What's Your Favorite Ice Cream Flavor
I need to convince my spouse that "fancy" flavored ice cream. He thinks all the new flavors you can buy in the store are just silly and that ice cream should come in two flavors, Chocolate and Vanilla. So, what kind of ice cream should I buy to convince him that he is wrong (or is he wrong)? I like Ben & Jerry's new birthday cake flavor and I love cookies and cream. How about you?
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89 Comments:
pistachio with real pistachios.....
pooch at 5:45PM on 06/11/09
Oh, I found a new Haagen Dasz Peatnut butter brittle TOO DIE FOR!!
stacemace at 5:47PM on 06/11/09
I like vanilla .......
goodcooker at 5:52PM on 06/11/09
rocky road, best of both worlds and then some
ssultan23 at 5:54PM on 06/11/09
I love vanilla... But a good butter pecan, pistachio, or mint chip will make my day.
gingercookiewithlime at 6:00PM on 06/11/09
Sorry, but I am die-hard mint chocolate chip fan. :)
Traveller at 6:05PM on 06/11/09
I don't know if they sell it anymore, because I have not seen it in a while... but to me the BEST flavor is Haagen Dasz Swiss Almond Chocolate with chocolate covered almonds... I can't have chocolate anymore but if I see it, i'd sin in an instant.
MadelynRodriguez at 6:10PM on 06/11/09
Get an ice cream machine. Fresh blackberry ice cream is AWESOME!
mikaque at 6:11PM on 06/11/09
Caramel Cone from HG is delicious, especially if you let it warm up a bit. But I do love me some mint chocolate chip and vanilla ice cream as well. Sometimes when ice cream has too much junk in it you can't taste the ice cream part!
laurelie at 6:20PM on 06/11/09
Haagen Dasz limited edition mayan chocolate... not currently in production, but it is the best ever!
Also, Ben & Jerry's Phish Food
Embackus at 6:29PM on 06/11/09
chocolate with stripes of salty peanut butter
pamstar at 6:38PM on 06/11/09
I second that B&J Phish Food, I also like stracciatella
leighana at 6:38PM on 06/11/09
My three favorites are chocolate, vanilla, and huckleberry. On the rare occasion that I myself am feeling fancy enough for something a little more exciting, I have been known to enjoy Ben & Jerry's Oatmeal Cookie flavored ice cream.
radish at 6:49PM on 06/11/09
Not much help here. I'm a die hard chocoholic. Haagen Dazs. But I occasionally have some B&J's Phish Food.
tapioca at 7:03PM on 06/11/09
If I have to pick just one, it's mint chocolate chip.
dmcavanagh at 7:03PM on 06/11/09
I'm with pooch...real pistachio!
bigfatmouth at 7:09PM on 06/11/09
Haagen Dazs limited edition flavor sticky toffee pudding. : ( Chocolate will do and also dulce de leche.
finsbigfan at 7:10PM on 06/11/09
The three basics (chocolate, vanilla, strawberry) can't go wrong but I do love Ben and Jerry's pb & j and reeses peanut butter ice cream too.
pjracz10 at 7:23PM on 06/11/09
I'm always game to try an untraditional flavor (well, except maybe the garlic ice cream I read about on the Turkey Hill blog). I'll only get plain vanilla or chocolate if those are the flavors available at the buffet. Any ice cream is better than none at all, but there are so many other interesting options!
runnereater at 7:26PM on 06/11/09
Vanilla, black raspberry and almond joy are my favorite flavors on the rare occasion that I eat something sweet. I once worked at a pizzeria that sold Ben and Jerry's. For my 21st birthday, the girls got me really drunk and I ended up being sick on a chocolate covered cherry shot. Cherry Garcia was the never the same and I never did shots again.
dhorst at 7:43PM on 06/11/09
Ben & Jerry's Imagine Whirled Peace should change his mind!!
caramel at 7:49PM on 06/11/09
@green -- Where are you located? Perhaps we can all recommend a really great ice cream store in your area that has more entertaining flavors.
And if there is nothing really close to you, I recommend the Kitchenaid ice cream attachment and David Lebovitz's malted milk ball ice cream!
Mizbee at 8:00PM on 06/11/09
I think vanilla is underrated. I'll take a nice, rich french vanilla over other ice cream flavors a lot of times.
I also love Thrifty's strawberry cheesecake, and our local dairy's fresh peach in the summertime.
Not big on all the custom mix-ins at Coldstone, though. Also, I sampled their "Chocolate Cake Batter" last time we went there, and it tasted....just like chocolate cake batter. And not in a good way. In a raw, goopy way. *shudder*
buffy at 8:15PM on 06/11/09
Caramel ... Dulce de Leche from Haagen Dasz
Alm25 at 8:24PM on 06/11/09
There was a chocolate malted milk ice cream that I used to get when I was a kid that was my absolute favorite. Fairly light on the chocolate to let the malt flavor shine through.
But now that I've got the evil kitchenaid mixer attachment, I'm always making new and interesting flavors. Cashew butter ice cream worked out well. I want try Alton Brown's avocado ice cream some day.
dbcurrie at 8:31PM on 06/11/09
my fave is Stephen Colbert's Americone Cream, by Ben and Jerry.
homemade though, i'd have to go with Bourbon Vanilla.
andshewas at 9:02PM on 06/11/09
now if you're talking home made .... my favorites would be peach..
cherry vanilla, blackberry! raspberry .....! just about all flavors.
pooch at 9:03PM on 06/11/09
coffee for me, please.
cybercita at 9:39PM on 06/11/09
Butter brickle, mint-chip, coffee, rocky road...
thehostess at 9:46PM on 06/11/09
I enjoy quite a few ice cream flavors, but I'll always have room for vanilla -- regular or yolky French vanilla.
Cassaendra at 10:01PM on 06/11/09
Dulce de leche and others in the caramel/toffee/butterscotch family..
Lippy at 10:49PM on 06/11/09
Regular flavors: haagen daaz vanilla and Bailey's. The new brown sugar is great too - it reminds me of palm sugar.
Shop flavors: Burnt caramel (toscanini); rice (il laboratorio); black sesame (arte del gelato)....torrone (grom). I know I'm missing a lot....
firni at 11:39PM on 06/11/09
Mackie's Honeycomb Harvest (in the UK)
Mayfield's Blueberry Cream Pie & Birthday Cake flavours (in the US)
Maggie Beer's Vanilla Bean and Elderflower (in Australia)
nowsonexitmusic at 3:06AM on 06/12/09
Find a copy of Old Uncle Gaylord's Ice Cream Book. Sadly, oop, but libraries may have it. A few have been posted online http://morgansmeals.blogspot.com/2007/09/old-uncle-gaylords-ice-cream.html http://www.motherearthnews.com/Real-Food/1979-05-01/Making-Ice-Cream.aspx?page=7 Best vanilla I've ever had, the tutti frutti is great, and the lemon lotus is WOW! He uses raw eggs, I have farm fresh eggs, but if using grocery store eggs I would make a cooked custard base instead, to be safe. We've been picking the first fresh strawberries( seascapes and jewels) and fresh strawberry ice cream is hard to beat. We've had it every night for a week.
angelfood at 7:04AM on 06/12/09
Try making your own to show off how good something unusual can be. I like the Bourbon Pecan recipe over on the Cooking Light website. Giada's recipe for Chocolate Hazelnut gelato is pretty awesome, too (and a good gateway ice cream because it is nut flavored, but without extra "things" in the ice cream...unless you add the toasted hazelnuts into the ice cream instead of using them as a garnish like I did).
Amandarama at 7:14AM on 06/12/09
jeni's "gravel road"....salty caramel with coarsely chopped smoked almonds
gastronomeg at 9:52AM on 06/12/09
Blue Bell Tin Roof is the best ice cream of all time. It's pretty traditional: Vanilla with a chocolate syrup swirl and chocolate covered peanuts. There's something about the combination that I absolutely love. Plus it never seems to get hard; the vanilla always stays creamy!
cmcollins3 at 9:53AM on 06/12/09
Gifford's black raspberry is amazing.
kmgagne at 10:14AM on 06/12/09
Anyone else have a Bruester's near them? Their Graham Central Station is my new addiction... vanilla ice cream with graham cracker crumbles and chocolate flakes. Delish!
As far as supermarket brands go, I have to stick with B&J Coffee Heath Bar Crunch.
As a kid i remember getting Green's ice cream, vanilla with a big swirl of peanut butter through it! Perfection... also easy to imitate with good vanilla ice cream and a glob of melted PB :-)
yum!
wasliche at 10:16AM on 06/12/09
Pretty much anything Blue Bell makes. Right now my favorite is Peaches and Homemade Vanilla.
ocarol at 10:35AM on 06/12/09
Definitely inclined to say pistachio or mint chocolate chip...I guess I like green ice cream.
Hillary
Chew on That
Chew on That at 10:50AM on 06/12/09
The new Brown Sugar Haagen-Daaz, with fresh sliced strawberries on top!
Junie at 10:57AM on 06/12/09
I was just in Hawaii and had the BEST ice cream/sorbet combo: mango and raspberry sorbet with a swirl of coconut ice cream. Amazing!!
Goldilox at 11:02AM on 06/12/09
Good chocolate and fresh peach, in combo. Also love B&J's Cherry Garcia and butter almond/pecan. I do try to not eat too much ~ lactose problems, but sometimes.....
duncan1205 at 12:25PM on 06/12/09
Maple-walnut or fresh peach
CJ McD at 12:26PM on 06/12/09
Maple-walnut or fresh peach
CJ McD at 12:33PM on 06/12/09
Oooh so many ideas. Basic flavors - mint chocolate chip, espresso, peanut butter. Non-traditional - anything with cheesecake and berries, red velvet, cake batters, sweet cream, cinnamon. B&J - used to be Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk until they discontinued it, but also the Peanut Butter Cup, Half-Baked, and Karmel Sutra. I will say, though, that nothing compares to homemade. For that, you can't beat basic vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry. Use real vanilla beans, high-quality chocolate, and fresh summer strawberries...yum. It's heaven.
kimberlymac at 1:25PM on 06/12/09
I'm a plain vanilla fan myself...I don't care for pieces of stuff in my ice cream...although I will make an exception for fruit.
I'm going to try making some roasted pineapple ginger ice cream soon!
mepolo at 1:51PM on 06/12/09
LaSalle: Cherry Vanilla and Dulce La Leche
Sedutto: Cappuccino
SavtaShayna at 2:16PM on 06/12/09
My all-time favorite flavor is homemade lemon ice cream.
I have a recipe here that takes less than 5 minutes to prepare and doesn't require an ice cream maker (scroll down to bottom of post for lemon ice cream recipe). I love this served with a raspberry coulis (just blend raspberries - frozen or fresh - with a squeeze of lemon juice, adding sugar to taste, strain and drizzle).
Salted Caramel is a very close runner up, and should convert just about anyone.
Good luck with your quest!
~ Paula
Paula Maack at 4:49PM on 06/12/09
I'm not a simple chocolate or vanilla type person but honestly my favorite ice cream flavors are; a lemon custard made by an independent deli in my hometown and, coming in a close second, a homemade vanilla custard with fresh peaches freshly picked off my aunt's west Texas "homestead".
czken at 5:30PM on 06/12/09
ben and jerry's chocolate therapy..
aspaaaragus at 12:35AM on 06/13/09
Back in the day, High's Ice Cream out of Norfolk Va made an ice cream called Charlie Brown. Basically a chocolate ice cream with veins of peanut butter running through it, all salty and frozen.
It was fabulous. I haven't seen that product in the stores in some time and the reese cup style ice creams aren't even close.
So, I guess a really good butter pecan ice cream (SALTY pecans ;-) will do.
Roguefooddotcom at 8:00AM on 06/13/09
Must be mint (and green. I know it's food coloring, but white mint ice cream throws my mind off) chocolate chip with DARK CHOCOLATe (not milk) shavings. Not chips. I'm quite particular. Edy's is about the only one that makes it this way. Oh, and their French Espresso Chip.. so yummy.
po0pie at 12:43PM on 06/15/09
Mint Chocolate Chip! The kind with the green colored ice cream base.
Meewlee at 12:45PM on 06/15/09
Soundd maybe he (like I) doesn't really care for chunks of anything in ice cream. I also despise "clever" flavors. I am never impressed. "Oooh, this ice cream tastes just like cucumber!" Like seriously, if I wanted a cucumber, I'd eat a cucumber. (I'm the one Columbusite who isn't gaga for Jeni's)
I don't think liking chocolate and vanilla only is limiting. It can be quite fun trying everyone's take on those awesome flavors.
hellojodi at 12:51PM on 06/15/09
Just found a new one that is AMAZING!!!
Hagen Daz Fleur de Sel Caramel.
pgrande at 12:51PM on 06/15/09
Start him with something smooth and related to his precious vanilla to ease the transition. Don't throw anything insanely chunky at him early on or else he'll just feel it is like toppings mixed into the same vanilla/chocolate ice cream rather than being an actual flavor himself. I second/third the vote for the Haagen Dazs dulce de leche. Also try to find some local brands using fresh/seasonal ingredients - that will help him understand that ice cream can really support many more flavors than just vanilla and chocolate.
fatcat at 12:58PM on 06/15/09
Mango ice-cream (not sorbet). Whatever brand they might have at Whole Foods or TJ 's will work. If you are in the Boston area you can go to Rancatore's on Belmont Street in Belmont, they often have it. They also now have a location in Lexington and they are open 7 days a week from 10am-11pm! YUMMY!
brigittesm at 1:00PM on 06/15/09
Strawberry cheesecake flavored. Or else just really good quality strawberry.
tliford at 1:03PM on 06/15/09
There is nothing better that Ben & Jerry's Coffee Heathbar Crunch!
villas2000 at 1:12PM on 06/15/09
Graeter's caramel (mostly Ohio locations), or anything with Oreos from Meletharb, Wakefield, MA.
Supermarket: I loved the HD Sticky Toffee Pudding with great passion.
Homemade, our greatest successes were peanut butter fudge (modeled on my next favorite from Meletharb) and Oreo cheesecake.
wellred at 1:13PM on 06/15/09
A great site for villas and food,
villas2000 at 1:15PM on 06/15/09
wow - can't believe Moose Tracks hasn't got a mention yet = awesome
also B&J half baked is very good.
Gizmosma at 1:29PM on 06/15/09
I would take him just one step to peach or whatever his favourite fruit might be as a launching point. If he likes chocolate sauce on his vanilla ice-cream, then maybe a fudge ripple. Just don't go overboard into a flavour with too much stuff in it, or you may be proving his point, so to speak. If he's really into chocolate try something like B&J's "Phish Food" which is just different types of chocolate worked together, or a basic chocolate-chocolate chip at the non-B&J local shop.
On the other hand, if he's a chocolate-or-vanilla kind of guy, that may be all he is. My brother is like that - a wonderful, fantastic, elaborate cook, but he favours French Vanilla ice-cream almost anywhere. Just because you're into variety and he's not doesn't mean it's wrong - vive la differerence, after all!
morgancain at 1:58PM on 06/15/09
Vanilla & chocolate both Bell Bell. Strawberry Haagen Daaz. And homemade Creole Cream Cheese or Peach. I won't go anywhere else as far as ice cream is concerned.
ghc630 at 2:31PM on 06/15/09
Try a raspberry gelato paired with a dark chocolate gelato...orgasmic!
katwmn1 at 2:36PM on 06/15/09
VANILLA! a high quality premium vanilla with REAL vanilla flavoring, real cream, whole eggs and raw cane sugar. The fewer the ingredients the better. If you want a different flavor simply add a topping or two. Too easy?
shipwreck at 2:47PM on 06/15/09
I like a bunch but always go coffee if it's available. When I was little, I would have Friendly's coffee ice cream in any form, sundae, Fribble, you name it. It's one suburban thing I kind of miss.
meem21 at 2:53PM on 06/15/09
Really fond of ginger, green tea and cinnamon! Love me a good coffee or mocha too. Chocolate chip doesn't stink either. You won't catch me turning down any caramel-toffee, nope. Hey, pass the Ben & Jerry's Cherry Garcia!! Coffee Heath Bar Crunch, heck yes!! Alright, if I have to I'll force down some butter pecan, call me crazy! And if I'm having any flavor on a warmed brownie with hot fudge sauce, it has to be vanilla. But I'm not really a a big fan of ice cream ;-)
cheezepleeze at 3:40PM on 06/15/09
Here in good old Wisconsin we eat Frozen Custard and we have the joy that is Kopp's to buy it from. They have wickedly unique flavors and I have recently fallen in love with their Pancakes and Syrup Custard. Maple flavored ice cream with pancakes pieces. Oh yum!
Martini Me at 3:49PM on 06/15/09
Let's begin with Ben&Jerry's Phish Food (love that caramel swirl), then B&J's Peanut Butter Cup, Blue Bell's Pralines and Cream drizzled over with hot fudge sauce and...AND...any flavor combo among the Dove varieties but especially the white chocolate raspberry concoction. Indeed I do like plain ol' vanilla and chocolate, but to eat only them would be to eat only burgers and fries...boring.
expat39520 at 4:11PM on 06/15/09
@ Martini, that must be a new flavor- never had it when I was a kid, but it sounds awesome. I always loved banana walnut chocolate chip- never liked B&J's Chunky Monkey once I discovered it. Honestly, I usually end up getting a scoop of plain chocolate-- once you move away you realize how amazing theirs is! I never get vanilla there, Leon's is the best vanilla for sure.
Embackus at 4:44PM on 06/15/09
Never been much of a chocolate ice cream fan. I loooooove strawberry ice cream, though. :)
cochon at 5:00PM on 06/15/09
One of the country's best supermarket chains - Publix - has their own dairy plant and makes their own ice cream! They make a Tiramisu that is wonderful, and a peanut butter cup that is fantastic. If you are ever in the Southeast and can find a Publix, check out their in-house ice cream flavors.
flabookworm at 6:07PM on 06/15/09
Banana Gelati Oh Yeah!
missclawdy at 6:47PM on 06/15/09
I do like a good mint chocolate chip, or the peppermint candy that comes out limited to the Holidays.
I think it was Breyers that came out with a banana ice cream with fudge swirls and chocolate bits in it that was my immediate favorite, but it disappeared from the freezer never to be seen again in my town.(wah)
loujersey at 7:02PM on 06/15/09
I love Butter Pecan...
julie527 at 10:02PM on 06/15/09
@finsbigfan.. i'm with you on the Haagen-Dazs Sticky Toffee Pudding, which unfortunately has been discontinued :(
it was the winner of the first Scoop flavor contest that aired on Food Network a couple years back, and it was amazing.. i love anything brown-sugary, caramely, warm spices.. hopefully they bring it back seasonally as a limited edition
Control at 10:46PM on 06/15/09
I second the votes for coffee and dulce con leche from HD... in fact, both of them in the same bowl is an excellent mochaccino like treat.
mlcottingham at 10:59PM on 06/15/09
The flavor is not as important as the texture and consistency. Visit an Indian restaurant or grocery and treat yourself to some cardamom-inflected kulfi. Once you try it, you'll never settle for Ben and/or Jerry again!
stu freeman at 12:14AM on 06/16/09
@Embackus - Yes it is indeed a newer flavor and oh so good. I love Kopp's and don't know what I would ever do without them. Their German Apple Struesel is awesome too. We are getting into our ethnic fesitivals season here and Kopps' now runs their Festival of Flavors to correspond with those. This weekend is Polish Fest and on Friday they have Kolacki Custard. I had it last year and it was really, really good. Methinks I'm going to have to get a pint of it this year!
Martini Me at 11:46AM on 06/16/09
if you are in texas, anything by blue bell is wonderful.....my faves are key lime pie, mint choc chip and banana pudding. If you are in the Dallas area, try Milwalkee Joe's ice cream parlors..."Grandma Fred's New York Cheesecake" will change your life!
chelle3230 at 1:38PM on 06/16/09
Ben and Jerry's Karamel Sutra -- amazing dark chocolate ice cream on one side, very subtle caramel ice cream on the other, and a core of divine gooey caramel stuff. Perfect mixture of tastes.
On the other hand, worth going to Emack and Bolio on 78th and Amsterdam for Cosmic Crunch -- vanilla, I think, with chocolate chunks and pieces of ice cream cone, and maybe some kind of nut -- can't remember, but it's great -- especially with their sublime hot fudge sauce...
adbw83 at 2:36PM on 06/16/09
On second thought I wonder why you "need to convince my spouse that "fancy" flavored ice cream." Let your spouse stick to the basics. Nothing wrong with that.
brigittesm at 2:43PM on 06/16/09
Homemade strawberry ice-cream-although I recently made a great coconut ice-cream http://chocolateandcroissants.blogspot.com/2009_06_01_archive.html#5812076674809242402
Tikka at 3:58PM on 06/16/09
Ditto on the pp who mentioned Publix ice cream. It's awesome! I recently made butterscotch ice cream. In fact. I'm going to finish it off RIGHT NOW.
UptownGirl at 1:21AM on 06/17/09
Maple Walnut ice cream from Christinas in Boston. Blood Orange sorbet from Ciao Bella.
YummyInTheCity at 1:34AM on 06/17/09
Silver Moon's Praline Irish Creme .... out of this world and favorite sorbet is Silver Moon's Mango Mimosa, so delicious.
conversation60 at 4:33PM on 06/23/09