When I was a child, I thought: When I grow up, I'll eat ice cream every day for dinner and no one will stop me.. I dreamed of bubblegum balls with rainbow sprinkles, chocolate sauce, mini M&M's and whipped cream. A girl can dream.
My dream has come true! As an adult, I still keep a quart of ice cream in my freezer. I eat it straight from the container whenever I want. Plus, I don't know of any dessert that doesn't taste better with a scoop of ice cream: grilled peaches, strawberry shortcake, all the cobblers, you name it.
I can say that my tastes have evolved and my favorite is vanilla ice cream. Feel free to call me “vanilla” – I’ll take it as a compliment! Vanilla ice cream is luxurious, subtle and delicious. No frozen treat is as delicious.
Since I buy ice cream often, I tend to reach for the ones that are on sale. But should I? To find out, I asked professional bakers and food writers to name their favorite brand of vanilla ice cream. They all gave me the same answer.
The professional bakers I surveyed asked
Simple Recipes / Ben & Jerry's
The Best Vanilla Ice Cream, According to Professional Bakers and Food Writers
Laurel describes a great vanilla ice cream as “creamy with real vanilla flavor.” It sounds simple, but surprisingly, not all vanilla ice cream is created equal. The unanimous vote for the best vanilla ice cream is Ben & Jerry's(According to Alexa Harrison, Ben & Jerry's public relations manager, it's so popular that it's the only mild, no-added flavor sold in a pint container.)
Laurel says, “Ben & Jerry’s Vanilla is rich, creamy, and has the vanilla flavor I crave—delicious with dessert, in a sundae, or on its own.” (Try a scoop of Laurel’s Peach Raspberry Pandowdy!)
Genevieve, who has tested more than 10 vanilla ice cream brands for Serious Eats, says, “A lot of vanilla ice creams have an artificial aftertaste, but Ben & Jerry’s tastes like a dairy product infused with real vanilla. It’s the smoothest and creamiest of all the brands I’ve tried. It also doesn’t have the unpleasantly stretchy texture that some ice creams have due to all the stabilizers and gums that manufacturers can add to manipulate the texture of an ice cream.”
“I'm not usually a fan of vanilla ice cream—I much prefer strawberry or something with texture, like cookie dough—but Ben & Jerry's is an ice cream I would happily eat night after night,” she adds.
Megan says: “Ben & Jerry’s vanilla ice cream is my go-to brand. I love how creamy it is and how it has a distinct vanilla flavor that’s not artificial.”
Courtney, who is lactose intolerant, recommends Ben & Jerry's Reformulated Vegan Vanilla Base for those who want a dairy-free alternative. “I was really impressed… It's oat-based but has a neutral taste, which is hard to find in dairy-free ice cream, and it has a surprisingly creamy mouthfeel without being too rich.” Ben & Jerry's doesn't offer a vegan vanilla ice cream alone, but uses the base for several flavors with add-ins.
I recently learned that Ben & Jerry's employees can take home three quarts of ice cream a day. I don't know how I could work. My daily to-do list would consist of sunbathing, touching the grass, and eating a quart of ice cream. A girl can dream.
