Popular Haagen-Dazs Flavors, Ranked Worst To Best

Häagen-Dazs is one of the most beloved ice cream brands in America. While the name may lead you to believe that this brand has roots in Denmark or elsewhere in Europe, it's actually the brainchild of a New Yorker. Reuben Mattus pulled the European-sounding name out of thin air because he wanted his ice cream to have an aura of old-world know-how and artistry. Beginning in 1960, he set out to make the best ice cream by stubbornly demanding only the finest possible ingredients. More than 60 years later, it's safe to say that Mattus' commitment to excellence paid off and he made the United States an even yummier place to live.

While you can find dozens of flavors of Häagen-Dazs in ice cream shops, corner stores, and supermarkets from sea to shining sea, not all of the flavors are created equal. Most of the flavors are tasty but there are certainly some that deserve to be ignored. In this ranking, we'll list Häagen-Dazs flavors from the worst of the worst to the very best. While we won't include every possible Häagen-Dazs flavor you can find, we've included all of their most popular flavors.

25. Peanut Butter Chip Heaven Light Ice Cream

If you're keeping tabs on your caloric intake, you may be tempted to buy light ice cream from Häagen-Dazs. Compared to their normal ice cream, their light ice cream has less sugar and more than 30% fewer calories. All of the goodness you typically expect from Häagen-Dazs but without all the sugar and calories sounds awesome, right? It does — but if you opt for the Peanut Butter Chip Heaven Light Ice Cream, you'll regret your decision.

First of all, this ice cream is way too hard and way too icy. Forget a spoon, you'll want to use a chisel when trying to eat this stuff. Once you eventually break off some of the ice and put it in your mouth, your experience will go from bad to worse because this light ice cream tastes more like watered-down milk. To make matters even gloomier, Häagen-Dazs barely puts any peanut butter in their Peanut Butter Chip Heaven Light Ice Cream. While there is a decent amount of chocolate chips, the swirls of peanut butter are few and far between. After you taste this disastrous dessert and see the lack of peanut butter, you'll give up and throw this ice cream away. That is actually a smart move because this junk isn't worth wasting your time on.

24. Coffee Chip Ice Cream

When you're selecting your flavor of Häagen-Dazs, you need to be careful when picking the varieties that are coffee flavored. Most of their coffee flavored ice creams are fantastic and will leave you with an ear-to-ear grin. That said, there's one that you need to avoid: Coffee Chip Ice Cream. This flavor is an absolute dud.

Previously, this flavor went by the name Java Chip Ice Cream. Häagen-Dazs decided to change the name after they changed the recipe. Tragically, if you enjoyed Java Chip Ice Cream, it's unlikely that you will enjoy Coffee Chip Ice Cream. The problem is that the vast majority of the coffee flavor has been removed. Now instead of tasting like coffee, this ice cream is just annoyingly sweet with a slightly bitter aftertaste. If it wasn't named Coffee Chip Ice Cream, you wouldn't even know that this stuff is supposed to taste like coffee. Do yourself a favor and make sure you never purchase this flavor of Häagen-Dazs.

23. Salted Caramel Chocolate Trio Crispy Layers

Häagen-Dazs has an interesting line of ice cream that they call Trio Crispy Layers. Basically, one crispy layer separates two different flavors of ice cream. Add it all together and there are three different layers at play. You can mix it all together or eat it one layer at a time — the choice is yours. It's undeniably a cool idea that adds excitement to each container of ice cream.

Sadly, though, Salted Caramel Chocolate Trio Crispy Layers just doesn't live up to the hype. The issue that holds it back is the fact that all three layers taste too alike. The lack of diversity when you eat the chocolate ice cream, the salted caramel ice cream, and the crunchy Belgian chocolate is impossible to ignore. Instead of being a diverse threesome that makes each spoonful invigorating, you'll have trouble differentiating one layer from another. The caramel ice cream is the most underwhelming layer of them all. It lacks the promised saltiness and instead tastes like sweet milk chocolate. You won't hate this flavor of Häagen-Dazs but you won't even consider buying it twice.

22. Rum Raisin Ice Cream

For years, Rum Raisin Ice Cream was one of the best flavors Häagen-Dazs had to offer. Unfortunately, the recipe has changed and it's now one of their most forgettable flavors.

Previously, the raisins in this ice cream were voluptuous; they were big, beautiful, and oh-so juicy. Each time you bit into a raisin, you were rewarded with a mouthful of ecstasy. Nowadays, the raisins are boring. They're skinny, flavorless, fibrous shards of sorrow that add next to nothing.

Additionally, this ice cream used to have a strong rum flavor that was impossible to miss. The rum taste was so authentic that you could feel its warmth even through the freezing ice cream. Regrettably, today's version of Rum Raisin Ice Cream has very little rum flavoring. In its place, Häagen-Dazs made this flavor even sweeter. Even if you have an overactive sweet tooth, you will not appreciate what this flavor has now become.

21. Rosé & Cream Ice Cream

In 2019, Häagen-Dazs launched a Spirits line of flavors that helped alcoholic ice cream go mainstream. After the launch, Rosé & Cream Ice Cream got a lot of attention. Ice cream infused with wine sounds like the ultimate late night snack. Rather than being forced to pick between a pint of ice cream a glass of wine, you could just have both at the same time.

In reality, though, Rosé & Cream Ice Cream will leave you feeling a bit disappointed. It's not a terrible flavor, mind you, but it will leave you wanting more. In the ice cream, there will be a tasty swirl of Rosé that provides a delicious and tantalizing tartness. What's the problem? You will find only a single Rosé swirl, which is simply not enough to do the job. If there were multiple Rosé swirls, this Häagen-Dazs flavor would be much higher in our ranking. As it is, this ice cream will tease your taste buds but ultimately let you down.

20. Vanilla Ice Cream

Häagen-Dazs rightfully has a great reputation, which makes it easy to swallow their high price tags. This premium ice cream brand uses high-quality, natural ingredients and doesn't have the stabilizers or the preservatives found in lesser brands. Furthermore, Häagen-Dazs has more butterfat and less air, which makes their ice cream creamier and richer than the competition.

Simply put, this brand takes no shortcuts. For example, their Vanilla Ice Cream is made with the best vanilla in the world, which they source from Madagascar. But at the end of the day, this flavor of Häagen-Dazs isn't worthy of a recommendation. It's okay-ish but it's just too bland to recommend, especially when compared to all of the other superior flavors they sell.

If you want to enjoy Häagen-Dazs Vanilla Ice Cream, you are going to need to add a topping like caramel, berries, honey, or even sprinkles. Alternatively, you can do what Dick Van Dyke does and add chocolate syrup to his Häagen-Dazs Vanilla Ice Cream.

19. Mint Chip Ice Cream

If you adore the minty Shamrock Shake from McDonald's or the legendary mint chocolate chip ice cream from Baskin-Robbins, you may instinctively reach out and grab the Mint Chip Ice Cream flavor from Häagen-Dazs. But before you do, you should know that this ice cream is completely different.

You might realize something is amiss when you notice that this dessert isn't green like the Shamrock Shake and Baskin-Robbins' mint ice cream. Instead, this Häagen-Dazs flavor looks like vanilla with chocolate chips in it. When you taste it, you'll be completely underwhelmed by the lack of mintiness. You can taste a little bit of mint essence in the ice cream — but that's about the extent of the pizzazz. The chocolate chips aren't minty, so don't get your hopes up.

The bottom line is that unless you think that traditional mint chocolate chip ice cream is way too minty, you won't be pleased by this Häagen-Dazs flavor.

18. Green Tea Ice Cream

While the previously mentioned Mint Chip Ice Cream isn't green, Häagen-Dazs Green Tea Ice Cream sure is. In fact, green is the only color you see when you take off the lid and start to dig in. Häagen-Dazs didn't just put any green tea in this ice cream, they used the best of the best: green tea made out of matcha leaves from Japan.

If you love green tea, you're sure to like this stuff. The only thing you need to keep in mind is that you'll only be able to eat this ice cream in small doses. After a few bites, the green tea flavor will so overwhelm your senses that you'll need to take a breather. It might actually take you the better part of a day to go through a bowl of this Green Tea Ice Cream. Thus, if you want an ice cream you can mindlessly binge eat, you should pick another flavor.

17. Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream

The Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream from Häagen-Dazs has a few issues that stop it from climbing to a higher spot on this list. Firstly, the cookie dough pieces are too sparse. When you do find the cookie dough, it's delectably buttery — but there simply aren't enough pieces. Secondly, while there are enough fudge chips in this ice cream, these chips have a slight chemical aftertaste that is off-putting. Thirdly, this Häagen-Dazs flavor just isn't as creamy as most of their other flavors.

Compared to other cookie dough ice cream you can find at your local grocery store, this stuff is in the middle of the pack. You'll be able to eat it all but it's not nearly as memorable as Ben & Jerry's version, for example.

Your favorite aspect of this Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream will be the softness of the cookie dough pieces. The texture will make you think you're actually eating raw cookie dough, even though you should never do that.

16. Butter Pecan Ice Cream

There's a lot to like about this Butter Pecan Ice Cream from Häagen-Dazs. Both the ice cream and the roasted pecans are super buttery. If you find that most ice cream is too sweet, you will really appreciate this change of pace. Häagen-Dazs also packs this ice cream with as many pecans as possible, which means that each spoonful is sure to have multiple pecans in it.

The only thing holding this flavor back is the inconsistency regarding the texture of the roasted pecans. Sometimes the pecans are perfectly crunchy. Other times, though, the texture of the pecans leaves a lot to be desired. Instead of a satisfying crunch, you'll be met by an unappetizing mushiness. Unfortunately, there's no way to predict whether your ice cream will be blessed with crunchy or mushy pecans. If you're willing to take that gamble, have at it. Otherwise, play it safe and select another flavor of Häagen-Dazs.

15. Cookies and Cream Ice Cream

If you've ever tasted Blue Bell's Cookies 'n Cream, you shouldn't buy Häagen-Dazs' Cookies and Cream Ice Cream. Häagen-Dazs' version is pretty good compared to most of the competition but it doesn't hold a candle to Blue Bell's glorious version. If you compare the two, you'll find that the Cookies and Cream Ice Cream by Häagen-Dazs has fewer pieces of cookies, the cookies aren't as chocolaty, and the cream is too sweet.

Conversely, if you've never experienced Cookies 'n Cream by Blue Bell, go ahead and purchase this Häagen-Dazs flavor. As long as you don't know what you're missing, you'll be pleased. It's definitely good enough to scratch your itch for cookies and cream. Compared to a generic version, it's far better.

The fact that Blue Bell is better at making this flavor of ice cream shouldn't be too much of a surprise considering that they claim to have invented it.

14. Rocky Road Ice Cream

The first flavor on this list that deserves two thumbs up is Häagen-Dazs Rocky Road Ice Cream. If you buy this sweet treat, you will not feel any remorse by the time you're done. This flavor features marshmallows and almonds in chocolate ice cream. The almonds have been roasted to perfection and their texture is always excellent. The marshmallows may be different from what you're expecting, though. Instead of using fully-formed marshmallows, Häagen-Dazs uses marshmallow swirls. The end result is more marshmallowy goodness, though, so no one should complain about the change.

While Blue Bell takes credit for inventing cookies and cream, Dreyer's says they are the company that invented Rocky Road. According to Dreyer's, they added marshmallow and toasted nuts to chocolate ice cream in 1929 to bring happiness to their customers at a time when the stock market was tumbling into oblivion. While Häagen-Dazs didn't invent Rocky Road, that shouldn't stop you from purchasing this product.

13. Chocolate Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

If you love chocolate desserts or you consider yourself a chocolate connoisseur, you need to buy a pint of Häagen-Dazs Chocolate Chocolate Chip Ice Cream. This dessert is rich enough and chocolaty enough to satisfy any chocolate craving, no matter how intense. As the name suggests, you'll find a bunch of chocolate chips in chocolate ice cream. The chocolate chips aren't just plentiful, they're also bursting with flavor.

Obviously, if you aren't head-over-heels for chocolate, this flavor may be too much for you to handle. Even if you have a tall glass of milk at your side while you're eating this ice cream, the chocolatiness may still overwhelm you. In that case, you should consider switching over to Häagen-Dazs' Vanilla Chocolate Chip Ice Cream, which happens to be a favorite of President Joe Biden. It has all the flavorful chocolate chips but its base is vanilla ice cream instead of chocolate.

12. Caramel Cone Ice Cream

Caramel Cone Ice Cream is even tastier than it sounds. This Häagen-Dazs flavor starts with yummy caramel ice cream that is extra creamy. Next, swirls of gooey caramel are added to the mix. Lastly, pieces of chocolate covered ice cream cones join the party.

Flavor-wise, you'll love the combination of the caramel and the chocolate. However, the best attribute of this Häagen-Dazs ice cream is the texture. From the creamy ice cream to the sticky caramel to the crunchy cone pieces, each spoonful is endlessly entertaining.

If the cone is your favorite part of eating ice cream, this is the Häagen-Dazs flavor you should pick. Eat it right out of the container and it will be just like you're munching on a chocolate covered cone filled with caramel ice cream. If you want to be taken to ice cream cone heaven, don't hesitate to scoop this stuff into an ice cream cone.

11. Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

If you like eating plain vanilla ice cream without anything added to it, the Häagen-Dazs flavor you should go with is Vanilla Bean Ice Cream. While their aforementioned Vanilla Ice Cream is too bland, that's not a problem at all with this flavor. In addition to vanilla from Madagascar, this ice cream has genuine vanilla bean flecks. Though the flecks don't add to the texture, their impact on the flavor is surprisingly massive. The result is a vanilla ice cream with a bonus amount of sweetness and even a hint of spiciness.

Adding toppings to this Vanilla Bean Ice Cream isn't a good idea, so be sure to keep that in mind. The flavor of this ice cream is so strong that it will overpower any topping you put on it. If you want a plain Häagen-Dazs flavor that will allow the topping to take center stage, stick with their Vanilla Ice Cream.

10. Cold Brew Espresso Chip Heaven Light Ice Cream

Although the Peanut Butter Chip Heaven Light Ice Cream mentioned above is disgusting, that doesn't mean that all of Häagen-Dazs' light ice creams should be ignored. In fact, their Cold Brew Espresso Chip Heaven Light Ice Cream richly deserves a top ten spot in this ranking. This stuff is legitimately tasty and worthy of a ride in your shopping cart. Add in the fact that it has fewer calories and less sugar than all the other flavors in the top ten and no one should be shocked if this is the Häagen-Dazs ice cream that you pick.

Cold Brew Espresso Chip Heaven Light Ice Cream begins with a base of coffee flavored ice cream. While this light ice cream isn't as rich or creamy as Häagen-Dazs' regular flavors, the coffee taste is intense enough that you'll overlook that shortcoming. Chocolate chips also make an appearance in this ice cream. While the chips aren't as large as the chocolate chips found in other flavors, these chips are infused with espresso to add a second shot of coffee flavored magic to this Häagen-Dazs offering.

9. Honey Salted Caramel Almond Ice Cream

Häagen-Dazs' Honey Salted Caramel Almond Ice Cream has an intimidating name — it sounds like there might be too much going on inside of a single container of ice cream. Amazingly, while this is definitely a complex flavor, Häagen-Dazs pulls it off masterfully. Within a few mouthfuls, you'll realize that you've discovered another new favorite flavor to add to your ice cream rotation.

To make this flavor, Häagen-Dazs starts with honey ice cream that's sweet but not too sweet. From there, salted caramel swirls are added in. Unlike the caramel in Salted Caramel Chocolate Trio Crispy Layers, the caramel in this ice cream is satisfyingly salty. Last but not least, big hunks of toasted almonds are thrown into the mix. The almonds add a crunchy texture and the right touch of savoriness to accentuate the sweetness of the ice cream and the saltiness of the caramel.

It's important to note that Häagen-Dazs fully recognizes the importance of honey bees. In fact, the company has donated more than a million dollars to honey bee research. That means that you can eat this ice cream without feeling guilty about honey being used in the recipe.

8. Peppermint Bark Ice Cream

If your favorite part of the holiday season is peppermint bark, you need to get your hands on Häagen-Dazs Peppermint Bark Ice Cream. This flavor is wonderful and is sure to put you in the holiday spirit.

When you first glance at this flavor of Häagen-Dazs, you'll think its base is vanilla ice cream. However, that's not the case — Peppermint Bark Ice Cream actually features white chocolate ice cream that is supremely rich. This flavor also has pieces of peppermint candy in it that look like and taste like candy cane pieces. The final addition is the most important and gives this flavor of Häagen-Dazs ice cream its name: peppermint bark. The peppermint bark is ultra crunchy and has enough chocolaty goodness to make you savor each and every morsel.

Unfortunately, this Peppermint Bark Ice Cream is usually only available from the beginning of October until the end of the holiday season. When you see it, buy as many as you can fit in your freezer. It's that good.

7. Double Belgian Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

Häagen-Dazs Double Belgian Chocolate Chip Ice Cream is so spectacular that everyone should try it, even if you don't consider yourself someone who is obsessed with chocolate. While flavors like Chocolate Chocolate Chip Ice Cream can sometimes become too chocolaty, that's not an issue with this flavor. It's flavors are so deep that it'll feel like you could eat it for hours on end. What's the difference? Belgian chocolate has more cocoa and uses pure cocoa butter, which results in chocolate that's so rich that it doesn't need much sweetness in order to succeed.

To create Double Belgian Chocolate Chip Ice Cream, Häagen-Dazs starts with ice cream made from Belgian chocolate. This ice cream is so smooth and so creamy that it will feel like velvet in your mouth. The other half of the equation features Belgian chocolate shavings. The shavings are so fine that you might not see them with your eyes but your taste buds will surely know of their existence.

6. Vanilla Caramel White Chocolate Trio Crispy Layers

While the Häagen-Dazs Salted Caramel Chocolate Trio Crispy Layers was a letdown due to a lack of flavor diversity, the Vanilla Caramel White Chocolate Trio Crispy Layers is at the other end of the spectrum. Despite what its name states, there are actually four different layers to this ice cream. A bonus layer makes this flavor well worth your hard-earned dollar bills.

The first layer you will encounter at the top is caramel ice cream. The second layer you'll find is made from white chocolate chips that are extra crunchy. The third layer is vanilla ice cream, which tastes great in its complementary role. The fourth layer is a caramel sauce that adds a delicate punch of sweetness to the fiesta.

It won't take you long to love this Häagen-Dazs ice cream and its unique layered concept. By the end of your first container, you'll be recommending this flavor to all of the ice cream lovers in your life.

5. Strawberry Ice Cream

On a scorching summer afternoon, nothing will cool you down as lovingly as Häagen-Dazs' Strawberry Ice Cream. This refreshing dessert doesn't have any jarring or artificial-tasting flavors, which can be an issue with strawberry ice cream made by other brands. Instead, this sweet treat tastes like it was crafted with love by your grandmother.

The pink ice cream is flavored with strawberries. Due to the fact that Häagen-Dazs only uses natural ingredients, the ice cream tastes like it was recently made with fresh strawberries. Within the ice cream, pieces of real strawberries hop along for the ride. Plus, the sizes of these strawberry pieces are perfect; they're not so big that you end up gnawing on a whole frozen strawberry and they're not so small that the pieces will go unnoticed. The strawberry pieces are also plentiful enough that you're guaranteed to find some in each mouthful — from the first scoop to the last.

4. White Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Ice Cream

For those individuals who adore chocolate truffles, Häagen-Dazs released White Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Ice Cream. Although capturing the scrumptiousness of chocolate truffles in an ice cream sounds like an impossibility, Häagen-Dazs did just that with this flavor.

White chocolate ice cream lays the foundation for this flavor. Next, chunks of luscious chocolate truffles are added. The final step to this masterpiece is the inclusion of a raspberry swirl. Made from real raspberries, this swirl adds a tanginess that is unforgettable. Raspberries and chocolate don't always mesh well together but it's a winning combination in this dessert.

Tip: Don't let White Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Ice Cream melt at all before you eat it. While other flavors of Häagen-Dazs ice cream can be enjoyed even if they're a little bit melty, this flavor needs to be completely frozen to be at its best. Otherwise, the white chocolate ice cream and the raspberry swirl will combine and it won't taste nearly as great.

3. Chocolate Ice Cream

How can Häagen-Dazs' Chocolate Ice Cream be so high in this ranking? Isn't the flavor too monotonous? All you need to do is try this ice cream flavor once and you will quickly realize that both of those questions are ridiculous. This flavor is so decadent and so indulgent that it can stand on its own two feet and thrive without anything else added to the mix.

Sure, chocolate chips or roasted nuts could theoretically enhance the texture. But, in reality, you'll thoroughly love this luxuriously smooth ice cream and you'll appreciate that there's nothing in it to interrupt the smoothness. Flavor-wise, Häagen-Dazs found the perfect balance between cocoa-powered goodness and sweet cream. This dessert is exquisitely rich and has enough sweetness to keep your sweet tooth entertained.

If you want to make the world's greatest chocolate milkshake, use this Chocolate Ice Cream by Häagen-Dazs and you'll be blown away. The flavor and the texture is optimal for that task.

2. Dulce de Leche Ice Cream

Extremely popular in Latin America, dulce de leche is a smooth, sweet caramel sauce. It can be found on everything from breakfast toast to celebratory birthday cake. Häagen-Dazs launched Dulce de Leche Ice Cream in the United States in 1998 and it was instantly a big hit. More than two decades later, this dessert still gets rave reviews. Kim Kardashian says she loves this Häagen-Dazs flavor so much that it's the favorite thing about her life. That sounds like a hyperbolic thing to say but after you try Dulce de Leche Ice Cream for the first time, don't be surprised if you begin to echo that sentiment.

To make this flavor, Häagen-Dazs combines sweet cream and caramel ice cream. From there, caramel ribbons are generously dispersed. The golden ribbons look like and taste like authentic dulce de leche that you'd find in Latin America. The caramel's gooeyness adds to the fun and helps make this a celebrated Häagen-Dazs flavor you deserve to experience at least once in your life.

1. Coffee Ice Cream

If you want to skip the rest and head straight to the best flavor that Häagen-Dazs sells, go find a pint of their Coffee Ice Cream, grab a utensil, and dig in. This majestic dessert is stupendously delicious. It's made out of high-quality coffee beans from Brazil, and Häagen-Dazs expertly roasts the coffee beans in order to unlock all of the flavors. The resulting taste is so complex and so amazing that it could stand toe-to-toe with anything you can order from Starbucks.

Rather than drinking coffee early in the morning, you can get your caffeine fix by eating this ice cream for breakfast; one cup of Häagen-Dazs' Coffee Ice Cream has more than 40 milligrams of caffeine in it. People may look at you funny for eating ice cream for breakfast but they wouldn't be able to argue with the science behind your decision. No matter the excuses you need to concoct, there's never a bad time to eat this Häagen-Dazs flavor. It is, without question, the best.