This Cincinnati Ice Cream Brand Offers Better Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Than Häagen-Dazs And Tillamook

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True lovers of ice cream hold it to high standards, and we at Tasting Table are no exception. Nonetheless, we were surprised to find that the best mint chocolate chip ice cream we tried came not from Häagen-Dazs or Tillamook, but from the Cincinnati brand Homemade. In fact, in our ranking of 11 mint chocolate chip ice cream brands, Häagen-Dazs came in at number four, while Tillamook reached number three. Both of these well-known brands were outdone by Homemade, which achieved second place behind Graeter's Mint Chip. Owned by the United Dairy Farmers (UDF) and based in Cincinnati, Homemade promises that this ice cream is made from "the finest mint" and features "homemade chocolate chips throughout."

Tasting Table's critic admitted the possibility of bias, saying she grew up on Homemade: "My grandma always had it stocked in her freezer." Familiarity does not necessarily indicate a lack of objectivity, however, and our tester had plenty of evidence to back up her ranking. Describing the ice cream's unique use of chocolate chips, she wrote: "They're more like tiny chocolate flakes that are scattered throughout it. It means not a single square inch of ice cream has to go without, and the balance of flavors and textures is superb."

Our critic found the ice cream itself to be light yet creamy, and praised the balance of mint flavor. Only a few unappealing ingredients and an unnatural green tea color saw Homemade beaten out by Graeter's. "It's still a 10 out of 10 when it comes to a true, homestyle taste," she wrote.

Though the official Walmart website does not list the Homemade ice cream as being currently available, customer reviews matched our critic's enthusiasm. "THE BEST mint chocolate chip ice cream," one reviewer gushed. "Not chunky, chunks don't melt in your mouth, this is flaked, so it's a chilling delectable experience." Another stated simply: "Best mint chip on the market."

Interestingly, Graeter's — which we crowned the best mint chocolate chip ice cream in stores — is also a product of Cincinnati. While this could also be chalked up to our critic's Ohioan bias, Graeter's did reach a solid number five on our ranking of the 23 best ice cream brands overall. There is also much debate within the Buckeye State over whether Graeter's or UDF is superior. Writing on the r/cincinnati subreddit, one commenter argued: "When Graeter's is good, it's great. When it's not, it's really not. UDF is consistently better than mediocre, so its the safer bet." Another contended: "My heart goes out to UDF for a quick and cheap fix, but nothing can compare the the taste that Graeter's delivers."

Once you get ahold of some truly superlative mint chocolate chip ice cream, the only question is how best to consume it? While we at Tasting Table will never look down our nose at anyone who eats it straight from the tub with a spoon — c'mon, we've all done it — it's hard to resist a good ice cream milkshake. If you feel the same, be sure to check out this key step for ensuring velvety smooth milkshakes every time.