More Than Half Of Consumer Reports' Top-Rated Ice Creams Are This Classic Flavor

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When it comes to ice cream, there can never be too much of a good thing — unless you're standing in the freezer aisle and trying to choose from the overwhelming number of choices in front of you. Have no fear, Consumer Reports (yes, the publication that tests and rates everything from cars to kitchen appliances) is here, and they've got ice cream suggestions for you. While Consumer Reports' recent ice cream ranking features 51 products and a myriad of flavors, more than half of the top 10 products make your flavor choice clear: Go for butter pecan.

According to Consumer Reports, the top-rated butter pecan ice cream comes from Walmart's Great Value store brand. Made with milk, cream, and real pecan pieces, customers love that it is both delicious and budget-friendly. Says one Walmart reviewer, "The butter pecan flavor is rich and buttery with a nice balance of sweetness that isn't overpowering. The pecans add excellent texture and flavor, giving each bite a good mix of creamy ice cream and crunchy nut pieces." 

The other top-ranked butter pecan ice creams are ones you can find at most major retailers. Consumer Reports named Häagen-Dazs Butter Pecan as one of their top products, and since cream is the first ingredient, you can rest assured you'll get an intense dairy flavor in every bite. One Häagen-Dazs fan on icecream.com put it this way: "The smooth ice cream is perfectly contrasted by crisp, buttery pecan pieces." Our own butter pecan ice cream reviewer also noted the large amount of pecans in every spoonful. Consumer Reports also enjoyed Blue Bunny Premium Butter Pecan ice cream, which we are sad to say is no longer in production. However, the Iowa-based ice cream company is still churning out butter pecan frozen dairy dessert as part of their Traditional Scoopables line.

Three other beloved ice cream brands are also mixing up butter pecan ice creams that won over the testers. Consumer Reports put Blue Bell Buttered Pecan ice cream in the top ten, with salted pecans added to the brand's creamy ice cream base. A fan on Reddit has a sweet-and-savory suggestion: "No greater joy than [Blue Bell] butter pecan with ... flaky sea salt on top," they say. Blue Bell is not available everywhere, so if you spot it in a store near you, be sure to grab a pint — or a half gallon.

Friendly's Butter Pecan ice cream, which Consumer Reports put in their top 10 as well, is no longer available, but the brand's butter pecan frozen dairy dessert has a lot going for it. With buttermilk in the base and butterscotch toffee alongside roasted, salted pecans, there's a complexity that other options don't showcase. The sixth and final butter pecan ice cream in the top 10 in Consumer Reports' ranking comes from Turkey Hill. The classic flavor is featured as one of Turkey Hill's frozen dairy dessert offerings, with butter-roasted pecans mixed right in, but if you're looking for something super indulgent, you may also want to check out the Late Night line's Buttery Southern Pecan Pie flavor, which pairs butter pecan-flavored real ice cream with pieces of pie crust and a caramel swirl.