I Tried 8 Low-Calorie Ice Creams & The Winner Tasted Like the Real Thing

As the age-old adage goes, "Ice cream is always a good idea." But does this apply to all kinds of ice creams? It certainly should.

Among the vast assortment of flavors that grace the freezer shelves are copious options geared toward different dietary preferences and lifestyles. Dairy-free, low-sugar, low-calorie, high-protein, keto: the list seems never-ending. With the choices being so plentiful, choosing the "right one" can be tricky as you navigate the confusing world of nutrition terminology.

To help steer you through this sector of the ice cream space, Eat This, Not That! previously asked a dietitian to round up some of the best low-calorie ice creams. To earn a spot on the list, each product had to contain no more than 210 calories per serving, 12 grams of added sugar, and ​​15 grams of saturated fat.

While nutritional makeup is essential to a product's appeal, so is the taste. Because who doesn't want delicious ice cream?

So, I set out to try all the dietitian-approved ice creams that I could find. I purchased eight options, recruited two ice cream-loving friends, and broke out three spoons. As I tasted each ice cream, I made sure to consider its unique qualities, whether that was being low in fat or free of added sugar.

Here's how the ice creams fared, ranked in descending order from my least favorite to the best of the bunch.

Yasso Strawberries & Cream Frozen Greek Yogurt Bars

Unlike the other brands on this list, Yasso's products are made with Greek yogurt. They're also free of artificial sweeteners. These Strawberries & Cream Bars had the highest sugar content out of all the products in this taste test, containing 12 grams. The item is made with real sugar, which is listed as the second ingredient following nonfat milk. I purchased a four-pack of the bars for $6.99.

The look: Pepto Bismol pink. Each bar resembled the color of the vibrant light pink medicine, albeit with red flecks from the strawberry pieces.

The taste: Overly sweet, and despite being made with real strawberries, the flavor seemed artificial. Full disclosure: I'm typically not a strawberry ice cream fan, but one of my fellow taste-tasters is. So, when she said the flavor tasted like cough syrup, I knew this frozen dessert was far from being a winner. Moreover, the strawberry pieces provided a chewy, slightly gelatinous texture that didn't do the bar any favors. In the past, I've enjoyed several other Yasso bars like Chocolate Fudge and Fudge Brownie, so I'll have to pass on Strawberries & Cream and stick with my go-to flavors from now on.

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Nick's Strawbär Swirl Swedish-Style Light Ice Cream

Nick's offers a selection of Swedish-style, keto-friendly ice cream options that are free of added sugar. That means the products are instead sweetened with sugar alcohols like allulose, erythritol, and stevia. The Strawbär Swirl Swedish-Style Light Ice Cream contains cream and a dairy protein blend made with milk protein concentrate, allulose, and whey. I purchased a pint for $5.

The look: This ice cream was slightly less vibrant in color than the Yasso bars. It also featured reddish-pink strawberry ribbons and some yellowish brown speckles from the strawberry seeds.

The taste: Unlike the Yasso bar, this ice cream had a more natural strawberry flavor and a less overwhelmingly sweet taste. One friend noted that this flavor had a "very subtle hint of vanilla," before concluding that it tasted like whey. Meanwhile, the strawberry swirls reminded me of a gelatinous strawberry-flavored jam. Flavor aside, the texture was oddly a bit chewy with a slight iciness to it, an element that didn't compel me to take another bite.

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Enlightened Sea Salt Caramel Bars

The Enlightened brand boasts a range of low-calorie, low-sugar, and high-protein ice cream options, including bars and pints. Like Nick's, the company uses sweeteners like allulose, stevia, and monk fruit. Made with skim milk, the Sea Salt Caramel Bars cost me $6.49.

The look: Each bar was a light sandy brown color stamped with a darker brown swirl of caramel.

The taste: There was no denying the caramel flavor. The ice cream bar was cloyingly sweet, with a flavor that continued to linger for minutes after trying. One friend compared it to "those sucking candies your grandma gives you," while I initially detected a slight maple syrup flavor. All three of us found this light ice cream overpowering in taste, but I could see this being an enticing choice for a caramel fanatic.

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Breyer's CarbSmart Brownie a la Mode

As its name suggests, Breyers' CarbSmart line features frozen desserts that are lower in carbs. The Brownie a la Mode Frozen Dairy Dessert is made with skim milk and features fudge ribbons and brownie dough pieces. The product classifies as a "frozen dairy dessert" because it doesn't technically meet the Food & Drug Administration's requirements to be labeled as ice cream. Specifically, the government agency requires ice cream to contain at least 10% milk fat. A 1.5-quart container cost me $5.

The look: The vanilla ice cream was rippled with fudge, while small pieces of brownie were scattered throughout. The texture was creamy upon being scooped.

The taste: This flavor was a bit strange, lacking a strong vanilla taste and presenting more of a chemical-like flavor that lingered. I noticed that vanilla wasn't listed as an ingredient, but "natural flavor" was. While the brownie dough pieces weren't chewy as expected and instead had more of a grittiness to them, they did offer a pleasant chocolaty flavor that helped distract from the chemical taste of the base. "If the brownie's not in the bite, it's not worth your time," one friend proclaimed.

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Edy's/Dreyer's Slow Churned Classic Vanilla Light Ice Cream

Edy's, also known as Dreyers in some parts of the U.S., has an assortment of ice cream flavors, including low-fat choices, as well as options without any added sugar. The Slow Churned line includes flavors with one-third of the calories and half the fat of traditional ice cream. Like a few other options in this taste test, skim milk is the first ingredient. I picked up a 1.5 quart-container of the Slow Churned Classic Vanilla Light Ice Cream for $4.

The look: The ice cream was light and fluffy but melted rather quickly, pooling with some air bubbles at the bottom of the bowl.

The taste: After taking one bite, I immediately thought of the vanilla ice cream in the mini vanilla and chocolate ice cream cups that come with small wooden spoons—a childhood favorite for many. The flavor was quite sweet, and while notes of vanilla were present, they weren't as prominent as they were in the next brand.

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Halo Top Light Vanilla Ice Cream

Halo Top might be the first brand that comes to mind when you think of low-calorie ice cream. The company offers a wide array of frosty treats, including pints and pops, that contain fewer calories, less sugar, and more protein than regular ice cream. Like several of the brands on this list, Halo Top uses stevia and erythritol to sweeten its products, though it also uses sugar. I picked up a pint of the Vanilla Bean Light Ice Cream for $5.99.

The look: This option was soft, light, and easy to scoop. It was also speckled with black dots, thanks to the addition of ground vanilla beans.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

The taste: The frozen dessert was sweet without being cloying, while the vanilla bean flavor was distinctively present. There was also a toasted essence to this ice cream, which somewhat reminded me of almonds. If you're in the mood for vanilla, this one could help you get your fix.

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So Delicious Vanilla Sandwiches Almondmilk Frozen Dessert

The So Delicious product portfolio includes a plethora of vegan, non-GMO frozen desserts that feature almond, coconut, soy, or oat milk. The Vanilla Almond Milk Sandwiches are made with a layer of almond milk frozen dessert sandwiched between two chocolate wafers. I purchased a box of eight for $7.99.

The look: You'll want to make sure you open the packaging gently, as the first sandwich I unsealed fell apart quite easily. Between the two chocolate-flavored wafers was a generous portion of vanilla-flavored frozen dessert. This frozen treat was about half the size of a typical ice cream sandwich.

The taste: Surprisingly tasty. While it's no classic ice cream sandwich, this option offers a pleasant burst of sweetness that had us all going in for seconds. The frozen dessert was, unsurprisingly, more almond-forward than traditional dairy ice cream, but it wasn't off-putting. "It's a nice little treat after dinner, especially if you're lactose intolerant," said one friend (who curiously claims to be lactose-intolerant but still eats dairy ice cream). While this was an overall impressive ice cream alternative, there was still one more option that I'd reach for first.

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Rebel Coffee Chip Ice Cream

Rebel is a keto-friendly brand with an assortment of full-fat, low-carb ice cream flavors that contain little or no added sugar. These ice creams have a base of cream and are sweetened with erythritol and monk fruit. The brand's Coffee Chip Ice Cream contains zero grams of sugar. I purchased a pint for $6.99. Rebel recommends letting the ice cream sit out for at least 15 minutes or popping it into the microwave before eating.

The look: This light brown ice cream was studded with chocolate chips, promising to be one of the most intriguing options for me, a major coffee ice cream fan.

The taste: Despite the zero-sugar status giving me low expectations for this ice cream, I was pleasantly surprised. The coffee flavor shined through, presenting a balance of sweetness and bitterness, while the chocolate chips offered a nice crunch in each spoonful. While the texture was light, I probably wouldn't be able to tell this is a specialty ice cream. It was even better than some of the ice creams I tried in a previous coffee ice cream taste test. Out of all eight low-calorie ice creams I tasted, this one was easily the best and had me going in for more spoonfuls.