11 Tillamook Ice Cream Flavors, Ranked Worst To Best

I scream, you scream, we all scream for ... Tillamook? Trust me, one bite of this ice cream will have you shouting its praises from the rooftops. The farmer-owned B Corp operates out of Tillamook, Oregon, where it began all the way back in 1909 and has functioned as a creamery ever since. The company produces a plethora of dairy products, and I can personally attest that a trip to the Tillamook Creamery café will give you some of the best mac and cheese of your life. Of course, any justifiable creamery practically has to produce ice cream, and Tillamook is no exception.

Since I've never tried all the brand's flavors side by side, I decided it was high time to do a definitive ranking of the lot. Now, I can't justifiably call any of these the "worst" of the bunch — truth be told, I'm a die-hard Tillamook fan, which I doubt will change anytime soon. I can, however, give a well-informed ranking of the following flavors based on both how good they are and how unique each is among other similar flavors on the market. The ice creams that top my list are ones that you'd be hard-pressed to find comparable versions for, and are a great place to start if you're new to Tillamook's ice cream line. 

Do you need to end your day with a top-of-the-line vanilla ice cream? You can't go wrong with a pint of Tillamook's. This dessert easily stands above other competitors on the market and is a good high-end yet still pretty affordable option if you come across it in the grocery store. I'm primarily putting it in last place because, well, it's a pretty standard flavor and didn't do much to "wow" me. In fact, I'd probably call Salt & Straw's double fold vanilla superior — but you're unlikely to find the latter if you live far from a Salt & Straw location.

Still, this is a good vanilla ice cream. Though its flavor is more noticeable than your average vanilla ice cream, it was still subtler than the ultra-strong vanilla ice creams I've had in the past. However, it was still creamy and inviting – a great blank canvas to dress up with whatever accoutrements you may have on hand. It also won't disappoint should you decide to eat it plain, and it would be a great vanilla ice cream for an affogato. Even if you garnish it with only sprinkles and a little chocolate sauce, it would still make for a delightful dessert. 

Tillamook definitely makes a great chocolate ice cream, but its Tillamook mudslide doesn't do much to differentiate itself from similar products out there. The pint features chocolate on chocolate on chocolate — there's chocolate ice cream, a chocolate fudge swirl, and even a smattering of chocolate chips. Even though I'm not the biggest chocolate ice cream fan, I'd still have this one again, but it didn't have much notoriety in the space. 

Though this ice cream has a few added components, they do little to vary the texture of the pint — at most, adding a richer chocolate flavor. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but some textural interest would have been appreciated. I really enjoyed the darkness brought by the fudge ribbons, but I still don't think they did enough to lift this pint out of "average" territory. I'd bet this is still a slightly elevated version of other similar pints you may see, but I'm not sure I'd notice a huge difference in a blind taste test, which kept this flavor from ranking any higher. 

Wondering what the difference is between vanilla and French vanilla? Both flavors showcase their titular aromatic ingredient, but each does it in slightly different ways. While standard vanilla ice cream is typically be made with milk/cream and sugar, French vanilla ice cream includes egg yolks for a rich, velvety custard base. My bias is showing — sorry, but I'll always be a diehard custard girl, and it was all I could do to only rank Tillamook's French vanilla in ninth place.

This ice cream is nothing short of delightful. It manages to be light, airy, and creamy all at the same time, and has a certain whipped quality to it that gives it a delightful mouthfeel. The egg yolks create a deep, rich base that's hard not to love. Though this is a great custard, being that it's still just a vanilla custard, I couldn't justify giving this a higher spot on this list — but if you, too, are a custard fan, this may very well become your new go-to. 

Given that malt is a great ingredient for a variety of drinks, including milkshakes, it comes as no surprise that Tillamook would choose to flavor its shake-inspired ice cream with this nostalgic ingredient. If you're unfamiliar with malt as an ingredient in dairy recipes, I urge you to find some pre-made products that include malt and give them a try. You'll notice a richer, almost nutty flavor that brings unparalleled depth to dairy concoctions. 

It was a good move on Tillamook's part to make this a malted flavor — otherwise, it probably would have gotten a lower spot on my list. Malted moo shake, despite its tantalizing name, is a pretty simple ice cream that includes just chocolate fudge pieces alongside its vanilla base. Malt was its redeeming quality, as it gave this ice cream and an old-timey soda shop nostalgic appeal. If you want to capitalize on that, buy some of this flavor and blend it into a milkshake. I doubt many would dislike it, but it didn't hold my interest enough to garner a higher placement.

Ah, Tillamook's marionberry pie ice cream. This ice cream gets its inspiration from Oregon's official state pie, which is also flavored with marionberries. If you've never heard of marionberries, don't sweat it. The hybrid berry cultivar has such a short growing season and is so wildly popular among Oregonians that it rarely makes it very far out of the state. They're larger and more oblong than your average blackberry, and have a slightly tarter flavor profile. This makes them ideal for sweet recipes, as their sharp flavor gives a nice, fruity contrast to sugar-laden foods. 

That said, I wanted this flavor to rank higher than it did, which may be where I went wrong. Perhaps my expectations were too lofty. I did enjoy it, but it didn't floor me. The marionberries were obviously a welcome touch, and the pie crust pieces did give a distinct, buttery pie appeal, but I wanted more of everything. Had the inclusions been more prevalent, I could have given this a higher ranking. As it stands, this gets the number seven spot mostly because I found myself digging around for berries and pie pieces. It's still very good, though. 

Now, I never go for mint chocolate chip ice cream. It has a certain freshness that I'm typically not in the market for when I want ice cream — I want something rich and indulgent, and mint chocolate chip doesn't typically satiate that hunger. Tillamook's mint chocolate chip, however, gets a well-deserved sixth place. I'd eat this ice cream again out of pure enjoyment, and though it's still not my favorite, it stands apart from other versions of the flavor I've had previously (which, admittedly, have been few).

If you (like me) enjoy Andes mints, you'll be a huge fan of this ice cream. Its mint flavor is sophisticated and gentle, but I wouldn't call it subtle — it's definitely apparent but doesn't flaunt itself. Coming across a piece of chocolate is delightful, as it almost melts in your mouth, giving some warm contrast to the cooling mint profile. The texture is creamy, and its flavors are mature and easily palatable. Fans of the flavor will like this pint, and even those who wouldn't typically go for mint chocolate chip should give it a try. 

I have some qualms with cherry-flavored foods and drinks. I often don't like them at all and find the cherry flavoring to have too much of an alcohol undertone, which makes it reminiscent of cherry medicine. Because of that, I'm always wary of trying cherry products, so imagine my pleasant surprise when I took a bite of Tillamook's Oregon dark cherry ice cream and instantly enjoyed it.

It's obvious that the company uses real dark cherries in the production of this flavor. Cherries both flavor the base and stud the pint, so there's no chance you'll miss them — especially considering that their flavor is potent throughout the pint. It's very rich, dark, complex, and abundantly fruity. I do wish it had more, larger cherry pieces, but that's not a huge knock against this flavor. Rather, it just means that every time you come across one, it's a delight. This is an easy flavor to recommend to any consumer, especially those who like fruit-forward ice creams. 

I know, I know, everybody makes chocolate peanut butter ice cream — call it bias, but I find Tillamook's chocolate peanut butter to be exceptionally good. Now, if you want subtlety in your peanut butter flavors, you certainly won't find it here. But if you're like me and love an abundance of peanut butter with your chocolate, you'll hardly be disappointed. I could have sworn the base of this ice cream was flavored with both peanut butter and chocolate, but it's not, which I think makes this pint all the more impressive.  

I know what you're thinking: It doesn't look like there's much peanut butter in the above photo. And you'd be right. Peanut butter isn't very visually apparent, but it absolutely shines through every bite of this ice cream, even if you didn't get an actual peanut butter ribbon in a spoonful. Beyond that, it also manages to be soft and pliable. Have you ever had chocolate peanut butter ice cream where the peanut butter pieces morph into hard chunks from their time in the freezer? Not so here — instead, it has a melt-in-your-mouth consistency that just makes it all the more delightful. 

Yes, Tillamook's Oregon strawberry is taking the number three spot on my list. Hold your torches and pitchforks — I wouldn't be putting one of the three Neapolitan flavors this high in the ranking if it didn't undoubtedly deserve it. If you're not familiar with the Pacific Northwest, you probably don't get the hype, which is totally fine. But berries have a chokehold on the culture here, and Oregon produces particularly good strawberries (Hood strawberries are by far the best I've ever had, and I've eaten them by the pint). 

So it goes without saying that this isn't your average strawberry ice cream. It stands head and shoulders above competitor products easily. Take your typical strawberry ice cream, dial it up by 10, and give it an even more authentic strawberry flavor, and you'll have some idea of what this pint tastes like. It's bright and fruity, effortlessly refreshing, and simply delightful. Moreover, its flavors will linger with you long after you've taken a bite, which isn't something I can say about many ice creams on the market. 

Ah, coffee. In case you missed it, I'm a super-fan of the flavor in pretty much everything, and ice cream is no exception. However, being such a fan, I am picky about my coffee-flavored things. They tend to be pretty hit or miss, so I try to always temper my expectations with new coffee products. However, Tillamook's coffee almond fudge ice cream exceeded my expectations on all fronts. 

Actually, I'm going to just skim past the coffee base. All I need to say in that regard is that its coffee flavors are potent and very welcoming (and, yes, will probably make you want to have this dessert for breakfast). But what really skyrocketed this flavor to the number two spot was the contrasting textural elements. The ice cream housed small almond pieces and the occasional pocket of fudge, both of which made for a fun eating experience. The almonds gave it some fun crunch, and the fudge pieces brought some warmth to the equation. Each elevates what would otherwise be just a very good coffee ice cream. It'll be hard to keep this out of my cart when I come across it. 

Finally, the top spot on my list goes to a pint that stunned me in all aspects. Tillamook's sea salt and honeycomb toffee will be polarizing, so I'll get that out of the way first — it's intensely sweet with some very strong honey notes, and it doesn't hold back with the toffee pieces. It only takes a bite or two to satisfy, but it's hard to put my spoon down after digging in. Moreover, I can't say I've ever tasted a comparable ice cream before. Tillamook offers something singular with this pint, which is definitely a point of praise in what's become a heavily saturated industry.

Were it not for the inclusion of sea salt, this ice cream would be entirely too sweet. But the salt provides just enough savory contrast to keep your taste buds from being overwhelmed. The pockets of honey give a burst of flavor and are fun to come across, but my favorite part might be the toffee pieces. They give a very light, gentle crunch and are effortlessly crisp, and you'll get some honeycomb pieces in every bite. This pint was the most well-balanced when it came to its flavors, textures, and the dispersion of its ingredients, and it was a no-brainer for the number one spot in this lineup. 

Ice cream is ice cream — it's easy to love and hard to find fault with. That said, I'd never try to dissuade you from buying any of these flavors. I did like some more than others, and that played a big role in my ranking process, but the bigger factor I considered was whether or not each flavor had a comparable version on the market from another brand. Vanilla placed last, not because it wasn't good, but because it didn't do much to set itself apart from other premium vanilla ice creams. On the contrary, sea salt and  honeycomb toffee was both unique and exceptionally good, an easy contender for the top spot.

And, yes, some more "standard" flavors got pretty high spots on this list (looking at you, Oregon strawberry and chocolate peanut butter). In these cases, Tillamook crafted particularly good versions of the flavor that stood head and shoulders above the competition. The Tillamook brand has nationwide reach, and if you see some in your local store, don't hesitate to try it — I highly doubt you'd be disappointed.