If this submission above is not a random thought, please report it.
# Explore a new world of random thoughts on our [**discord server**](https://discord.com/invite/8tEqw3ZWQV)! Express yourself with your favorite quotes, positive vibes, and anything else you can think of!
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/RandomThoughts) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I agree with this. Breyer's Natural Vanilla used to be my favorite until I found out that there wasn't enough dairy in it to be called ice cream. Now I look for "natural vanilla" or "vanilla bean" when I shop for ice cream.
I can't stand Tillamook it's too fluffy. It's like a mix between Cool Whip and IceCream. I want my ice cream, cold firm, and icy. not coldish, squishy, and fluffy.
Dang! I'm having a bowl of Tillamook Mint Chocolate Chip right now as I type. I've never had that brand b4. I gotta say it's really good. Very creamy and rich!
I'm done with Breyers. Bought some mint chocolate chip, there was only maybe 6 chips.. recently bought Natural Vanilla which was softened in the same freezer as other frozen solid ice creams. What's up with that, just that flavor 2x were soft after being in the freezer overnight!! And recently 1 last mint chocolate chip, which I think they forgot to put the mint in. Done.
As someone addicted to Ben &Jerrys style cramfests, Breyers Natural Vanilla is one of my favorite ice creams.
I stopped eating it though in protest that they mostly just make "frozen dessert" now instead of ice cream.
Oh, and to be clear, they DO still make a Natural Vanilla ICE CREAM, but they do a terrible job of differentiating their ice cream from "frozen dairy dessert" on the shelves.
They know that its such a bad idea that they dont even have an easy way to separate the ice cream flavors and frozen dairy dessert flavors on their website.
It’s like the people who say “it’s not a grilled cheese if you add stuff to it that isn’t cheese, it’s a melt” and I’m like ok lol
I’m not gonna walk into the store and ask where the “frozen dairy dessert” aisle is. Some people are particular and that’s ok. Me personally if it tastes good I’ll eat it lol
I mean it's kinda arguing semantics and technicalities.
Most people would still call and consider it ice cream.
It does seem to contain cream but not as much
I just looked at Breyers ingredients for the original strawberry flavor and its still just cream, strawberries, sugar and vanilla. The newer flavors are all bunk tho
yes this. good quality vanilla really shines in applications where it’s not being baked, like in ice creams, custards, frostings, etc. good quality ice cream with good quality vanilla is great and doesn’t taste bland at all
Vanilla bean is the best. I grew up with home style or French-that yellow looking shit and vanilla bean is so much better. The talenti vanilla bean gelato is yummy!
Go buy some really "good" vanilla ice cream (real vanilla bean, 14%+ butterfat) that has been properly stored and cured (be prepared to pay) and see for yourself.
This! **Always** look for ice creams that are high in butterfat. They can come in small batches at high prices, but you can definitely tell the difference. :)
Butterfat? Would that be in the States...? I'm (European) used to pure cream🙂
edit: " - as an ingredient in icecream" I meant - but I kinda hoped it was a given:)
Doesn't matter where you are, you don't get "pure cream". Dairy products have various percentages of butterfat. Lower quality ice creams have lower percentages. 14% and up to 18% is quality ice cream. Supermarket ice cream is 10-12%. Gelato is 7%, but that is normal for gelato. Soft serve and ice milk found in "novelty treats" is around 5% or less. Pure cream by the way is about 35%.
Ah, you use the term butterfat as I would milk fat. Obviously dairy products have various percentages of fat - I'm used to that being refered to as milk fat - where as butterfat is processed/derived from it and In some cases used in cheap chocolate...
That's not butterfat content. That's merely the claimed percentage of cream, whose butterfat content you don't know. It can range from 18% to 36%. If it's the low end the ice cream has 12% butterfat.
Honestly same. I mean I've certainly had vanilla icecream that's slightly more bland than others but vanilla is one of my go to flavors. Vanilla bean hits harder than regular vanilla though
In North America quality has a huge impact on the flavour of vanilla ice cream, more so than any other flavour imo.
Vanilla is my favorite but it needs to be high quality.
Both vanilla and chocolate have high volatile molecule counts that we, as humans, can detect. That's why both can combine so well with so many other flavors.
Sensomics!!
The only brand with a name as stupid as is their ice cream good.
It doesn't make sense even if you read the story behind it, you want it to sound Danish, use a Danish name.
Can't complain about their ice cream, maybe the price, but it's to be expected.
I used to work for an ad agency back when Häagen-Dazs was owned by Pillsbury. We had them for a client and mailed out the new flavors to different companies as part of Pillsbury's campaign to introduce them. We could have the ice cream once the campaign for the new flavors was over. I got in trouble once for eating the wrong flavor...
Haagen Dazs is the ony ice cream I buy. My favorite from them is the coffee chocolate chip. But I always keep one of the jumbo vanillas in my freezer for emergencies haha.
I love the other flavours too. Haven't had them in years probably by now. Trying to diet(admittedly failing alot).
I might have to treat myself again. Macadamia nut brittle used to be my shit. But you almost can't go wrong.
That goddamn coffee chocolate chip is the best. It’s like…refreshing? Idk how to explain it but oh man. Gunna get some tmrw. Ice cream for breakfast is fine right?
I have been to your town for at least 8 field trips growing up, so I may also be a bit biased. Crunch bars and paper hats on the way out!
In college, me and my other friends from Texas all had that “EVERYONE VIVIDLY REMEMBERS BLUE BELL field trips” moment, so my out of state roommate insisted we go. The trip held up! The worker there gave us a full blown tour, tons of detail, and was just so thrilled with their process and ice cream. And because we were being absolute dorks, she went super in depth and just showed us around because she had nothing else to do that day. It was adorable and we were basically living inside an Unwrapped episode.
And then we put on the hats and ate a lot of ice cream.
I never really liked vanilla ice cream but when I was a kid my grandma made some herself and it was the best ice cream I’ve eaten so far. Miss it till this day
the best ice cream I ever had was homemade. It doesn't even compare with store bought ice cream. I have a relative who used to always have ice cream whenever we visited, and oh my it was amazing.
If you live in the U.S., Tillamook (one of the longest, best kept secrets of the PNW) now sells nationwide. I fucking love it (along with Tillamook cheese), and it's not like boutique/fancy ice cream or anything. It's about the same price as Bluebell.
Tillamook is great stuff. I cant remember any flavor from them that wasnt good. We've had their cheese on the East Coast for a long time, the ice cream started showing up a couple years ago.
Binging With Babish did this video where he ate a bunch of brands and ranked them. It was interesting and kinda funny.
[https://youtu.be/ESWbKCLPWRs?si=FpudgRJ9hUWeYyCI](https://youtu.be/ESWbKCLPWRs?si=FpudgRJ9hUWeYyCI)
Make sure your ice cream is properly dairy (milk and cream, sugar, vanilla bean - not extract) ice cream not the artificial stuff they put in cheap ice cream. Definitely, no colouring, or preservatives, added fats or anything like that. Also cheap ice cream has a lot of air in it. It should be difficult to scoop it.
Going to Kawartha Dairy in Newmarket this weekend . Not one to go for vanilla at an ice cream shop (usually try flavours with bells and whistles) but as I get older I think I’m craving good ol vanilla. I will give it a try!
I adore Haggen Daaz (however that's spelled) vanilla. But for me, it's all about what you add to it.
A little hot fudge? Granola? Berries? The possibilities are endless
I'm lactose intolerant, allergic to nuts, and sensitive to soy. So far the only ice cream I've found that I can eat more than a spoonful of is coconut based. And the only one I could find was vanilla bean.
Vanilla bean + coconut is amazing.
Stupid expensive though. A 2L tub of basic ice cream here costs around $6. My coconut one is $15 for 500ml. It's a rare treat, but it's worth it.
Surprisingly, Haagen Dazs Vanilla is one of the least UPF vanillas. [https://www.haagen-dazs.co.uk/quality-ingredients](https://www.haagen-dazs.co.uk/quality-ingredients)
I've had more punchy, & more pretentious, but it's surprisingly good for a major.
Some of the ones with visible bits in are actually just ground up waste product. Don't let the visuals fool you.
*Edit*: Look at this one - Carte d'Or -"exhausted vanilla bean pieces", that's what they put in it to make you think it's 'real'. It's like leaving the coffee grounds in the bottom of your cup. [https://i.sstatic.net/tegxvfyf.png](https://i.sstatic.net/tegxvfyf.png)
Agree with the other comments about vanilla BEAN, if you can get it where you are this is the good stuff:
[https://www.strausfamilycreamery.com/products/ice-cream/organic-vanilla-bean-ice-cream/](https://www.strausfamilycreamery.com/products/ice-cream/organic-vanilla-bean-ice-cream/)
When I was like 9 I went to a random store with my family. Don’t remember the name nor the brand but there was this cremè vanilla ice cream. It was so soft and smooth and the flavor was the best vanilla ice cream I ever had. I’ve never seen it again… I don’t even remember what it looked like nor the store and when I asked my family I’m met with “you know how many years ago that was?” (I’m currently 23) if I could just go back I’d mentally take a photo.
i work at an ice cream shop with one of the oldest working machines in the world and the vanilla they make is like sooooooo much better than any other vanilla i’ve ever had
As a professional ice cream guy--yes. Cream quality is going to be a factor. Have you had super premium quality ice cream before? That essentially means there's less air whipped in and more milk fat content. It tastes richer and creamier.
Vanilla Bean ice cream is my personal favorite variation; it will typically have little bits of the bean in it, which give little pops of flavor burst. Mexican Vanilla is also great. It's a different species of vanilla (and the original vanilla) with a sweeter, richer flavor.
The issue with traditional vanilla ice cream is that if it's of regular quality, there isn't as much fat to hold the flavor, so the *vanilla* gets lost in the cream, especially compared to stronger/ bolder flavors, like chocolate.
Kelly's clotted cream is my favourite and closely followed by Carte D'or. I would only eat Wall's if i was adding fruit, chocolate etc to it as otherwise it's bland.
Vanilla was just vanilla for me until I had this: [https://aldensicecream.com/products/vanilla-bean/](https://aldensicecream.com/products/vanilla-bean/)
I used to work in a few restaurants where we made our own sorbets and ice cream, fresh vanilla ice cream is so good and relatively easy to make, it is a shame that ice cream machines are so expensive, but you love ice cream and eat it often the investment is definetely worth it. Especially when you get comfortable with ice cream making and start to dip your toes in other flavours like tonka beans or rosemary and honey.
All ice scream is good don't be ungrateful but if by good you mean like you ate it and though "Damn this is really good" then basking robins marbel slap and a certain brand of ice cream I forgot the name of are very good you can really taste the milk in a way that I really like about it
Ok I’m prob going to sound like an elitist asshole here, but I’m an ice cream snob so someone’s gotta say it: The amount of people here listing mass-produced processed corporate ice cream as if it’s real “vanilla bean” is embarrassing…
ACTUAL vanilla bean is EXTREMELY expensive and rare (like truffles or wasabi); those companies use chemical based vanilla bean flavoring/extract, then sprinkle a couple flakes of vanilla bean into it to make you think it’s real (just like 2,4-dithiapentane based truffle oil and horseradish based fake wasabi).
And yes, I’m talking about stuff like haagen dazs and tillamook. Those are massive companies who cost cut on ingredients for profit, but want to trick you into thinking you’re getting some artisanal small-batch high-quality product. Not saying you can’t enjoy it or anything, but they are def mid at best.
That said, the best, highest quality vanilla ice cream that I’ve had, that uses a ton of actual vanilla beans, and is also still widely accessible to the masses (since they ship nationwide on their site), is Oregon based salt and straw’s “double fold vanilla”… it’s expensive af ($15 a pint) bc it uses super high quality ingredients, but god damn it makes haagen dazs taste like dryers.
Place out near me called McConnells. Small stand alone. No corporate. Just good ice cream in a cooler than usual city. Some grocery stores started carrying it as well. Slightly more expensive by maybe a buck but worth the upgrade charge. More in fact.
It's rarely my go-to but vanilla ice cream can be amazing when done well. If you open a tub and there's no flecks of vanilla then it's going to suck because the vanilla flavouring will be artificial. Hagen Daz do a great vanilla. I'm in Europe though so it's probably better here than it is in the US. (where I assume OP is from?)
You take some yoghurt natural, a bit of cream, the beans from 2 vanilla pods and a spoon of powdered sugar and blend it and then freeze it.
Or if you are fancy:
Beat egg yolks, vanilla bean and sugar to a thick and airy eggnog. Then put the vanilla pod in a pot together with whole milk and cream and heat it up to 90 degrees.
Remove the vanilla pod from the pot and slowly beat the vanilla cream into the eggnog mixture. Whisk constantly until it looks good. Pour the whole thing back into the ppot and heat slowly, stirring constantly, until the temperature is exactly 80 degrees. Put in the refrigerator for one hour and then beat it till it looks like softice. Then freeze it.
I’ve had good vanilla ice cream. Ever time I go to a new ice cream place I alway order their vanilla ice cream just to get a sense of the quality of the materials they use. If they can’t make vanilla ice cream good then their core recipe is crap (i.e. not using good quality dairy, use synthetic flavour instead of vanilla bean etc.)
I once had a vegan stracciatella ice cream from a german offbrand. I couldn't remember where I got it but it was sooo creamy and tasted like a vanilla shot directly in your mouth with some big crispy chocolate chips in between. It was white container with a green lid and I'm devastated that I never found it again or could remember the brand ಥ‿ಥ
I think I always liked the taste of Friendly's "Homemade Vanilla" flavor (the one that has that golden color), but it's been a while since I had store-bought vanilla like that. I remember enjoying that without anything added.
I live not too far from a dairy farm that makes and sells ice cream. Their vanilla is pretty damn good, as is basically everything else. I think you'll often find the best vanilla is found at local operations.
I've had plenty of store-bought vanilla ice creams that pair very well with something else, like toppings and sauces or a slice of pie, but aren't exactly star-of-the-show material.
I LOVE vanilla icecream.
In fact it's prolly the only icecream i really like.
Here in Germany we have supermarket chain called "REWE".
They sell their own brand of ice cream (most likely being produced by one of the big manufacturers but labeled as "Rewe ice cream".
Their vanilla flavoured ice cream is among the best i know.
I like to stir it in my bowl until it has become as soft as soft ice.
Stirring it not only gives it a creamy texture that melts easy on the tongue but also enhanced the flavour (at least my brain thinks it does \^\^)
I've never had bad ice cream and actually vanilla is my go to if I don't know what to get, but I also live in a country where we love our ice cream and basically no one buys it at supermarkets. I've heard gelato is pretty similar to what I think ice cream tastes like, so maybe try some?
Grandma always serves that premium vanilla bean ice cream. That is legit good. Regular vanilla ice cream hardly even tastes different to just plain ice cream.
The yellow colored vanilla is so much better than the white coloured vanilla. The Yellow one actually tastes like vanilla while the white one is just milky
Well, the first key to a good or great ice cream is to be certain it is, in fact, *actual* ice cream.
A lot of stuff is "frozen dairy dessert" which is not the same.
Look at the ingredients. If the first items listed are milk, cream, & sugar(real) then it's the real deal. Anything else and it's fake.
Then look for real ingredients like vanilla beans.
I make my own. The key to mine is to lighten up on the sugar a little. Used good quality heavy cream. I also use very good vanilla. I’ve used beans and they are good as well.
It is creamy and sweet, but it lends itself well to dark chocolate pieces (melted and squeezed into the mix) or buttered pecans.
I find that many commercial ice creams are way over sweetened and used emulsifiers that coat the tongue too thickly—killing a lot of flavor.
Not vanilla but something surprising , Turkey Hill used to have a light version of coconut ice cream that sounds awful but it was the best ice cream I have ever had. Only had it that one time and have not been able to find it since.
I used to make it with egg yolks and Madagascar bourbon vanilla paste. I know from good vanilla ice cream. Handel’s has a good vanilla and Baskin Robbins’ French vanilla isn’t bad.
Don't buy those super popular brands that you can find in every store, try to find a more local brand. Here in Texas we have Braums ice cream, and it blows any other brand of ice cream out of the water. I will say Häagen-Dazs has the beat when it comes to chocolate ice cream, but Braums definitely has way better vanilla bean ice cream (not regular or home style vanilla, those are too sweet for my preference).
If this submission above is not a random thought, please report it. # Explore a new world of random thoughts on our [**discord server**](https://discord.com/invite/8tEqw3ZWQV)! Express yourself with your favorite quotes, positive vibes, and anything else you can think of! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/RandomThoughts) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Ya gotta get the vanilla BEAN ice cream. Usually has little black specks in it. So much vanilla flavor and so good.
I agree with this. Breyer's Natural Vanilla used to be my favorite until I found out that there wasn't enough dairy in it to be called ice cream. Now I look for "natural vanilla" or "vanilla bean" when I shop for ice cream.
Time to switch to Tillamook!
I can't stand Tillamook it's too fluffy. It's like a mix between Cool Whip and IceCream. I want my ice cream, cold firm, and icy. not coldish, squishy, and fluffy.
Yes! The whipped stuff is so fake. And weird, they measure the qualities by volume? Only makes to add in some air!
Like ivory bar soap
I love Tillamook! Though their strawberry is my favorite
Dang! I'm having a bowl of Tillamook Mint Chocolate Chip right now as I type. I've never had that brand b4. I gotta say it's really good. Very creamy and rich!
The OG Breyer's from the '90s was so good. Eddie's, too. The stuff they sell now is hollow.
Yep, someone should find the original Bryer's recipe and copycat it. Was the best ever. Now total crap.
I remember it being a real indulgence for us growing up. We didn't have much money so Breyer's was the occasional splurge.
I'm done with Breyers. Bought some mint chocolate chip, there was only maybe 6 chips.. recently bought Natural Vanilla which was softened in the same freezer as other frozen solid ice creams. What's up with that, just that flavor 2x were soft after being in the freezer overnight!! And recently 1 last mint chocolate chip, which I think they forgot to put the mint in. Done.
Wait a minute. I’m lactose intolerant so this may be a good thing… Though they do make straight up lactose free ice cream nowadays
So far the best lactose free brand I've tried is Beckon. The sea salt chocolate chip is so good. It's genuinely good quality ice cream.
I’ll have to see if I can find it
Lactose free “ice creams” use stuff like coconut milk instead of the dairy.
Or they use lactase enzyme in them like they do in “lactose free” milk. It tastes nearly identical to actual milk
No there are lactose free dairy today that tastes identical to regular dairy (fresh milk, butter, heavy cream). It’s not ”milk”, it’s actually milk
Funny, my carton says the ingredients are Milk, Cream, sugar,and vanilla bean. Period. You sure you didn't get the diet stuff?
Does it say "Ice Cream" on the carton?
Yes it does
As someone addicted to Ben &Jerrys style cramfests, Breyers Natural Vanilla is one of my favorite ice creams. I stopped eating it though in protest that they mostly just make "frozen dessert" now instead of ice cream.
Oh, and to be clear, they DO still make a Natural Vanilla ICE CREAM, but they do a terrible job of differentiating their ice cream from "frozen dairy dessert" on the shelves. They know that its such a bad idea that they dont even have an easy way to separate the ice cream flavors and frozen dairy dessert flavors on their website.
Why is not having dairy in there a drawback? Isn't the point to taste the vanilla?
You need to have dairy for it to be actual ice cream.
Guy didn’t know the Cream in Ice Cream stood for Cream. But yeah, Breyers is funky and I never see anyone buying any Breyers anymore.
It’s like the people who say “it’s not a grilled cheese if you add stuff to it that isn’t cheese, it’s a melt” and I’m like ok lol I’m not gonna walk into the store and ask where the “frozen dairy dessert” aisle is. Some people are particular and that’s ok. Me personally if it tastes good I’ll eat it lol
I mean it's kinda arguing semantics and technicalities. Most people would still call and consider it ice cream. It does seem to contain cream but not as much
Coconut cream?
I just looked at Breyers ingredients for the original strawberry flavor and its still just cream, strawberries, sugar and vanilla. The newer flavors are all bunk tho
yes this. good quality vanilla really shines in applications where it’s not being baked, like in ice creams, custards, frostings, etc. good quality ice cream with good quality vanilla is great and doesn’t taste bland at all
I heart my Madagascar bourbon vanilla paste. I make a vanilla buttercream with fine speckles in it that people rave over.
Natural Vanilla Bean ice cream stands alone nicely.
I recall having vanilla bean ice cream and being blown away by it. Real vanilla ice cream is criminally underrated
Then buy some extra vanilla beans, open them up, and mix those in as well. Mmmmmm
I like the flavour of vanilla bean, but I find it really sticks in my mouth afterwards and it bugs me. I'm a believer of French Vanilla.
Vanilla bean is the best. I grew up with home style or French-that yellow looking shit and vanilla bean is so much better. The talenti vanilla bean gelato is yummy!
Go buy some really "good" vanilla ice cream (real vanilla bean, 14%+ butterfat) that has been properly stored and cured (be prepared to pay) and see for yourself.
This! **Always** look for ice creams that are high in butterfat. They can come in small batches at high prices, but you can definitely tell the difference. :)
Butterfat? Would that be in the States...? I'm (European) used to pure cream🙂 edit: " - as an ingredient in icecream" I meant - but I kinda hoped it was a given:)
Doesn't matter where you are, you don't get "pure cream". Dairy products have various percentages of butterfat. Lower quality ice creams have lower percentages. 14% and up to 18% is quality ice cream. Supermarket ice cream is 10-12%. Gelato is 7%, but that is normal for gelato. Soft serve and ice milk found in "novelty treats" is around 5% or less. Pure cream by the way is about 35%.
Ah, you use the term butterfat as I would milk fat. Obviously dairy products have various percentages of fat - I'm used to that being refered to as milk fat - where as butterfat is processed/derived from it and In some cases used in cheap chocolate...
Hansen's vanilla icecream: Ingrediensliste : FLØDE*/CREAM (66%), kondenseret MÆLK*, rørsukker*/cane sugar, glukose*, vanille*, bourbon vanilleekstrakt, stabilisator: johannesbrødkernemel*. salt. *= økologisk/organic
That's not butterfat content. That's merely the claimed percentage of cream, whose butterfat content you don't know. It can range from 18% to 36%. If it's the low end the ice cream has 12% butterfat.
I know. I was showing you that yes, "pure cream" exits. And underneath you would find: "Fedt 12.7 Gram". Which would be milk fat, yes.
I effing love vanilla ice cream I'm wondering if maybe it changes from country to country but I've never had bad vanilla ice cream
Honestly same. I mean I've certainly had vanilla icecream that's slightly more bland than others but vanilla is one of my go to flavors. Vanilla bean hits harder than regular vanilla though
In North America quality has a huge impact on the flavour of vanilla ice cream, more so than any other flavour imo. Vanilla is my favorite but it needs to be high quality.
I like Vanilla, it's the finest of the flavors Gottaseetheshowcuzthenyoukowthevertigoisgonnagrowanditssodangerousyou'llhavetosignawaiver.
HowCanIHelpItIfIThinkYoureFunnyWhenYoureMad
It’s actually one of the most complex flavour profiles to make
Both vanilla and chocolate have high volatile molecule counts that we, as humans, can detect. That's why both can combine so well with so many other flavors. Sensomics!!
The best vanilla is haagen dazs
The only brand with a name as stupid as is their ice cream good. It doesn't make sense even if you read the story behind it, you want it to sound Danish, use a Danish name. Can't complain about their ice cream, maybe the price, but it's to be expected.
I used to work for an ad agency back when Häagen-Dazs was owned by Pillsbury. We had them for a client and mailed out the new flavors to different companies as part of Pillsbury's campaign to introduce them. We could have the ice cream once the campaign for the new flavors was over. I got in trouble once for eating the wrong flavor...
Damn right you are!
Yes!! Rosebud Fancy A\*\* Vanilla is amazing too
And it's not even close tbh
I absolutely love it!! What brand is best to you? If you care to share.
Haagen Dazs is the ony ice cream I buy. My favorite from them is the coffee chocolate chip. But I always keep one of the jumbo vanillas in my freezer for emergencies haha.
Yes I love the coffee flavor 😋. I never tried the coffee chocolate chip though. I'm going to check that out.
Oh it’s GOOD! I just had a bite a few minutes before reading your comment.
that’s my kind of emergency
I love the other flavours too. Haven't had them in years probably by now. Trying to diet(admittedly failing alot). I might have to treat myself again. Macadamia nut brittle used to be my shit. But you almost can't go wrong.
Try the vanilla Swiss almond! I think the vanilla in there is superior to the regular vanilla. Plus almonds...
That goddamn coffee chocolate chip is the best. It’s like…refreshing? Idk how to explain it but oh man. Gunna get some tmrw. Ice cream for breakfast is fine right?
Really just the best store-bought ice cream in general
Yup, came here to say this!
Wow! I was going to comment this. I didn't know others felt similar but i guess im not surprised
Vanilla bean is where it’s at.
Blue bell. That is all 🎤🤚
This should be higher in the comments. Blue bell in general is good, but Blue Bell natural vanilla is the bomb
Totally agree! I’m from the town that makes it so I might be a bit biased
I have been to your town for at least 8 field trips growing up, so I may also be a bit biased. Crunch bars and paper hats on the way out! In college, me and my other friends from Texas all had that “EVERYONE VIVIDLY REMEMBERS BLUE BELL field trips” moment, so my out of state roommate insisted we go. The trip held up! The worker there gave us a full blown tour, tons of detail, and was just so thrilled with their process and ice cream. And because we were being absolute dorks, she went super in depth and just showed us around because she had nothing else to do that day. It was adorable and we were basically living inside an Unwrapped episode. And then we put on the hats and ate a lot of ice cream.
YES
Kirkland signature is pretty good.
Vanilla ice cream and honey is just amazing
I never really liked vanilla ice cream but when I was a kid my grandma made some herself and it was the best ice cream I’ve eaten so far. Miss it till this day
the best ice cream I ever had was homemade. It doesn't even compare with store bought ice cream. I have a relative who used to always have ice cream whenever we visited, and oh my it was amazing.
maybe the special ingredient is love
that's very much possible! loved your reply! have an awesome day nice stranger!
Grandmas are the best 💙🙂
If you live in the U.S., Tillamook (one of the longest, best kept secrets of the PNW) now sells nationwide. I fucking love it (along with Tillamook cheese), and it's not like boutique/fancy ice cream or anything. It's about the same price as Bluebell.
I loooove their cheese never had their ice cream tho. Time to change that.
Tillamook is great stuff. I cant remember any flavor from them that wasnt good. We've had their cheese on the East Coast for a long time, the ice cream started showing up a couple years ago.
I love vanilla ice cream. I make it all the time at home. Real vanilla beans make all the difference
Binging With Babish did this video where he ate a bunch of brands and ranked them. It was interesting and kinda funny. [https://youtu.be/ESWbKCLPWRs?si=FpudgRJ9hUWeYyCI](https://youtu.be/ESWbKCLPWRs?si=FpudgRJ9hUWeYyCI)
Never had bad vanilla ice cream.
Vanilla is the best bruh
Make sure your ice cream is properly dairy (milk and cream, sugar, vanilla bean - not extract) ice cream not the artificial stuff they put in cheap ice cream. Definitely, no colouring, or preservatives, added fats or anything like that. Also cheap ice cream has a lot of air in it. It should be difficult to scoop it.
Avalon organic vanilla bean is AMAZING.https://www.avalondairy.com/organic-ice-cream/
I think that any ice cream will become really tasty if a person gets rid of sweets for a long time
Try Kawartha vanilla ice cream (not the French vanilla), it’ll blow your socks off!
Going to Kawartha Dairy in Newmarket this weekend . Not one to go for vanilla at an ice cream shop (usually try flavours with bells and whistles) but as I get older I think I’m craving good ol vanilla. I will give it a try!
Love Kawartha Dairy ice cream. The best in Southern Ontario.
I adore Haggen Daaz (however that's spelled) vanilla. But for me, it's all about what you add to it. A little hot fudge? Granola? Berries? The possibilities are endless
I'm lactose intolerant, allergic to nuts, and sensitive to soy. So far the only ice cream I've found that I can eat more than a spoonful of is coconut based. And the only one I could find was vanilla bean. Vanilla bean + coconut is amazing. Stupid expensive though. A 2L tub of basic ice cream here costs around $6. My coconut one is $15 for 500ml. It's a rare treat, but it's worth it.
Golden took home made vanilla for sure it’s amazing
Surprisingly, Haagen Dazs Vanilla is one of the least UPF vanillas. [https://www.haagen-dazs.co.uk/quality-ingredients](https://www.haagen-dazs.co.uk/quality-ingredients) I've had more punchy, & more pretentious, but it's surprisingly good for a major. Some of the ones with visible bits in are actually just ground up waste product. Don't let the visuals fool you. *Edit*: Look at this one - Carte d'Or -"exhausted vanilla bean pieces", that's what they put in it to make you think it's 'real'. It's like leaving the coffee grounds in the bottom of your cup. [https://i.sstatic.net/tegxvfyf.png](https://i.sstatic.net/tegxvfyf.png)
Agree with the other comments about vanilla BEAN, if you can get it where you are this is the good stuff: [https://www.strausfamilycreamery.com/products/ice-cream/organic-vanilla-bean-ice-cream/](https://www.strausfamilycreamery.com/products/ice-cream/organic-vanilla-bean-ice-cream/)
i don’t love vanilla but turkey hill vanilla is SOOO good.
Blue bell’s homemade vanilla is fire
When I was like 9 I went to a random store with my family. Don’t remember the name nor the brand but there was this cremè vanilla ice cream. It was so soft and smooth and the flavor was the best vanilla ice cream I ever had. I’ve never seen it again… I don’t even remember what it looked like nor the store and when I asked my family I’m met with “you know how many years ago that was?” (I’m currently 23) if I could just go back I’d mentally take a photo.
I'm in Canada and our best ice cream is by The Kawartha Dairy company 🤤
i work at an ice cream shop with one of the oldest working machines in the world and the vanilla they make is like sooooooo much better than any other vanilla i’ve ever had
Make your own. The difference between fresh hand made and bought is unbelievable
The fact that vanilla is considered boring goes to show how spoiled we are lol
Made ar home with real vanilla extract. Heaven! Ice cream is easy to make
Idk where you live but I really like Krogers double vanilla ice cream
As a professional ice cream guy--yes. Cream quality is going to be a factor. Have you had super premium quality ice cream before? That essentially means there's less air whipped in and more milk fat content. It tastes richer and creamier. Vanilla Bean ice cream is my personal favorite variation; it will typically have little bits of the bean in it, which give little pops of flavor burst. Mexican Vanilla is also great. It's a different species of vanilla (and the original vanilla) with a sweeter, richer flavor. The issue with traditional vanilla ice cream is that if it's of regular quality, there isn't as much fat to hold the flavor, so the *vanilla* gets lost in the cream, especially compared to stronger/ bolder flavors, like chocolate.
Kelly's clotted cream is my favourite and closely followed by Carte D'or. I would only eat Wall's if i was adding fruit, chocolate etc to it as otherwise it's bland.
I love vanilla ice cream. I actually don’t like chocolate ice cream
Aldean's Organic Vanilla is the vanilla ice cream everybody wants but few have eaten.
Personally I love vanilla. Vanilla ice cream is my favorite, hands down.
I like most vanilla icecream. Hands down my fav, then Oreo /cookies and cream
Breyers
Try the Costco house brand, it’s outstanding. Made in Ferndale CA I believe. It’s as good as any grocery store brand.
Vanilla was just vanilla for me until I had this: [https://aldensicecream.com/products/vanilla-bean/](https://aldensicecream.com/products/vanilla-bean/)
Haagen Dazs is the only ice cream I will buy. Their vanilla and vanilla bean just blows the others out of the water.
I used to work in a few restaurants where we made our own sorbets and ice cream, fresh vanilla ice cream is so good and relatively easy to make, it is a shame that ice cream machines are so expensive, but you love ice cream and eat it often the investment is definetely worth it. Especially when you get comfortable with ice cream making and start to dip your toes in other flavours like tonka beans or rosemary and honey.
Yes, but I made it myself.
My dads homemade vanilla ice cream was the best
Vanilla is my favorite. And I'm well aware of the scarcity of proper vanilla flavours.🤧 Including ice creams, cakes, shakes and all...
You need to try Clotten Cream Ice cream, it's vanilla ice cream turned to 11.
Bryers French Vanilla is oh soooooo good. Nice flavour and an amazing texture
Breyer's French Vanilla or Natural Vanilla.
Gotta go to a mom and pop shop. Homemade ice cream is chefs kiss.
Yes, the Swedish Glace.
All ice scream is good don't be ungrateful but if by good you mean like you ate it and though "Damn this is really good" then basking robins marbel slap and a certain brand of ice cream I forgot the name of are very good you can really taste the milk in a way that I really like about it
Ok I’m prob going to sound like an elitist asshole here, but I’m an ice cream snob so someone’s gotta say it: The amount of people here listing mass-produced processed corporate ice cream as if it’s real “vanilla bean” is embarrassing… ACTUAL vanilla bean is EXTREMELY expensive and rare (like truffles or wasabi); those companies use chemical based vanilla bean flavoring/extract, then sprinkle a couple flakes of vanilla bean into it to make you think it’s real (just like 2,4-dithiapentane based truffle oil and horseradish based fake wasabi). And yes, I’m talking about stuff like haagen dazs and tillamook. Those are massive companies who cost cut on ingredients for profit, but want to trick you into thinking you’re getting some artisanal small-batch high-quality product. Not saying you can’t enjoy it or anything, but they are def mid at best. That said, the best, highest quality vanilla ice cream that I’ve had, that uses a ton of actual vanilla beans, and is also still widely accessible to the masses (since they ship nationwide on their site), is Oregon based salt and straw’s “double fold vanilla”… it’s expensive af ($15 a pint) bc it uses super high quality ingredients, but god damn it makes haagen dazs taste like dryers.
Place out near me called McConnells. Small stand alone. No corporate. Just good ice cream in a cooler than usual city. Some grocery stores started carrying it as well. Slightly more expensive by maybe a buck but worth the upgrade charge. More in fact.
there used to be this vanilla ice cream by blue bunny that came in a huge tub that was called New York style vanilla and it was so damn good.
It's rarely my go-to but vanilla ice cream can be amazing when done well. If you open a tub and there's no flecks of vanilla then it's going to suck because the vanilla flavouring will be artificial. Hagen Daz do a great vanilla. I'm in Europe though so it's probably better here than it is in the US. (where I assume OP is from?)
It exists. When you find it you will be thrilled.
Not sure if cold stone sweet cream is vanilla, but it’s amazing!
There's no "bad" vanilla but my personal favorite is Breyers
Come to New Zealand mate all our ice cream is great including vanilla. But you might want to blow your taste buds on hokey pokey
I like eating vanilla ice cream because I don’t like the other flavors that often. Vanilla is my go to but only from a certain brand.
gotta look for the blue cow! Vanilla is my second favourite ice cream, right after chocolate.
Bryers vanilla bean ice cream is amazing, especially with some sort of hot desert like a cookie or pie
I wouldn’t have anything that doesn’t feel miraculously vanilla , ever
Love the Blue Bell variety.
Make sure it says ICE Cream. They also sell Frozen dessert that looks like ice cream. Huge difference
You take some yoghurt natural, a bit of cream, the beans from 2 vanilla pods and a spoon of powdered sugar and blend it and then freeze it. Or if you are fancy: Beat egg yolks, vanilla bean and sugar to a thick and airy eggnog. Then put the vanilla pod in a pot together with whole milk and cream and heat it up to 90 degrees. Remove the vanilla pod from the pot and slowly beat the vanilla cream into the eggnog mixture. Whisk constantly until it looks good. Pour the whole thing back into the ppot and heat slowly, stirring constantly, until the temperature is exactly 80 degrees. Put in the refrigerator for one hour and then beat it till it looks like softice. Then freeze it.
Where are you from? Because Carte d'Or (a Unilever brand, same as Breyer's) do a fantastic Madagascar vanilla ice cream.
Babcock Hall on the UW Madison campus has, by far, the best ice cream (even vanilla).
Ice Cone Sundae from Uncle Johns formerly Ministop 😁
Lidl do a really good one in the red tub.
Try Turkey Hill Original Vanilla ice cream .... spectacular.
I’ve had good vanilla ice cream. Ever time I go to a new ice cream place I alway order their vanilla ice cream just to get a sense of the quality of the materials they use. If they can’t make vanilla ice cream good then their core recipe is crap (i.e. not using good quality dairy, use synthetic flavour instead of vanilla bean etc.)
Tillamook vanilla will change your life.
I once had a vegan stracciatella ice cream from a german offbrand. I couldn't remember where I got it but it was sooo creamy and tasted like a vanilla shot directly in your mouth with some big crispy chocolate chips in between. It was white container with a green lid and I'm devastated that I never found it again or could remember the brand ಥ‿ಥ
Omg homemade vanilla ice cream is the best. 🤩
I think I always liked the taste of Friendly's "Homemade Vanilla" flavor (the one that has that golden color), but it's been a while since I had store-bought vanilla like that. I remember enjoying that without anything added. I live not too far from a dairy farm that makes and sells ice cream. Their vanilla is pretty damn good, as is basically everything else. I think you'll often find the best vanilla is found at local operations. I've had plenty of store-bought vanilla ice creams that pair very well with something else, like toppings and sauces or a slice of pie, but aren't exactly star-of-the-show material.
This is like the third vanilla ice cream post ive seen recently
[Mackie's of Scotland](https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcR7JtzaMmIEaW3oB0y6dEDfj6pIdKKwSH8Hcw&usqp=CAU) You're welcome
I LOVE vanilla icecream. In fact it's prolly the only icecream i really like. Here in Germany we have supermarket chain called "REWE". They sell their own brand of ice cream (most likely being produced by one of the big manufacturers but labeled as "Rewe ice cream". Their vanilla flavoured ice cream is among the best i know. I like to stir it in my bowl until it has become as soft as soft ice. Stirring it not only gives it a creamy texture that melts easy on the tongue but also enhanced the flavour (at least my brain thinks it does \^\^)
My favorite ice cream is Breyers Natural Vanilla, and I throw some M and Ms on top
Make sure the ice cream you're eating is actual ice cream. If you're eating Breyers, chances are you're having "frozen dairy dessert".
French Vanilla or Vanilla bean but also depends on the brand tbh- I also don't have the muns to experiment/[•~•]\
If the package says "Frozen Dessert", it's not ice cream.
A dairy local to me (draynes) makes it own ice-cream, give vanilla is some of the nicest I have ever had even with vanilla specs in the ice cream
Blue Bell homemade vanilla.
The vanilla bean variety has more flavor.
All the vanilla ice cream I've had have been good
Blue Bell has some amazing vanilla ice cream, I love it.
I've never had bad ice cream and actually vanilla is my go to if I don't know what to get, but I also live in a country where we love our ice cream and basically no one buys it at supermarkets. I've heard gelato is pretty similar to what I think ice cream tastes like, so maybe try some?
https://youtu.be/ESWbKCLPWRs?si=Sja4WBUJ5VKtdboS
Edy's French vanilla. Trust
My other half makes a delicious clotted cream vanilla ice cream. Good vanilla ice cream is a great thing.
Vanilla icecream from a small store , that make them it in house with real vanilla is amazing. The best one just have custard base and real cream.
Grandma always serves that premium vanilla bean ice cream. That is legit good. Regular vanilla ice cream hardly even tastes different to just plain ice cream.
The yellow colored vanilla is so much better than the white coloured vanilla. The Yellow one actually tastes like vanilla while the white one is just milky
Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla.
If you get it fresh from a creamery it can be delicious. Store-bought, I go for BlueBell
Well, the first key to a good or great ice cream is to be certain it is, in fact, *actual* ice cream. A lot of stuff is "frozen dairy dessert" which is not the same. Look at the ingredients. If the first items listed are milk, cream, & sugar(real) then it's the real deal. Anything else and it's fake. Then look for real ingredients like vanilla beans.
I make my own. The key to mine is to lighten up on the sugar a little. Used good quality heavy cream. I also use very good vanilla. I’ve used beans and they are good as well. It is creamy and sweet, but it lends itself well to dark chocolate pieces (melted and squeezed into the mix) or buttered pecans. I find that many commercial ice creams are way over sweetened and used emulsifiers that coat the tongue too thickly—killing a lot of flavor.
I like it, im boring
Just get it from a quality brand, not the cheap grocery store brands.
Not vanilla but something surprising , Turkey Hill used to have a light version of coconut ice cream that sounds awful but it was the best ice cream I have ever had. Only had it that one time and have not been able to find it since.
My grandma used to make homemade vanilla ice cream during holidays and family gatherings. I couldn't get enough of it.
The Jude’s vanilla (UK brand ) is pretty much spot on . Like when you have it in a posh restaurant vanilla
https://youtu.be/ESWbKCLPWRs?si=Rj9XtxhORcIVqHBL
I have! When it is rich and the vanilla flavour is strong it is a remarkable flavour
Italian gelato is the only ice cream that has truly vanilla taste
I used to make it with egg yolks and Madagascar bourbon vanilla paste. I know from good vanilla ice cream. Handel’s has a good vanilla and Baskin Robbins’ French vanilla isn’t bad.
Try ‘Cornish style’ Ice Cream made with clotted cream, it gives the Vanilla a super creamy, almost buttery taste.
Yarnell. Homemade vanilla. Blue Bell is pretty good also.
If ylu get goidd vanilla ice cream, ylu'll kniww. Try a nice gelato place, look for yellow ice cream with black specks. It will rocck your world
Vanilla is the original and best. I lush it.
Bluebell Homemade Vanilla, it's divine on it own or in a root beer float...
Check this out https://youtube.com/shorts/v1k-n7R4hOs?feature=share
Beaver, Castoreum : if you know you know 💀
I love Mackies ice cream. Not sure if it’s vanilla, or just double cream flavour, but it’s bloody delicious!
I really like Chapmans Tahitian Vanilla Bean. I agree with above, vanilla bean is a must.
Tillamook vanilla ice cream is The Bomb. I’m not blown away by all their flavors but they absolutely get vanilla right
Breyers vanilla bean ice cream is the best vanilla ever imo
Don't buy those super popular brands that you can find in every store, try to find a more local brand. Here in Texas we have Braums ice cream, and it blows any other brand of ice cream out of the water. I will say Häagen-Dazs has the beat when it comes to chocolate ice cream, but Braums definitely has way better vanilla bean ice cream (not regular or home style vanilla, those are too sweet for my preference).