7 Magnum Ice Cream Treats, Ranked

I've enjoyed Magnum ice cream for years. I think I first had it in Europe probably a decade ago. And because I tried it on my travels, it's always felt like an elevated ice cream bar. I've associated it with a fancy, luxurious dessert experience and good memories. So, when I sought out to eat as many varieties as I could, it was a literal treat for me. I ended up with seven options to see which I liked the most.

While there are many ice cream brands to choose from, Magnum is the way to go if you want a treat that does more than satisfy a craving. It uses cocoa that is Rainforest Alliance Certified. The company also launched the AWA by Magnum program in 2022 to work with and support the farming communities and women in Côte d'Ivoire, where its cocoa is sourced. Since its launch, the initiative has helped over 4,000 women in those cocoa-farming communities by providing financial literacy training, entrepreneurial training, and more. 

If you want an ice cream that gives back, then you might want to consider Magnum. I enjoyed the ice cream bar flavors I tried — not really a shocker there — but I still had to rank them and found some more captivating than others. I judged the ice cream bars by flavor and how any flavor pairings worked together. I found two top flavors that I'd repurchase over all the others.

Some recommendations are based on firsthand impressions of promotional materials and products provided by the manufacturer.

The Milk Chocolate Classic ice cream comes in the mini size, which I tried, as well as the standard size. The minis come in boxes of six, as opposed to the larger ice creams, which come in packs of three. The Mini Classic bars feature a 44% cacao milk chocolate shell exterior that offers a fantastic balance of cocoa and milkiness. The thin shell crackles as you take a bite, making way to the creamy ice cream; it offers a tantalizing texture combination that makes it all too tempting to nibble. 

This treat is a good reminder of why magic chocolate shells are so popular as an ice cream topping; it adds to the overall experience, enhancing the flavor and texture of vanilla ice cream. It's definitely one of the better milk chocolate ice cream bars I've had since the chocolate tastes authentic. I can taste the quality of the chocolate, as it still has a hint of earthy cocoa to give it dimension. The ice cream is rich and creamy, but doesn't seem heavy. Tasty as it is, it simply isn't my favorite from Magnum's lineup. I can't say it's a bad bar, but the other options are considerably more exciting.

Before you say anything — no, the mini sizing had nothing to do with why both tiny varieties ranked low. That's pure coincidence, mainly because they're both milk chocolate. The Mini Almond gets a slight boost in the ranking due to the addition of almonds. It has the same general flavor profile as the Classic Milk Chocolate, but those nut morsels offer more intrigue — and there's a hint of sea salt sprinkled in too. It has a nutty taste and an interesting crunch that makes it fun to eat. 

The chocolate shell already offers some crisp texture, but it melts the moment you chew. The nuts, however, bring more mouthfeel that you feel after the chocolate and ice cream melt away. I also think something in this treat tastes caramel-like, so it seems more complex than just the addition of almond pieces. The almond and sea salt add a bit more to the equation to give it a slight edge over the plain variety. If you want to put a unique spin on an ice cream sandwich, use a croissant as the base and the Mini Almond bar to add a touch of nuttiness that rounds out the richness.

Okay, now this one actually has caramel, which adds sweet complexity to the mix. The caramel remains beneath the chocolate shell, creating a clear layer. I think the order of the ingredients makes a difference in the experience, because I first taste the chocolate, but then the caramel and ice cream begin to make their presence known. The "Double" moniker doesn't relate to the caramel, though; instead, there is double chocolate. There's an ice cream center, a chocolate shell, caramel sauce, then the final external chocolate shell. 

The double chocolate helps keep it from feeling overpowering by caramel, as the sauce brings a sweet, toffee-like flavor into the fold. It enhances the taste compared to the Classic or Almond varieties, which I can appreciate. This feels like a full-on sweet treat, because the caramel carries a level of sweetness the other two didn't have. I like the upgrade, but it's a bit sugary, so it stays in the lower end of the ranking. The mini version of these did really well in a ranking of Costco frozen desserts to try, where the writer praised the caramel layer and fantastic texture — neither too gooey nor frozen solid. It's an all-around solid pick for caramel lovers.

If you've ever had those Hershey's Cookies 'N' Creme bars, this bar is like the ice cream version of it. Eating the Cookie Duet ice cream felt so nostalgic, despite the fact that I've never had it before. This ice cream is unique, as the bar gets dipped twice. It has a vanilla ice cream center with thin ribbons of chocolate ganache, which sets it apart from the previous vanilla-only ice cream bases. It brings a chocolatey element, without tasting overwhelming. 

Then, it gets dipped in white chocolate and sprinkled with dark chocolate cookie crumble. After that, there's a final milk chocolate layer in the top half. This delivers a totally unique experience, making it so enticing to eat. The top half has the milk and white chocolate, so it tastes rich and incredibly milky. Then I get hits of the cookie crumbles, which provide a lot more flavor than one might think, given how tiny they are. I love the blend of textures; the cookies add grit without making it a chore to bite into. The complexity of flavors and textures here is the most interesting out of anything thus far. Cookies and cream is one of the best ice cream flavors, and this Magnum offering hits the nail on the head.

The Dark Chocolate Magnum ice cream bar gets everything right. It's simple — well, simpler than the past three bars I talked about — but still tastes the most elevated. The vanilla ice cream is creamy and delicious, but this time we're introduced to a dark chocolate shell made with 68% cacao. I typically prefer a cacao content of 72% or higher in dark chocolates; however, it's still flavorful and decadent when introduced in an ice cream bar format. The cocoa flavor is more intense and bittersweet than any of the previous varieties (which I like).

The exterior crackles as you take a bite, requiring you to keep one hand on the ice cream bar's wooden stick and the other beneath your chin to catch any stray chocolate shards (this is the case with all the bars, by the way). This contrast brings a fun and totally tasty layer to the eating experience. Granted, the next two bars are a little more interesting, where I'd select them as a treat, but I think the Dark Chocolate is a great entry point into Magnum's range of bars.

If you can't get enough chocolate, then by golly, you should go out to buy Magnum's Double Chocolate ice cream bars immediately. They're so rich and wonderfully intense, in the best way. Sometimes ice cream bars are ... just okay. As in, you ate it and finished it and weren't particularly wowed by the flavors, textures, or overall experience. It was merely a treat. However, the Double Chocolate bars raise, well, the bar. Every bite is like a heightened flavor journey.

For the first time in this ranking, we're introduced to chocolate ice cream. Wow — it's creamy and cocoa-y and pure bliss. Then there's a chocolate shell, a luscious layer of chocolate sauce, and a final layer of chocolate shell, effectively creating four parts of chocolate. I suppose calling it "quadruple chocolate" doesn't have the same ring to it. The chocolatiness is so strong that you don't even have to eat the full bar; you could get away with half or even a couple of bites. Part of my chocolate-loving self wants to see Double Chocolate as the first place winner, but this next option is considerably more balanced and enjoyable.

If you're a fan of the likes of raspberry chocolate fondue or chocolate-covered strawberries, then the Double Raspberry ice cream bar is your best bet. It beautifully blends chocolate and berry flavors, making it as refreshing as it is rich. It tastes the most interesting yet balanced, too. Here, we get the double trouble essence that the other two "Double" varieties offered, but with new elements. The raspberry ice cream is full of fruity flavor that feels uplifting; each bite is creamy and invigorating. Then there is the chocolate layer, followed by raspberry sauce, and then the last exterior chocolate shell. 

This brings a new format to chocolate-covered fruit. Like the other Double options, this Double Raspberry bar is rich so that you can totally enjoy the whole bar in one go or choose to portion it out as a little treat throughout the day. Think of each bite like one chocolate-covered berry at a time. The raspberry elements don't taste artificial, which I often encounter in fruit-flavored desserts. It can sometimes come across as medicinal, but that's not the case with this Magnum treat. There are actual raspberries and raspberry juice extract included to give it an authentic taste. I'd pick up this flavor above the others because it's the most flavorful — full of berry, chocolate, and creamy goodness. It's the first bar I'd reach for again!

To test my selection, I tried all ice cream bars in one day. The flavors were different enough that I didn't particularly need a palate cleanser, but I still sipped water to help dull the richness. I didn't eat the entire bar; instead, I cut off a portion and ate it. I stored the cut bars in a plastic bag in the freezer and noshed on them over several more days to solidify my thoughts. 

My higher-ranking ice cream bars had bold, tantalizing flavors that I kept coming back to. They felt the most decadent and gourmet, with a complex edge that made them more interesting to eat. Then, the flavors that ranked lower were seemingly plain (but delicious) by comparison. I know one's personal taste will play a part in their opinion of the ice creams. So my "drab" might be your best ice cream ever. I'd happily eat any of them again, but would pick my top two above all else.