The best coffee ice cream is not only every dad’s ice cream of choice, it’s also the only ice cream you can have for breakfast. Well, at least that’s the case at our offices. No one will blink an eye if you show up to Sporked with an ice cold mug of coffee flavored ice cream—as long as it’s a scoop of the best. Yep, we found the best coffee ice cream whether you like it strong, chocolaty, keto-friendly, or even vegan.
In our taste tests, we looked for good quality coffee ice cream with a bold, natural coffee flavor, and a reasonable price point. Harmony is the word that comes to mind. We like a buttery, rich ice cream injected with big coffee flavor. The two should work together to create a wholly unique taste. Of course, we didn’t just unearth the best plain coffee ice cream. We also searched for top-notch vegan coffee ice cream, keto coffee ice cream, coffee gelato, coffee chip ice cream, and mocha almond fudge ice cream. We found all of those variations and more—including some we never anticipated.
Sadly, the number one best coffee ice cream from our original taste test (Ben & Jerry’s Coffee, Coffee BuzzBuzzBuzz!) has seemingly been pulled by the company. It still exists according to the B&J website, but good luck finding it in the wild. We can’t recommend a product you can’t find. So, we have crowned a new number one.
Here’s the best coffee ice cream we tasted.
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- Rebel Coffee Chip
It’s lactose free. It’s keto-friendly. It has zero grams of sugar. And yet, it’s actually good. It’s not just the best keto coffee ice cream, it totally deserves a spot on this list of the best coffee ice cream, period. I didn’t detect any of that fake sugar flavor. Instead, you simply get sweet, rich, coffee flavored ice cream studded with crunchy chocolate chips. Those chocolate chips don’t add any sweetness (zero sugar, remember) but they do add some dark cocoa flavor as well as a touch of salt, which really works with the sweet coffee ice cream. If you’re keto or looking to cut out sugar, this is your new favorite coffee ice cream. Even the non-keto folks who live with you won’t mind it. — Justine Sterling
Credit: Liv Averett / Vons
- Gelato Boy Dairy Free Coffee Fudge Swirl Gelato
We tried both the dairy-full Gelato Boy coffee gelato and the dairy-free Gelato Boy coffee gelato, and the dairy-free version was much better. This vegan coffee ice cream made with a mix of coconut milk and oat milk is super duper creamy. I couldn’t detect any of the telltale alternative milk flavors (managing editor Gwynedd Stuart said she tasted a touch of coconut, but she assured it was in a good way). And that fudge swirl really kicks things up a notch. This vegan coffee ice cream is so good I think even non-vegans should give it a try. It’s like mocha almond fudge ice cream without the almonds. Give it a go. — Justine Sterling
Credit: Liv Averett / Sprouts
- Häagen-Dazs Coffee Ice Cream
Häagen-Dazs coffee ice cream has a high butterfat content and is made with quality ingredients and minimal preservatives. Check the label and you’ll see only five ingredients: cream, skim milk, cane sugar, coffee, and egg yolks. And it tastes luxurious. It’s magnificent—creamy, buttery, and opulent in a way only premium ice cream can be. This is the best coffee ice cream for the real coffee ice cream purists—but it’s also a good base for toppings like chocolate fudge or crumbled candy bars. — Danny Palumbo
Credit: Sarah Demonteverde / Target
- Trader Joe’s Coffee Bean Blast Ice Cream
Thick, rich, and creamy, this Trader Joe’s coffee ice cream offers a high quality ice cream with adequate butterfat and a low amount of overrun (overrun is the amount of air whipped into ice cream and too much of it can make the ice cream lose its creaminess). The coffee flavor here is bigtime, too. The ice cream is speckled with bits of French roast Colombian coffee, which makes it slightly grainy in a good way. It’s a different kind of coffee chip ice cream—it includes actual little chips of coffee, rather than chocolate. It’s not quite as buttery as most of the other coffee ice creams on this list, but you really can’t go wrong with Trader Joe’s coffee ice cream—if they’ve chosen to stock it, of course. — Danny Palumbo
Credit: Sarah Demonteverde / Trader Joe’s
- Ben & Jerry’s Coffee Toffee Bar Crunch
Ben & Jerry’s is the best ice cream for people who love mix-ins. And this Ben & Jerry’s coffee toffee ice cream is no exception. Made with creamy coffee ice cream and fudge-covered pieces of toffee, this is the best coffee ice cream if you really want to chew your ice cream. Plus, toffee is just such a great flavor, especially in ice cream. It adds more butteriness, salt, and fat. The caramelized flavor adds a whole new dimension to the coffee ice cream, and it’s better for it. It’s really salty, buttery, smooth, and luscious. If I had to choose between this ice cream and your futures, I’d send several of you directly to jail. — Danny Palumbo
Credit: Sarah Demonteverde / Walmart
- Baskin Robbins Jamoca Almond Fudge
The most well-known mocha almond fudge ice cream ice cream is still the best mocha almond fudge ice cream. Baskin Robbins Jamoca Almond Fudge is sweet, creamy, flavored with just the right amount of coffee, and filled with big chunks of almonds. I’m talking practically whole almonds. It all works. The contrasting textures are absolutely delightful. And there’s something about this mocha ice cream that makes you feel like a grown-up. Just one question: Is jamoca, like, java plus mocha? Seems redundant, but I guess who am I to argue with Mr. 31 Flavors? He knows how to make some of the best coffee ice cream around. — Justine Sterling
Credit: Liv Averett / Target
- Van Leeuwen Coffee Affogato
Ever slurped the foam off a cappuccino? That’s what this coffee ice cream from hip and trendy Van Leeuwen tastes like. It’s decadent and creamy. In my notes I wrote that it is like “a silk pillow.” It’s real close-your-eyes-and-moan ice cream. And, while it’s definitely coffee ice cream, it goes lighter on the coffee flavor than a lot of the others on this list, which was great for some of the coffee skeptics on our tasting panel. If you like your coffee mixed with so much milk it’s the color of blonde wood, this is the best coffee ice cream for you. — Justine Sterling
Credit: Liv Averett / Ralphs
- Helados Mexico Mexican Coffee with Chocolate Pieces
Helados Mexico’s Mexican Coffee is the best coffee ice cream if you really want a powerful coffee flavor. The sweetness is turned down and the coffee is turned all the way up. The flavor is unique and stands out among the rest for that reason. The chunks of chocolate are really nice, too. Helados Mexico coffee chip ice cream rocks. Nothing else on this list tastes like this chocolate coffee ice cream. — Danny Palumbo
Credit: Sarah Demonteverde / Instacart
- Jeni’s Dairy-Free Cold Brew with Coconut Cream
Unlike Gelato Boy’s vegan coffee ice cream, you won’t confuse Jeni’s dairy free coffee ice cream with regular coffee ice cream. It embraces its dairy free-ness. This coffee ice cream is a blend of icy cold brew ice cream (it’s practically granita) and extra-creamy coconut cream ice cream. This is the most unique coffee ice cream I’ve ever tried. And everyone who tasted it, loved it—even the coffee haters, even the coconut haters. This coffee ice cream is like a dessert you’d get at a fancy restaurant. It’s textural and complex and you simply cannot stop eating it. I don’t care if you’re vegan or not, you totally need to try this coffee ice cream. — Justine Sterling
Credit: Liv Averett / Sprouts
- Tillamook Coffee Almond Fudge
Congratulations on taking the title of best coffee ice cream, Tillamook. Yes, it’s because Ben & Jerry’s dropped the ball and we can’t find our previous number one (Ben & Jerry’s Coffee, Coffee BuzzBuzzBuzz!) anywhere, but it’s also earned this honorific. Tillamook ice cream is reliably smooth and rich, and offers a consistent 13.5% butterfat in all of their ice creams. It’s why their products rank near the top of our best ice cream lists so often. It dissolves in your mouth, allowing you to savor each decadent spoonful. The coffee flavor in this ice cream is pronounced without overdoing it, and the almonds and fudge add some nice additional texture and flavor. This is a premium mocha almond fudge ice cream with great coffee flavor. Can’t miss. — Danny Palumbo
Credit: Sarah Demonteverde / Albertsons
Best Keto Coffee Ice Cream
Best Vegan (Runner-Up)
Best Premium
Best Coffee Bits
Best Mix-Ins
Best Nutty
Best Milky
Best Coffee Flavor
Best Vegan
Best Creamy
Other coffee ice creams we tried: Edy’s Coffee Ice Cream, Favorite Day Mocha Cold Brew Ice cream, McConnell’s Turkish Coffee Ice Cream, Signature Select Java Chip Ice Cream, Breyer’s Coffee Ice Cream, Alden’s Organic Coffee Chip Ice Cream, Whole Foods 365 Coffee Ice Cream, Alden’s Organic Coffee Chip Ice Cream, Oatly Coffee Ice Cream, Mauna Loa Macadamia Milk Kona Coffee Ice Cream, Dreyer’s Mocha Almond Avenue, Signature Select Simply Churned Mocha Almond Fudge, Gelato Boy Coffee Chip Gelato, McConnell’s Dairy Free Coffee Cookie Crumble
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