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There are a lot of ice cream flavors to pick from as you work your way through the freezer aisle. It can feel overwhelming to scan through every brand and flavor out there. If you truly looked at every single option, you could stand there for at least half an hour. Rather than be paralyzed by choices, I decided to narrow down a flavor and try a bunch of chocolate chip ice cream options from various brands and rank them from worst to best.
I think this is one of the most iconic ice cream flavors, in the same tier as things like cookies and cream or strawberry; I remember really loving the chip-forward flavor as a kid. It was a little more exciting than vanilla but not quite as heavy as chocolate, so I wanted to find what brand makes the best on the market. I visited two stores and bought as much chocolate chip ice cream as I could find, ultimately deciding to judge them on a few criteria. First was the overall intrigue of the vanilla ice cream itself, and second was the chocolate morsels; taste and texture were vital components of a successful scoop. I was looking for ice cream that was delicious on its own, but I still wanted plenty of chocolate chips. Ready? I'll give you the full scoop.
Carmen Varner / Tasting Table I wanted to relive a bit of childhood and enjoy the Thrifty Chocolate Chip ice cream, but it just doesn't hit the same if it's not from Rite Aid. This was my least favorite out of all the brands I tested. The first issue is the overall iciness of the texture. As I moved my mouth and bit into it (as much as you bite into ice cream), I could feel and hear the ice; it made a crunch distinct from any chocolate nibs. This ultimately did not yield as creamy a product as the other options and is the main reason it ranks toward the bottom.
Still, I found a vanilla flavor permeating the ice cream. While it contains actual vanilla, the ingredients show natural and artificial vanilla flavor, and I'm afraid that really overwhelms the palate. There's some turmeric tossed in as a coloring agent, which gives it a yellow color none of the others had. I don't think it's needed, as the yellow color seems a bit strange. I don't necessarily find this Thrifty product unpleasant on its own, and I would eat it at a party or something; however, it doesn't compete with some of the other brands. The texture really took away from the overall experience, as it doesn't seem very ice cream-like.
Carmen Varner / Tasting Table I used to go to Baskin-Robbins often as a kid; I probably got chocolate or mint chip at the time. So, it was fun to try Baskin-Robbins in this packaged, store-bought form. This chocolate chip ice cream provides a creamy foundation with a light vanilla flavor, nothing too intense. However, this stands out from other ice creams because of the way chocolate is incorporated. They are thin flakes compared to a crunchy chip.
This makes them feel delicate as I chew, and they don't provide as much contrast to the creamy foundation. Instead, they kind of melt in the mouth along with the ice cream — fine, but not exactly what I'm looking for. I would like to see more of the flakes to help combat that and give it more intrigue. As it is, the overall flavor is good enough to keep it from being last, but it genuinely can't compete with the lusciousness of some of the top flavors. This is a unique spin, and I can appreciate it for that. The flavor is mild, though, so its texture is the most memorable part of this chocolate chip ice cream.
Carmen Varner / Tasting Table I was pretty impressed with the Great Value Chocolate Chip Ice Cream iteration. Price is not a factor, but that alone would be super enticing to continue selecting the brand; it was the most affordable option per ounce, and there are a lot of flavor options to pick from. The vanilla base is creamy, not too fascinating, but still offers more oomph than the last brands. It's like the midpoint of the two — not as intense as Thrifty's odd flavor, but not as light as BR's. This contains vanilla extract and natural flavors, so that touch of authentic vanilla backs my flavor findings.
