5 Trader Joe's Ice Creams, Ranked

There are few grocery stores with a more devoted following than Trader Joe's. People line up around the block for its iconic micro tote bags, gush over the store's expansive cheese selection, and rave about the frozen desserts. But does Trader Joe's ice cream live up to the hype? Some of the most frequently discussed products include the store's rotating selection of seasonal ice creams, which switches out certain flavors to match current trends. While their limited-time offers are a fun shake-up to your dessert selection, the staples can be a good go-to when you're in the mood for something nostalgic. However, buyer beware: some flavors certainly outrank others.

To help you navigate the ever-changing selection — and throw my two cents into the always contentious favorite-flavor debate — I took on the duty of taste-testing five of Trader Joe's ice cream flavors and ranked them from worst to best. Whether you're an avid Trader Joe's shopper or an ice cream connoisseur, use this list as a guide the next time you're shopping for a refreshing, sweet treat at the beloved grocery store chain.

Trader Joe's is definitely known for its fun and innovative ice cream flavors, but it tends to fall short on the basics. The Ultra Chocolate Ice Cream was one of my least favorites on the list, and as a lover of anything chocolate-flavored, I was pretty shocked it didn't make it to the top. Its somewhat artificial taste is perhaps attributed to the overuse of cocoa powder rather than actual chocolate. As a pastry chef, I've made chocolate ice cream more times than I can count, and I've never once considered substituting cocoa powder in place of actual chocolate.

In addition to the subpar flavor, the texture was slightly icy and lacked the creamy, dense consistency I crave. In all fairness, I know that the ice cream has been sitting in a commercial freezer for who knows how many days; however, that doesn't justify a freezer-burned product. Since all of the other ice creams on this list didn't have the same problem, I would expect their chocolate ice cream to meet the same standards. Anytime I pick up a pint of ice cream, I look for two things: a creamy texture and a strong flavor — and if it doesn't check those boxes, then I don't want it. That being said, the next time you're on the hunt for tasty chocolate ice cream, you might want to take Trader Joe's off your list.

The only reason I didn't enjoy Trader Joe's Mint Chip Ice Cream was that the mint flavor was quite mild. I don't know about you, but whenever I'm eating mint chip ice cream, I want to be able to taste the grassy freshness of peppermint. While I know that's a lot to ask from a pint of ice cream, it's the truth, and subtle notes of peppermint just won't do.

Now, the chain grocery store's take on the classic ice cream flavor isn't a total flop — the ice cream is scattered with melt-in-your-mouth chocolate chips and ditches the green coloring that most commercial ice cream brands feel obligated to include in their mint chip ice cream recipes. I'll note that it has a lovely, creamy consistency similar to its French vanilla counterpart, which slightly makes up for its lackluster minty flavor.

Looking for a vanilla ice cream to scoop on top of this Chocolate Molten Lava Cake? Well, Trader Joe's has got you covered with its delicious French Vanilla Ice Cream. It has a lovely creamy texture with an irresistible milky, vanilla flavor that will make you go in for a second scoop before you've even finished your first. If you're looking for simple ice cream that would go just as well on a slice of apple pie as enjoyed straight off the spoon, then the French Vanilla Ice Cream is for you.

Admittedly, I'm a bit of a vanilla ice cream connoisseur — and I always have a few things I look for when buying a pint, like whether it has real vanilla beans or uses any unnecessary artificial ingredients. While I was disappointed that I didn't see any tiny specks of vanilla bean in Trader Joe's take on the classic ice cream flavor, its smooth, velvety consistency and delightful, creamy flavor made up for it. The French Vanilla Ice Cream is great on its own, but if you want to take it up a notch, you can try mixing in a splash of rose water for a floral twist or drizzling some of this Classic Hot Fudge Sauce on top. This ice cream is the perfect base, whether you want to add your own flavor or keep it simple and eat it straight from the carton.

Coming in a close second was Trader Joe's Strawberry Ice Cream — I don't know if it's the ice cream's fresh, fruity flavor that reminds me of summer, or if it's the mouthwatering, creamy, slightly tangy yogurt base that won me over. Either way, it definitely deserves its spot in your shopping cart.

I think we can all agree that most supermarkets and ice cream brands' strawberry-flavored ice cream can taste a bit like it's made in a factory, since they often rely heavily on artificial sweeteners and colors. Thankfully, Trader Joe's ditches that notion. The ice cream is made with real cream, whole milk, and egg yolks, and its adorable light pink color comes from a few fruit and vegetable juices. The best part is that its fresh strawberry flavor is the real deal — it actually contains real strawberries. Plus, it has the "Super Premium" designation since it has less than 50% overrun (meaning it has less air whipped into it while churning), giving it a richer flavor and denser texture.

Whether you add a drizzle to your iced coffee, spread some on a slice of toast, or just eat spoonfuls straight from the jar, Trader Joe's Speculoos Cookie Butter spread is undeniably delicious and one of the chain grocery store's best-selling products. I'm a huge fan of anything that has a bit of cookie butter in it, and when I saw the Speculoos Cookie Butter Ice Cream in the freezer aisle, it was in my cart before I even knew it.

For those who are unfamiliar, speculoos cookies are thin, buttery, and slightly caramelized Belgian biscuits, often featuring a blend of different spices, including cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom. Like they always do, Trader Joe's wanted to take this ice cream to the next level, so they added in actual pieces of speculoos along with a thick swirl of their famous cookie butter spread. The base of the ice cream is creamy and sweet, with subtle hints of vanilla extract, allowing the cinnamon-spiced cookie butter swirl to be the center of attention. Hands down, this was my favorite ice cream on the list — with the thick chunks of cookie butter and tiny, crunchy cookies scattered throughout taking it to the top. I highly recommend picking up a carton the next time you're shopping through their freezer aisle.

To make sure each ice cream was ranked as equally as possible, I evaluated them across two categories: flavor and texture. For flavor, I was looking for which ice cream had the most pronounced profile for the advertised product (how chocolatey the rich chocolate was, how minty the mint chip was, etc.).

In terms of texture, I judged based on the creaminess and velvetiness of the product, as they are quintessential and expected staples of any good ice cream. I further scrutinized additional mixed-in elements, such as chocolate chips, to determine whether they added to or detracted from the overall experience. As part of that method, if there were additional components, I tasted the base ice cream without any toppings, garnishes, or mix-ins to ensure I was staying true to the essence of the product.