I love pumpkin ice cream. I know we’re all about apple crisp flavored stuff this year, but I am still all in on pumpkin when it comes to fall flavored ice cream. I’ll forever be chasing this one particular pumpkin ice cream I would get after swim practice from a local parlor back in my hometown. It was creamy and so perfectly spiced and just dense enough. (I’m a slow ice cream eater; I need my ice cream to maintain its structural integrity while I deliberately scrape away at it.)
So, with that ideal in mind, I tasted ten different types of pumpkin ice cream—including Trader Joe’s pumpkin ice cream, LIttle Debbie Pumpkin Delights ice cream, and even pumpkin ice cream sandwiches. I didn’t find a dupe for the pumpkin ice cream of my past, but I did find five totally delicious pumpkin ice creams and ice cream creations you need to try before the seasons change and peppermint ice cream takes pumpkin’s place in the freezer aisle. Here’s the best pumpkin ice cream to buy ASAP.
- My Mochi Pumpkin Spice
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These bite-sized little pumpkin ice cream mochi are a perfect treat to snag out of the freezer. If you’re a fan of mochi ice cream, then you already know what you’re in for. The mochi pocket is stretchy and a vibrant orange. I love the texture of mochi and this one is no different—it’s chewy and just a little bit sweet. The ice cream itself is creamy and spiced and definitely not too sweet. If you’re an ice cream mochi lover, then this is the best fall flavored ice cream treat for you.
Credit: Merc / Target
- Little Debbie Pumpkin Delights Ice Cream
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I can’t say I’m too tempted by Little Debbie Pumpkin Delights cookies, which are jack-o-lantern cookies filled with pumpkin jam. But Little Debbie Pumpkin Delights ice cream inspired by the cookies is very, very good. It’s described as being pumpkin ice cream with a spiced cookie swirl, but to me it tastes more like oatmeal cookie ice cream with a pumpkin jam swirl. Still, it’s quite good and that pumpkin jam makes this pumpkin ice cream the most pumpkin-y pumpkin ice cream of the lot. I love the grainy bits of soft cookie scattered throughout the ice cream. It’s hard to find online and only sold at Walmart, so keep an eye out the next time you make a Walmart run!
Credit: Merc / Walmart
- Ben & Jerry’s Pumpkin Cheesecake
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The best part of Ben & Jerry’s Pumpkin Cheesecake ice cream is the graham cracker swirl. I love it. I love it so much. It’s all the warm, spiced, malty flavors of a graham cracker in one scoopable swirl, which contrasts against the lightly tangy and sweet pumpkin cheesecake ice cream. There are also flavors of brown butter in the mix. It all comes together to create a cozy fall flavor that I am super into.
Credit: Merc / Target
- Signature Select Pumpkin Pie
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This is not just pumpkin ice cream. It’s pumpkin pie ice cream. There are chunks of buttery, tender pie crust in this pumpkin ice cream! The pumpkin ice cream itself is super creamy and not too sweet and very scoopable. You do not need to leave this out to thaw. It’s airy and fluffy and ready to eat. But the pie crust chunks are really what make it some of the best pumpkin ice cream on the market.
Credit: Merc / Vons
- Trader Joe’s Mini Hold the Cone Pumpkin Ginger
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I tried Trader Joe’s pumpkin ice cream—the stuff you get in a container—but it’s just way too sweet. It’s almost painful to eat. These little cones, though, are the greatest thing to happen to pumpkin ice cream. Here’s what you get: a tiny ice cream cone (about as long as a standard index finger), filled with creamy pumpkin ice cream that actually tastes like pumpkin. The ice cream is covered in a crackly coating. And the cone itself is like cinnamon-heavy graham cracker. Everyone here at Sporked really loved the cones themselves. When was the last time you had an ice cream cone and you even noticed the flavor of the cone? If you’re ever in a TJ’s this fall, do yourself a big favor and get a box of these. Then try not to eat them all on the way home.
Credit: Merc
Best Mochi Ice Cream
Best Pumpkin-y
Best Fall-ish
Best Mix-Ins
Best of the Best
Other pumpkin ice creams we tried: Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Ice Cream, Alden’s Pumpkin Ice Cream Sandwich, Favorite Day Pumpkin Cheesecake Ice Cream, Favorite Day Non-Dairy Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream
Thoughts? Questions? Complete disagreement? Leave a comment!