The 25 Best Ice Creams on Grocery Store Shelves, According to Chefs

The supermarket freezer aisle is a vast wonderland of ice cream varieties these days, ranging from classic vanilla and chocolate to brand-new flavors of all kinds. With so many different labels to choose from, there's always something new to try, or you can simply pick up a familiar pint that feels like a comforting old friend.

If you need some help to sort out the truly exceptional ice creams from the ordinary ones, we've got you covered. We asked professional chefs to dish up their absolute favorite store-bought flavors. After all, no one has a keen eye (or palate) for well-made indulgences like a restaurant pro.

These culinary experts had strong opinions about texture, creaminess, and mix-ins. Big-name brands like Ben & Jerry's and Häagen-Dazs were well-represented in their picks, but several chefs also pointed to smaller, local brands and a few nostalgic throwbacks as well, because there's nothing like a scoop of the same ice cream you ate all summer as a kid.

Read on to see their recommendations. You might just discover your newest favorite.

Ben & Jerry's Cherry Garcia

Launched back in 1987, this medley of cherries, chocolate, and cream (named for the late rocker Jerry Garcia) quickly became one of Ben & Jerry's best sellers. It's also a long-time favorite for Kaitlyn Lloyd, pastry chef at Stillwater and Sloane's in Boston. "I'm forever a Ben & Jerry's Cherry Garcia girl," says Lloyd. "It's got such a solid balance of flavors without being overly sweet and satisfies everything I need texture-wise. Plus it's consistently generous with big chunks of chocolate and cherries."

Sue Olson, co-owner of Salt + Stone in Boston and Axel + Byrne in Foxborough, Mass., loves the Cherry Garcia Froyo, a lighter take on the classic ice cream: "This is a classic, bright and rich in flavor, and it being Froyo is all the better!"

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Häagen-Dazs Dulce de Leche

The luxury ice cream brand founded in New York in 1960 is a favorite brand for a lot of chefs. Angel Perez of BE Pasta Bar in Brookline, Mass., for one, is a big fan of the dulce de leche flavor, which reminds the chef of his homeland in Guatemala. "Caramel is a delicacy in the Guatemalan culinary tradition and is often used for special and religious occasions in the form of candies," Perez explains. "When I take a bite of Häagen-Dazs' Dulce de Leche ice cream, it brings me back to my country."

Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream Salty Caramel Ice Cream

Founded in Columbus, Ohio, in 2002 by James Beard Award-winning ice cream maker Jeni Britton, this brand has become a favorite around the country. "Whenever I have a sweet tooth for a cold treat, I look no further than Jeni's Salty Caramel Ice Cream," says David Rose, executive chef at Omaha Steaks. Rose likes to top his own brand's caramel apple tart with the popular Jeni's flavor. "It tastes like it's homemade and has the perfect balance of sweet and savory, and super-creamy with a hint of sea salt."

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Van Leeuwen Honeycomb

This growing New York-based brand is another favorite of chefs, who praise the ice cream's high-quality ingredients."Van Leeuwen Ice Cream, by far," says chef Jonny McDermott of Pony Kitchen and Cocktails in Santa Ynez, Calif. "It's possibly the only brand that embraces the French tradition of custard-based ice cream making, very high quality and delicious. The honeycomb flavor is ludicrously good."

Graeter's Black Raspberry Chip

Founded in 1870 in Cincinnati, Graeter's is beloved by everyone from Ohio, and around the Midwest. Valerie Nin, Executive Pastry Chef for Boston's Grill 23, is an Ohio native, and she says, "My favorite is Graeter's Black Raspberry Chip. They stream liquid chocolate into their ice cream after it's done churning and mix it in, so instead of chocolate chips you get irregular pieces of dark chocolate in the ice cream. There is almost always a really big piece of chocolate in each pint and it feels like finding buried treasure." And you don't have to head to Ohio to try it, you can get Graeter's nationwide these days.

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Ben and Jerry's Chunky Monkey

Another popular Ben & Jerry's staple that chefs adore is the Chunky Monkey, which comes packed with chunks of fudge. It's a nostalgic pick for Rochelle Cooper, pastry chef at The Duck & The Peach, La Collina, The Wells and Meli in Washington, D.C. "Ben and Jerry's Chunky Monkey is my favorite flavor because I used to eat it and watch Nickelodeon as a kid growing up," Cooper says. "I remember digging around for the big chocolate chunks, and eating so much just because I kept looking for them."

Salvatore Martone, executive pastry chef at The Bastion Collection, is also a fan. "What really draws me in is the texture—it's fun to dig in and find those crunchy pieces," Martone says. "The mix of smooth and crunchy keeps me coming back for more. It's a tried-and-true simple pleasure that's always satisfying."

Häagen-Dazs Strawberry

Anthony Mangieri, founder and owner New York City's Una Pizza Napoletana and Genio Della Pizza, loves this flavor and the ice cream maker's ability to consistently create a great product. "It's incredible that they've been able to scale it and it's available in every store, and yet it's still an amazing product," says Mangieri. "It has so few ingredients, it has a perfect texture, and tastes great frozen solid or when you let it soften. To me, they've raised the bar for what a mass-produced product could be."

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Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream Wildberry Lavender

Chef and cookbook author Jackie Alpers discovered her favorite flavor while working on "The Unofficial Elf Cookbook." Alpers explains, "Wildberry Lavender has been around for over 20 years but I didn't discover it until I went looking for a blue ice cream for a blue tinted ice cream float inspired by the narwhal in the movie Elf." While the wildberry is more purple, Alpers says the flavor "tastes like summer and personifies the color lavender."

Ben & Jerry's Milk & Cookies

Adam Resnick is yet another chef in the Ben & Jerry's fan club. "Of course, my favorite grocery store ice cream brand is Ben & Jerry's and at the top of my list when it comes to flavors is Milk & Cookies, made with vanilla ice cream with a chocolate cookie swirl with chocolate chips and chocolate chip cookies," says Resnick, the executive chef at Bambara Kitchen & Bar in Cambridge, Mass. "I love the swirls of chocolate cookie dough! And the texture with cookie dough globs!"

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Friendly's Jubilee Roll

Not every great ice cream is available year-round. Tab Volpe, executive pastry chef for The Banks, Bistro du Midi and Harvest in Boston, is especially fond of one particular seasonal treat. "Friendly's Jubilee Roll always signaled Christmas time in my household, the roll would last a weekend, between my dad and myself and siblings," says Volpe. "The chocolate chip ice cream base with a chocolate center and the fudge lines on top with candied almonds was my favorite part."

Hood Rainbow Sherbert

Volpe also nodded to another New England classic, from Massachusetts based Hood Dairy. "My all-time favorite is Hood Rainbow Sherbet, buying it in the big tub and eating spoonfuls brings me back to my childhood summers," Volpe told us of the orange, lemon and lime striped treat.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

Häagen-Dazs Chocolate Chocolate Chip

So many of the chefs we spoke with talked about texture, and the right balance of mix-ins. Carlo Mirarchi, chef at Foul Witch, Roberta's, and Blanca in New York City, gives a big shout out to Häagen Dazs Chocolate Chocolate Chip. "It's an unbelievably perfect distribution of chocolate chips–the ratio is absolute perfection," explains Mirachi. "You can eat it with a fork."

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Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream Brown Butter Almond Brittle

Fans adore Jeni's ice creams for a number of reasons. Nic Vanderbeeken, chef at Apéritif restaurant in Bali, prefers one flavor for both its taste and its textural contrast. "I love the Brown Butter Almond Brittle flavor because it strikes a perfect balance between rich, nutty sweetness and the satisfying crunch of the brittle," Vanderbeeken says. "The brown butter adds a depth that's almost savory, which I find pairs beautifully with desserts that need a little extra complexity."

Baskin Robbins Cherry Jubilee

The ice cream chain known for for its 31 flavors expanded into grocery stores years ago. Chef Nayibe Renaud, executive pastry chef at Komodo Las Vegas, reaches for one pint in particular. "Baskin Robbins Cherry Jubilee will forever be my favorite nostalgic flavor and brand," says Renaud. "The ice cream features a luscious blend of sweet cream, infused with vibrant cherry swirls that burst with tangy sweetness, reminiscent of ripe cherries. Each spoonful is further enhanced by delicate notes of vanilla, adding a creamy warmth that balances the tartness."

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Van Leeuwen Earl Grey Tea

For fans of subtle, sophisticated flavors, Seth Woods recommends Van Leeuwen's Earl Gray Tea flavor. "It's so fire and refreshing," says Woods, chef at Metropolis Cafe and Aquitaine in Boston. He explains that the tea is actually steeped in milk to create the creamy tea flavor.

Ben & Jerry's Americone Dream

In yet one more vote for Ben & Jerry's, Sean Olson, co-owner of Salt + Stone in Boston and Axel + Byrne in Foxborough, Mass., cast his lot with Americone Dream, the brand's sweet homage to TV talk show host Stephen Colbert. "They do a really nice job with this flavor," says Olson. "It's straightforward and has a nice ratio of caramel, chocolate covered cone to ice cream."

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Häagen-Dazs Rum Raisin

While Christina Ferrari has tried ice creams from all over the world, she keeps coming back to Häagen-Dazs. "This American brand is not too sweet, has a nice mouthfeel and creamy texture, uses good quality ingredients and has a lovely balance of inclusions," says the pastry chef and owner of the Shoreline Lake Boathouse & American Bistro in California. Her favorite flavor is Rum Raisin. "It's a classic for a reason," Ferrari says. "The juxtaposition of flavors and textures is pure deliciousness."

Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream Skillet Cinnamon Roll

Dan Pashman is another loyalist to the Jeni's brand, and his favorite flavor, Skillet Cinnamon Roll, is a creative one. "I love that it's made with cream cheese ice cream, which gives you the richness and salty/sweet tang of great frosting," explains Pashman, host of the popular food podcast The Sporkful and author of "Anything's Pastable: 81 Inventive Recipes For Saucy People." He adds, "Simply adding the word 'skillet' to the title is so evocative, I think it's the best use of a single word in any product name I've ever seen. It makes you think these cinnamon buns came right out of a cast iron skillet. Of course the heavy dose of cinnamon and brown sugar caramel also helps!"

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Van Leeuwen Sicilian Pistachio

Pistachio is a classic ice cream flavor, and Van Leeuwen makes a faithful rendition, according to Jean-Baptiste Scordel, executive pastry chef at La Grande Boucherie in New York City. "To be honest, it is a hard choice, but I will stay classic. Van Leeuwen ice cream: Pistachio or Hazelnut is my go-to when I can find it," says Scordel. "I'm a nutty person and they do those flavors very well."

Friendly's Orange Creme Roll Ice Cream & Sherbet Roll

Another seasonal treat, this ice cream creation combines refreshing orange sherbert, white candy chips, and vanilla ice cream rolled up to resemble an orange."Perfect mix of delicious creamsicles vibes, and New England nostalgia," says chef Carl Dooley of Mooncusser and Moon Bar in Boston. "I love to bring this to a party, everyone's face lights up, you feel like a kid,  and it's super easy to serve to a crowd."

Chad's Vanilla Ice Cream from Millie's Homemade

Some chefs go so far as to order their favorite ice cream from halfway across the country, and that's how much Bob Broskey loves Chad's Vanilla Ice Cream.

"I like to keep it simple with vanilla, and nothing beats Millie's Homemade," says Broskey, chef and partner at RPM Restaurants with locations in Chicago, Las Vegas, and Washington, D.C. "A fantastic product from a husband and wife team in Pittsburgh. We may or may not order a few pints a couple of times a year to Chicago. The Nutty Pistachio and Dairy Free Dark Chocolate Brownie Batter Gelato are not to be missed as well!"

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Milk Bar Cereal Milk

A famous spot to pick up unique sweets around the U.S., Milk Bar has offered its products in grocery stores for a few years, including rich and sweet ice cream. Kat Williams, chef and owner of Detroit's Lady of the House, loves the crunch in Milk Bar's Cereal Milk. "There is always a pint in my freezer," says Williams. "I love the combination of salty and sweet, as well as the little bit of crunch from the cornflakes and the toasted oat crust in each."

Adirondack Creamery Vanilla

One chef who kept his selection simple is Cody Pruitt, managing partner of Libertine in New York City. Pruitt vouches for Adirondack's Vanilla, calling it "anything but plain." Says Pruitt, "It's one of the rare ice creams that tastes of what it is (or what it should be): velvety dairy, aromatic vanilla bean, and a bit of sugar. It's pure, it's about as craveable as they come, and I don't feel like I'm filling my body with various emulsifiers and stabilizers. A bowl of Adirondack's Vanilla with a sprinkle of obnoxiously good sea salt (I'm a fan of Amagansett Sea Salt Co.) is as close to a perfect quick home dessert I can think of."

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Warwick Ice Cream

Adam Young, owner and chef of Sift Bake Shop in Connecticut, was named Food Network's Best Baker in America, so it's fair to assume the chef knows his way around sweet treats. "A summer tradition is always a trip to the local market and picking out Warwick Ice Cream with my two daughters," Young says. "Rich, flavorful and I love the old school flavors like rum raisin and grape nut. The classic technique and even packaging lends to nostalgia of year's past."

Parlor Ice Cream

Here's another nod to small, local ice cream purveyors. Kate Holowchik, pastry chef at Post 1917 in Massachusetts, loves Parlor Ice Cream. "It was started by my friend Jacqueline Dole. She's based out of Maine these days but it seems her ice cream is all over New England," says Holowchik. "The texture is always on point and she has managed to find that creative balance of whimsically nostalgic while still being appealing to the general public. I'm a big fan of the one-off flavors like blueberry flapjack or seasonal ones like apple cider donut."