6 Store-Bought Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Brands, Ranked

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

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.

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.

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.

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. 

Additionally, I can appreciate the chocolate chunks that give my mouth something a little more interesting to chew on in the ice cream. The foundation is creamy and vanilla-forward, with a fair number of chips to give it the edge over Baskin-Robbins' version. It has all the elements of a chocolate chip ice cream, but it isn't particularly memorable. That's actually a good thing because it doesn't have any glaring issues to hold it back in the ranking. This ice cream has a nice vanilla aftertaste and chunky chip pieces that add a flavor lift that the lower-ranking ones did not possess.

I was pretty intrigued by Dreyer's (also branded as Edy's based on your location in the country) version of chocolate chip ice cream because the chocolate pieces are so large. They are almost like chipped-off pieces of slate – thin and jagged like a razor's edge, but wide and randomly sized. This makes every scoop unique and interesting to see how big and how many chocolate pieces you'll get. It ensures a fantastic cocoa burst of chocolate when you get one of the big bits.

I would easily incorporate this into my regular freezer space thanks to the impressive chocolate. The flavor isn't particularly vanilla-forward, and leans more into the muted, creamy territory. But those chocolate morsels help send it higher up in the ranking, where Great Value was more about the vanilla ice cream infrastructure. There is natural flavor here but no vanilla, which sets the taste back. This is a good ice cream, but the next one is creamier and luxurious. If you're buying something for a party or your family, Dreyer's is a great option, as the chocolate bits set it apart from every other item on this list. That said, there are quite large pockets where it's just the ice cream, and it isn't delicious enough to go any higher.

Tillamook fought a really good fight. Its tub of Chocolate Chip Ice Cream climbed its way to the No. 2 spot because of its decadent, creamy base. There is no denying that this is a really interesting and flavorful ice cream just on its own, but of course we're here to try chocolate chips, and Tillamook really ladled them in. They are so abundant throughout this tub of ice cream. I took enormous scoops for the photo and could see the chips evenly dispersed and suspended in the cream. 

Every bite is chock-full of chips, leaving a crunchy echo in my brain. As I chew, I can feel the creamy ice cream melting, creating a fantastic textural combination. Chocolate chip ice cream might seem simple, but this is credibly well-made. I would be more than pleased to have this in my freezer at any point in time — which is probably why a Tasting Table writer raved about Tillamook's ice cream flavor selection in a ranking. There are no issues: It's marvelously creamy, and everything about this is impeccable. When I picture chocolate chip ice cream that I want to eat as an adult, this is what I'm thinking of.

You might be wondering if Tillamook was such a hit, how could anything do better? Well, let me introduce you to Häagen-Dazs. The brand has done it again with its wonderful Vanilla Chocolate Chip flavor. I grew up on this brand not really knowing much about it, but after trying it in other taste tests — like my peanut butter ice cream ranking – it seems to consistently do pretty well. 

In this case, of course, it is my top contender for the best chocolate chip ice cream. As the name implies, this has a clear, delicious vanilla flavor that sets it apart. It's on another level from Tillamook, which wasn't nearly as vanilla-y, and it offers layers of mouthwatering flavor. This creation tastes like a clear, genuine vanilla extract, which helps set it so high in the ranking. It tastes authentic with a nuanced floral note. 

The chocolate chips are neither too large nor too few, and frequent enough to offer a crunchy dose of cocoa without overpowering the well-made vanilla ice cream base. I like the square chips that give a fantastic earthy burst. Häagen-Dazs is among the best-known ice cream brands that use real milk and cream, and that shines in the treat's formula. This takes the top spot because of the obvious vanilla notes and awesome chips; grab a pint the next time you see it in stores.

To do this ranking, I bought the ice creams from Walmart and Albertsons and judged them mainly on their taste. Each product should balance the vanilla ice cream base as well as the chocolate flavor of the chips. However, texture still was factored in: I wanted the ice cream to have a rich mouthfeel and creaminess, enhanced by the crunch and cocoa flavor of the chocolate morsels. Both elements needed to work, requiring a great balance of chocolate chips, while the ice cream itself had to taste and feel fantastic. Ice creams ranked lower if the vanilla was artificial or if there were other textural issues.

To conduct the taste test, I used a spoon to sample the various ice creams, repeating the process several times. Trying them one after the next makes it easy to detect differences, such as richer mouthfeel or variations in the abundance and shape of chocolate chips.