Ben and Jerry's has the claim of being the first to sell cookie dough ice cream. Whether or not they fall flat among current competitors, I will thank them for popularizing a favorite flavor of mine. Since the introduction of cookie dough ice cream to pints in 1991, Ben and Jerry's has had fun introducing cookies or dough to ice cream in other ways. In 2010, Milk and Cookies was introduced with the vanilla ice cream here holding a chocolate cookie swirl, chocolate chip cookies, and chocolate chocolate chip cookies. As a fan of a safe vanilla base, these are the two in their lineup that call my name.

Ben and Jerry's Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

The promise of cookie dough chunks and chocolate chips in vanilla ice cream here is the same as what Häagen-Dazs pursued with their Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, so I think a direct comparison is warranted. Ben and Jerry's has a somewhat harder base with a very slight grit that Häagen-Dazs avoids with their perfectly smooth texture. The chocolate chips are slightly thicker and harder, still with a satisfying snap, but melt a bit less readily and are, much like the base, a little less smooth and in this case a bit waxier. They may be a bit of a darker chocolate though which is nice. All the differences in chocolate chips are very minor and would be difficult to pick up on without having them side by side. The cookie dough is very similar in strong brown sugar flavor and soft texture. There is a bit less grit of undissolved sugar crystals, but this is hardly noticeable. The more significant difference is that some of the cookie dough balls come in a larger size rather than the uniform size you get with Häagen-Dazs. There is more uninterrupted vanilla ice cream in this one with slightly less dough and significantly fewer chips. This is very similar to the Häagen-Dazs pint, but, to me, almost strictly inferior. It loses out a bit on mix in quantity and distribution, and more significantly on the quality of the base vanilla ice cream. (I don't have it to compare, but this might not be as good as the vanilla ice cream in Ben and Jerry's plain vanilla flavor). Even missing the high mark set by Häagen-Dazs, this is great. 9.2/10

Ben and Jerry's Milk & Cookies

This seems to have the same base as Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough. However, it is a bit muddled by chocolate cookie crumbs that find themselves not only in the swirl, but with dust distributed throughout the ice cream. The double chocolate cookies are dense and slightly doughy giving them a soft, ice cream soaked, brownie-like texture with the same mini chocolate chips featured in the balls of cookie dough to add a small crunch. Their flavor is somewhat brighter and milkier than the darker Oreo flavor of the cookie crumb swirl. In parts of the swirl the cookie crumbs keep their gritty, crispy crunch rather than being soaked through which adds a nice textural contrast. The chocolate chip cookies have the same texture as the double chocolate ones and a brown sugar flavor that is lighter than what is found in the cookie dough. They pair nicely with the vanilla base, but most bites leave them playing second fiddle to the louder chocolate flavored mix ins. I love the variety of mix ins here, and they all pair well with the vanilla base, but I think there is a bit too much getting in the way of enjoying that base. This is good, but it's at best a side step from the standard cookie dough. If I'm in the mood, this is nice, but I'm a bit more likely to want the cookie dough pint. 9.2/10

I recently tried Jeni's Double Dough for the first time and while I think they did a good enough job at pulling off the ice cream they set out to, it wasn't for me. The very sweet brown sugar base and lack of textural or flavor contrast from larger chunks of dough left me a bit disappointed, but it did ignite a craving for cookie dough ice cream in me. I first wanted to visit some familiar pints to give them ratings and the best place to start seemed like another pint that forgoes the traditional cookie dough in vanilla, Häagen-Dazs Salted Brown Butter Cookie. Häagen-Dazs goes for a brown butter base with milk chocolate chips and cookie pieces to evoke the experience of eating a chocolate chip cookie. I also had to pick up the more traditional cookie dough in vanilla that I tend to prefer.

Häagen-Dazs Salted Brown Butter Cookie

There is an incredible texture on this base that I have come to expect when digging into a Häagen-Dazs pint. It has a medium strong butter flavor, slightly browned, with a medium to weak brown sugar flavor (especially when compared to Jeni's Double Dough). It is a bit too sweet for my preference, but not far off. The chocolate chips have a great texture where they will snap when you bite into them, then melt away not long after the ice cream. I could have gone for a darker chocolate, but these are great. The cookie pieces do have a fairly strong brown sugar flavor that is able to contrast the base. They are soft and not far from the texture of cookie dough so you might confuse the inclusion for cookie dough if not paying attention. Notably, the cookies do not have chocolate chips in them, but I don't miss this, there are plenty of chips in the base. The flavor is good, the mixins are plentiful, and they add interest to the base. This is a great ice cream, but not quite the right direction to take cookie ice cream for me. 8.8/10

Häagen-Dazs Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

Again, a great texture and flavor on the vanilla base here. I love the slightly darker chocolate here that helps contrast and tone down the sweetness found elsewhere in this ice cream. They have the same texture I loved from the chips in Salted Brown Butter Cookie. The cookie dough is soft and dense with a strong brown sugar flavor and some gritty crunch of undissolved sugar crystals. The mixins are plentiful enough that you are not left wanting more, but not too crowded to stop you from experiencing the base that they contrast so well. For my tastes, the simple concept of cookie dough in vanilla is the way to go. 9.4/10

A New Top Dog

This makes Häagen-Dazs Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough the first pint to be rated over my favorite plain vanilla ice creams from Häagen-Dazs and Graeter's (both came in at 9.1/10). The next stop for me will be the originator of distributing cookie dough in ice cream, Ben and Jerry's.

Double Dough for half the dough? This is the last of the new flavors I picked up to try during the half off sale at Whole Foods. This is a bit different from your standard cookie dough ice cream in that instead of combining two incredible desserts by, well, combining them, Jeni's has opted to create a cookie dough flavored ice cream… Then still add some cookie dough for good measure.

Jeni's Double Dough

The first thing I notice with this pint, is a great easy to scoop, then smooth in the mouth texture. I had to look back through what I've tried from Jeni's, and yes, this is the first custard base (including egg yolk) I have gotten from them. While the others I've had do not fare poorly in the texture department, I do believe this is a step up. Right after the great texture of the base, the next thing to make itself known is a strong, punchy brown sugar flavor that slowly yields to a weaker, soft buttery note. The brown sugar flavor is great, but it brings with it a sweetness level that is just a little too much for me. I prefer my cookie dough to take a less sweet and more butter forward direction. With a few more scoops to evaluate the flavor, I start to wonder where the cookie dough is. Maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration, but it illustrates the point. The cookie dough mix in here is not particularly plentiful, and comes in the form of very small balls with tiny chocolate chips. They have a nice brown sugar flavor on their own, but not enough to significantly contrast the strongly flavored base. Furthermore, their small size, quickness to dissolve in your mouth, and lack of grit from undissolved sugar stop them from contrasting the texture of the base much as well. I don't think this is a significant miss on Jeni's stated goal, it does feel like eating a middle of the road store bought cookie dough (one with real butter), but it's not what I'm looking for. 7.8/10

My Next Stops and A Fun Idea for This Pint

While this isn't a repeat for me, it did pique my interest enough to draw me off on a shallow dive into some other cookie dough ice creams. Four I've had before and hopefully one more new pint should receive ratings soon. I don't like pecan pie so I'm not entirely sure the flavor is correct here, but I reckon if you threw in some candied or roasted pecans and some shortbread cookies, this would be a great base for a pecan pie ice cream.

I am not u/LetsCookie, just someone inspired by the 100 days of creative cookie ideas. I wanted to come up with my own and used a favorite breakfast of mine as inspiration: A cinnamon raisin bagel with peanut butter. I also wanted to try making a stuffed or filled cookie for the first time, so this is the idea I came up with. I usually like small batch baking, so this only makes a few large cookies.
Thanks u/LetsCookie for all the work you put into the 100 days, it was fun to follow along! One day is enough for me, does anyone else want to claim day 102?

Honey, I Shrunk the Cones

Did my spoon grow today? Maybe not, but these two flavors must be popular enough to justify packing into single serve cups. These ones are not new to me, but I wanted to try them again so I could give them some ratings on my board. Both include chocolate coated cone pieces and caramel in ice cream. Ben and Jerry's opts for vanilla ice cream while Häagen-Dazs chooses a caramel base. An interesting note: I think that both of these have larger cone pieces (which I would prefer) when bought in pint size and I will be grading them according to my memory of those inclusions.

Ben and Jerry's Americone Dream

The vanilla base here is a bit sweeter and slightly harder than my favorites. The caramel swirly is a fairly standard caramel sauce and comes in very sweet. I love the crunch from the chocolate coated waffle cone pieces and they add a nice flavor too. A couple of them unfortunately got soggy in the ice cream (They must not have been coated as well) and weren't as pleasant as the others. Overall, this is a well balanced take on the caramel cone flavor that suits my tastes, but with an execution that could be improved. 8.5/10

Häagen-Dazs Caramel Cone

The caramel base here has an incredible texture, but I do not appreciate the flavor or increased sweetness level. The caramel swirl here is less of a sauce (like you might find in a bottle) and moves a little in the direction of a dense caramel like you might find in a candy bar. I much prefer this texture over the caramel sauce, but added sweetness is not what I'm looking for with this base. The sugar cone pieces are much more plentiful here than in Ben and Jerry's, and they have fared much better in maintaining their crunch. It makes me think Häagen-Dazs may have a trick like cooking the cone fragments in a caramel to make something like a brittle before adding the chocolate coating. The problem for me comes with their flavor. In the presence of the caramel, they have a somewhat bitter aftertaste to me that reads almost similar to coffee which I really don't like. On the opposite side of the spectrum from Ben and Jerry's, this is a well executed textural masterpiece that chooses flavors and a sweetness level that are offputting to me. I don't hate it, but I would not buy it again. 7.2/10

A Short Takeaway

Although I do not like Häagen-Dazs Caramel Cone, I suspect most will prefer it over Ben and Jerry's and would probably recommend you go with Häagen-Dazs if picking between the two.

"That's no vanilla..." Ok, maybe the quote wasn't vanilla, but this is a bit of a Death Star among the vanilla moons in my freezer. This is Jeni's attempt to put a Reese's Take 5 candy bar (a favorite of mine if a bit too sweet for my current preferences) into ice cream form. I really appreciate the Jeni's way (at least from an artistic point of view) of deconstructing the essence of their inspiration and then making an ice cream that pulls all those factors together rather than just chopping up a candy bar and throwing it in the ice cream a la standard cookies and cream (even if my particular ice cream base preferences might prefer the taste of the latter more often).

Jeni's High Five Candy Bar

My first spoonful heads straight for the chocolate loaded base. It's a little harder than my favorite ice creams, but still quite soft and scoopable. The first thing I am hit with is the richness of the deeply roasted, salted peanut flavor carried by the base, almost as strong as peanut butter itself. Next comes the heavy handed addition of chocolate that starts to melt in your mouth just as the ice cream base starts to leave. Second spoonful targets the caramel. It is soft and more like a caramel sauce than a sticky, chewy caramel. Not my preference, and it's a bit too sweet but the salt stops it from being super cloying. I take a short break to jot down some notes then a third heaping spoonful that makes sure to pull in everything this pint has to offer. I love the deeply roasted flavor of the base, the texture brought by mixing the crunch of the covered pretzels and the snap of the chocolate bits is great. This is my first time having such a salted ice cream and it really helps manage the sweetness added by the caramel which isn't my favorite here. As I continue to dig further, I do encounter some pretzels that have unfortunately not been fully coated and got softened by base losing their crunch. I also notice the ice cream around the caramel ribbons is starting to melt faster. I am not a fan of the melty ice cream, so I lost a few spoonfuls to the sink there. I did however get a bite with a crunchy chocolate coated pretzel floating in a river of caramel that instantly brought nostalgia for the Twix and Snickers ice cream bars I used to buy at sumer camp as a kid. Any desert that can elevate something I liked as a kid and allow me to have that experience again with my changed tastes is really appreciated. I did end up finding a large gob of pretzel dust and chocolate (about half of which is pictured on the spoonful in the last shot) taking up space in my pint. I think I could have gone for more pretzels distributed in the ice cream. I thought I would miss the peanuts that are part of the Take 5 candy bar, but they would be superfluous here with the deep flavor of the base and the crunch of the pretzels making up for their absence. It's difficult for me to score this vs vanilla ice creams. The varied textures and flavors make for a sampling platter all in one pint which I really enjoy. The fact that every spoonful can be a different experience and the quick melting around the caramel keeps you drawn in for more and more, but you lose the chance to savor the experience. I think I found a new base flavor that I may crave and while this is far from becoming a freezer staple for me, I do think it has earned itself a repeat purchase at some point. 8.6/10

Can I Find Something That Might Fit My Preferences Better?

I ended up loving the idea here, but the execution is not tailored to me. I had two thoughts around how to recreate this for my tastes:

1. Häagen Dazs Peanut Butter Brittle + chocolate covered pretzels (Is base as roasty, salty and is caramel more thick?)
2. Jeni's Salted Peanut Butter with Chocolate Flecks + honey roasted peanuts and chocolate covered pretzels (I miss out on caramel and Twix/Snickers bar experience)

I am sure I'd like the texture of the Häagen Dazs base better, but can anyone who has tried both comment on the flavor? I'm a bit doubtful Häagen Dazs would match the deeply roasted and salty flavor Jeni's brings and am not sure I'd appreciate more dairy flavor in peanut butter ice cream. I'm also curious about the caramel in the Häagen Dazs. If I recall, they tend to have less of a caramel sauce and a more thick solid swirl in the pints I've had it in. Is that the case here?

Over the past weeks, I've been through many pints of premium vanilla Ice cream. There have been highs and lows and I want to help you on picking your favorite pint of the flavor that pairs with everything. Now that I've finished my tasting and gotten a bit more familiar with assigning numerical grades to ice cream, I have decided to adjust the numbers I gave to some ice creams. The order remains the same, but this will help set my scale more appropriately as I move on from only looking at vanilla.

Picking a Flight for Your Vanilla Tasting

With my brief experience here, I wanted to act as a guide to help you choose where to start with finding out what your perfect vanilla pint is. I think the best way is for you to start with a flight of three pints that showcase different aspects of what a plain vanilla has to offer. I will assume most of you have access to the Whole Foods selection as well as Häagen-Dazs and will give two selections based on whether or not you can get Graeter's.

Flight 1: You Can Find Graeter's

Graeter's Madagascar Vanilla Bean: The ultimate rich, creamy, dense ice cream with a strong vanilla flavor. This one shares top honors in my chart for a reason.

Häagen-Dazs Vanilla: Not the vanilla bean, this is the offering to appeal to those that want a nice vanilla flavor with no ground beans to interrupt the smooth texture of a great vanilla ice cream.

Van Leeuwen Vanilla Bean I know this rated very low for me, but that is due to a personal texture issue with many foods. This is a high quality vanilla ice cream that is rich and custardy, but with a much lighter, less dense product than the others.

If you like Graeter's and Häagen-Dazs, but want something with a brighter, more floral and dairy forward flavor, consider Häagen-Dazs Vanilla Bean next.

If you like Van Leeuwen and Häagen-Dazs and want some middle ground a bit lighter than Häagen-Dazs, but softer to scoop than Van Leeuwen, you should try Straus Vanilla Bean next.

Flight 2: You Don't Have Access to Graeter's

Häagen-Dazs Vanilla Bean: This will be your ultimate rich, creamy, dense ice cream. It comes with a lighter, more floral and dairy forward flavor. It will be the vanilla I purchase most often, and I hope you like it.

Straus Vanilla Bean: This is lighter and less dense with a similar soft, easy melting texture.

Van Leeuwen Vanilla Bean I know this rated very low for me, but that is due to a personal texture issue with many foods. This is a high quality vanilla ice cream that is rich and custardy, but with a much lighter, less dense product than the others.

If you like Häagen-Dazs and Straus, but want something with a slightly darker more caramelly vanilla flavor, try Häagen-Dazs Vanilla next.

If You Want Dairy Flavor Unadulterated by Vanilla

Jeni's Sweet Cream A harder ice cream, but it is all dairy without too much sweetness or vanilla in the way.

Häagen-Dazs Vanilla Bean This does not have the strongest vanilla flavor, but id does come as a very rich, melt in your mouth texture.

Thanks For Following Along

I've really enjoyed making this series and interacting with you guys along the way. Thanks for all your recommendations and input! You all make a great group of positive people to share a love of ice cream with. Next for me will be posting some ideas for toppings and pairings to help make a vanilla ice cream more interesting and some reviews for pints that have a bit more chaos built in.

The Ratings

Ice Cream	Rating	Why You Should Get It
Häagen-Dazs Vanilla Bean	9.1/10	This is my favorite. It is sweet, rich and melts readily into a smooth cream on your tongue right after removing from the freezer. This has some of the floral vanilla bean notes if you are looking for those.
Graeter's Madagascar Vanilla Bean	9.1/10	This ties the score of my long time favorite Häagen-Dazs. Two minor differences that would be difficult to detect without them side by side are that Graeter's is slightly harder and less ready to melt, and it is slightly sweeter. The larger differences are that this has a noticeably stronger vanilla flavor and it has some grit from the vanilla beans that breaks up the smoothness. I choose to list Häagen-Dazs above Graeter's on this list mostly because of price and availability.
Jeni's Sweet Cream	8.9/10	I love the richness of this fat forward, slightly less sweet ice cream. It is a bit harder and less melty than the Häagen-Dazs. You have to appreciate the less bold, dairy forward flavor with a lower sweetness level, but if that sounds like you, pick this pint up.
Straus Vanilla Bean	8.8/10	This is for you if you want something with the greatest, soft, ready to melt texture, but desire a bit more of an airy scoop than Häagen-Dazs or Graeter's provide. If you're not bothered by a softer, lighter vanilla flavor, go for this one.
Häagen-Dazs Vanilla	8.7/10	This is your pick if you want a slightly more potent vanilla flavor that leans into the darker caramel/oaky notes more than the brighter floral ones and you don't mind taking a very slightly less dense and rich base to get it. Even though it sacrifices some of that tongue coating richness, this still manages to be maybe the smoothest ice cream of the bunch without any bean fragments to break up the texture.
Ben and Jerry's Vanilla	8.5/10	If you want something slightly sweeter than Häagen-Dazs Vanilla and aren't bothered by it being less smooth and less caramelly, you should consider this one. If you are looking for a pint that challenges and only falls a little short of the strongest competitors that charge twice the price, this is a great choice.
Walpole Tahitian Vanilla	8.4/10	This is a local brand, but if it is available to you, you might want to pick it for a strong dairy flavor that holds up despite being paired with a strong vanilla flavor as well. It is a good quality, dense ice cream. You also might pick it if you want to avoid the eggs that show up in most of the similarly dense and rich ice creams.
Jeni's Honey Vanilla Bean	8.3/10	I think it might be slightly difficult to recommend this over Häagen-Dazs Vanilla given the different price points. I think the honey flavor is too difficult to detect, but this drops in my rankings for being a slightly harder and sweeter ice cream. Pick this if you like Häagen-Dazs Vanilla, but want to lean ever so slightly sweeter.
Trader Joe's French Vanilla	8.2/10	A good bargain option compared to the others on this list that punches above its price tag. This is soft and rich, but falls behind in flavor. Perfect for a party, especially if there are some toppings to pick from that will make up for the weaker flavor.
New City Vanilla Bourbon	8.0/10	This is a local brand, but it is good for someone who wants a light, airy ice cream that is soft straight from the freezer. The bourbon is subtle and almost lost, but probably lends some deeper flavor notes to the vanilla.
McConnell's Vanilla Bean	7.9/10	This is harder out of the freezer and less ready to melt than the competition I rank higher. If that appeals to you, you might be able to look past what I think is a weaker vanilla flavor. I do think I would mostly steer you towards Häagen-Dazs, but this is a very good ice cream so if you see any offerings with mix-ins that sound good, don't hesitate to pick them up.
Van Leeuwen Vanilla Bean	6.8/10	Despite falling far behind in my ratings and being one I am likely to avoid in the future, this might be one of the ice creams I am most likely to recommend. A big factor in this low rating is a texture issue of mine that you probably don't share. If you appreciate or don't mind an egg flavor (similar to a yellow cake or a custard so not out of place in sweets) that can get in front of the weaker vanilla, you will be rewarded with what seems to be a challenger for the richest, highest fat ice cream of the bunch. If having something that stays more of a stable foam than a puddle of cream as it melts (think of a deluxe version of the over-stabilized ice cream you would find in cheap ice cream sandwiches), then this might be your pick.
Alec's Tahitian Vanilla Bean	5.7/10	This is a light and foamy ice cream. If you like the idea of getting some fiber with your ice cream, or need the A2 dairy, you should consider this. Otherwise, I think you should skip it due to a lack of richness and almost chalky, over-stabilized texture

The recent Whole Foods sale convinced me to add two regional brands that appear on their shelves to my list of vanilla ice creams to taste. I know a lot of people like to complain about quality dropping as brands become more prolific because they have a stronger incentive to boost profit margins and compete on price while local brands have to rely more heavily on quality as the selling point. I would counter slightly that national brands grew to that size for a reason, and they will tend to have more knowledge in how to deal with the supply chain to make sure the ice cream makes it to your freezer in good condition. Because these are local brands that you are likely unfamiliar with, I have decided to pull some information from their websites to give you some background on the brands before my ratings.

New City Microcreamery Background

New City is a Massachusetts based brand with a couple of scoop shops. They use dairy from a local Mapleline Farm that raises jersey cows which give A2 milk richer in fat, calcium, and protein than the more common holstein. Once the base is mixed and steeped, they put it in a mixer and add liquid nitrogen while mixing to give a light texture with a smooth mouthfeel due to small ice crystals, They also offer some fun flavor ideas such as Baklava "Honey and cinnamon ice cream with swirls of walnut filling and gooey filo dough pieces", Tres Leches "Vanilla cream cheese ice cream with dulce du leche swirls and vanilla wafer pieces", and Tiramisu "Mascarpone ice cream with espresso syrup soaked cookies and swirls of espresso cream" among others.

Walpole Creamery Background

This New Hampshire based creamery also uses jersey cows for dairy. They use fresh milk from a farm 3 miles away and source cream from a farm in bordering Vermont. Walpole is proud to advertise that their small batch product meets the standard for super premium ice cream with over 16% milk fat and a 30% overrun. The ice cream they pack for distribution focuses more on basic flavors rather than elaborate mix ins, but their Fijian Ginger or Real Maple Walnut are not the most common flavors from our favorite national producers.

New City Vanilla Bourbon

This ice cream is soft, but light and airy. It is on the sweeter side, but still rich and creamy enough. It feels on the slightly more stabilized side and has a fairly strong flavor with some deeper notes, but the vanilla is much stronger than the bourbon. As it warms, the strong stabilization becomes more pronounced and it takes on a slightly foamy, gummy texture. 8.0/10

Walpole Tahitian Vanilla

This is a rare contender in the premium vanilla space that uses neither egg yolks or vanilla beans. They rely on a few gums to thicken this dense ice cream. This pint has a somewhat stronger vanilla flavor compared to the others I've tasted with some of the darker caramelly notes, but also has a very present dairy flavor to it. It is dense, but doesn't quite reach the richness of those topping my chart. It is pleasantly not too sweet, but slightly icy or gritty compared to the super smooth offerings that rate nearer the top of my list. After it warms for a while, it starts to take on some of the over stabilized foamy texture that bothers me. 8.2/10

That Concludes My Vanilla Tastings

I think this will be it for new pints of vanilla to add to my list. I may want to do another wrap-up post where I suggest a three or four pint flight for you to put together and taste to find out which brand should earn a spot in your freezer and see how differently a simple flavor can be executed. I may also put together a list of toppings I like to add to vanilla and ask for your favorites so we can share some inspiration. For now, it's off to freezer clean out duties for me.

The Ratings

Ice Cream	Rating	Why You Should Get It
Häagen-Dazs Vanilla Bean	8.7/10	This is my favorite. It is sweet, rich and melts readily into a smooth cream on your tongue right after removing from the freezer. This has some of the floral vanilla bean notes if you are looking for those.
Graeter's Madagascar Vanilla Bean	8.7/10	This ties the score of my long time favorite Häagen-Dazs. Two minor differences that would be difficult to detect without them side by side are that Graeter's is slightly harder and less ready to melt, and it is slightly sweeter. The larger differences are that this has a noticeably stronger vanilla flavor and it has some grit from the vanilla beans that breaks up the smoothness. I choose to list Häagen-Dazs above Graeter's on this list mostly because of price and availability.
Jeni's Sweet Cream	8.6/10	I love the richness of this fat forward, slightly less sweet ice cream. It is a bit harder and less melty than the Häagen-Dazs. You have to appreciate the less bold, dairy forward flavor with a lower sweetness level, but if that sounds like you, pick this pint up.
Straus Vanilla Bean	8.5/10	This is for you if you want something with the greatest, soft, ready to melt texture, but desire a bit more of an airy scoop than Häagen-Dazs or Graeter's provide. If you're not bothered by a softer, lighter vanilla flavor, go for this one.
Häagen-Dazs Vanilla	8.4/10	This is your pick if you want a slightly more potent vanilla flavor that leans into the darker caramel/oaky notes more than the brighter floral ones and you don't mind taking a very slightly less dense and rich base to get it. Even though it sacrifices some of that tongue coating richness, this still manages to be maybe the smoothest ice cream of the bunch
Ben and Jerry's Vanilla	8.3/10	If you want something slightly sweeter than Häagen-Dazs Vanilla and aren't bothered by it being less smooth and less caramelly, you should consider this one. If you are looking for a pint that challenges and only falls a little short of the strongest competitors that charge twice the price, this is a great choice
Walpole Tahitian Vanilla	8.2/10	This is a local brand, but if it is available to you, you might want to pick it for a strong dairy flavor that can hold up when paired with a strong vanilla flavor as well. It is a good quality, dense ice cream. You also might pick it if you want to avoid the eggs that show up in most of the similarly dense and rich ice creams.
Jeni's Honey Vanilla Bean	8.2/10	I think it might be slightly difficult to recommend this over Häagen-Dazs Vanilla given the different price points. I think they are very similar but haven't had them side by side, so the following assessments might not be quite right. Pick this if you like Häagen-Dazs Vanilla, but want to lean ever so slightly brighter in flavor and sweeter.
Trader Joe's French Vanilla	8.2/10	A good bargain option compared to the others on this list that punches above its price tag. This is soft and rich, but falls behind in flavor. Perfect for a party, especially if there are some toppings to pick from.
New City Vanilla Bourbon	8.0/10	This is a local brand, but it is good for someone who wants a light, airy ice cream that is soft straight from the freezer. The bourbon is subtle and almost lost, but probably lends some deeper flavor notes to the vanilla.
McConnell's Vanilla Bean	7.9/10	This is a bit harder out of the freezer and less ready to melt than the Häagen-Dazs ice creams. If that appeals to you, you might be able to look past what I think is a weaker vanilla flavor. I do think I would mostly steer you towards Häagen-Dazs, but this is a very good ice cream so if you see any offerings with mix-ins that sound good, don't hesitate to pick them up.
Van Leeuwen Vanilla Bean	6.8/10	Despite falling a distant last in my ratings and being the only one I am likely to avoid in the future, this might be the ice cream I am second most likely to recommend. A big factor in this low rating is a texture issue of mine that you probably don't share. If you appreciate or don't mind an egg flavor (similar to a yellow cake or a custard) that can get in front of the weaker vanilla, you will be rewarded with what seems to be the richest, highest fat ice cream of the bunch. If having something that stays more of a stable foam than a puddle of cream as it melts (think of a deluxe version of the over-stabilized ice cream you would find in cheap ice cream sandwiches), then this might be your pick.
Alec's Tahitian Vanilla Bean	5.7/10	This is a light and foamy ice cream. If you like the idea of getting some fiber with your ice cream, or need the A2 dairy, you should consider this. Otherwise, I think you should skip it due to a lack of richness and almost chalky, over-stabilized texture

I tried this and it came out quite good. It has a nice roasted peanut flavor, and using honey as the sweetener helps the flavor as well. This comes out in large clusters if you like your granola that way.

INGREDIENTS

Ingredient	Amount
Peanut Butter	128 g (1/2 cup)
Honey	128 g (1/3 cup)
Salt	2 g (1/2 tsp)
Peanuts	128 g (1/2 cup)
Oats	128 g (1 1/2 cups)
Peanut Powder	32 g (1/3 cup)
Raisins (optional)	80 g (1/2 cup)

You can use an extra 1/2 cup (40 g) oats instead of the peanut powder, but you will miss out on some of the flavor and it may not form clusters as well.

DIRECTIONS

1. Mix the peanut butter, honey, and salt. Optionally, heat the mixture in the microwave for about 30 seconds to make it thinner and easier to mix with the remaining ingredients.
2. Stir in the peanuts, oats, and peanut powder until everything is evenly coated.
3. Spread the mixture evenly on a baking sheet. A 1/4 sheet pan is the right size for this.
4. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 20–24 minutes, stirring about halfway through.
5. Let cool for 40 minutes, then break into clusters and stir in the raisins.

Last time, we saw that Trader Joe's could give us an ice cream that closed in on the premiums in quality without approaching their price. This time around, I will see if Alec's can match that quality while improving the healthiness of their ice cream.

Alec's Tahitian Vanilla Bean

This was a soft and scoopable ice cream straight from the freezer. Unfortunately, that is where the positives end. It is a light and spongy ice cream that comes across as over-stabilized and foamy. The vanilla flavor is light and it tastes sweet without the richness to back it up, seeming more icy than creamy. As it warms, things only get worse as the texture starts to present as chalky. This one is not for me. It is not inedible, but it is thoroughly unenjoyable. 5.7/10

My Thoughts on "Healthy" Ice Cream in General

I'm not against the idea of a healthier desert in general, but if it makes the desert less enjoyable, I will usually steer clear. I'd rather have ever so slightly less of a desert I really enjoy than a bit more of one that sacrifices that enjoyment. Luckily for me, I enjoy vegetables and whole grains enough to not have to look to ice cream to wash down my fiber. Even if you don't like vegetables or whole grains, I think most people would be better off making the sacrifice of adding some fruits and vegetables or swapping refined grains for whole ones rather than trying to get that missing nutrition from a less enjoyable ice cream. If you need the A2 dairy to tolerate ice cream, I think you should look around to see if you can find something better than Alec's. One of the local brands near me that shows up on Whole Foods' shelves is also A2 and a much better product in my opinion. I hope you can find something similar near you.

The Ratings

Ice Cream	Rating	Why You Should Get It
Häagen-Dazs Vanilla Bean	8.7/10	This is my favorite. It is sweet, rich and melts readily into a smooth cream on your tongue right after removing from the freezer. This has some of the floral vanilla bean notes if you are looking for those.
Graeter's Madagascar Vanilla Bean	8.7/10	This ties the score of my long time favorite Häagen-Dazs. Two minor differences that would be difficult to detect without them side by side are that Graeter's is slightly harder and less ready to melt, and it is slightly sweeter. The larger differences are that this has a noticeably stronger vanilla flavor and it has some grit from the vanilla beans that breaks up the smoothness. I choose to list Häagen-Dazs above Graeter's on this list mostly because of price and availability.
Jeni's Sweet Cream	8.6/10	I love the richness of this fat forward, slightly less sweet ice cream. It is a bit harder and less melty than the Häagen-Dazs. You have to appreciate the less bold, dairy forward flavor with a lower sweetness level, but if that sounds like you, pick this pint up.
Straus Vanilla Bean	8.5/10	This is for you if you want something with the greatest, soft, ready to melt texture, but desire a bit more of an airy scoop than Häagen-Dazs or Graeter's provide. If you're not bothered by a softer, lighter vanilla flavor, go for this one.
Häagen-Dazs Vanilla	8.4/10	This is your pick if you want a slightly more potent vanilla flavor that leans into the darker caramel/oaky notes more than the brighter floral ones and you don't mind taking a very slightly less dense and rich base to get it. Even though it sacrifices some of that tongue coating richness, this still manages to be maybe the smoothest ice cream of the bunch
Ben and Jerry's Vanilla	8.3/10	If you want something slightly sweeter than Häagen-Dazs Vanilla and aren't bothered by it being less smooth and less caramelly, you should consider this one. If you are looking for a pint that challenges and only falls a little short of the strongest competitors that charge twice the price, this is a great choice
Jeni's Honey Vanilla Bean	8.2/10	I think it might be slightly difficult to recommend this over Häagen-Dazs Vanilla given the different price points. I think they are very similar but haven't had them side by side, so the following assessments might not be quite right. Pick this if you like Häagen-Dazs Vanilla, but want to lean ever so slightly brighter in flavor and sweeter.
Trader Joe's French Vanilla	8.2/10	A good bargain option compared to the others on this list that punches above its price tag. This is soft and rich, but falls behind in flavor. Perfect for a party, especially if there are some toppings to pick from.
McConnell's Vanilla Bean	7.9/10	This is a bit harder out of the freezer and less ready to melt than the Häagen-Dazs ice creams. If that appeals to you, you might be able to look past what I think is a weaker vanilla flavor. I do think I would mostly steer you towards Häagen-Dazs, but this is a very good ice cream so if you see any offerings with mix-ins that sound good, don't hesitate to pick them up.
Van Leeuwen Vanilla Bean	6.8/10	Despite falling a distant last in my ratings and being the only one I am likely to avoid in the future, this might be the ice cream I am second most likely to recommend. A big factor in this low rating is a texture issue of mine that you probably don't share. If you appreciate or don't mind an egg flavor (similar to a yellow cake or a custard) that can get in front of the weaker vanilla, you will be rewarded with what seems to be the richest, highest fat ice cream of the bunch. If having something that stays more of a stable foam than a puddle of cream as it melts (think of a deluxe version of the over-stabilized ice cream you would find in cheap ice cream sandwiches), then this might be your pick.
Alec's Tahitian Vanilla Bean	5.7/10	This is a light and foamy ice cream. If you like the idea of getting some fiber with your ice cream, or need the A2 dairy, you should consider this. Otherwise, I think you should skip it due to a lack of richness and almost chalky, over-stabilized texture

Can Trader Joe's hang with the premium brands without the premium price? I will take a one time foray away from pints to get this, not available in a smaller package than a quart. I believe Trader Joe's uses the same supplier for this ice cream as Costco uses for their store brand vanilla. Looking at the label, this should have the density of a premium and is available in a half gallon tub for a lower price than some of the pints I have ranked. Is this too good to be true?

Trader Joe's French Vanilla

This is a great smooth, soft ice cream that melts easily in your mouth and has the density to avoid the whipped feeling of many cheaper ice creams. It's not overly sweet which is a significant consideration for me and it has a satisfying richness. It does, however, seem to me like the weakest flavored of the vanillas I have gone through here. As it warmed a bit, it started to run into an overstabilization issue that produces a texture which bothers me (Think of the way cheap ice cream sandwiches warm through a foamy stage before melting into a puddle, but not nearly that extreme here). I don't think I'll buy it again for myself, but it's not meant to compete on quality with the pints I prefer. If this is what shows up at a party or social gathering, I would be very excited to see it rather than most of the tubs that target that audience. 8.1/10

Trader Joe's is for the Novelties

I have had a few ice cream treats from Trader Joe's that I do enjoy. If you're willing to take a step down in ice cream quality for a fun or nostalgic form factor, take a look at their frozen treats. I've liked the Mini Hold The Cone ice creams (I've had vanilla and seasonal peppermint) and the cookie ice cream sandwiches (Liked the Sublime ones [chocolate chip cookie with vanilla ice cream rolled in chocolate chips] and the Cookies 'N Cream ones [Double chocolate cookie with cookies & cream ice cream], did not like the Mini Mint ones [They had a more traditional ice cream sandwich cookie and more stabilized mint chip ice cream that both did not fair well with my texture issues]).

Extending my Vanilla Tasting Series

In my last post, I said that I was planning to close out my vanilla tastings. This was before I learned of the Whole Foods sale. With a change of circumstances, comes a change of plans. Thanks for reading this long, here is your ratings table.

The Ratings

Ice Cream	Rating	Why You Should Get It
Häagen-Dazs Vanilla Bean	8.7/10	This is my favorite. It is sweet, rich and melts readily into a smooth cream on your tongue right after removing from the freezer. This has some of the floral vanilla bean notes if you are looking for those.
Graeter's Madagascar Vanilla Bean	8.7/10	This ties the score of my long time favorite Häagen-Dazs. Two minor differences that would be difficult to detect without them side by side are that Graeter's is slightly harder and less ready to melt, and it is slightly sweeter. The larger differences are that this has a noticeably stronger vanilla flavor and it has some grit from the vanilla beans that breaks up the smoothness. I choose to list Häagen-Dazs above Graeter's on this list mostly because of price and availability.
Jeni's Sweet Cream	8.6/10	I love the richness of this fat forward, slightly less sweet ice cream. It is a bit harder and less melty than the Häagen-Dazs. You have to appreciate the less bold, dairy forward flavor with a lower sweetness level, but if that sounds like you, pick this pint up.
Straus Vanilla Bean	8.5/10	This is for you if you want something with the greatest, soft, ready to melt texture, but desire a bit more of an airy scoop than Häagen-Dazs or Graeter's provide. If you're not bothered by a softer, lighter vanilla flavor, go for this one.
Häagen-Dazs Vanilla	8.4/10	This is your pick if you want a slightly more potent vanilla flavor that leans into the darker caramel/oaky notes more than the brighter floral ones and you don't mind taking a very slightly less dense and rich base to get it. Even though it sacrifices some of that tongue coating richness, this still manages to be maybe the smoothest ice cream of the bunch
Ben and Jerry's Vanilla	8.3/10	If you want something slightly sweeter than Häagen-Dazs Vanilla and aren't bothered by it being less smooth and less caramelly, you should consider this one. If you are looking for a pint that challenges and only falls a little short of the strongest competitors that charge twice the price, this is a great choice
Jeni's Honey Vanilla Bean	8.2/10	I think it might be slightly difficult to recommend this over Häagen-Dazs Vanilla given the different price points. I think they are very similar but haven't had them side by side, so the following assessments might not be quite right. Pick this if you like Häagen-Dazs Vanilla, but want to lean ever so slightly brighter in flavor and sweeter.
Trader Joe's French Vanilla	8.1/10	A good bargain option compared to the others on this list that punches above its price tag. This is soft and rich, but falls behind in flavor. Perfect for a party, especially if there are some toppings to pick from.
McConnell's Vanilla Bean	7.9/10	This is a bit harder out of the freezer and less ready to melt than the Häagen-Dazs ice creams. If that appeals to you, you might be able to look past what I think is a weaker vanilla flavor. I do think I would mostly steer you towards Häagen-Dazs, but this is a very good ice cream so if you see any offerings with mix-ins that sound good, don't hesitate to pick them up.
Van Leeuwen Vanilla Bean	6.8/10	Despite falling a distant last in my ratings and being the only one I am likely to avoid in the future, this might be the ice cream I am second most likely to recommend. A big factor in this low rating is a texture issue of mine that you probably don't share. If you appreciate or don't mind an egg flavor (similar to a yellow cake or a custard) that can get in front of the weaker vanilla, you will be rewarded with what seems to be the richest, highest fat ice cream of the bunch. If having something that stays more of a stable foam than a puddle of cream as it melts (think of a deluxe version of the over stabilized ice cream you would find in cheap ice cream sandwiches), then this might be your pick.

When I asked previously, I got more suggestions than I bargained for (Thanks!). So there was one obvious solution, make a tasting board with some of the options I thought sounded best and some things I had lying around.

The Options

Pairing	Rating (Stars out of 5)
Granola	5
Cinnamon Toast Crunch	5 -My favorite
Honey Bunches of Oats	3 -I wasn't as much of a fan of how the cornflake flavor went with PB
Apple Slices	5
Carots	4
Mini Chocolate Covered Pretzels	5
Pretzels	4
Peanuts	4 -Just crunch PB, great but nothing special
Raisins	4
Cranberry Raisins	3

For a bonus combine multiple options. PB + granola or CTC + raisins and/or apple slices works great

I wanted to try this in comparison to their Vanilla Bean so I took the chance to pick it up at the Whole Foods sale. I won't be adding it to my vanilla ice cream rundown because I think this serves a slightly different purpose. Vanilla can be paired with many other deserts or topped the way you like it that day. The same pint can be six different deserts on six different days. Vanilla chocolate chip pairs with most things I would pair vanilla with, but not all. Apple pie with vanilla ice cream works, add chocolate chips and the pairing falls apart a bit. Because of this, a vanilla ice cream will have a permanent spot in my freezer while chocolate chip ice cream is more likely to appear in my cone from a scoop shop than a pint in my freezer. I will add chocolate chips to my vanilla ice cream if that's what I crave.

Straus Vanilla Chip

The base on this ice cream seems a bit more rich than that of the Vanilla Bean from Straus. It doesn't quite match Häagen-Dazs Vanilla Bean or Graeter's, but is a step closer. I think the vanilla flavor is slightly stronger than that found in the option without chocolate chips as well. They did not skimp on the chocolate. It did a good job of adding the right amount of sugar to balance the bitterness without getting overly sweet. I was not so much of a fan of the little broken flacks of chocolate that got in the way of enjoying the base on its own in some scoops. The bigger pieces were a very nice size to break up the ice cream with some contrast, but were a bit hard and crunchy rather than snappy and quick to melt. There was a little more chocolate than I would have wanted, but I am someone who bakes chocolate chip cookies with half the chocolate called for in the recipe. 8.7/10

A Few Notes

Straus Vanilla Bean scored 8.5 for me, so this was +0.1 for a better base and +0.1 for the chocolate. I'm disappointed that Straus doesn't let us get this better base on its own. I understand that offering three separate pints for Vanilla, Vanilla Bean, and Vanilla Chocolate Chip, the way Häagen-Dazs does, might not be reasonable, but at least pick the best version of the base to feature in the pint that showcases it most. On another note, I understand that Straus uses coconut oil rather than cocoa butter, so this is not really chocolate. At freezer temperatures, I think this makes for a better eating experience if you ask me.

Straus Vanilla Bean

This has the same great, ready to melt in your mouth, texture I enjoyed so much from Häagen-Dazs and Graeter's. It does seem to lack slightly in richness when put up against those two and it is more fluffy or airy. I personally prefer the dense ice creams. I think the vanilla flavor is a bit too light here and it gives a similar profile to Häagen-Dazs Vanilla Bean where you get mostly sweet flavor with less of the carmelly punch to balance it out that Graeter's managed to show. It is not an overly sweet ice cream, which I appreciate, but I could hope for a bit more richness, flavor, and density. 8.5/10

Ben and Jerry's Vanilla

Before opening this up, I must have forgotten or never noticed that it is a vanilla bean ice cream. Maybe it is because I've had their Americone Dream or Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough more recently than Vanilla. Or maybe it's simply that Ben and Jerry's seems to be the one brand not eager to sell you on their vanilla by advertising the use of beans. Either way, when tasting, this ice cream was nicely soft and ready to melt in the mouth. It did have a small level of grit or iciness to it. I would place it behind Häagen-Dazs Vanilla and Straus on the texture front and around that of Jeni's Honey Vanilla Bean. The flavor leans towards a sweeter and less potent or caramelly vanilla similar to Häagen-Dazs Vanilla Bean and Straus. This is a bit better than I was remembering, and if I had been factoring price into my ratings, it would challenge some of my frontrunners. 8.3/10

Retasting and Updating Some Rankings

I had to buy some more Häagen-Dazs Vanilla to compare to a few of the pints I was giving similar scores to without a side by side comparison. I also have to add the note that Häagen-Dazs Vanilla might have the most silky smooth texture of all the vanillas here, most noticeable after it has melted in your mouth. When tasting it side by side with Jeni's Honey Vanilla Bean, I notice that Jeni's is significantly sweeter with more powerful caramel notes in the flavor. It is also slightly less smooth and easy melting. Those are negatives for me, so I am moving it down slightly to 8.2/10.

What's Next?

I don't have any more brands planned, so if you have any other premium vanillas that should be tried and that I can find in pint size, please suggest them.

The Ratings

Ice Cream	Rating	Why You Should Get It
Häagen-Dazs Vanilla Bean	8.7/10	This is my favorite. It is sweet, rich and melts readily into a smooth cream on your tongue right after removing from the freezer. This has some of the floral vanilla bean notes if you are looking for those.
Graeter's Madagascar Vanilla Bean	8.7/10	This ties the score of my long time favorite Häagen-Dazs. Two minor differences that would be difficult to detect without them side by side are that Graeter's is slightly harder and less ready to melt, and it is slightly sweeter. The larger differences are that this has a noticeably stronger vanilla flavor and it has some grit from the vanilla beans that breaks up the smoothness. I choose to list Häagen-Dazs above Graeter's on this list mostly because of price and availability.
Jeni's Sweet Cream	8.6/10	I love the richness of this fat forward, slightly less sweet ice cream. It is a bit harder and less melty than the Häagen-Dazs. You have to appreciate the less bold, dairy forward flavor with a lower sweetness level, but if that sounds like you, pick this pint up.
Straus Vanilla Bean	8.5/10	This is for you if you want something with the greatest, soft, ready to melt texture, but desire a bit more of an airy scoop than Häagen-Dazs or Graeter's provide. If you're not bothered by a softer, lighter vanilla flavor, go for this one.
Häagen-Dazs Vanilla	8.4/10	This is your pick if you want a slightly more potent vanilla flavor that leans into the darker caramel/oaky notes more than the brighter floral ones and you don't mind taking a very slightly less dense and rich base to get it. Even though it sacrifices some of that tongue coating richness, this still manages to be maybe the smoothest ice cream of the bunch
Ben and Jerry's Vanilla	8.3/10	If you want something slightly sweeter than Häagen-Dazs Vanilla and aren't bothered by it being less smooth and less caramelly, you should consider this one. If you are looking for a pint that challenges and only falls a little short of the strongest competitors that charge twice the price, this is a great choice
Jeni's Honey Vanilla Bean	8.2/10	I think it might be slightly difficult to recommend this over Häagen-Dazs Vanilla given the different price points. I think they are very similar but haven't had them side by side, so the following assessments might not be quite right. Pick this if you like Häagen-Dazs Vanilla, but want to lean ever so slightly brighter in flavor and sweeter.
McConnell's Vanilla Bean	7.9/10	This is a bit harder out of the freezer and less ready to melt than the Häagen-Dazs ice creams. If that appeals to you, you might be able to look past what I think is a weaker vanilla flavor. I do think I would mostly steer you towards Häagen-Dazs, but this is a very good ice cream so if you see any offerings with mix-ins that sound good, don't hesitate to pick them up.
Van Leeuwen Vanilla Bean	6.8/10	Despite falling a distant last in my ratings and being the only one I am likely to avoid in the future, this might be the ice cream I am second most likely to recommend. A big factor in this low rating is a texture issue of mine that you probably don't share. If you appreciate or don't mind an egg flavor (similar to a yellow cake or a custard) that can get in front of the weaker vanilla, you will be rewarded with what seems to be the richest, highest fat ice cream of the bunch. If having something that stays more of a stable foam than a puddle of cream as it melts (think of a deluxe version of the over stabilized ice cream you would find in cheap ice cream sandwiches), then this might be your pick.

1. Spoon in peanut butter.
2. Spoon in granola.
3. Spoon in mouth.

Looking for alternatives to Step 2. Jokes appreciated; serious suggestions appreciated more.

In short, yes. This vanilla impressed me, and it makes me wish Graeter's was more available to people elsewhere and that more of their flavors were available near me.

Graeter's Madagascar Vanilla Bean

This has a great, ready to melt in your mouth, creamy texture about on par with my long time go-to, Häagen-Dazs. It is very slightly sweeter than Häagen-Dazs Vanilla Bean which I don't prefer. It has a strong vanilla flavor with slightly more of the caramel notes than Häagen-Dazs Vanilla Bean. One interesting problem this ice cream ran into is with the vanilla beans. They must have a coarser grind because they seem to add some grit that breaks up the otherwise elite smoothness of this icecream's texture 8.7/10

Forming My Opinion on Stabilizers

Before I started this journey of tasting many different and new to me brands of vanilla ice cream, I loosely held the opinion that I would not like gum stabilized ice creams as much. After all, my favorite Häagen-Dazs did not use them, and others I liked less often did. However, this pint of Graeter's manages to live up to my favorite texture with the use of carob bean gum and guar gum, while Van Leeuwen manages to hit on some of my least favorite aspects of the texture of cheap ice creams with no gums in sight. I think my actual preferences lie in an ice cream that uses little stabilization whether through "natural" ingredients like egg yolks or through gums so that they melt easily at low temperatures. Furthermore, if a highly stable ice cream that can get warmer before melting also has a lot of air whipped into it, that will make things much worse for me.

The Ratings

Ice Cream	Rating	Why You Should Get It
Häagen-Dazs Vanilla Bean	8.7/10	This is my favorite. It is sweet, rich and melts readily into a smooth cream on your tongue right after removing from the freezer. This has some of the floral vanilla bean notes if you are looking for those.
Graeter's Madagascar Vanilla Bean	8.7/10	This ties the score of my long time favorite Häagen-Dazs. Two minor differences that would be difficult to detect without them side by side are that Graeter's is slightly harder and less ready to melt, and it is slightly sweeter. The larger differences are that this has a noticeably stronger vanilla flavor and it has some grit from the vanilla beans that breaks up the smoothness. I choose to list Häagen-Dazs above Graeter's on this list mostly because of price and availability.
Jeni's Sweet Cream	8.6/10	I love the richness of this fat forward, slightly less sweet ice cream. It is a bit harder and less melty than the Häagen-Dazs. You have to appreciate the less bold, dairy forward flavor with a lower sweetness level, but if that sounds like you, pick this pint up.
Häagen-Dazs Vanilla	8.4/10	This is your pick if you want a slightly more potent vanilla flavor that leans into the darker caramel/oaky notes more than the brighter floral ones and you don't mind taking a very slightly less dense and rich base to get it.
Jeni's Honey Vanilla Bean	8.4/10	I think it might be slightly difficult to recommend this over Häagen-Dazs Vanilla given the different price points. I think they are very similar but haven't had them side by side, so the following assessments might not be quite right. Pick this if you like Häagen-Dazs Vanilla, but want to lean ever so slightly brighter in flavor and sweeter.
McConnell's Vanilla Bean	7.9/10	This is a bit harder out of the freezer and less ready to melt than the Häagen-Dazs ice creams. If that appeals to you, you might be able to look past what I think is a weaker vanilla flavor. I do think I would mostly steer you towards Häagen-Dazs, but this is a very good ice cream so if you see any offerings with mix-ins that sound good, don't hesitate to pick them up.
Van Leeuwen Vanilla Bean	6.8/10	Despite falling a distant last in my ratings and being the only one I am likely to avoid in the future, this might be the ice cream I am second most likely to recommend. A big factor in this low rating is a texture issue of mine that you probably don't share. If you appreciate or don't mind an egg flavor (similar to a yellow cake or a custard) that can get in front of the weaker vanilla, you will be rewarded with what seems to be the richest, highest fat ice cream of the bunch. If having something that stays more of a stable foam than a puddle of cream as it melts (think of a deluxe version of the over stabilized ice cream you would find in cheap ice cream sandwiches), then this might be your pick.

"Everything gets hotter when the sun goes down" Which sounds like a good reason to break out the ice cream if you ask me.

Earlier this week, I went slightly out of my way on a quest for a pint of Graeter's to try. Whether through an unfortunate lapse of self control or an intelligent efficiency improving maneuver, my plan to pick up one new pint saw me leaving the store with three. Seeing peoples' love for trying out Jeni's ice cream is one of the things that inspired me to want to start trying out new brands myself. Most of the posts I see are of mix-in heavy or very creative flavor ideas, so would this endorsement of the brand flow to the more basic flavors I often prefer, or are the gimmicks what make the ice cream here? I don't know of a better way to answer that question than trying them, and seeing two options (Sweet Cream and Honey Vanilla Bean) I will get to compare not only to other brands but to each other only adds some excitement for me.

Jeni's Sweet Cream

This has a good, ready to melt in your mouth, creamy texture. It's a bit harder than Häagen-Dazs, but much softer than the other brands I have reviewed and was very pleasing to me. The flavor is very subtle at first and the dairy notes only shine prominently after mostly melting. I really appreciate the lower sweetness level and rich fattiness of this ice cream. The more plain flavor might not be for everyone, but this pint impressed me. 8.6/10

Jeni's Honey Vanilla Bean

This has a softer texture than its sister pint, I think it is slightly harder than Häagen-Dazs Vanilla Bean and I don't have any plain Häagen-Dazs Vanilla left to compare it to. This may be my favorite texter of anything I've tasted yet and if not, it is close. However, I don't like the increased sweetness and more caramelly notes this one picks up when compared to the Sweet Cream. Oddly enough, that's what the flavor seems like to me, more caramelly or vanilla with prominent caramel notes rather than honey. I think I'll have to keep this around to see how it compares to the standard Häagen-Dazs Vanilla, as I suspect they are very similar ice creams. 8.4/10

My Verdict on Jeni's

I was expecting this to be a brand built on the strength of gimmicky, fun sounding flavors and heavy hand with the mix-ins. I was wrong. They make a seriously good plain base and even with the high price tag, I foresee myself purchasing more from them in the future. I would recommend any Ben and Jerry's fan to pick out a Jeni's pint to try at the higher price point at least once assuming their more mix-in heavy flavors tackle the fundamentals as well as what I tasted.

The Ratings

Ice Cream	Rating	Why You Should Get It
Häagen-Dazs Vanilla Bean	8.7/10	This is my favorite. It is sweet, rich and melts readily into a smooth cream on your tongue right after removing from the freezer. This has some of the floral vanilla bean notes if you are looking for those.
Jeni's Sweet Cream	8.6/10	I love the richness of this fat forward, slightly less sweet ice cream. It is a bit harder and less melty than the Häagen-Dazs. You have to appreciate the less bold, dairy forward flavor with a lower sweetness level, but if that sounds like you, pick this pint up.
Häagen-Dazs Vanilla	8.4/10	This is your pick if you want a slightly more potent vanilla flavor that leans into the darker caramel/oaky notes more than the brighter floral ones and you don't mind taking a very slightly less dense and rich base to get it.
Jeni's Honey Vanilla Bean	8.4/10	I think it might be slightly difficult to recommend this over Häagen-Dazs Vanilla given the different price points. I think they are very similar but haven't had them side by side, so the following assessments might not be quite right. Pick this if you like Häagen-Dazs Vanilla, but want to lean ever so slightly brighter in flavor and sweeter.
McConnell's Vanilla Bean	7.9/10	This is a bit harder out of the freezer and less ready to melt than the Häagen-Dazs ice creams. If that appeals to you, you might be able to look past what I think is a weaker vanilla flavor. I do think I would mostly steer you towards Häagen-Dazs, but this is a very good ice cream so if you see any offerings with mix-ins that sound good, don't hesitate to pick them up.
Van Leeuwen Vanilla Bean	6.8/10	Despite falling a distant last in my ratings and being the only one I am likely to avoid in the future, this might be the ice cream I am second most likely to recommend. A big factor in this low rating is a texture issue of mine that you probably don't share. If you appreciate or don't mind an egg flavor (similar to a yellow cake or a custard) that can get in front of the weaker vanilla, you will be rewarded with what seems to be the richest, highest fat ice cream of the bunch. If having something that stays more of a stable foam than a puddle of cream as it melts (think of a deluxe version of the over stabilized ice cream you would find in cheap ice cream sandwiches), then this might be your pick.

Vanilla Tasting Updates

Last week, I made a post giving my first impressions and a comparison of four different vanilla ice creams. After living with the ice creams for a week and eating them in a more relaxed usual way, I am updating some of my ratings. First, I have decided to move all the ratings up a bit (I initially gave an arbitrary rating of 8.0 for my first ice cream, but think these are better desserts than an 8.0/10 would indicate) and I will be giving more granular ratings in increments of 0.1 rather than 0.5. Second, McConnell's and Van Leeuwen will move closer to the Häagen-Dazs entries upon further tasting. For McConnell's, it was the last ice cream I tasted, so I think my mouth may have been colder making the ice cream seem harder than it was and I may have been getting a little sick of vanilla ice cream. For Van Leeuwen, all my personal texture issues with this ice cream as it warms as well as my slight preference against this flavor profile stand. However, when I eat it straight out of the freezer and still hard, I am able to pick up that this seems to be the richest, most high fat of the bunch which I like.

Keep in mind that the number ratings are to my personal preferences that are likely different than yours. To try to get around this I have made a "Why You Should Get It" column to try to help you decide what might fit your preferences best.

The Ratings

Ice Cream	Rating	Why You Should Get It
Häagen-Dazs Vanilla Bean	8.7/10	This is my favorite. It is sweet, rich and melts readily into a smooth cream on your tongue right after removing from the freezer. This has some of the floral vanilla bean notes if you are looking for those.
Häagen-Dazs Vanilla	8.4/10	This is your pick if you want a slightly more potent vanilla flavor that leans into the darker caramel/oaky notes more than the brighter floral ones and you don't mind taking a very slightly less dense and rich base to get it.
McConnell's Vanilla Bean	7.9/10	This is a bit harder out of the freezer and less ready to melt than the Häagen-Dazs ice creams. If that appeals to you, you might be able to look past what I think is a weaker vanilla flavor. I do think I would mostly steer you towards Häagen-Dazs, but this is a very good ice cream so if you see any offerings with mix-ins that sound good, don't hesitate to pick them up.
Van Leeuwen Vanilla Bean	6.8/10	Despite falling a distant last in my ratings and being the only one I am likely to avoid in the future, this might be the ice cream I am second most likely to recommend. A big factor in this low rating is a texture issue of mine that you probably don't share. If you appreciate or don't mind an egg flavor (similar to a yellow cake or a custard) that can get in front of the weaker vanilla, you will be rewarded with what seems to be the richest, highest fat ice cream of the bunch. If having something that stays more of a stable foam than a puddle of cream as it melts (think of a deluxe version of the over stabilized ice cream you would find in cheap ice cream sandwiches), then this might be your pick.

What's Next?

I may slowly pick up more ice creams to add to my reviews, but I also want to do a bit of a runthrough of some toppings that are nice to spruce up a pint of vanilla. If you have anything to recommend, feel free to.

My Vanilla Tasting

Earlier, I asked you for vanilla Ice cream recommendations and received a few, thanks! This is my first time trying to do a tasting like this so while I was so excited to get going, I may have made some oversights that could have affected the results. Trying to keep things frozen by moving the pints to the freezer while I wasn't tasting them may have left me comparing pints served at different temperatures and degrees which affects how they feel on the palate. I also forgot to consider having something to cleanse the palate when trying to compare very similar flavors. I grabbed a bag of pretzels halfway through the tasting but I think I would have been better off with some water crackers or something lighter in flavor.

The Contenders

Two entries from Häagen-Dazs that I am familiar with, and two brands that are new to me: Van Leeuwen and McConnell's.

Häagen-Dazs Vanilla

This is the first ice cream I tasted here and I planned to use it to set a baseline to compare the others to. It is a delicious, dense ice cream with a strong vanilla flavor that boasts some caramel-like notes. It melts as soon as it hits your tongue. I know from past experience that this is a favorite of mine so I will give it a strong baseline score, but still allow some room for improvement. ** 8.0/10 **

Häagen-Dazs Vanilla Bean

In comparison to their traditional vanilla, this one has a slightly softer, sweeter, less potent vanilla flavor that drops the more caramel notes and might let a few more floral notes shine through when I try to pay close attention. The difference maker for me is that this seems to have a slightly creamier, smoother mouthfeel than the standard vanilla and may be melting in the mouth a bit more readily. 8.5/10

Van Leeuwen Vanilla Bean

This has a firmer, maybe richer base with a much weaker vanilla that makes the dairy and even an egg flavor come through. The egg flavor may not be my preference, but it's not bad or too out of place; the way yellow cake has egg flavor, not the way scrambled eggs do. This ice cream is more set and stable than Häagen-Dazs and is less ready to melt. It has a slightly more clay-like mouthfeel that seems less creamy. My biggest problem with this ice cream is the way it stays set as it warms rather than readily melting. Think of the way a more heavily stabilized ice cream in a traditional ice cream sandwich acts. Mostly for this reason, this ice cream is not for me, but if you want something like the custard in a pie (A texter I have never been able to tolerate, so forgive me if this comparison is off), this may be for you. 6.0/10

McConnell's Vanilla Bean

This one seems sweeter than the others. That is not my preference, but it is not losing many points for that. The vanilla flavor is light with few floral or caramelly undertones leaving some more room for a sweet milk taste. No egg flavor stands out the way it did in Van Leeuwen. This one seemed firm and dense and less ready to melt than the others. It seems to take a higher temperature to melt than Häagen-Dazs, but when it does it melts to a similarly satisfying creamy texture. I do slightly prefer the way Häagen-Dazs acts though. 7.0/10

Notes

These ratings are subject to change. I think I will need to come back at a later date to test again and make some adjustments. After that I may add some more conclusions to my results here. I had to eat a significant amount more ice cream than I usually do to evaluate and compare these, so McConnell's at the end may have unfairly suffered. For tonight, I can go to bed happy knowing that I enjoyed some good ice cream and have plenty more in the freezer.

"I like vanilla, it's the finest of the flavors"

TLDR:

I'm looking for your recommendations for vanilla or sweet cream ice creams to try. What are your favorites?

For a long time Haagen Dazs Vanilla Bean has been my go to vanilla ice cream. I know I prefer it over their standard vanilla as well as Ben & Jerry's and many standard higher overrun lower fat brands. However, while browsing here more recently, I have seen many brands I was not previously familiar with some of which I will have access to by making a trip to Whole Foods. I go through ice cream slowly and get quite exited sampling new things, so keeping quantity low is more important to me than low prices for now. Do you have any brands that you recommend the vanilla or sweet cream flavors of and a bonus if you give a comparison to Haagen Dazs?

Looking online, a few examples of brands I see are available to me that I have not tried are: Van Leeuwen, Straus, Mcconnell's, Jeni's, Alec's. Feel free to recommend something not on this list though.