Here's The Best Peppermint Ice Cream You Can Find On Store Shelves

Mint chocolate chip ice cream is a classic flavor and staple of the grocery store's freezer aisle. But peppermint ice cream — which deviates from mint in color and candy cane content — is less ubiquitous, but no less delicious. While you can make peppermint ice cream any time of the year, a few brands have perfected the flavor. In Tasting Table's ranking of store-bought peppermint ice creams we found one brand to be superior to the rest — Graeter's. The beloved Ohio-based chain turns peppermint ice cream into an artisanal delight. 

In fact, Graeter's is so great because it doesn't rely solely on peppermint chunks to provide the flavor. Per its website, the company is known for dense and creamy ice creams made in a French pot freezer. That means the chain's peppermint ice cream relies on a base that's smooth and silky, in addition to peppermint forward. Nor does the brand skimp on peppermint, either. The ice cream comes chock full of peppermint oil and is enhanced — rather than anchored — by additional pieces of crunchy candy cane. 

If you're traveling through the Midwest, you'd be remiss not to visit a Greater's store. The brand only operates its physical retail locations in select states, including Illinois, Ohio, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, and Indiana, per its website. People living far from one of these locations are still able to get a taste of our favorite peppermint ice cream; cartons can be ordered online and shipped nationwide. 

You can also find Graeter's cartons at a variety of local grocery stores, such as Wegmans, Kings, The Fresh Market, and a slew of other chains. The peppermint flavor is seasonal, however, so if you want a taste, you'll have to search for it during November and December. 

In the off-chance you can't find Graeter's at all, you can alternatively try Tasting Table's other high-ranking peppermint ice cream brands. Van Leeuwen and Brigham ranked second and third for their peppermint recipes. They both have slight differences from Graeter's and each other ... so we guess you'll have to try all three to decide if we got it right.