This Store-Brand Chocolate Ice Cream Earned Consumer Reports' Top Pick

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Chocolate ice cream is a quintessential summer treat (or any time of year, for that matter). The taste might take you back to childhood, when ice cream was one of the only motivations to take a break from running around the park or swimming at the beach. You probably weren't too picky about which brand you reached for back then, but now that you do your own grocery shopping, deciding which chocolate ice cream should make it into your cart means more. When faced with an endless aisle of ice cream, you may want to take a cue from Consumer Reports, which says the chocolate ice cream from 365 by Whole Foods Market is worth a scoop. 

After a blind taste test of 11 brands, the magazine chose Whole Foods as the top store-brand pick. Testers liked its thicker texture compared to other mainstream ice creams (including name-brand Breyers) and its pronounced chocolate flavor without a cloying sweetness. Whole Foods chocolate ice cream is available in stores and via Amazon for just over $5.

That price point places 365 ice cream on the higher end as far as store brands go. Its cost is comparable to Breyers but quite a bit higher than a same-sized container of Aldi's Sundae Shoppe, which rings up at $3.65, or Great Value at Walmart, priced under $3. This is hardly a surprise. as Whole Foods is often less affordable than other grocers. Consumer Reports likes 365 chocolate ice cream, but how does it stack up against premium brands?

If you want to splurge on ice cream, looking a step up from Whole Foods Market's 365 brand might be worth it. Mashed taste-tested a dozen chocolate ice cream brands in 2021 and concluded that Tillamook, an Oregon-based dairy, produced the best version we tried. Its simple ingredient list includes more cream than most and egg yolks, which make the ice cream velvety and custard-like. Tillamook's price reflects its premium quality. A 48-ounce container, the same size as the 365 ice cream, sells for around $7.49, if not more.

Another elevated choice comes from a Texas native company, Blue Bell Ice Cream. Our taste test found Blue Bell's Dutch Chocolate rich and luxurious. The flavor is made with cocoa beans harvested in the Ivory Coast before being shipped to the Netherlands for processing. Blue Bell is a regional brand, so shoppers far from Texas might not be able to find it in local supermarkets.

A more common favorite that also makes good chocolate ice cream is Vermont's own Ben & Jerry's. In our test, its Chocolate Therapy ice cream really was almost as good as a productive therapy session. A more concentrated chocolate flavor sets it apart from other brands, as does the use of mix-ins — chocolate cookies and a swirl of chocolate pudding ice cream in this case. It's expensive, too, selling around $6.49 for a single pint.