12 Breyers Ice Cream Flavors, Ranked

There are quite a few ice cream brands out there, and any frozen treat lover knows that they're not all created equally. One such brand that just about anyone might recognize in the frozen goods aisle is Breyers. A company that's been churning out ice cream (by hand or otherwise) for over 150 years, Breyers has cranked out quite a few flavors of ice cream, catering to those who like chocolatey ice cream, fruity ice cream, and just about anything in-between.

As someone who's enjoyed Breyers ice cream for my whole life, I was eager to taste test 12 of its flavors to determine the absolute best Breyers ice cream flavor out there. This is not my first rodeo when it comes to ranking ice cream — I've ranked Aldi ice cream, Dairy Queen Blizzards, and even Melona ice cream bars. In other words, I'm pretty well-versed when it comes to spotting a good ice cream flavor, and looking out for specifics like creaminess, chunkiness, and overall quality and balance of flavors. Here are 12 Breyers ice cream flavors ranked.

As someone who typically loves cherry-flavored ice cream (Ben & Jerry's Cherry Garcia is my go-to flavor), I was pretty bummed that Breyers' cherry vanilla flavor wasn't very good. This ice cream wasn't horrible by any means, but something also had to come in last place. After some careful deliberation, I kept coming back to cherry vanilla as the weakest link.

There are a few reasons why cherry vanilla ranks last, and it mostly comes down to the cherries. Obviously, I expect cherries to taste sweet. But they're also typically one of those fruits that comes with a distinct tartness, and there was none of that to be found in this ice cream. Instead, the ice cream really just tasted like a super-sweet version of vanilla. I'm not even sure if I'd describe it as fruity at all, much less cherry-flavored.

The result was an ice cream that was just cloyingly sweet, with none of that slight sourness or tartness that would have worked wonders in making this one a little more palatable. Alas, if you're going to seek out a cherry-flavored ice cream, you'd be better off going with a brand other than Breyers.

I won't act like butter pecan is an ice cream flavor I'm frequently seeking out, yet I can still appreciate it for what it's worth. There's really no other flavor that delivers a sweet yet buttery profile, and of all the nuts you could pair with such a flavor, pecans just make sense. In that regard, I certainly approached the butter pecan flavor from Breyers with an open — if not exactly hopeful — mind. Unfortunately, this one left me pretty underwhelmed.

The biggest issue is that this ice cream didn't hone in on the buttery component nearly as much as it should have (or reasonably could have). While there were notes of butter amidst the sweet creaminess, I personally believe the only way to truly do butter pecan ice cream right is to go all out with that rich flavor. The pecans were fine — I can't imagine a way to mess up pecans — but the ice cream would have benefited from more of them. Ultimately, I didn't hate this flavor, but there was nothing about it that stuck out. It left me underwhelmed and feeling resolute in my stance that butter pecan ice cream really isn't worth the hype (at least, not with this brand).

Breyers sells a handful of different vanilla ice creams, including homemade vanilla, natural vanilla, extra creamy vanilla, and French vanilla. For this ranking, I decided to include French vanilla, hoping it could be representative of all the vanillas, while offering something a little more exciting or intriguing. It's the "richest, most indulgent vanilla," according to the brand, and it's hard to mess with that logic. However, while I think this French vanilla gave me a good idea of the general vanilla flavors offered by Breyers, it wasn't exactly intriguing.

Now, don't get me wrong: This ice cream tasted perfectly fine, with just the right amount of creaminess, sweetness, and of course, vanilla-ness. But, ultimately, it is just vanilla ice cream, and that can only rank so high amidst flavors that just do a bit more. You certainly wouldn't be disappointed if you picked up a tub of Breyers French vanilla ice cream, though you would be missing out on more exciting flavors.

Despite being a bonafide lover of s'mores, I've often found the classic combination of graham crackers, toasted marshmallows, and chocolate doesn't translate well to other food items. It's a bit hard to capture the campfire essence in something that hasn't been freshly-toasted over an open flame — and this Breyers ice cream flavor is a great example of that. To be clear, there's nothing wrong with this s'mores ice cream flavor, per se. It just doesn't live up to the simple yet impeccable deliciousness that the actual treat has to offer.

A few key issues kept this ice cream from being something great (or at the very least, something that might rank higher on this list). For starters, the packaging claims the ice cream is toasted marshmallow flavored, but there were no toasty elements to be found. Additionally, the chocolate element of the ice cream tasted more like Hershey's chocolate syrup rather than a Hershey's chocolate bar. Anyone who has tried both of these products life knows they taste quite different, and I'm not sure that the syrupy flavor worked here.

Furthermore, the graham cracker pieces were hard to find amidst the other elements. The resulting product is an ice cream that didn't necessarily taste bad, but was disappointing nonetheless since it's not true to the flavor it's meant to represent.

I can acknowledge that coffee might not be the most popular ice cream flavor out there, but I've always had a soft spot for it. There's just something about coffee that pairs so well with the rich and decadent nature of ice cream. With the exception of Trader Joe's coffee-flavored frozen mochi (which I thought tasted more burnt than anything else), I've enjoyed nearly every coffee ice cream that's come my way. Given this, I was fairly optimistic before sampling Breyers coffee ice cream; and luckily, there was only smooth, creamy goodness to be found.

Now, while Breyers has a winning formula with its coffee ice cream, it doesn't rank higher because I know this particular flavor can be a polarizing option. Few of us are likely to reach for a tub of coffee ice cream when there are so many other options at the store, myself included (despite being a self-proclaimed coffee ice cream lover). Plus, this admittedly tasty ice cream is pretty simple and one-note in flavor. While it's good, and avoids any burnt coffee flavor, eighth place feels like a reasonable place for this one.

Perfectly inoffensive and tasty to nearly any palate out there, strawberry ice cream is always a good option. Unsurprisingly, then, Breyers natural strawberry flavor hits all the notes one might reasonably expect from such an option. Sweet, creamy, fruity, and perhaps even a little bit acidic, it's a nice ice cream blend with virtually no flaws. It's a little more interesting that plain vanilla without being super out there or overloaded with mix-ins, and earns a middle-of-the-pack ranking as a result.

Of course, while I don't have any negative things to say about this Breyers ice cream flavor, it didn't necessarily stick out, either. I certainly appreciated what this treat had to offer, but not more than some of the higher-ranked contenders on this list. Much like the coffee flavor, Breyers pretty much nailed it with this ice cream formula. However, would I seek this out over something with a little more going on? Only if I was looking for a strawberry shortcake pairing; otherwise, there are simply other ice creams on this list that made a more lasting impression.

Of all the chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream brands out there, Breyers is a worthy option. The classic pairing of vanilla ice cream with chunks of cookie dough and chocolate chips is one that's pretty hard to beat, and Breyers' take on such a flavor is a solid go-to. Though I admittedly don't seek this flavor out very often on my own, I always appreciate the opportunity to snack on a little chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream — and it was more of a treat than ever with this tasty Breyers option.

Something I appreciate about this ice cream is that it doesn't reinvent the wheel or do anything particularly revolutionary. It's just chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream, which is what makes it so good. The ice cream itself was smooth and creamy, whereas the chunks of cookie dough were chewy and super sweet. The chocolate chunks added a little touch of bitterness, as well, to balance everything out.

My only minor complaint (and part of the reason why this flavor ranks sixth) is that there could have been a touch more cookie dough throughout the ice cream. But all told, this is a solid flavor in Breyers' lineup, and one that any cookie dough lover would surely appreciate.

After trying to determine which chocolate flavor in Breyers' lineup to include in this ranking, I ultimately went with the chocolate truffle – and I sure am glad that I did. I figured this flavor would provide a good representation overall of Breyers' various chocolate ice cream options; after all, the base of this ice cream is just chocolate. Of course, there are also little chocolate truffles studded throughout this ice cream, which I hoped might transform something very simple into something a bit more decadent.

Well, considering this ice cream flavor broke into the top five of this ranking, it's safe to say those truffles did their job. Let's start with the chocolate ice cream itself. It was rich, creamy, chocolatey, and perhaps just a tad bitter. In other words, it was everything you could possibly want. It may not have ranked this high if it had been plain chocolate, but that's mainly because it wouldn't have the pizzazz to help it stand out any further.

Fortunately, the truffles really do add a special something to this ice cream. Since they're made from dark chocolate, the truffles bring a really nice bitterness that contrasts the smooth and sweet chocolate ice cream. Plus, they add a little textural contrast that isn't crunchy or hard — just a little something that makes this ice cream super tasty. It may not top this list, but it's still a winner in my book.

I can't say I'd choose rocky road ice cream over something like Moose Tracks. But I also consider it to be one of those tried-and-true flavors that one can consistently depend on regardless of the ice cream brand or proprietor — and Breyers rocky road flavor proved me right once again.

One thing I really liked about this Breyers flavor is that it gives you something a little more exciting than plain chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry. However, it's not too loaded up, either. This delicious concoction features marshmallow-swirled chocolate ice cream with chocolate-coated almond pieces embedded throughout.

The marshmallow ribbons add just the right flavor contrast against the chocolate ice cream, whereas the almonds are a nice touch in adding crunch and a little bit of nutty flavor. In fact, I don't think this ice cream would be as successful with any other nut, as almonds have just the right creaminess, and the chocolate coating helps them seamlessly blend with the ice cream. I really have no complaints about the Breyers rocky road ice cream flavor, and a few others simply outshined it.

Is there really a difference between caramel and dulce de leche? Indeed, there is: Caramel is made from sugar (and sometimes water), while dulce de leche is made from sugar and milk. Now, I don't know about you. But in a competition between sugar and water versus sugar and milk, I'm inclined to believe the latter will taste ultra-rich and delectable — and sampling the dulce de leche ice cream flavor from Breyers pretty much proved that sentiment.

This ice cream was out-of-this-world rich and decadent. Every bite exploded with a sweet caramel-like flavor that was simply delicious. I also enjoyed that the ice cream itself tasted like dulce de leche, yet there were separate dulce swirls embedded throughout it, as well. This ensured a treat that was equally delicious with every bite.

My only (very slight) qualm is that this one reaches an extremely sweet territory very quickly, meaning I had to tap out after just a few bites. Then again, while that kept it from topping this list, it didn't stop me from going back for seconds a few hours later. Needless to say, then, this promising Breyers flavor belongs in third place.

When I first saw Breyers' double cookie crumble ice cream flavor on the shelf, I questioned how it could be much different from your run-of-the-mill cookies and cream flavor. As it turns out, there isn't a whole lot of difference between the two (which is a good thing, since cookies and cream ice cream is delicious). But Breyers wasn't messing around with the promise of "double" the cookies, as this ice cream was absolutely laden with big chunks of Oreo-like cookies. This made for a treat that's positively delicious with each and every bite, and worthy of second place.

Now, obviously, if you don't like Oreos or creme sandwich cookies in general, this flavor won't be for you. But anyone who does enjoy that classic cookies and cream flavor will quite literally find twice as much to love about this Breyers ice cream. Like I said, the sheer amount of cookie pieces studded throughout the ice cream was almost impressive. I'm not talking tiny chunks, either, but big pieces of cookie.

There's a general chocolate cookie swirl that's embedded throughout the ice cream, as well, so even if you stumble across a bite that doesn't have a chunk of cookie in it, it's still going to be a delicious bite nonetheless. Between the delightful Oreo flavor and the sheer amount of cookie chunks that this ice cream featured, it made for a very easy runner-up in this ranking.

There are lots of tasty candy bars out there, but Snickers ranks in the top tier for me. In other words, yes: I was excited to try Breyers Snickers-flavored ice cream. However, I wasn't going to let my general love of Snickers interfere with my capacity to rank this ice cream for what it was. After all, I greatly enjoy s'mores, as well, but that treat didn't translate super well into ice cream. Fortunately, Snickers candy bars work immaculately in ice cream form — so much so that this Breyers flavor takes the top spot in this ranking.

Though there were quite a few flavors going on in this ice cream, they all worked together extremely well. Consequently, this is a cohesive and harmonious product that truly captures the essence of a Snickers bar. The vanilla ice cream had a very peanut butter-forward flavor, with swirls of caramel adding a sweet contrast to the nutty flavor.

Both chocolate-coated peanuts and Snickers pieces are studded throughout the ice cream, too, adding a chocolatey pop and a little bit of crunch. Simply put, I have no notes or complaints about this flavor. I can confidently say that any Snickers lover (or candy bar lover in general) will find this flavor just as delicious as I did.

The biggest factor I looked for when ranking Breyers ice cream flavors was how good the ice cream actually tasted. Much of this comes down to personal preference, so to narrow it down further, I considered how cohesive or balanced an ice cream was. For instance, was a flavor overly or cloyingly sweet, or did it have some special element that gave it the oomph to stand out from the rest.

A good example of an ice cream that was perhaps too sweet was the cherry vanilla flavor, which came in last place. Though I didn't think this ice cream tasted bad, the cherries lacked the tartness needed to balance out the sweet ice cream, making for a treat that was just a bit too saccharine for my taste. Meanwhile, the middle ground ice creams were those that had nice flavors but didn't really do anything impressive or revolutionary, like French vanilla, coffee, and natural strawberry ended up somewhere in the center of these rankings.

Finally, there were those ice creams that had a certain "wow" factor. This includes the dulce de leche, double cookie crumble, and Snickers. These ice creams impressed me by having particularly delicious flavors, lots of mix-ins, or a nice, cohesive balance in flavor.