21 Talenti Flavors, Ranked From Worst To Best
Of all the delicious frozen dessert brands out there, Talenti has always been one of our favorites. It offers at least 45 fabulous flavors, including gelato, gelato layers, gelato pairings, and sorbetto. The brand was founded in the 1990s by Josh Hochschuler, who fell in love with all things gelato when living and working in Argentina. These days, Talenti caters to gelato and sorbetto lovers everywhere, including those with organic, egg-free, gluten-free, and dairy-free dietary preferences. Talenti products are made with high-quality ingredients from around the globe, using inspired recipes and a unique slow-cooking process to maximize flavor potential.
To determine our overall Talenti flavor rankings, we first cleared room in a freezer and bought all of the Talenti flavors we could find at grocery stores near us. Next, we recruited three sweet-toothed product testers to scoop, spoon, and sample all 21 flavors. Finally, when the difficult job was done, we put all our testers on a massive diet.
It is worth noting that even the lowest-ranked Talenti flavors are surprisingly satisfying. And the highest-ranked ones are, well, entirely out of this world. From fun and fruity to deep, dark, and chocolaty, below are 21 Talenti flavors, ranked from worst to best.
21. Roman Raspberry
Although we haven't sampled too many frozen non-dairy treats, our guess is that Roman Raspberry Sorbetto is one of the best. This Talenti flavor tastes precisely like sweetened, blended frozen raspberries — which makes sense since that's basically what it is. To be clear: This is definitely not a bad thing. In fact, this product's powerfully fruity, tangy flavor may invoke thoughts of your favorite childhood popsicle treats or fun-filled summer holidays. All good stuff, right?
But even with happy, fruity, drippy memories in mind, Roman Raspberry (and sorbetto in general) can't compete with Talenti's massive range of creamy gelato flavors. Talenti helpfully explains the difference between sorbetto and gelato (compared to traditional ice cream): Sorbettos tend to be fruit-based and do not include any milk or cream. They have the lowest fat content among the three frozen treats. Conversely, gelato often contains less fat than ice cream since it uses more milk than cream. It also has more sugar and a denser texture, contributing to the overall yumminess factor.
20. Caribbean Coconut
If you enjoy coconut but don't feel like getting hit over the head with it, you may want to try Talenti Caribbean Coconut Gelato. This straightforward gelato variety combines coconut with milk, cream, sugar, and vanilla to create a mild and milky coconut flavor.
While the Caribbean may be known for its beautiful coconut palm-lined beaches, the coconuts used in this product are actually sourced from the Philippines. Interestingly, Talenti refers to this as a "geographical discrepancy" and encourages customers to "just go with us on this one". After Indonesia, the Philippines is the second-largest producer of coconut products globally (via the Philippine Consulate General in Vancouver). And bear with us for one last coconut fact: Coconuts are not even native to the Caribbean, according to Pulse of the Caribbean.
Regardless of where coconuts originate, our bottom line is that Caribbean Coconut may or may not be your thing. It's perfectly decent — but there are so many other Talenti flavors out there that are truly remarkable. The truth is that we'd rather eat those.
19. Alphonso Mango
Did you know that around 1,500 mango varieties are grown in India (via Times of India)? The Alphonso mango, however, is known as "king of mangos," according to Specialty Produce. More than 1.2 cups of fresh mangoes from Maharashtra can be found in every pint of dairy-free Alphonso Mango Sorbetto.
Unlike some of Talenti's complex gelato flavors, this fresh, fruity delight radiates pure sunshine and simplicity. During product tasting, our team noted "very mango-ey", "like having a sweet frozen mango," and "tastes pretty much exactly like mango." You get the idea.
We prefer Alphonso Mango over Roman Raspberry between the two sorbetto flavors that we ranked. While both are free of milk or cream, the mango version has a much creamier texture than the raspberry, similar to gelato. Still — it isn't actually gelato. And while we are planning to eventually eat every single bite, this particular pint will have to wait in the back of the freezer until most of the other remaining Talenti flavors are gone.
18. Southern Butter Pecan
While Talenti's Southern Butter Pecan isn't our favorite gelato, it nonetheless provides a respectable take on a classic flavor. What we liked most was the sweet, rich creaminess of the gelato — a significant step up in quality from most of the old-time butter pecan ice cream brands. In addition, Talenti adds in roasted butter pecans and a wonderful dulce de leche swirl, which works nicely together to give it that satisfying, buttery, caramel element.
One taster described Southern Butter Pecan as "smooth and nutty," while another said it had "a lot of creamy flavors." Unfortunately, our third taster found a bitter pecan in their sample, which negatively impacted their whole experience. For the most part, though, this creamy gelato is pretty tasty. If you appreciate butter pecan ice cream, go for it. But the thing is: What we tend to admire most about Talenti is its ability to elevate traditional flavors into exciting new flavor forays. Overall, Southern Butter Pecan falls short of this mark.
17. Pacific Coast Pistachio
The newly named Pacific Coast Pistachio flavor, formerly known as Sicilian Pistachio, uses the same tried-and-true recipe as ever, but now with California pistachios. Like other Talenti gelato flavors, the base offers a lovely, creamy texture. In this case, pistachio pieces are added for a chunky contrast. They may also help boost the actual pistachio flavor, but even so, the pistachio flavor is too mild to enable this flavor to climb very far up our rankings.
Pacific Coast Pistachio had mixed reviews among our tasters. Comments included "mediocre," "not for me," and "disappointing" — but also a positive: "nice, mild flavor." You will probably be disappointed if you go in expecting a strong pistachio flavor (like a couple of our testers did). However, if you like your sense of pistachio more subtle, then Pacific Coast Pistachio may be a good fit.
Plus, there are plenty of good reasons to eat pistachios. In 3.5 ounces of pistachios, you'll find 21 grams of protein, 10 grams of fiber, and 144 percent of your daily copper requirements (per Mashed). If you are interested in trying even more pistachio desserts, you may wish to try our Pistachio Pudding Recipe.
16. Black Raspberry Vanilla Parfait
Although it does not compete with some of our top-ranked flavors, anyone who likes berry crumble or pie a la mode will probably enjoy a scoop of Black Raspberry Vanilla Parfait, a Talenti Layers product. (That being said, berry dessert-lovers may also want to try our recipe for Southern Blackberry Cobbler.) Black Raspberry Vanilla Parfait combines gelato, sauce, and crunchy elements. From top to bottom, its five layers include black raspberry gelato (made from Pacific Northwest black raspberry puree), oat crisp (similar to crumbled oatmeal cookies), blueberry sauce (made from domestic blueberries), vanilla gelato, and more oats crisp.
While there is quite a lot included in this raspberry "parfait," the combo has a relatively mild flavor. The oat crisp layers add some texture but not a significant amount of crunch. Overall, this flavor is relatively smooth and somewhat fruity. The vanilla gelato, surprisingly, is probably the most substantial element. One taster commented, "A little forgettable" and "Basic fruit ice cream." While we don't think anyone will take offense to this flavor, it probably won't knock your socks off, either.
15. Bourbon Fudge Brownie
If you've never tried bourbon and chocolate together, Talenti's Bourbon Fudge Brownie provides the perfect opportunity to expand your horizons. Introduced in March 2022 as part of a new line of gelato and sorbetto pairings (per Brand Eating), Bourbon Fudge Brownie combines two different flavors of gelato: Belgian chocolate and oak-aged bourbon coupled with small brownie chunks and dark fudge.
Two of our testers found this a rather nice combo, with the mild bourbon flavor offering an interesting spin to the mostly chocolaty indulgence. However, our third taster did not care for the bourbon side, explaining that it "weakened" the otherwise delicious chocolate indulgence. If you like chocolate gelato and want to try something different, give this one a try. Chocolate purists, on the other hand, should probably skip it.
Two other varieties of Gelato Pairings are listed on the brand's website: Caramel Pretzel Blondie and Salted Chocolate Churro. Additionally, a lone Sorbetto Pairing, Strawberry Margarita, is also available. If you can't decide which flavor to buy and only want one pint, one of these pairings may be a good call. But you can also pick up multiple pints and create custom combinations to your heart's delight.
14. Madagascan Vanilla Bean
With all of the unusual flavors of Talenti, we were surprised by how much we liked its pure and simple Madagascan Vanilla Bean. (Of course, we also awarded vanilla bean the No. 1 spot when ranking 32 ice cream flavors.) Vanilla ice cream has been around for a long time, with Thomas Jefferson credited for bringing it to the United States (via Seconds). Plus, ice cream and frozen dessert expert Cary Frye, vice president of regulatory and scientific affairs at the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA), explained, "Vanilla has long been the best-selling ice cream flavor not only because it is creamy and delicious, but also because of its ability to enhance so many other desserts and treats."
But back to the matter at hand: Talenti's website states that fresh milk, sugar, cream, and high-quality Madagascan vanilla beans are cooked together to create Madagascan Vanilla Bean Gelato, a "one-of-a-kind vanilla taste that's anything but plain." Our testers described it as "pure, simple vanilla creaminess," "classic rich vanilla flavor," and "smooth and tasty." Although some of you may prefer more oomph to your ice cream, you're also not going to go wrong with this flavor.
13. Pumpkin Pie
There's no need to wait until Thanksgiving to experience the taste of pumpkin pie. While this gelato flavor may not be for everyone, Talenti's layered Pumpkin Pie tastes almost exactly like our favorite autumnal treat. In every pint, you'll find layers of pumpkin gelato, pie crust pieces, brown sugar sauce, more pumpkin gelato, and more pie crust pieces.
Our favorite element of this flavor is how well the little pie crust pieces and rich brown sugar sauce pair together. This gives you a sense of fresh-baked pie deliciousness. We also like what these two add-ins lend to the pie-like texture. And beyond that, of course, the two pumpkin gelato layers add in that beloved pumpkin flavor, along with a rich, cold creaminess.
Overall, the Pumpkin Pie flavor is delicious — if that's what you want in your ice cream. If not, you may prefer to bake an actual pumpkin pie. One expert baking tip to avoid curdled pumpkin pie filling is to thoroughly whisk the eggs, then bake low and slow. (Is it fall yet?)
12. Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
Let's start by saying how much we really love the concept: vanilla gelato with chocolate chip cookie dough and fudge swirls. Yum, right? Unfortunately, though offering so much promise, the flavor ultimately falls short of all that it could be.
Mind you, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough doesn't taste bad — thus, the mid-pack ranking. It's just that, in our opinion, a chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream should contain, well, a serious amount of chocolate chip cookie dough. Instead, we found several minuscule pieces of cookie dough in the entire pint — mostly bunched together in one lucky taster's scoop. (Not surprisingly, they offered a significantly higher rating than our two other tasters). And while the addition of fudge swirls definitely helped take the edge off, Talenti also appears rather stingy in this regard.
If you are anticipating a mostly plain (albeit creamy) vanilla gelato, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough is going to seem pretty good. But if you're looking for an abundance of chocolate chip cookie dough and fudge swirls, you're going to be sorely disappointed. Of course, there's always the option to top your scoop with safe-to-eat, homemade cookie dough for the win.
11. Black Raspberry Chocolate Chip
Ah, how we love Talenti's chocolate chip gelatos. In the case of Black Raspberry Chocolate Chip, a plethora of decadent chocolaty chips are well-dispersed through a creamy base of black raspberry gelato. The Oregon-grown raspberries used in this gelato are cultivated on a father-daughter-run farm. While black raspberries may grow wild in other states, 99% of the commercial harvest is grown in Oregon, according to Oregon Raspberries & Blueberries.
Unlike the brand's very tangy Roman Raspberry Sorbetto, the raspberry flavor in Black Raspberry Chocolate Chip is mild. It is enough to experience a slight tartness in each spoonful without completely taking over. Primarily, we focused on the happy combination of black raspberries and chocolate. Seriously, they should be best friends.
We also really like the texture on this one, mainly attributed to those awesome little chocolate bits. They're more similar to tiny shavings of chocolate than traditional chocolate chips. And since they're so small, you can even leave them to melt in your mouth if you choose. Also, if you're having trouble deciding between a fruity or chocolaty gelato flavor, Black Raspberry Chocolate Chip would have you covered on both counts.
10. Confetti Cookie
Wow! This fun-looking flavor tastes like a yummy birthday cake topped with really yummy vanilla ice cream — and who doesn't love that combination? According to Mashed, "funfetti" became the most popular type of cake in 1989-1990 after Pillsbury placed rainbow sprinkles directly into the cake batter of one of its baking mixes. Baker and food blogger Molly Yeh told The New York Times, "In the 1990s, to have a successful birthday party, you had to beg your mom for Funfetti cake. It was as if chocolate and vanilla no longer existed."
Reminiscent of this sprinkled cake trend (and of childhood in general), Confetti Cookie contains all kinds of sweet, colorful ingredients: creamy vanilla gelato, crumbly vanilla cookie pieces, bright pink frosting, more vanilla gelato, and lots of rainbow sprinkles at the bottom. While the entire creation is well-balanced, the vanilla cookies are particularly well-placed next to the pink frosting as they complement each other perfectly. While Confetti Cookie is super tasty, perhaps our favorite thing about this flavor is its friendly, colorful appearance. It clearly invites kids to dig right in, but adults will also be sorely tempted.
9. Caramel Cookie Crunch
One of Talenti's best-selling flavors, Caramel Cookie Crunch combines sweet cream gelato with crunchy chocolate cookie bits and dulce de leche, a "one-of-a-kind" smooth caramel sauce based on a traditional family recipe of an Argentinian friend of Josh Hochschuler, brand founder. Of related interest: Caramel and dulce de leche are not the same (per Southern Living). Caramel is made from sugar and water, whereas dulce de leche is made from milk and sugar. If you want to try making your own dulce de leche, we've got an easy recipe for you: Simply simmer an unopened can of sweetened condensed milk in water for 2 to 3 hours, cool, open the can, and enjoy.
We like the sweet and creamy gelato base of Caramel Cookie Crunch, though we wouldn't mind a few more of those tasty little chocolate bits to boost the crunch factor further. Similarly, you can never have too much dulce de leche (especially when paired with gelato, what a great idea!), so perhaps a tad more of that would be good, too. Overall, the combination of high-quality creamy gelato goodness, sweet dulce de leche swirl, and crunchy chocolate cookies earns this flavor a spot in our top 10.
8. Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake
Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake is not only pretty to look at; it tastes incredible, too. Talenti's spin on the classic dessert involves five separate layers: cheesecake gelato (made from real cream cheese), chocolate flakes, black cherry sauce (made from cherries grown in the U.S.), more cheesecake gelato, and graham cookie pieces. While we would love for this flavor to have some larger cherry chunks, overall, it does a pretty good job of imitating the real thing.
There is quite a lot of chocolate alongside the black cherry sauce, which elevates the entire pint. (Think about the decadence of chocolate-covered cherries, and you'll better understand what we're talking about.) The small layer of graham crackers at the bottom mimics a standard cheesecake crust, though it was hard to get down to. Because of this, we would prefer this particular flavor was mixed instead of layered. However, lots of yummy crunchy bits make up for any scooping struggles.
7. Mediterranean Mint
While not everyone appreciates mint chocolate chip ice cream, those who do tend to love it absolutely. Fans of the genre are likely to swoon over Mediterranean Mint Gelato, which uses real, steeped mint leaves and tiny, crunchy bittersweet chocolate flecks to achieve its elevated flavor and texture profile. This Talenti option provides an abundance of fresh and minty yumminess, all wrapped up in a rich, creamy base. Our testers described it as "classic" and "good all-around" while simultaneously shoveling more into their mouths. We also noted a rare 5-star rating by customers on Talenti's website.
With all that said, we have to confess that we don't like this flavor quite as much as Mint Fudge Cookie, the other mint gelato product sampled for these rankings. Mint Fudge Cookie adds fudge sauce and chocolate cookies to the Mediterranean Mint gelato base, which definitely works for us. Like a lot. But if you prefer a simpler minty gelato, you certainly won't go wrong with this tasty treat.
6. Mint Fudge Cookie
Lovers of thin mint cookies, rejoice! Talenti's Mint Fudge Cookie, a fresh, minty, chocolaty extravaganza, has you covered. This remarkable flavor, part of the Layers series, involves five distinctive sections. These include (from top to bottom): Mediterranean Mint Gelato, chocolate cookie pieces, fudge sauce, more Mediterranean Mint Gelato, and more chocolate cookie pieces. You'll love this flavor if you appreciate creamy mint ice cream with lots of chunky chocolate stuff. If that doesn't sound like your thing, let's just say you're missing out.
While we loved every bite (and yes, the pint was quickly emptied), we have a couple of concerns. First, since most crunchy chocolate cookies were at the bottom, you had to dig deep to obtain the full flavor and texture experience. There's no "I'll just have a bite or two" of this one since you'll want to take in a little bit of every layer, which can quickly add up to a large bowlful. Fortunately, since you're probably going to want a large serving anyway, this may not be such an insurmountable problem.
Our other concern involves the oh-so generous, ooey-gooey fudge layer in the middle, which requires some serious restraint. Although our testers ultimately resisted, they all expressed a nearly overwhelming temptation to place the entire fudge layer directly into their salivating mouths. In the interest of accurate rankings, we applaud their restraint and professionalism!
5. Chocolate Pretzel
Chocolate Pretzel, one of Talenti's newer flavors, is also pretty impressive. One of our tasters summed it up well with this comment: "Tasty, with a nice salty touch, and good amount of chocolate." As another strong product in the Layers line, this interesting flavor stacks up Salted Pretzel gelato, chocolaty waffle cone pieces, salted pretzel sauce, vanilla gelato, and chocolate chunks. All of these ingredients come together to create a uniquely sweet-and-salty indulgence.
We especially like the chocolaty waffle cone pieces, which add a nice, crunchy texture. Between those and the chocolate chunks, there is also a satisfying amount of chocolate. And there's just something special about chocolate and salt. The Chocolate Journalist explains why these two elements work so well together: First, a pinch of salt can improve our ability to taste the sweetness in sugar. Salt also adds flavor and texture to the chocolate. Finally, salt adds an interesting contrast with chocolate, which we experience with this yummy gelato flavor. We think a little more salted pretzel sauce would bump this flavor even higher in our rankings.
4. Sea Salt Caramel
We must admit that going into our product testing, Sea Salt Caramel was already a favorite flavor and a major contender for the win. (That shows how stellar our top three finishers must be!) Talenti's site shares that Sea Salt Caramel was one of its first flavors and "easily our most iconic." It combines homemade dulce de leche with milk, sugar, cream, and the perfect amount of oh-so-insanely-good chocolate caramel truffles. We don't even know how to begin to describe these truffles since we've never eaten anything so delicious. They can also be found in Salted Caramel Truffle; our #3 ranked flavor.
Our testers describe Sea Salt Caramel as "impossibly smooth and yummy," "rich and interesting," and "classic gelato goodness." In other words, this is an absolute must-try gelato flavor. Afterward, you may even find yourself messaging Talenti and begging them to send you a bagful of the truffles. (Errr, not that we did that!)
3. Salted Caramel Truffle
This one's for you caramel lovers out there. When a frozen indulgence starts with a layer of Talenti's best-selling Sea Salt Caramel Gelato, we already know it will be good. Even with this in mind, we were amazed to discover that Salted Caramel Truffle kicks things up to another level entirely by layering Sea Salt Caramel Gelato with chocolate cookie pieces, dulce de leche, vanilla gelato, and (last but not least) those OMG chocolate-covered caramel truffles.
We're not sure if it's the quality of the gelato, sweetness of the dulce de leche, crunchiness of the chocolate cookies, or richness of the caramel truffles that make this such a stand-out treat. More likely, there's just something about how these ingredients all come together to create a little pint of heaven. If you want the opportunity for your taste buds to sing out in perfect harmony, be sure to give this one a try. Fair warning: We recommend buying more than one pint since this flavor is highly addictive.
2. Coffee Cookie Crumble
We get that not everybody loves coffee ice cream — but even so, you may want to give Coffee Cookie Crumble a try. While this Talenti flavor is touted as "a coffee lover's dream" and tastes a lot like cold-brewed coffee with cream, it also throws in a whole lot of other goodies. Its five layers include cold brew gelato, chocolate flakes, chocolate espresso sauce, Madagascan Vanilla Bean gelato, and Italian amaretti cookies. The result is a rich, creamy, and interesting experience with lots of crunch and crumble.
The strong coffee flavor towards the top pairs remarkably well with those little amaretti cookie bits at the bottom — but we also recognize that not everyone may be as into that almond flavor as we are. If you are, however, you'll soon discover that the combination of coffee and almond is even further heightened by the addition of rich chocolate flakes and an even richer chocolate espresso sauce.
One of our testers stated that coffee ice cream isn't normally their thing, but this flavor is "good" and "crunchy." The others said "OMG," stampeded each other trying to get more, and then placed Coffee Cookie Crumble towards the top of the rankings.
1. Double Dark Chocolate
With unabashed chocolate enthusiasts heading up our Talenti product testing, it's probably no big surprise that Double Dark Chocolate takes our No. 1 spot. One taster stated, "It doesn't get much better than this," while the others described the flavor as "divine" and "epic." To create this incredibly rich, creamy chocolate insanity, Talenti adds semi-sweet chocolate morsels to Double Dark gelato. These morsels lend a perfect amount of texture, allowing each spoonful to be a sensational adventure. Talenti also adds a dash of vermouth, providing a subtle but interesting twist to the chocolate experience. That reminds us, if you are concerned about alcohol content; the brand's website explains that there is no alcohol in the end product due to its unique cooking process.
The full flavor of Double Dark Chocolate is tough to put into words, but trust us, you need to try it. It should satisfy even the most discerning of chocolate lovers. And remember, along with tasting good, dark chocolate offers many health benefits. It can boost your mood, help you think more clearly, improve heart and lung health, and even help prevent disease (via NBC News).