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When grocery shopping, there are two types of people: Those who beeline it for their tried-and-true brands, and those who seek out whatever’s on sale. But, this year, why not try something new? It’s not as risky as, say, committing to a mixie, and brands big and small—some who may not even be on your radar just yet—are coming out with all kinds of new frozen treats to enjoy. Here are the flavors worth stockpiling in your freezer. Promise.
Best Lower-Calorie Ice Cream
Halo Top became a household name for its lower-calorie, higher-protein pints of ice cream, but the one area that felt a little lacking was mouthfeel. It just wasn’t as smooth and creamy as some of the custard-y brands out there—which is why the company set out to reformulate it. Its chocolate cake batter ice cream hits all the right notes (including a rich-yet-not-too-intense cocoa flavor that’ll immediately remind you of swiping a little batter when Mom wasn’t looking).
Psst: If chocolate isn’t your thing, the company also released a line of fruit-based sorbets that are unbelievably smooth (not icy) and strike just the right balance between sweet and tart.
Best Chocolate-Covered Pop
We’ve all had chocolate-covered pops that taste more like a waxy, brown-colored coating than anything else. Thankfully, that is not the case here. Turkey Hill’s latest combines two flavors of ice cream on a stick, all dunked in a thick coating of milk chocolate (that tastes like a molten candy bar). We’re partial to the Reese’s-esque combination of peanut butter and chocolate, but you can also find dipped duos in caramel and chocolate, vanilla bean and chocolate, and strawberry and vanilla bean.
Best Conversation Starter
Don’t let this gloomy gray ice cream deceive you—it packs a citrusy burst of lemon, passion fruit and tangerine. It was designed to look nothing like how it tastes, serving as a reminder that things aren’t always what they seem. Jeni’s is bringing back the flavor this year in honor of May being Mental Health Awareness month, and as part of the campaign, the company is donating $25,000 to On Our Sleeves, a nonprofit that will distribute 30,000 Kindness Kits to kids in classrooms all over the country.
Best Dairy-Free Ice Cream Cone
And the award for fastest-disappearing treat goes to…So Delicious’s new Wondermilk Frozen Sundae Cones, specifically the salted caramel variety. Our tasters noted that these cones tasted like an upgraded version of a classic sundae cone, thanks to its swirls of buttery caramel and rich chocolate flavor throughout the dairy-free dessert.
Best Dairy-Free Pint
Eclipse’s plant-based pints are routinely sold out, and for good reason: They’re ridiculously creamy, sans cow’s milk. Speculoos fans will love the cookie butter flavor, which features gobs of crushed cookies and a cinnamon-meets-shortbread taste that shines through every bite. You won’t know whether to slather it on toast or scoop it into a sundae, but we’d argue it tastes best just as you’d enjoy the original spread: straight out of the jar.
Best for Cookies & Crème Fans
Cookies & Crème ice cream fans have opinions about the flavor. Don’t try to pass off a vaguely chocolate-flecked tub of vanilla as the real deal; the ratio of cookie bits-to-ice cream needs to be on point. And for the more-is-more types, there’s no better pick than Ben & Jerry’s Topped Dirt Cake. Vanilla pudding ice cream is loaded with chunks of chocolate sandwich cookies, swirled with cookie dust and topped with a layer of ganache and cookie crumbles that’d make Fudgie the Whale envious.
Best for Strawberry Ice Cream Fans
Enjoy cobber a la mode without the effort of making the dessert yourself (or even preheating the oven). This strawberry ice cream features a luscious blackberry swirl and is studded throughout with a hearty crumble reminiscent of the classic, biscuit-like topping.
Best Unexpected Flavor
If you stuck Magnolia’s famous banana pudding in the freezer, you’d probably have something close to this fluffy, custard-y ice cream. The ice cream is such a bold yellow we worried at first that it’d taste like Banana Runts, but no—it features just the right balance of banana puree and shortbread cookie bits to give it the taste and texture of the classic Southern dessert.
Best for Salty-Sweet Fans
Indecisive snackers, this treat’s for you. Talenti’s new Pairings gelato features two flavors side-by-side in every pint, and we’re partial to this combo of silky sea salt caramel and salted pretzel gelato. Blondie pieces and rich dulce de leche give this treat a better depth of flavor than the typical salted caramel ice cream.
Best Crowd-Pleaser
It’s vegan, it’s dairy-free—and it quickly became an editor favorite for its nostalgia-inducing blend of blondie bits and rainbow sprinkles. This Almondmilk-based ice cream is Whole Foods’s first crowd-sourced flavor, voted on by fans of the brand, and our taster says it lived up to the hype. It’s silky, it’s got a solid mix-ins-to-frozen-dessert ratio…just stick a candle on top and you’ve got a birthday party in pint form.
Best for Soft Serve Fans
If you can’t resist the siren’s call of a Mister Softee truck—but you can’t always track one down when a craving strikes—seek out Blue Bunny’s new Twist Cones. Available in vanilla with chocolate fudge or strawberry swirls throughout, these treats have a texture and finish that’s reminiscent of soft serve (so you won’t crack a tooth, even if you dig in when it’s fresh out of the freezer).
Best Late-Night Treat
Comfort shows, meet comfort food. As part of a collaboration with Warner Bros., Serendipity launched a series of pints tied to classic TV shows and movies, and Friends fans, this one's for you. Even if you never got into the sitcom, you'll appreciate the fudge-swirled, chocolate-covered-amond-studded coffee ice cream packed into every pint of this Central Perk-inspired treat. Plus, during the month of May, Serendipity Brands will donate $1 from every pint purchased to the Rare Impact Fund, which provides mental health resources to those in need.
