Forget Häagen-Dazs: Consumer Reports' Highest-Rated Ice Cream Is A Different Beloved Brand

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Although Häagen-Dazs has historically been a favorite brand among ice cream consumers, it didn't earn the highest spot when Consumer Reports tested for the best ice cream and frozen dessert. The competition included 51 ice cream products from well-known, consumer-favorite brands, and Consumer Reports' trained testers evaluated each product based on criteria like sensory score, nutrition score, and price per serving to determine the overall rankings. (Scores closer to 100 ranked higher.)

If you've been distracted by the sea of chunk-loaded Ben & Jerry's flavors when choosing an ice cream from the brand, don't turn a blind eye to its simple vanilla flavor — this was the ice cream crowned as the best by Consumer Reports with a score of 98. Consumers Reports described Ben & Jerry's Vanilla as "rich, dense, creamy, with intense dairy flavor and complex vanilla-bean and vanilla-extract flavors." What else could one ask for in a vanilla ice cream, honestly? Well, nutrition and price, actually.

Ice cream isn't exactly known as one of the most nutrient-rich foods on earth. However, if you enjoy a ⅔-cup serving of Ben & Jerry's vanilla ice cream, you will get 6 grams of protein — about the amount found in one large egg. Ben & Jerry's also keeps its vanilla ice cream recipe simple with only 10 ingredients. As for price, $4.99 for a 16-ounce pint of Ben & Jerry's Vanilla comes out to $1.66 per serving, which is pretty reasonable since it's considered a premium brand.

If you're a Häagen-Dazs fan, you may be wondering where it landed on Consumer Reports' ice cream scoreboard. A few Häagen-Dazs flavors earned decent scores, including the brand's vanilla bean gelato, which came in third place with a score of 81, and butter pecan ice cream (which placed fifth with a score of 79). Interestingly, in our Häagen-Dazs ice cream ranking butter pecan landed somewhere in the middle of the lineup. 

Unfortunately, Häagen-Dazs Vanilla Bean Gelato has since been discontinued (It still sells a vanilla ice cream, it's just not gelato). The butter pecan ice cream flavor is still going strong, though. Consumer Reports described it as "rich, with a melt-in-your-mouth texture and flavorful nut pieces, although it tastes more like vanilla nut than butter pecan. It's just slightly icy." The pronounced vanilla flavor and "slightly icy" texture may have been the only thing keeping this ice cream from taking the top spot, considering its nutrition and price aren't too far off from the winning Ben & Jerry's Vanilla. Similar to Ben & Jerry's, Häagen-Dazs Butter Pecan contains 6 grams of protein per ⅔-cup serving and is made with 11 simple ingredients. It's also comparable in price at $4.35 per 14-ounce pint, or $1.74 per serving.

Although Ben & Jerry's Vanilla reigned supreme in Consumer Reports' testing, ice cream lovers likely won't be disappointed by Häagen-Dazs Butter Pecan. Just be prepared for a less creamy texture and think of it more like an elevated vanilla ice cream with nutty pieces throughout.