and Chips Ahoy, or lemon and Nilla Wafers.

There's also a lot of inspiration to be had beyond cookies, as there are lots of unique toppings for vanilla ice cream that will also work with Great Value's cookies and cream flavor. Chili crisp oil and dark chocolate Oreos could be a sophisticated match; or you could get more playful with barbecue potato chips and birthday cake Oreos, or matcha powder and Oreos stuffed with refreshing mint cream.