Warmer weather is on its way, which means there’s no time like the present to stock up on the best frozen desserts at the grocery store. Better yet—because we know you’re not made of money, nor do you have a money tree growing in the front yard—we can guide you to the best cheap desserts in the frozen aisle, from cheap ice cream to sorbet to Italian ice. Cool down and save some cash with these frozen desserts under $5. (Oh, and if prices have increased by the time you read this, blame corporate greed, not us!)
- Great Value Strawberry Ice Cream ($3.12)
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This ice cream from Walmart may contain ingredients that fancier ice creams don’t (lookin’ at you, high fructose corn syrup), but it’s still creamy and fatty and, best of all, it has a nice, natural strawberry tartness that made it worthy of our list of the best strawberry ice cream. If you’re feeding dessert to a big crowd, this is the cheap ice cream to buy.
Read the full ranking of the best strawberry ice cream
Credit: Merc / Walmart
- Great Value Chocolate Ice Cream ($3.12)
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This cheap ice cream is number nine on our list of the best chocolate ice cream—which isn’t bad considering we taste tested a lot of chocolate ice cream that didn’t make the cut at all. If you like the milk that’s left over after a bowl of Cocoa Pebbles or you have an affinity for chocolatey beverages like Yoo-hoo, you’re gonna like this chocolate ice cream. In fact, if you have a few extra bucks, go ahead and buy it by the gallon pail for less than seven bucks.
Read the full ranking of the best chocolate ice cream
Credit: Ryan Martin / Walmart
- Luigi’s Cherry & Lemon Swirl + Blue Raspberry & Lemon Swirl ($3.13)
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These Italian ice cups are summertime in a box. You get two varieties: cherry-lemon swirl and blue raspberry-lemon swirl. Both are great, but the cherry-lemon is especially delicious—and that’s coming from a taste tester who doesn’t typically love cherry flavored foods. This cheap frozen dessert is tangy and refreshing and perfectly icy—it isn’t like cold, sugary goop.
Read the full ranking of the best Italian ice
Credit: Merc / Walmart
- Favorite Day Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream ($3.49)
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This cheap ice cream from Target took the number five spot on our list of the best vanilla ice cream for a few reasons. First of all, it’s highly creamy and scoopable. If standing around and waiting for your ice cream to thaw enough to scoop is too much for you, give this a shot. We also love that the vanilla flavor is unique to other vanilla ice creams—it has marshmallowy vibes that others don’t have. And, of course, this stuff is very affordable. Now you have a few extra bucks to spring for some hot fudge.
Read the full ranking of the best vanilla ice cream
Credit: Liv Averett / Target
- Sundae Shoppe Thank You Cherry Much! ($3.65)
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A lot of the best Aldi ice cream we found in our taste test seems to come and go (particularly the ice creams sold under their Specially Selected label), but this dupe for Ben & Jerry’s Cherry Garcia is a cheap ice cream you can rely on. Yes, the base is a touch icy, but it has such a lovely dark cherry flavor and it’s packed with loads of sweet, juicy cherry bits, as well as dark chocolate chips.
Read the full ranking of the best Aldi ice cream
Credit: Merc
- Open Nature Lemon Sorbet ($4.69)
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The best sorbet we found in our taste test also happens to be a cheap dessert—we love when that happens. It’s tart and tangy, but it’s also incredibly creamy for a frozen dessert that doesn’t include any dairy. This is one of the most refreshing summertime treats, and if you shop at Albertsons-owned grocery stores, you should make sure this stuff is in your cart.
Read the full ranking of the best sorbet
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
- Signature Select Rainbow Sherbet ($4.99)
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When we set out to rank the best orange sherbet, this rainbow sherbet snuck in and took the number one spot. There’s just so much going on! You get tart raspberry, tangy lime, and zesty orange, all in one big carton. The flavors meld beautifully, and the sherbet itself is just so creamy and nostalgic. It’s childhood in a bowl and it’s a cheap dessert for the ages.
Read the full ranking of the best orange sherbet
Credit: Liv Averett / Vons
- Blue Bunny Bunny Tracks Load’d Cones ($4.99)
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If you’re a freak for ice cream mix-ins, you’re going to love these “Load’d” sundae cones from Blue Bunny. The cone is piled high with a vanilla frozen dessert that’s bursting with swirls of caramel and fudge, peanuts, and peanut butter-filled bunnies. That’s a lot to pack into a sundae cone, but Blue Bunny pulled it off. Kids are gonna flip for this cheap frozen dessert, but kids at heart will, too.
Read the full ranking of the best sundae cones
Credit: Merc / Instacart
- Trader Joe’s Sublime Ice Cream Sandwiches ($4.99)
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Regular ol’ ice cream sandwiches (vanilla ice cream between two squishy, chocolatey cookies) are generally pretty cheap, but chipwiches feel like an upgrade. The cookie in Trader Joe’s chipwiches is soft without being mushy, the ice cream is creamy, and the chips embedded into the sides of the sandwich contribute excellent texture. These are premium ice cream sandwiches for less than five bucks a box.
Read the full ranking of the best ice cream sandwiches
Credit: Sarah Demonteverde / Trader Joe’s
Cheap Strawberry Ice Cream
Cheap Chocolate Ice Cream
Cheap Italian Ice
Cheap Vanilla Ice Cream
Cheap Aldi Ice Cream
Cheap Sorbet
Cheap Sherbet
Cheap Sundae Cones
Cheap Ice Cream Sandwiches
In the midwest the BEST cheap ice cream is from Kwik Trip! #chefskiss Even their vanilla is delish!