Popular Halo Top Flavors, Ranked Worst To Best

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When Halo Top hit shelves in 2012, the ice cream scene froze over. Suddenly, between industry giants (hello, Ben and Jerry), there was a sleek newcomer with a design-forward logo and a signature gold top. But the most startling difference between the ice creams of the past and this new ice cream, which appeared to be from the future, was not the color of its top. Smack in the middle of Halo Top's pint, in large, proud text, was the calorie information. 

This was unheard of. Traditionally, ice creams adhered to the "we won't tell if you don't" mentality. The nutrition info was there if you looked, but why would you look? As marketing efforts encouraged, we largely avoided any number that was associated with ice cream. We deserved to indulge, and once the decision had been made to dig through the freezer for a pint, it was simply not the time or place to calorie count. Right?

Wrong. Or at least, according to Halo Top. The frozen treat is "light ice cream that actually tastes like ice cream." You can feel okay about counting calories and indulging at the same time: with Halo Top, there's simply fewer calories to count. The brand has seen a lot of success, and in just nine years, they've gone from the original four flavors to a current lineup of 25. 

But that doesn't mean every flavor is as good as the last. Read on for our verdict on that.  

It's somewhat odd that a pure and plain flavor could have such a dismal rating, right? Without tasting, we might think so too. But having experienced the dull, dry, faded flavor of Halo Top's chocolate, we are sure that this bad boy deserves to be squarely at the end of the list. It's nothing against chocolate itself; usually, we're fans of the classic. It's about Halo Top's approach. 

Often when you crack open a pint of Halo Top, you'll see a bit of freezer burn around the edges. Not a problem, until you excitedly dig in and get a bite that is, well, a good percentage freezer burn. What's worse is when you then realize: this freezer burn doesn't taste all that different than the flakey chocolate spoonfuls that you get on bites two and three. 

Before Halo Top, alternative "healthy" ice cream brands were notorious for terribly dry and unflavored texture. Unfortunately, Halo Top's chocolate flavor comes closest to sharing the same fate. 

Although our team is not as split on the cookies and cream flavor in general as we are on mint chocolate chip (the former is just naturally less divisive than the latter), Halo Top's Cookies and Cream rendition garnered much of the same criticism as its take on mint chocolate chip did. The main issue here was the fact that, when you think of cookies and cream, you envision a burst of not only flavor but also of texture. 

At first, Halo Top's flavor seems like it will deliver on both: when you rip back the protective seal, there's plenty to look at. However, when actually scooped and swallowed, it's clear that the look of this Cookies and Cream dessert is where the draw ends. It lacks any kind of flavor — the vanilla ice cream is less creamy than other vanilla-based Halo Top flavors, and there are definitely not many notes of cookie at all. There's also no texture. Those flakes of chocolate are far too small to actually bring anything to the table, making for an overall disappointing experience. 

Have you heard the popular theory that red velvet is just chocolate, with food coloring? It's not true when it comes to cake, but after tasting Halo Top's Red Velvet rendition, we're convinced it might be legitimate in terms of Halo Top flavors. This pint is just as bland and unflavored as its chocolate counterpart, which is disappointing considering its uniqueness.

We know we've done our fair share of complaining about Halo Top add-ins: the peaches are odd, the cheesecake curds are too infrequent. But in general, the rule of thumb when it comes to Halo Top is that the add-ins are the most exciting (and often the most flavor-packed) part. With this red velvet pint, they are absolutely its only saving grace. Compared to other flavors, there are a lot more add-ins of "red velvet cake" in this one. We're fairly certain the bits are actually just brownie pieces, but regardless, we're down to pretend if Halo Top is. 

A second coffee flavor from Halo Top! (Was there a need for two? We're not sure.) Was this a reaction to the semi-failure of the Caramel Macchiato variety? Perhaps. After all, the Chocolate Mocha Chip does edge out its fellow coffee flavor — but only slightly. 

This guy has bits of chocolate in it, which is always a plus. The base itself is thicker and creamier than the regular chocolate (thankfully!). But the espresso taste leaves a lot to be desired. It is unmistakably bitter, and more reminiscent of black coffee than any mocha-infused treat. At 320 calories, this is one of the more indulgent Halo Top flavors — it definitely packs a stronger calorie punch than the Caramel Macchiato, which might be why it takes the lead in the ranking as well. 

In general, we are still slightly confused about the concept of coffee ice cream. Coffee and ice cream just seem like very different concepts, meant to be consumed for different reasons and at different (specifically, opposite) times of day. But if it floats your boat (some folks even add coffee grounds to their ice cream), and you're looking for the best Halo Top version, opt for the Chocolate Mocha Chip.  

Oh, Vanilla Bean. This flavor is one of the first we ever tried from Halo Top, and we're probably not alone in that. It's a useful one when comparing Halo Top to regular ice cream, because it's simply so generic. And we, like many others, have found that this generic flavor comes to play. 

Don't get us wrong, it is somewhat bland. But coming in tenth out of 19 flavors puts it plainly in the middle of our ranking, which means that we are officially at the transition point between flavors we don't recommend, and those that we do. 

So what's the draw, with Vanilla Bean? First, its versatility. Instead of worrying about odd flavors or add-ins, vanilla is a flavor that can be paired with any other dessert without fear. This makes it a great alternative, rather than its own entity — for example, instead of grabbing Häagen-Dazs' vanilla ice cream to go with your birthday cake, you could sub in Halo Top's for some calories reprieve. Your guests probably won't notice unless you tell them, which brings us to Vanilla Bean's second big draw. While the chocolate flavor has a texture that leaves something to be desired, vanilla is truly indistinguishable from a regular, less-healthy vanilla option. It's just as creamy and delicious. 

The birthday cake flavor is a fan favorite from Halo Top, and they know it. The flavor is irresistibly marketable: ice cream with sprinkles in it? That's hard to beat, and also, somewhat rare. Not every competing ice cream brand, healthy or not, has a Birthday Cake flavor to stack up against Halo Top's. 

Perhaps the most Instagrammed flavor of any Halo Top variety, this legend comes in an adorable rainbow-flecked pint. It's outside looks very similar to its inside, actually. Beyond just looks, though, the winning aspect of this Halo Top flavor is its sweetness. The sweet overload is not for everyone — some say that the notes of Stevia are way too noticeable, here — but we appreciated it. If you're going for a treat anyway, why not go for an extra-sugary one? It's 300 calories per pint, which makes it not even the heaviest flavor. Go ahead and dig in and include it as a side to the actual birthday cake recipe you're putting together!

We like this one because we like graham cracker. Often, in flavor recreations, the graham cracker aspect of the s'more is either largely overlooked or forgotten altogether. This is crazy for two reasons: first, when you think about it, graham cracker is absolutely the most important aspect of any s'more — it literally holds the whole thing together. And second, why would anyone want to skimp out on graham cracker? It's easy to incorporate, transforms a flavor instantly, and adds an interesting texture unlike anything else. 

Halo Top graciously leans into the graham cracker game, filling their s'mores flavored delight with the sweet dust. They also add a liberal amount of chocolate chips, and aim to make the ice cream more marshmallow-reminiscent by sweetening it (which quite frankly works really well). This is definitely one of the heavier flavors of Halo Top, and while it doesn't taste like as much of a summer treat as an actual s'more itself might, it's still well worth scooping into.  

An absolute Halo Top classic: the Peanut Butter Cup flavor. It feels like this one has been around since the very beginning, and as long-time lovers of this flavor know, it is much more similar to the inside of a peanut butter cup than to the entire thing. If you dig into the Peanut Butter Cup expecting bits of chocolate, you will be sorely disappointed. But if you start scooping with an open mind, you'll find a wonderfully creamy, truly peanut butter-flavored ice cream, along with pretty evenly-spaced layers of actual peanut butter. And, if you're anything like us, it's the hunt for more of those thin layers of peanut butter that will keep you going. 

Peanut butter fans will adore this flavor. And even if you're iffy on the spread itself, this fourth-place Halo Top flavor is worth trying. Anyone can appreciate the pure balance of salty and sweet that's going on here. 

When Halo Top's Candy Bar flavor launched in 2017, we were eager to try it. Any flavor called Candy Bar would grab our attention, but the design on this pint was especially promising. Bits of semi-crushed peanuts deck the label, atop a thick swirl of caramel and a deep shade of chocolate. 

It is rare that an ice cream ever lives up to its label, and with Halo Top especially, the pint's innards hardly ever outweigh its design (which is more a reflection of stellar design on Halo Top's part than of bad flavor). But with this legend, for the first time, it's not even close. The ice cream is absolutely the main event. Candy Bar has the most mix-ins we've ever seen in a Halo Top flavor, making for a light ice cream that is legitimately indistinguishable from a non-light variety. The caramel swirls are consistent, and the peanuts add a crunch to every bite. 

Although Halo Top technically named this flavor after a generic candy bar, it's pretty clear that it is meant to emulate a Snickers. Hungry? Grab a pint.