The Best and Worst Frozen Desserts in America in 2021—Ranked!
When you think of frozen desserts, you probably think of ice cream, cakes, pies, and all the other decadent goodies in the grocery store freezer aisles. These are a satisfying treat on a hot afternoon or the perfect sweet ending to a meal. But some cold, sweet treats are absolutely loaded with sugar, pushing them into the category of things you should probably always leave behind while you're grocery shopping.
Ahead, we took a look at some of our favorite frozen desserts you can find at your local grocery store right now and ranked them based on their nutritional value. Even though dessert should be indulgent, you don't want to go overboard, especially if you're having it on a daily basis. While we believe it's important to view a healthy lifestyle as eating everything in moderation, you still want to make healthy choices! So here's what you should eat and what you should avoid, starting with the latter. (Want to make some instead? Here are the 100 Easiest Recipes You Can Make.)
Marie Callender's Chocolate Satin Pie
Where do you even begin with this Chocolate Satin Pie? Other than how good it tastes, there are really no redeeming qualities when it comes to nutrition. For an absolutely special occasion, though? Maybe.
Related: To get all the latest grocery store and health news delivered right to your email inbox every day, sign up for our newsletter!
Mrs. Smith's Original Flaky Crust Dutch Apple Pie
Between the oil, butter, and sugar, it's no wonder this pie is rich, decadent, and full of calories and carbs. Don't be fooled by the apple filling—apples are great, but when they're sweetened, doused in butter, and baked down into a pie they mostly lose their nutritional value.
Junior's Original New York Cheesecake
You already know a cheesecake isn't going to be very healthy. It's loaded with cheese and sugar—that's what makes it delicious! This is definitely something you don't want to eat every day, but once in a while would be ok. This isn't too big of a heartbreak, the less frequently you eat it, the more you'll enjoy it when you do!
Friendly's Oreo Ice Cream Cake
The most important thing to remember with a cake like this is sticking to the serving size. This cake is actually 15 servings, which means the slices are very small. If you want to abide by the serving sizes, simply measure before you cut.
Edwards Key Lime Pie
What we like about these slices of pie is that there's no high-fructose corn syrup or additives. However, it's still loaded with calories and saturated fat. Fortunately, the box only comes with two slices in it, so unless you buy several, you'll be limited to not eating too much of this key lime pie at once!
Pepperidge Farm Frozen Confetti Vanilla Layer Cake
This cake is sugar, sugar, and more sugar—oh and carbs. Of course, this is to be expected with a cake, and that's why they are often saved for special occasions. This is another one that you'll want to portion out ahead of time to make sure you don't go overboard.
Breyers Frozen Dairy Dessert Cookies & Cream
If you stick to a serving size, which is 2/3 of a cup, this isn't too bad. It has quite a bit of sugar and carbs, but for a delicious treat at the end of the day, it's a decent option.
Nestle Vanilla Ice Cream Sandwiches
These are really in the middle ground as far as nutrition goes. The info is pretty run-of-the-mill for a frozen dessert, but a pre-portioned serving is always a big plus with sugary things.
Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream Half Baked
Ben & Jerry's has a lot of ice cream varieties to choose from—with a range of nutritional values—but they're all going to be heavy on the sugar. What we love about it, though, is that the ingredient list is made up of things we can recognize. That and the ice cream comes from a company with values. So at the end of the day, we love this one.
Nestle Disney Mickey Mouse Light Ice Cream Bars
The novelty of these Mickey Mouse ice cream bars is what makes them so appealing. Sure, they're sugary sweet and decadent, but having a frozen dessert in a portioned-out serving helps you stick to the set calories, so for that reason, we don't mind these too much. Oh boy!
Drumstick Lil' Drums Vanilla Fudge Swirl
Just a mention of these brings us back to backyard barbecues as kids. But rather than eat a regular-size Drumstick to bring back more memories, try one of these Lil' Drums instead. They're smaller in size so they're not quite as unhealthy, but they'll still fill that craving for an ice cream cone you used to have after a day at the pool.
Outshine SIMPLY INDULGENT Strawberry Fruit and Dairy Bars
This is one of the better options for frozen desserts. It's made with whole ingredients like strawberries, cream, and buttermilk, but it does have a few carbs and sugar. However, compared to the more indulgent desserts on this list, this one is a great alternative that will satisfy your sweet tooth without knocking your healthy lifestyle out of whack.
Enlightened Ice Cream Bars, Light, Mint Chip
These mint chip bars are low in calories and fat, which we like. They're also low in sugar, but that's because they're made with erythritol, a sugar substitute. While that's not necessarily a problem, it's something for you to decide on—not everyone is into sugar substitutes in their food.
Yasso Frozen Greek Yogurt, Sea Salt Caramel Bars
Instead of ice cream, Yasso makes its frozen pops with Greek yogurt. This still gives you that creamy texture without too much extra fat or calories. Instead, you're getting more protein than most ice cream bars, so you'll also feel full longer after having one of these.
Chloe's Blueberry Pops
These ice pops are made with exactly three ingredients: blueberry puree, water, and cane sugar. If you're looking for a cold treat with absolutely no additives, this is a clear winner. Blueberries are also loaded with antioxidants and vitamins, so you're getting some nutritional value with each bite.
Bubbies Mochi, Mango
For a quick little bite of something sweet, these mochi ice creams are awesome. They clock in under 100 calories and are low in carbs and sugar thanks to the mango, which is naturally sweet. They're chewy and creamy and the perfect snack!
Tru Fru Raspberries, Dark Chocolate
These may fall more into the snack category than dessert, but you could easily make these your dessert if you want something on the smaller and lighter side. Grab a small handful of these raspberries that are dipped in both white and dark chocolate for just a hint of sweetness.
