7 Grocery Store Ice Cream Brands Ranked Worst to Best
Ice cream is a sweet treat, emphasis on sweet—but how much sugar is too much? The American Heart Association says men should consume no more than 9 teaspoons (36 grams or 150 calories) of added sugar per day, while women should consume no more than 6 teaspoons (25 grams or 100 calories) per day. Based on the nutrition labels of many ice cream brands, just one serving can knock you right out of that daily limit. So which are the worst offenders? Here are seven grocery store ice cream brands ranked from worst to best in terms of sugar content, ranked by 2/3 cup serving (and let’s be real, who is eating a 2/3 cup serving of ice cream? I would double the following amounts to make the serving size make sense).
Ben & Jerry’s Phish Food
Ben & Jerry’s Phish Food contains 37g of sugar per serving, which doesn’t stop customers from raving about the creamy goodness. “I like this ice cream. Caramel and chocolate go together really well,” one shopper said. “The only small minus is that it’s a little too sweet.”
Ben & Jerry’s Peanut Butter Cup
Ben & Jerry’s Peanut Butter Cup contains 34g of sugar per serving. Customers like the big chunks of peanut butter (which is probably a significant factor for the sweetness). “It’s sweet but not overwhelming. It’s the perfect dessert for anyone craving peanut butter or ice cream. It really hits the spot,” one Target shopper said.
Ben & Jerry’s Milk & Cookies
Ben & Jerry’s Milk & Cookies contains 32g of sugar per serving, and described as “Deconstructed ice cream sandwich perfection” by one reviewer. “This ice cream seems simple but I think it’s just streamlined down to the best ice cream attributes, texture, flavor, great base ice cream, it’s truly delish,” the shopper said.
Tillamook Mudslide Ice Cream
Tillamook Mudslide Ice Cream contains 24g of sugar per serving, and fans love the creamy taste. “I really enjoyed that the ribbons of chocolate were not hard to bite. They were smooth. The entire concoction was perfectly made,” one Target shopper said.
Blue Bell Cookie Two Step
Blue Bell Cookie Two Step contains 23g of sugar per serving. This dessert is a vanilla-flavored ice cream with hints of brown sugar, combined with chunks of chocolate crème-filled cookies and tasty chocolate chip cookie dough pieces. The ingredients lean more towards ultraprocessed compared to its competitors.
Van Leeuwen Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
One ice cream with low sugar and big flavor is Van Leeuwen Vanilla Bean Ice Cream, which contains 23g of sugar per serving. The ingredients are nice and clean, which is why it wins the (almost) top spot, and this flavor in particular is absolutely delicious. There’s a reason it’s always sold out!
Häagen-Dazs Chocolate Peanut Butter
Häagen-Dazs Chocolate Peanut Butter contains just 21g of sugar per serving, which is surprisingly low considering the peanut butter element. “I don’t know how they do it, but the ribbons of peanut butter through this chocolate ice cream give you peanut butter in every spoonful,” one Kroger shopper said.