13 Store-Bought Strawberry Ice Cream Brands, Ranked

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As far as classic ice cream flavors go, strawberry is one of the best. It's not as rich as chocolate, and it's certainly way more flavorful than a boring, simple vanilla, so it's got appeal for days. Plus, a top-notch strawberry ice cream brings you an abundance of fresh springtime flavor. Yum! Still, not all brands are created equal, and some don't live up to our expectations. In fact, the variation from one brand to the next is kind of astounding. I don't know about you, but I don't have time for subpar dessert. When I enjoy something sweet, I want the best of the best, and this includes strawberry ice cream (though you can easily make it yourself). So, if you've ever wondered who makes the best strawberry ice cream, or maybe just which brands fall short, you're in the right place.

I bought and tasted store-bought strawberry ice cream flavors so we never have to wonder which one is best again. I also ranked them based on flavor and texture, so there shouldn't be any questions by the time we are done. To be clear, not a single ice cream in the bunch was bad. It's ice cream, after all (which was actually invented in China). Still, if you don't want to settle for anything less than the best, look no further.

Walmart is known for its super low prices, and the company's Great Value Strawberry Ice Cream is no exception. However, if you haven't already guessed by the last place ranking, its low price is the only thing going for it.

There are lots of interesting facts about strawberries that most people don't know, but it's fair to say we all know strawberry ice cream should have lots of the namesake flavor and ingredients in it, right? Well, unfortunately, Walmart must have missed the memo, because its strawberry ice cream is seriously lacking in the strawberry department. I mean, it's a far cry from vanilla, but there certainly aren't any chunks of strawberry in there. Instead, it only has tiny flecks, and the flavor reflects this. It's still strawberry ice cream, but the flavor is more sugary than anything else.

Unfortunately, Great Value Strawberry Ice Cream was also lacking in texture. It wasn't nearly creamy or rich enough for my liking. Honestly, I thought it was a pretty pathetic attempt at the recipe. When you consider how many other fantastic, strawberry-forward options are available, Great Value misses the mark by a long shot.

Kroger Deluxe Strawberry Ice Cream is another product that didn't fare so well, as is evident by its abysmally low ranking. I'll start by saying that it is significantly better than Great Value, by a lot. Even so, it still pales in comparison to the brands that round out the top half of this list.

The most noticeable difference between Kroger and the last-place pick (Great Value) is that Kroger made sure to include big chunks of strawberry throughout its ice cream. Does it have as much as some of the options coming up? No, but it doesn't skip this important element. However, I would say the strawberry flavor is lacking in the rest of the ice cream. The only time I got a burst of strawberry flavor was when a lovely little chunk of it found its way on to my spoon, and I would have preferred if this happened more frequently. In addition, the texture was just okay. All in all, I wouldn't say Kroger Deluxe Strawberry Ice Cream is a horrible pick, especially for a generic brand, but you can do so much better.

Whole Foods Market has a lot of appeal for the health-conscious consumer, and for the most part, the company's generic grocery store brand products are more than passable. While it may be a bit shocking due to the lowly 11th-place ranking, this holds true to the 365 by Whole Foods Strawberry Ice Cream. It's not bad, and it's miles ahead of Kroger and Great Value's attempt, but compared to the rest of the competition, it trails far behind.

Look, 365 by Whole Foods Strawberry Ice Cream tastes good. That's not the issue. It was sweet and creamy, and there was a good amount of strawberry chunks mixed in. However, the ice cream itself was lacking the rich strawberry flavor we all crave. The visible pieces carried it far, and there wasn't anything artificial it, but I soon found out that there are plenty of other options that blow it out of the water. Next.

Signature Select Strawberry Ice Cream, sold at Albertsons, Safeway, and other grocers under the same company umbrella, is the highest-ranking generic store brand on my list. Not only did it have a much more potent strawberry flavor, something that's paramount in an ice cream named as such, but the texture was more appealing. It wasn't the richest, creamiest ice cream, but it had a light, fluffy mouthfeel that kept me coming back for more. The way it coated my palate without weighing it down was delightful.

Another way Signature Select outshone the lower-ranking picks is with its tasty strawberry flavor. One look at the bright pink color of the ice cream, and I knew the flavor wouldn't be lacking. Plus, there were plenty of strawberry chunks throughout. The result is lots of strawberry flavor in every bite. The main drawback to Signature Select's recipe is that the strawberries don't taste super fresh and ripe, something I quickly learned other brands managed to pull off. That's okay, though. You could do worse, but I'd still opt for one of the upcoming picks when available.

Edy's Strawberry Ice Cream is where my list takes a significant turn for the better. Bright pink and full of pieces of strawberry, it's pretty yummy by any standards. It's certainly a step up from the lower-ranking generic brands, as well.

What I liked most about Edy's Strawberry Ice Cream is that it automatically draws you in with its striking shade of pink. Catching the eye is nice and all, but the real question was whether or not the color actually indicated a more potent strawberry flavor. After a spoonful, I knew it wasn't just aesthetic. While not the most potent strawberry flavor on this list, it's good enough to turn some heads.

Edy's recipe is also very sweet. The extra sugary flavor balances out the strawberry nicely, but I much prefer the strawberry to be the main event, something the higher-ranking picks pulled off with ease. Still, by any account, Edy's is a quality ice cream, and it'll more than satisfy a craving for premium strawberry ice cream.

Slightly tastier than Edy's, but not by much, Häagen-Dazs Strawberry Ice Cream is well deserving of an eighth place spot on my list. It comes from a reputable company — who hasn't heard of Häagen-Dazs? — and it is a perfect middle-of-the-road option. It's actually pretty darn good, but alas, some brands are simply better. More on that later, though.

Häagen-Dazs Strawberry Ice Cream tasted like it was made with quality ingredients, almost like 365 by Whole Foods' rendition of the recipe. However, unlike 365, Häagen-Dazs ensures the strawberry flavor is present in the ice cream itself (not just the chunks you find mixed in). As for texture, no complaints there either. It was deliciously creamy, yet not overly rich. As a result, I could see myself putting down an entire pint in one glorious sitting. I wouldn't recommend you do that, just saying. Regardless, Häagen-Dazs is a well-known brand because it does a fantastic job making ice cream, and the strawberry ice cream is a fantastic example of why. That's a lot of praise, but don't get it twisted. Häagen-Dazs may be one of the OG brands, but some of the new kids on the block gave it a run for its money.

Halo Top is known for its incredibly low-calorie ice cream. Back in the day, it was just okay, but it was perfect for anyone trying to minimize caloric intake while still enjoying a sweet treat. However, the brand and its flavors have come a long way since it first got its start. Across the board, Halo Top's recipes have drastically improved, and this includes the brand's Strawberry Ice Cream. It isn't nearly as creamy and rich as a full-calorie option, but you know what? It's so close to the "real" thing that you might not even be able to tell it was a healthier option if you didn't see the carton.

One of my main issues with Halo Top Strawberry Ice Cream is the high price — a pint will typically run you close to $5. Still, the brand has its place among health nuts, and I'm giving it props for that. The other problem I have with Halo Top is that the cartons are rarely full. My Strawberry Ice Cream was at least ⅓ empty when I took the foil top off. Bummer. Even so, the ice cream inside was very yummy. There weren't any chunks of strawberry to be found, but there were quite a few seeds (they're technically not seeds, but that's what we all call them). With this in mind, actual strawberries must have come into play at some point, and it sure tasted as such.

Breyers is another one of the old-school ice cream brands we all know and love. As such, it's not a big surprise that it managed to breach the top half of my ranking. Something about the Strawberry Ice Cream reminded me of the good ol' days, and even if it doesn't ring nostalgic for you, it's unlikely to let you down.

Breyers Strawberry Ice Cream boasts a super-rich texture and lots of fresh flavor. There's no shortage of strawberry chunks swirled throughout, either. It has lots of classic appeal from the ground up, and it tasted like real, fresh strawberries. Perfect. Well, almost. Obviously, it only got fifth place, but serve this to a friend or bring it to a party, and everyone will be glad you did. At first, I thought Breyers would make it a touch closer to the top of my ranking because of how much I instantly liked it. However, little did I know how out of this world the flavors and textures were about to get.

I'm typically not one to sing the praises of organic food options. Sure, I understand the benefits, of which there are many, but the jump in cost (especially in this economy), the often lackluster flavor, and the fact that there are simply many fewer organic options aren't persuading anyone. Regardless, Alden's Organic Strawberry Ice Cream is one organic product I don't recommend passing up.

Alden's may be a bit pricier than many of the other options on this list (around $9.99 for 1.5 quarts), but it makes up for it in the flavor department. A single taste is all it took to alert me to what a true, potent strawberry flavor could be. I obviously went back for more, but you know what I mean. It was packed with fresh, sweet strawberry flavor, and the texture was deliciously dense and creamy as well. Delish.

I do have a bone to pick with Alden's, though. The picture on the form of the carton clearly shows large chunks of strawberry throughout the ice cream, but there were only like two to speak of in mine. Like, not a single one. Maybe it was a one-off, but that picture on the front isn't doing it any favors. I wouldn't have cared if I didn't feel like I was misled, but Alden's had to be sneaky. Oh, well.

Straus Family Creamery Organic Strawberry Ice Cream is another pricier pick, but it's so darn tasty I couldn't rank it any lower than fourth place. Price be screwed. Even if it's just an occasional splurge purchase, the Straus Family Creamery nails its strawberry recipe, and whether they know it or not, puts all of the competition to shame.

I don't know what the Strauss Family Creamery is up to behind the scenes (aside from making tasty organic ice cream, of course), but it must have a few tricks up its sleeve. The company knows the secret to transferring fresh-from-the-vine strawberry flavor to ice cream, and it's a true marvel. There's nothing artificial about it. Unfortunately, I thought more strawberries would have made it even tastier. I like a bold taste, after all, but every morsel that's present boasts a drool-worthy, fresh flavor anyone could love. Plus, it's delicately balanced with a sweet cream taste that brings the entire dessert together. Oh yeah, the texture is perfectly creamy and dense, too. Coming to us from California, the state that produces the most ice cream, the company sure could teach a thing or two to the lower-ranking picks.

One look at Blue Bell Strawberry Ice Cream and you know it's going to be a banger. It has an eye-catching bright pink color that could only mean one thing: Strawberries galore, and let me tell you, the taste backed up the visual with stunning accuracy. It not only looks rich, but it's got fresh strawberry flavor for days. There's plenty of strawberry chunks to be found in the dense, creamy ice cream as well. Honestly, I have trouble seeing how anyone wouldn't fall for this ice cream.

I will admit that Blue Bell uses a mix of natural and artificial flavors to achieve its tasty strawberry ice cream recipe — it says it right on the front of the carton, so this isn't a secret — but this is one case where I don't actually mind. The flavors and textures are so delicious that they blow most of the competition out of the water. It's as simple as that. Haters are going to hate, but I say let them. After this, I have a special place in my heart and freezer for Blue Bell forevermore.

Van Leeuwen Strawberry Ice Cream is a French-style ice cream, so it's fattier, creamier, and well, richer than the American ice cream we all know, but that is what makes it special. I mean, who doesn't like the sound of all that, right? And yes, the difference in texture really shows in Van Leeuwen's recipe. Seriously, the mouthfeel is so decadent that I almost didn't want to swallow it. Instead, I wanted the heavenly ice cream to set up residence on my tongue. It's not fair to other ice creams, really.

I thought Van Leeuwen Strawberry Ice Cream was going to be my number one for a hot minute, that's how amazingly tasty it is. The strawberry flavor is so fresh it's actually baffling. However, in the end, it got beat out by my No. 1 because it doesn't contain chunks of actual strawberry. The flavor is undeniably there in full force, but the company chose to blend them in so well that no chunks remain. That's okay, though, I'll make an exception from my usual preferences for this one. A pint of Van Leeuwen Strawberry Ice Cream will typically run you about $7.99, but if you love a dense, super creamy, and rich ice cream that only the French recipe can provide, it's everything you could ever want and more.

When it comes to dairy, Tillamook could teach everyone a few things, and the brand's Oregon Strawberry Ice Cream is just one example of what makes them the best in the business. It's decadent yet light, creamy yet overrun with chunks of strawberry, and well, to put it plainly, it's downright perfect. It's basically a master class in strawberry ice cream, and I, for one, am here for it.

I don't know what kind of magic Tillamook Creamery is using, but the taste of its strawberry ice cream is to die for. It's so fresh and sweet and tart all at the same time that it might even put you in a predicament. Really, it doesn't leave you any other option. You have to go back for more and more. In fact, when I'm done telling you about it, I plan on heading to my freezer for a bite.

There are so many yummy ways to use strawberries, but Tillamook's strawberry ice cream may be the best. If you aren't privy to its delightful taste and texture yet, run, don't walk, to your local grocer and snag a carton. You won't regret it.

Tasting, comparing, and ranking strawberry ice cream brands was nothing short of a spectacular journey for me. At first, I didn't think the variation from one brand's recipe to another would be so drastic, but I sure was proven wrong.

When it came down to ranking, the freshness and potency of the strawberry flavor reigned supreme, but I also factored in texture — the creamier and richer, the better. I decided to leave the price out of it because most of us are willing to pay whatever it takes to get the best ice cream around, even if you don't live in California (the state that eats the most ice cream). In the end, Tillamook took gold, but everything in the top nine is worthy of a try.