The Best Ice Cream Cone for an At-Home Ice Cream Social

The best ice cream cones are crunchy and sturdy. They should sit nicely in your hand. Most importantly, they should highlight the ice cream without distracting from it. Oh and if you clicked on this story looking for sundae cones, don’t worry. That ranking is coming soon.

We tried so many, and I mean so many, ice cream cones to see which you should be buying at the grocery store for your at-home ice cream socials or any time a trip to the ice cream shop just isn’t in the cards. Whether you’re looking for the best sugar cones, the best waffle cones, or the best cake cones, we have the best store bought ice cream cones for you.


best ice cream cones

Best Cake Cone

Favorite Day Ice Cream Cones

My bosses, managing editor Gwynedd Stuart and editor-in-chief Justine Sterling, both prefer cake cones (aka cup cones) to sugar cones, so I had them help me out with this one. Personally, I never get cake cones because I think they taste like packing peanuts. The one thing we could all agree on, though, is the fact that Target’s Favorite Day brand makes the best cake cones at the grocery store. They’re crunchy, sturdy, lightly sweet, and perfectly bland, so they really let the ice cream shine.

Credit: Liv Averett / Target

Rating:

10/10

Sporks

best sugar cone for ice cream

Best Sugar Cone

Great Value Sugar Cones

These sugar cones are sugary and that’s what makes them the best ice cream cone for sugar cone lovers. Some of the other brands we tasted just weren’t sweet. What’s the point of having a sugar cone if it’s not going to be sugary?! These Great Value cones have great sweetness and an unbelievable crunch. Sugar cone fans, run out and buy these!

Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart

Rating:

10/10

Sporks

best cones for ice cream

Best Waffle Cone

Great Value Waffle Cones

Great Value is easily one of the best store bought ice cream cone brands that exists. All their cones are so good! These waffle cones are crispy and textured and perfectly sweet. Waffle cones are my preferred ice cream vessel, so you can trust me when I say that these are truly the best store bought ice cream cones out there. All you need is some chocolate ice cream and sprinkles.

Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart

Rating:

10/10

Sporks

Other ice cream cones we tried: Kroger Waffle Cones, Keebler Waffle Cones, Favorite Day Waffle Cones, Keebler Sugar Cones, Kroger Sugar Cones, Trader Joe’s Organic Sugar Cones, Favorite Day Sugar Cones, Let’s Do Organic Cake Cones, Joy Jumbo Cups, Great Value Ice Cream Cups, Keebler Ice Cream Cones, Joy Gluten Free

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About the Author

Jordan Myrick

Jordan is an L.A.-based writer and comedian who believes all food should come with extra sauce. When they're not writing for Sporked, Jordan is at the movies or sharing an order of french fries with their elderly chihuahua.

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  • I noticed none of the Joy products made the list. I don’t know about their regular products, but I will say their Gluten Free Ice Cream Cups and Sugar Cones have held up well to ice cream in our house.

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