The best peppermint ice cream is sweet, refreshing, and minty. That said, it can’t be too minty or too refreshing because then it tastes like toothpaste. Peppermint ice cream has to strike a perfect balance—and when it does, this seasonal ice cream is perfect on its own, covered in hot fudge, or blended into a milkshake.
And it’s not just about taste! We believe that the best peppermint ice cream should also have texture. Whether it is creamy, dense pieces of chocolate or crunchy bits of peppermint candy, we want something to bite into in our ice cream.
These ten pints of peppermint ice cream, peppermint stick ice cream, and peppermint bark ice cream have all the flavor and texture you could ever want when it comes to the best peppermint ice cream. (And yes, by popular demand, we finally sent one little Sporked elf to a state that sells Blue Bell Peppermint Bark Ice Cream to try, too.) Go buy them before the season is over!
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- Alden’s Peppermint Twist
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Alden’s Peppermint Twist Ice Cream is perfect for anyone who wants ice cream that is totally smooth and creamy. This is the best peppermint ice cream for mix-in haters. Anyone who hates chunks will scarf down this pint in moments. The base is so velvety and the peppermint flavor is minty without being too minty. Because there’s no chunk-age, I would definitely use this in a peppermint ice cream sundae with some whipped cream, hot fudge, and pieces of peppermint bark. —Jordan Myrick
Credit: Liv Averett / Vons
- Haagen Dazs Peppermint Bark
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Simply put, Haagen Dazs’s Peppermint Bark Ice Cream understands the assignment. You’re getting all the classic peppermint bark flavors: sweet, smooth white chocolate ice cream mixed with crunchy bits of chocolate and peppermint candy. The ice cream isn’t too icy or too indulgently creamy; the mix-ins are pretty evenly distributed so they aren’t fighting for your attention on the spoon. While I don’t think it’s the best peppermint bark ice cream ever made, I appreciate that you can find this pint stocked in just about every major grocery store—and pick it up knowing it’s a crowd pleaser. You just can’t go wrong with Haagen Dazs (we know, we’ve tasted all the flavors). —Ariana Losch
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
- Signature Select Light Peppermint Ice Cream
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Signature Select’s Light Peppermint Ice Cream alerted me to the fact that peppermint ice cream needs little crunchy bits. The little crunchy pieces of peppermint in this ice cream are such a wonderful addition to the luxuriously smooth base. We went to town on this ice cream before realizing that it’s a light ice cream. Shocking! “Light” products normally taste completely flavorless or chock-full of chemicals. This peppermint stick ice cream is one of the few light products I’d actually buy in real life. —Jordan Myrick
Credit: Liv Averett / Albertsons
- Blue Bell Peppermint Ice Cream
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Blue Bell has two different seasonal ice cream flavors of the peppermint variety: peppermint and peppermint bark. When I lugged these two giant half-gallon tubs home with me from Publix, I’ll admit, I thought, “Well, this is excessive.” Little did I know, both would easily earn their place here among the best peppermint ice creams you can buy. This pastel-pink peppermint version hones in on the candy cane flavor, with crushed bits of blue and red peppermint candy mixed in that add a pleasant crunch. I’m very impressed by how minty and creamy this manages to taste without getting anywhere close to toothpaste territory. As someone who grew up on Blue Bell ice cream, one taste of this seasonal beauty unlocked about a dozen childhood memories I’d completely forgotten about. It’s nostalgia in a tub. —Ariana Losch
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
- Blue Bell Peppermint Bark Ice Cream
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Look, between both peppermint Blue Bell flavors, I really can’t decide which is the best peppermint ice cream. They’re both getting the same number of Sporks, okay? This one adds squares of dark chocolate to the mix, giving it a more “adult” feel. It still has pieces of peppermint candy, just not nearly as much as the other flavor. But what really stands out about both of Blue Bell’s peppermint tubs is how incredibly rich and creamy the base mint ice cream is. Shocker, I know. (If you’ve ever had Blue Bell ice cream, you know they don’t hold back on the richness.) It’s one of the best peppermint bark ice creams to pick up if you’re looking for a decadent and elegant treat that’ll pair beautifully with other ingredients like strawberries, almonds, and fudge sauce. —Ariana Losch
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
- Häagen Dazs Limited Edition Ice Cream Bars
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Um, peppermint ice cream bars?? Talk about a holiday dream come true. Unwrapping these hefty holiday peppermint bark bars put the whole Sporked team in a good mood. Biting into the dark chocolate coating studded with crunchy peppermint candy pieces is highly satisfying. Inside the coating, the white chocolate ice cream is rich and smooth. If anything, the ice cream itself is a little one note, but there’s just enough peppermint flavor to make these ice cream bars feel festive and extra special. —Ariana Losch
Credit: Liv Averett / Häagen Dazs
- Talenti Peppermint Bark Gelato
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Listen, Santa baby: This peppermint bark gelato is downright sexy. The white chocolate base has that soft, velvety gelato consistency, but it’s swirled with generous amounts of crushed dark chocolate bits that draw you in with every bite. The bitter, cocoa-forward dark chocolate is the main feature here. I don’t even like chocolate that much, but I’ve been seduced. —Ariana Losch
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
- Tillamook Peppermint Bark Ice Cream
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If you’re specifically looking for peppermint bark ice cream, this is some of the best peppermint ice cream to buy. It tastes exactly like peppermint bark. It’s white chocolatey and lightly pepperminty and super creamy. If you are a fan of the iconic William Sonoma peppermint bark, you will also be a fan of this. My only note is that it needs more regular chocolate. In my opinion, you should coat a couple scoops of this in chocolate shell for an optimal peppermint bark ice cream experience. It will literally be a Christmas miracle in your mouth. —Jordan Myrick
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
- Trader Joe’s Candy Cane Joe-Joe’s Ice Cream
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I already love every iteration of Trader Joe’s Joe-Joe’s, so it’s no surprise that I love this Candy Cane Joe-Joe’s Ice Cream. It consists of swirls of peppermint and vanilla ice creams, a ribbon of chocolate fudge, and big chunks of Candy Cane Joe-Joe’s Cookies. Honestly, it’s perfect! Go buy this peppermint ice cream before Trader Joe’s rips it away from us until next year. —Jordan Myrick
Credit: Liv Averett
- Favorite Day Peppermint Bark Ice Cream
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Favorite Day is stepping up their game. This peppermint bark ice cream is unparalleled. As promised, It tastes like peppermint bark in ice cream form. It’s like mint chip ice cream 2.0. The base is so creamy, the pieces of bark are plentiful, and the mint flavor is just right. I would 100% buy this again for any holiday celebration. The only way it could get better is if you topped it with more pieces of peppermint bark, which you can easily do at home. This is definitely the best peppermint ice cream. It might just be the best seasonal ice cream, period. —Jordan Myrick
Credit: Liv Averett / Target
Best Creamy
Best Balanced
Best Light
Best Peppermint Candy
Best Creamy
Best Peppermint Ice Cream Bars
Best for Dark Chocolate Lovers
Best Quality
Best Personal Pint
Best of the Best
Other Products We Tried: McConnell’s, Kroger Deluxe, Jeni’s, Van Leeuwen, Blue Bunny
