As summer approaches, so does the return of everyone’s favorite treat to eat in the heat: ice cream. There’s nothing better than a giant scoop of ice cream on a sweltering day. Not only is it refreshing on those hot days, but it also tastes delicious. And who does ice cream better than Carvel? Known for its ice cream and soft serve, as well as shakes, cakes, and sundaes, Carvel is the go-to spot for everything ice cream.
Carvel is also recognized for its wide variety of flavors, with over 20 different flavors to choose from. It’s almost impossible to pick which ice cream to order when you walk in. It can get pretty overwhelming, to be honest. As someone who frequents Carvel every summer, I’ve become an expert on navigating the many flavors. To make it easier to decide which of the many flavors to get, here’s a list of Carvel’s flavors, ranked from least craveable to most delicious.
22. Cherry Vanilla
This may be controversial, but I’m not the biggest fan of cherry flavored things. It reminds me of cough syrup, so I’m putting the cherry vanilla flavor last.
21. Butter Pecan
While the actual flavor of the ice cream is pretty good, I don’t enjoy nuts in my ice cream.
20. Pink Grapefruit Sorbet
Again, this is a personal preference. Grapefruit is a little too tart for my liking, so Carvel’s pink grapefruit sorbet is going toward the bottom.
19. Dragon Fruit Lemonade Sorbet
Personally, I want to eat ice cream when I go to Carvel, not sorbet. The lemonade part is delicious, though.
18. Raspberry Sorbet
Again, not the biggest fan of Carvel’s sorbet, or raspberry flavored things. If you do like sorbet, give it a try!
17. Cold Brew Coffee
If I wanted to taste coffee, I would go to Dunkin’ instead.
16. Strawberry
This may be a hot take, but I don’t like strawberries. If you do, though, you would love this flavor.
15. Orange Tangerine Sorbet
This flavor ranks higher than the other sorbets because it tastes like a summer day. It’s sort of similar to a SunnyD drink (if you know, you know).
14. Mint Chocolate Chip
While I am not a fan of mint chocolate chip, the Carvel flavor is actually tolerable, earning it an about midway spot.
13. Pistachio
This flavor is neither good nor bad. It’s just kind of there.
12. Peanut Butter Treasure
This flavor deliciously combines peanut butter and chocolate. It would be ranked higher if it was just peanut butter, and not chocolate (sorry to the chocolate lovers).
11. Vanilla Fudge Swirl
There are few things that are better than fudge in ice cream. Carvel’s vanilla fudge swirl is the perfect combination of creamy vanilla and chewy fudge.
10. Chocolate
I’m a vanilla person over chocolate, but Carvel’s creamy chocolate flavor deserves a spot in the top ten. It’s perfectly rich and chocolate-y.
9. Lemonade Sorbet
This flavor tastes just like a fresh glass of lemonade on a hot summer day, earning it a high ranking spot (even though it is a sorbet). It’s sweet and tart, and according to Carvel, tastes like the equivalent of sunshine on a spoon.
8. Chocolate Hazelnut
This is basically a Nutella ice cream dupe. The actual ice cream is chocolate hazelnut flavored, and there’s chocolate hazelnut sauce drizzled into it.
7. Oreo Cookies & Cream
Let’s face it, anything Oreo flavored is just amazing. It’s a creamy ice cream featuring crushed Oreo cookies throughout. Think McDonald’s Oreo McFlurry vibes.
6. Cotton Candy
With its bright pink appearance and colorful sprinkles, the cotton candy flavor tastes even better than how it looks. It’s one of Carvel’s most popular flavors!
5. Chocolate Chip
Chocolate chip is universally known as one of the best ice cream flavors, and Carvel takes it to another level. The chocolate chips spread throughout the classic vanilla flavor makes for both a creamy and crunchy treat.
4. Cake Mix
Think of boxed cake mix, but an ice cream version. That’s what this amazing flavor tastes like, and it has sprinkles. It’s a celebration right in your cone.
3. Vanilla
You can’t go wrong with classic vanilla, and Carvel’s is delectable. In fact, it was Carvel’s vanilla flavor that launched them as a premium ice cream. It’s where it all started, so of course it’s delicious!
2. Birthday Cake
Everyday can be your birthday with this flavor. It has their signature Birthday Cake Crunchies mashed into it, making it taste identical to a birthday cake.
1. Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
Nothing is better than taking a bite of creamy, vanilla ice cream and getting a chunk of soft cookie dough. It tastes just like pre-oven cookie dough. So, this is the superior flavor.