With so many options, the frozen aisle at Trader Joe’s can get a little overwhelming. There are always over a dozen flavors of Trader Joe's ice cream and even non-dairy options, not to mention other frozen desserts, such as their iconic Hold The Cone mini ice cream cones.
While options may range by store location, season, and other factors, these current and staple flavors are ones you're sure to run into during your next shopping trip.
While I haven't had the chance to try the most recent Horchata ice cream of Yuzu Ripple frozen dessert offerings, I’ve taken the liberty of ranking current Trader Joe's options I have tried that are currently in their freezers, so you don’t have to make a wild guess at what flavor to pick up next.
11. Strawberry Non-Dairy Oat Frozen Dessert
Dead last is a hard spot for this first Trader Joe’s ice cream, but when you put it in perspective, it’s still head and shoulders above its competitors.
Personally, I’m not a huge fan of strawberry ice cream, but the complement of coconut flavor from the coconut milk makes it better than your average strawberry ice cream.
10. Super Premium French Vanilla Ice Cream
This vanilla flavor has the most calories, but they’re well worth it in my option. The vanilla flavor is the richest and the mouth feel is the creamiest of all the Trader Joe’s flavors, I think. If you’re a fan of vanilla ice cream, you won’t want to miss this.
9. Organic Vanilla Fudge Chip
This flavor is a step up from your traditional chocolate chip ice cream. The fudge chips are a nice added crunch that melts and coats your tongue in creamy chocolate.
As an added bonus, all the ingredients are 100% organic, so you’re not flooding your body with additives that those other ice cream brands are full of.
8. Chocolate Non-Dairy Frozen Dessert
Because this flavor is made with coconut milk, it’s infused with the slightest hint of coconut that goes really well with the rich chocolate.
The only thing that this frozen dessert is missing is the creamy decadence that you can only get from true dairy ice cream. But, with great flavor, this is a great option if you’re avoiding dairy.
7. Ultra Chocolate Ice Cream
Out of all the Trader Joe’s ice creams with chocolate, this one takes the trophy for the richest chocolate flavor. The base is super creamy, but even if it wasn’t I wouldn’t mind because it takes almost like eating a straight chocolate bar. And I’m all for that.
6. Coffee Bean Blast Ice Cream
This ain’t your traditional coffee ice cream that has a faint hint of watered-down coffee flavor. TJ’s leaves no question of the flavor by adding brewed Colombian coffee in addition to ground French roast coffee beans, resulting in a bold and intense flavor that will open your eyes at night.
5. Mint Chip Ice Cream
The super premium label on this ice cream assures that the base will be thick, rich, and creamy. It’s not over-churned with a ton of air like some other brands. Plus, you’re getting real, fresh mint flavor with none of the fake added coloring or artificial ingredients that many other mint ice creams rely on.
4. Ube Ice Cream
Ube is all the rage at Trader Joe's right now. The subtly sweet purple yam flavor makes for the most delicious ice cream that will please those looking for a post-meal dessert that won't sit too heavily in the stomach. It'll also pair well with TJ's ube spread, ube mochi waffles, and more.
3. Golden Caramel Swirl in French Vanilla & Chocolate Ice Cream
This decadent flavor combines two of Trader Joe’s richest ice creams to begin with, Ultra Chocolate Ice Cream and Super Premium French Vanilla Ice Cream.
Then, it ties them together with a caramel swirl. It’s like neapolitan ice cream without the strawberry that everyone avoids anyway.
2. Cookie Butter Ice Cream
I’m a huge fan of the biggest chunks possible in my ice cream, but with this decadent base, I agree that they’re not totally necessary.
Even so, TJ’s overdoes itself with pieces of cookies along with plenty of Speculoos cookie butter swirled through TJ’s rich vanilla ice cream.
1. S'mores Ice Cream
The newest addition to TJ’s repertoire of ice creams, this dessert is one you won’t want to miss. The chocolate swirls and marshmallow ribbons perfectly intertwine with a graham cracker ice cream. It's the perfect summer treat, and honestly, I could eat this every single day, year-round. Even better, no toppings necessary.
Seasonal Flavors
Although they’re not available year-round, the pumpkin ice cream and peppermint Joe Joe’s ice cream flavors are arguably the best in TJ’s repertoire.
1. Pumpkin
The pumpkin ice cream is the number one fall seasonal product that I look forward to every year. It’s best on top of a warm slice of pumpkin bread.
2. Peppermint Joe Joe's
For the peppermint joe joe’s ice cream, try breaking up some peppermint bark on top for added chocolatey decadance, although with those giant joe joe’s chunks, you don’t really need it.
3. Jingle Jangle
It’s basically anything you could ever want from an ice cream. The only thing that’s lackluster is the actual ice cream base, which is a little icy.
4. Banana Pudding
The final seasonal flavor that I want to mention is Banana Pudding. It’s a departure from TJ’s fall and winter specialty items, but that doesn’t mean it’s lacking in flavor. The subtle banana flavor complements the bold salted caramel ribbons and vanilla cookies.
Ice Cream Treats
I also wanted to give a quick shout-out to Trader Joe’s for getting creative with single serving ice cream desserts. If you often have issues with portion control (no, a pint is not one serving), try out one of TJ’s mochi ice cream bites or mini ice cream sandwiches.
There are many options to choose from, everything from green tea mochi and coffee mochi with a mocha sauce center to classic chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwiches and mini ice cream cones dipped in chocolate.
Discontinued Flavors
Unfortunately for many Trader Joe’s fanatics, they sometimes have to discontinue flavors that no longer sell as well or go out of style.
Pecan Pie
This was a true loss. It featured huge chunks of the classic southern pie in rich, creamy vanilla ice cream.
Matcha Green Tea
Trader Joe’s issued a recall of their matcha ice cream. It’s a fairly new flavor, but it’s quickly become a classic due to its refreshing flavor. Hopefully, it will be back soon.
The length of this article probably gives you some indication of my addiction to Trader Joe’s ice cream. As with all Trader Joe’s products, it’s cheap and made from quality ingredients. But it’s the flavor that keeps me coming back for another scoop.
Which Trader Joe’s ice cream is your favorite?