Wanna know how old I am? I remember back when Van Leeuwen was a cool, indie ice cream truck in Brooklyn way back in 2008. I remember seeking out said ice cream truck and being enthralled by the idea of earl grey ice cream. Fancy, exotically flavored ice cream from a truck? It was practically unheard of at the time.
Both Van Leeuwen and I have expanded beyond the bounds of Brooklyn. I am in Los Angeles. And they have scoop shops in 14 states and their pints are on grocery store shelves or available for shipping nationwide. And, yes, the earl grey ice cream is still available—along with many, many other Van Leeuwen flavors.
But what are the best Van Leeuwen flavors? The Sporked team sat down to taste 15 Van Leeuwen ice cream flavors in search of the only pints worth your money.
What we looked for in the best Van Leeuwen flavors
Van Leeuwen prides themselves on pure flavors and good ingredients. So, we wanted the ice cream to taste like the ingredients listed. We wanted vibrant vanilla or rich chocolate or fruit that really tastes like fruit. And, if there were mix-ins, we wanted them to be plentiful. If you have to dig for mix-ins, then there aren’t enough of them. They should be right there in the first spoonful.
Find out which pints live up to the pleasing packaging. Here are the 10 best Van Leeuwen ice cream flavors, ranked.
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- Vanilla Bean
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Van Leeuwen’s vanilla bean ice cream is not the best vanilla ice cream—but it’s very, very good. It doesn’t have the punch of a Haagen-Dazs vanilla. Instead, it’s a gentle, ultra creamy, dense-but-not-too-dense vanilla ice cream. And it’s absolutely perfect for an affogato or the base of a milkshake.
Credit: Merc / Instacart
- Honeycomb
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If the classic vanilla is too tame for your tastes—but your tastes still lie in the vanilla realm—then this is the best Van Leeuwen flavor for you. The ice cream itself is very vanilla-y, but then there are little pockets of gooey honey to give you a hit of golden, floral flavor. My one complaint? I’d love some crunchy little honeycomb-like bits for texture. But hey, I’m just someone who tastes food for a living. I’m no ice cream magnate. One thing for sure is this is one of the best Van Leeuwen flavors to scoop onto pie. Absolute heaven.
Credit: Merc / Walmart
- Dulce de Leche Brownie
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It’s dulce de leche and it is brownie. The pleasing label does not lie. The brownie chunks are big and tender. The dulce de leche ice cream is sweet and just a touch burnt. It definitely leans a bit sweet for me, personally, but if your sweet tooth is actually sweet teeth, then this is the best Van Leeuwen ice cream flavor to buy.
Credit: Merc / Instacart
- Peanut Butter Brownie Honeycomb
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This Van Leeuwen ice cream flavor is proof that peanut butter ice cream should be more of a thing. Because oooweee is this peanut butter ice cream good. And Van Leeuwen didn’t stop there. They also included a big, fat peanut butter ribbon, which is soft, spoonable, and delicious. The brownie chunks are also good, though, honestly, they could disappear and I’d still say this is one of the best Van Leeuwen ice cream flavors.
Credit: Merc / Instacart
- Black Cherry Chip
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Like Ben & Jerry’s Cherry Garcia (one of the best Ben & Jerry’s flavors) but wish it was closer to a chocolate cherry cordial? Behold! The best Van Leeuwen ice cream flavor for you. The cherry ice cream is cherry-forward without tasting medicinal at all. The dark chocolate planks are incredible—possibly better than the chocolate in Cherry Garcia. And the big cherry chunks are more like globs of cherry jam than tart dried cherry bits. Cherry and chocolate is a flavor duo that should be celebrated more.
Credit: Merc / Instacart
- Earl Grey Tea
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Personally, this is my favorite of all the Van Leeuwen flavors. It’s perfumy and botanical. It tastes like a London Fog latte—heavy on the tea. It’s creamy and smooth. And it’s extremely unique. As a diehard green tea ice cream fan I love that Van Leeuwen made another tea-centric ice cream. And, if you’re a green tea ice cream fan, I think you’ll be pretty psyched too.
Credit: Merc / Walmart
- Sicilian Pistachio
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What this pistachio ice cream lacks in chunks (where are the nuts?!) it makes up for with a multifaceted flavor. This isn’t your basic pistachio. It’s nutty and sweet, sure, but it’s also salty with a touch of bitterness—just like you get from a pistachio skin. It really delivers the flavor of a pistachio. And the texture (while chunkless) is so decadently smooth. If you’re a true pistachio fan, this is definitely the pint to try out of all the Van Leeuwen flavors.
Related: Best Pistachio Ice Cream
Credit: Merc / Instacart
- Chocolate Caramel Brownie Cheesecake
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We took one bite of this ice cream and had to check the label—something about all of these flavors mixing together ended up tasting like coffee. But there’s no coffee involved. What a mystery! Anyway, this is the best Van Leeuwen flavor if you’re looking for absolute decadence in a pint. The chocolate ice cream is deep and dark. The caramel is salty and slightly burnt. And the brownie chunks are so tender and chocolaty. If chocolate is your thing, skip the rest of the Van Leeuwen ice cream flavors and grab this one instead.
Credit: Merc / Instacart
- Praline Butter Cake
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Here’s a prime example of why we do these taste tests. I would never have picked this Van Leeuwen flavor as a potential favorite. By my oh my, this is not just one of the best Van Leeuwen flavors, it’s one of the best ice cream flavors, period. It’s like licking cake batter out of a bowl. And there are lots of tender, tasty nuts and chunks of brown buttery cake. I’m getting way too excited just remembering how good this was. You gotta try it.
Credit: Merc / Walmart
- Buttermilk Berry Cornbread
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As good as the Praline Butter Cake ice cream is, Van Leeuwen Buttermilk Berry Cornbread just edges it out. Here’s what it tastes like: fresh cornbread with butter and jam. The ice cream is smooth, buttery, and creamy (even though it’s supposed to be buttermilk flavored and therefore should have some tang). The jam ribbons are sweet and tangy. And the cornbread chunks are the perfect texture. This is a totally unique flavor and it’s executed expertly. If you’re overwhelmed by all the colorful Van Leeuwen flavors at your local grocery store, this is the best Van Leeuwen ice cream flavor to try.
Credit: Merc / Walmart
Best Base Flavor
Best on Pie
Best Extra Sweet
Best Peanut Butter
Best Fruity
Best Unique
Best Salty-Sweet:
Best Chocolate
Runner-Up
Best of the Best
Other Van Leeuwen ice cream flavors we tried: Cookies & Cream, Coffee Affogato, Ice Cream Cake, Marionberry Cheesecake, Mint Chip
Thoughts? Questions? Complete disagreement? Leave a comment!