5 Popular Salt & Straw Ice Cream Flavors, Ranked

It's safe to say we all probably have a favorite ice cream brand. You know — that one pint you reach for at the end of a long day, or the shop you go to on the first warm night of the season. For myself (and likely many other West Coast dwellers), that brand has to be Salt & Straw. The company is especially known for its rotating monthly flavors, which are often unique, inventive, and daring — take its turkey stuffing and cranberry sauce Thanksgiving flavor, for example. Personally, I love popping in every month to see what's new, but any ice cream brand has to have reliable year-round staples on its menu.

I got to work in Salt & Straw's factory location in Portland, OR briefly during COVID, so I'll admit to having a slight bias toward the brand. There's nothing like tasting ice cream straight out of the machine, and I had ample opportunity to try all its flavors (and take home pints galore). However, I've had a long enough hiatus from the company that doing this tasting was a more-than-welcome refresher course on its staple flavors. I tried and ranked the company's five year-round offerings — sea salt with caramel ribbons; salted, malted chocolate chip cookie dough; freckled mint chocolate chip (its year-round vegan offering); chocolate gooey brownie; and double fold vanilla. This ranking was based solely on my own flavor preferences, but in all honesty, each one is stellar.

Some recommendations are based on firsthand impressions of promotional materials and products provided by the manufacturer.

Were I doing a ranking of vanilla ice creams from various brands, I have no doubt that Salt & Straw's would rank very close to the top (if not come in at number one). Its double fold vanilla is nothing short of exceptional. If "vanilla" ice cream is synonymous with "plain" in your mind, you obviously haven't had this flavor, which boasts a rich depth that you're unlikely to find in many other vanilla ice creams. Where does all that flavor come from? The answer lies in its name — "double fold" refers to the extract the company uses from Singing Dog, which packs twice as many vanilla beans in its extract for unparalleled flavor.

One spoonful of the company's creamy vanilla ice cream will likely leave you unable to see vanilla the same way ever again. It's full and warm, with an impeccably smooth texture that invites you to take bite after bite. While it could adapt itself to a number of different toppings, I recommend trying this plain the first time you taste it — you may find it doesn't need to be accompanied by anything. Even though I've raved about it so much, double fold vanilla is coming in last on this list because it's too simple to compete with the following flavors, all of which include mix-ins and fun flavor combos. However, it's an exceptional vanilla that even the pickiest ice cream eater is sure to enjoy.

I'll admit, mint chocolate chip isn't usually an ice cream flavor I go for — it all too frequently reminds me of toothpaste speckled with chocolate, and I tend to find it unappealing. That said, if I had to choose between a variety of mint chocolate chip offerings, I'd likely go for Salt & Straw's freckled mint chocolate chip. But the reason I'm partial to this one could cause some controversy among mint chocolate chip lovers.

Salt & Straw's take on the popular flavor is very gentle. Yes, it's minty, but not at all overwhelmingly so. It's a rather warming mint flavor that doesn't overwhelm the ice cream, and small flakes of dark chocolate add just enough richness to complement the mint, with each working together in easy harmony. Moreover, this is one of Salt & Straw's vegan flavors. It's not unusual for me to have textural issues with vegan flavors — on occasion, they can taste too grainy — but I have no such problems with Salt & Straw's, which is smooth enough (and has a mild enough coconut base) to easily fool the eater into thinking it's dairy-based. That being said, this still comes in at number four on my list, but I have to chalk that up to personal preference. There's a decent chance that fans looking for a more sophisticated twist on the beloved flavor will fall head-over-heels for this one.

In case you didn't already know, malt is a great addition to plenty of dairy-filled concoctions, ice cream included. Chocolate chip cookie dough is usually my go-to ice cream flavor and Salt & Straw's is no exception — I could down a pint of this in one sitting if I wasn't paying attention. So why does it get the middle ranking on my list? My first time trying this flavor several years ago left me torn, and it wasn't love at first bite. Salt & Straw's salted, malted chocolate chip cookie dough is far from your standard cookie dough ice cream, and I've come to embrace this fact. However, if you expect an unadulterated chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream, expect a bit of a shock when you first try it.

Malt (used in both this ice cream's cookie dough and fudge) gives it a distinct umami flavor that's not common in the ice cream world. "Decadent" is perhaps the best word to describe it — it's indulgent and not for the faint of heart, the kind of ice cream you'd expect to get served as dessert at a fancy corporate soiree. The cookie dough chunks and fudge blend seamlessly into the ice cream, and all come together in a desirably rich mouthfeel. I can pretty safely say that you'd be hard-pressed to find a chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream that tastes similar; for you, this could spell good or bad news. 

If you've ever fantasized about having chocolate ice cream filled with the perfect gooey brownies, Salt & Straw can make your dreams become reality. I'll admit to not usually being a chocolate ice cream fan, which is part of the reason Salt & Straw's ranks so high on this list — I'd have this ice cream any day. Not only does it boast great flavors that can make even this non-chocolate-obsessed gal go back for more, but its textures are better than I'd expect for an ice cream that incorporates chunks of brownies. 

You'll find no rock-hard brownie pieces in this ice cream, despite it being frozen. Rather, they remain soft and pliable, thanks to the inclusion of house-made marshmallow fluff. The flavor is a best-seller for a reason — it's been on the menu ever since Salt & Straw opened in 2011, and it's unlikely to go anywhere anytime soon. Valrhona chocolate adds a high-quality depth to the ice cream base without making it taste too dark. It opens this flavor up to be enjoyed even by picky chocolate eaters (such as myself). While nothing can match the experience of tasting this as it's being made, chocolate gooey brownie is still a flavor I frequently go for both in-store and in pint form, and it's an easy recommendation to any ice cream lover. 

My absolute number one Salt & Straw staple flavor is unlikely to change any time soon. Did I regularly hoard clean spoons in the factory to sneak tastes of sea salt with caramel ribbons fresh out of the machine? Yes, and I'll never apologize for it. This flavor has everything you could hope for in an ice cream. It's sweet, savory, salty, creamy, and full of that rich brown-buttery flavor characteristic of caramel. If you have access to a Salt & Straw and haven't tried it before, find any excuse to head in for a taste of this flavor immediately. 

Again, Salt & Straw's textures are on point here, and this flavor gets its top spot for some of the same reasons that chocolate gooey brownie came in at number two. Typically when I come across caramel in ice cream, it's rather hard, or at least the same consistency as the ice cream itself — there's not much textural difference to speak of. You'll find quite the opposite in sea salt with caramel ribbons. The caramel is delightfully viscous in consistency, practically a sauce in the ice cream itself. As far as the base, its sea salt flavors contrast deliciously with the sweet-smoky notes of caramel. It's really not a groundbreaking flavor combo; the way Salt & Straw pulls it off, though, can't be beat. 

In case it's not clear by now, I'm a Salt & Straw fan girl, and proud of it. Ranking these flavors wasn't easy, but I also didn't put a lot of pressure on it — ice cream is ice cream, and at the end of the day, everyone will have their own flavor preferences. I simply ranked these in order of how much I enjoy each flavor, and your own ranking may be the same or entirely different.

Yes, I'm biased, but I also don't think anyone could reasonably call any of the company's flavors bad. Some hold different appeal to different palates — for example, its salted, malted chocolate chip cookie dough may not endear itself to those looking for a standard cookie dough experience — but each is obviously crafted with expertise. All of Salt & Straw's flavors offer something different than what you'll find on the market elsewhere, as each boasts premium depth of flavor and exudes sophistication. It's not your standard garden-variety ice cream, nor is it meant to be. These flavors are for those looking to experience nothing more or less than the height of the craft.