The best Blue Bell flavors are rich, decadently creamy, and worthy of their infamous half-gallon tubs. They should taste comforting, homemade, and extremely satisfying—if the flavor can’t justify the commitment of freezer space and calories, it’s simply not worth it.
Blue Bell is an ice cream institution in the South. As a Texas-based company, they really own the “everything is bigger in Texas” mantra by making a point of selling huge half-gallon tubs, which completely dominate the frozen dessert aisles of major grocery stores. (Gotta respect the genius of that particular marketing tactic.) As a Floridan, I grew up on all their classic flavors and considered the brand second to none. Dedicating an entire shelf of our freezer to one Blue Bell flavor may have been impractical, but there was something so comforting about it. Still, let me say this: One’s greatest strength is often one’s biggest weakness. If you’re asking me to buy a giant tub of ice cream, I better not get bored with it. That’s what separates the very best Blue Bell ice cream flavors from the rest: They never feel like too much of one thing or a good thing.
At this point, we’ve ranked almost (almost) every popular brand of ice cream out there. From Tillamook to Jeni’s, Ben & Jerry’s to Haagen-Dazs, Talenti to Trader Joe’s, we’re basically 60% water, 35% milk fat, and 5% regret. Every brand stands out in its own way, and Blue Bell is no exception. You don’t get much richer, creamier, and extra churned than Blue Bell. I tracked down as many Blue Bell ice cream flavors I could find at my local Publix and Target, but I have to be honest: I wasn’t able to grab all the flavors. (Not even close.) Luckily, we update these rankings pretty regularly, so if you have a favorite that went sorely unacknowledged, throw it in the comments for us to try next time around. Anyways, onto the ranking!
- A&W Root Beer Ice Cream
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Know this, reader: I have your best interest at heart. If I didn’t, Blue Bell’s creamy, warmly spiced root beer flavor would be in the top three. I adore soda-flavored ice creams, and this is no exception. But that specific syrupy-sweet (and sure, slightly medicinal) root beer flavor packed into a dense tub of ice cream is, well, not for everybody. I recognize that. But if you’re a float fanatic like me, this may be the best Blue Bell ice cream flavor to buy, even if it’s squarely at the bottom of this list.
Credit: Merc / Blue Bell
- Pistachio Almond
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Blue Bell Pistachio Almond fanatics love this stuff more than their own blood relatives. I should know, my family can’t get enough of it. Meanwhile, critics complain that it’s nothing more than ice cream heavily imbued with almond extract and zero pistachio to speak of. Both perspectives are valid. It’s highly addictive, with a luxurious, creamy texture and the right balance of sweet, nutty, and slightly toasty flavors. But does it really taste like pistachios? Meh. It’s green, if that helps your brain get a little more behind the overall concept. Either way, it’s still one of the best Blue Bell flavors out there, and I stand by that.
Credit: Merc / Blue Bell
- Peppermint
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Blue Bell has two peppermint flavors—their regular peppermint and holiday peppermint bark, both of which ranked pretty high in our peppermint bark ice cream ranking. This incredibly peppermint-candy forward tub is incredibly refreshing without tasting at all like toothpaste. Texturally, it feels like you’re scooping little shards of Christmas ornament glass, which understandably sounds frightening, but believe me, it’s delicious. (As long as you really enjoy peppermint. Otherwise, you can skip it.)
Credit: Merc / Blue Bell
- Homemade Vanilla
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I am, in fact, just as stunned as you are to put Blue Bell’s Homemade Vanilla a little lower on this list. Sorry to be boring, but vanilla ice cream will always be my favorite flavor. And I grew up on Blue Bell’s beautiful tub of vanilla. The problem? I have since tried a ton of vanilla ice cream from different brands, and now I’m a harsh critic. Blue Bell is a touch too sweet in a way that I know many people adore, but I’m not fully behind. (Unfortunately, I’ll have to blame the high fructose corn syrup for that.) That said—it’s still delicious. I will never turn away a scoop.
Credit: Merc / Blue Bell
- Peppermint Bark
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Their Peppermint Bark has small squares of dark chocolate mixed (somewhat sparsely) into the swirl of white chocolate and chilly peppermint ice cream. It’s incredibly rich and yummy, especially compared to other peppermint ice creams, which can be somewhat icy and lackluster. But it’s not the best Blue Bell ice cream flavor you can buy.
Credit: Merc / Blue Bell
- Dutch Chocolate
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It’s hard to fault Blue Bell’s simple yet iconic Dutch Chocolate. Personally, I find it classic and incredibly nostalgic, with a rich smoothness on the end that really rounds out the bitter chocolate. It’s not as fudgy as the name “Dutch Chocolate” would suggest, but it’s certainly creamy and indulgent.
Credit: Merc / Blue Bell
- Buttered Pecan
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Does this need more actual pieces of pecans? Yes. Those sort of get lost in the massive tub of magical, magical milk fat. And it’s a shame, because I love how toasty and slightly salted those pecan pieces are. But hey, the overall flavor and lighter, slightly airier texture here is really great. It’s not too sweet, but it doesn’t shy from that warm, comforting pecan flavor, either.
Credit: Merc / Blue Bell
- Cookies ‘n Cream
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I’ve seen some debate online about whether Blue Bell’s cookies and cream ice cream is any good. It’s a debate I’m choosing to acknowledge, respect, and ultimately ignore. If you like it raw, well, consider this edible cookie dough-inspired flavor the best Blue Bell ice cream for you. The Oreo-esque cookie chunks are soft and moist. They permeate the ice cream in small, slightly chewy crumbles, giving every spoonful a slightly rough texture that’s a departure from Blue Bell’s typical smooth creaminess. But you also get larger cookie hunks to dig into throughout.
Credit: Merc / Blue Bell
- Cookie Two Step
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Cookie Two Step is one of the best desserts I’ve ever tasted in my life. I’ll scream it from the rooftops. And yes, I know I just raved about Cookies and Cream, but this is a completely different (and honestly, better) experience. Instead of moist dark chocolate cookie bits, Two Step gives you a beautiful mix of slightly crunchy, more texturally distinct chocolate chip cookie and sugar cookie crumbles. It’s the best of both worlds. Plus, the ice cream retains that signature creamy, thick smoothness. All together, this immaculate flavor is exactly what a half-gallon tub is for—and that’s why it’s the best Blue Bell ice cream out there. For now, at least.
Credit: Merc / Blue Bell
Best Blue Bell Ice Cream
Best Blue Bell Ice Cream
Best Blue Bell Ice Cream
Best Blue Bell Ice Cream
Best Blue Bell Ice Cream
Best Blue Bell Ice Cream
Best Blue Bell Ice Cream
Best Blue Bell Ice Cream
Best Blue Bell Ice Cream
Other Blue Bell Ice Cream flavors we tried: Blue Bell Gooey Buttercake, Blue Bell Birthday Cake
I miss “Southern Hospitality “. It was so good ,wish it would come back. My favorites of all time are the great divide and cookies and cream. Blue Bell is the absolute best!!
Nothing can hold a candle to Blue Bell Chocolate Chip! It’s the best, hands down!!!
Most of the flavors rated are gross. The best Blue Bell has ever made is Light Homemade Vanilla and the idiots stopped making it. Stupid management mistake. The stores couldn’t keep it in stock when they were making it and their own comment was “it’s our best seller”.
Can’t believe Moollennium Crunch didn’t make the top 10. It’s hard to find, but its definitely the very best to me. Please keep making it.
Moolenium crunch is the absolute best flavor Blue Bell has ever produced, full stop.
Wow! Lots of good ratings for Blue Bell ice cream 🍦. I would try all of the flavors.
Oatmeal Cream Pie gotta be there
Black Walnut is delicious and so hard to find!
Cookies ‘n’ cream CONE! Sooooo much better than regular cookies ‘n’ cream! It’s just hard to find…and I live within an hour of Brenham!!
You HAVE to find the Gooey Butter Cake!!
Since every single one of their flavors contains high fructose corn syrup, and carrageenan, none of their flavors are worth my freezer.
You’re from California and you think it qualified to rate Blue Bell ice cream. You’re crazy.
First, if you think any ice cream is too sweet you’re totally unqualified. Second homemade vanilla should be in the top three. 3rd I can’t believe you didn’t include mocha almond fudge. It beats the crap out of root beer ice cream.
You definitely missed out on the best one of the bunch: banana pudding. If you get a chance, you need to try it.
Moolinneum Crunch is the best flavor.
You forgot Tin Roof!