It was around March that my roommate first told me about Halo Top. I was always weary of healthy or dairy-free ice cream; all the other ones I had tried were just chalky ice. I remember the two of us traveled to our local Whole Foods and stood in the ice cream aisle, awestruck. She picked out her Mint Chip and I picked out Birthday Cake — nothing has been the same since.
Halo Top is a type of ice cream sold mainly in the United States and Australia. The ice creams are high in protein and the calorie count ranges from 240 to 360 for the entire pint. Here’s the scoop (lol) and the definitive ranking of the Halo Top ice cream flavors from eh to YASSS.
17. Pistachio
This ice cream is bright green, no lie, and no my favorite at all. Maybe I was just thrown off by that or maybe I just don’t like pistachio ice cream. The world will never know.
16. Red Velvet
I might be biased because I don’t like red velvet cake outside of this ice cream taste testing. The redeeming quality for this flavor is the pieces of cake throughout.
15. Cookies & Cream
Cookies & Cream has 320 calories per serving, which makes it fall right in the middle of the low-cal Halo Top range. Despite the initial Oreo taste, this flavor has a bit of a chemical aftertaste. No bueno.
14. Lemon Cake
While this wasn’t my favorite flavor, I would take Lemon Cake Halo Top over no ice cream at all.
13. Oatmeal Cookie
Ask anyone who’s ever met me — I love oatmeal. This ice cream has oat chunks in a sweet cream base. Sweet cream, was described to me as vanilla without the vanilla, but I fondly refer to it as frozen whipped cream. If you didn’t already know, I work in an ice cream shop.
12. Black Cherry
Complete with pieces of cherry, this flavor of Halo Top surely stands out. This flavor is sweet without being overly fruity. Very easy to eat in one sitting.
11. Vanilla Bean
Vanilla doesn’t mean boring anymore. The ice cream is made with actual vanilla beans, which is more expensive and therefore only used for the best ice creams. With this flavor, you’re getting the best of the best.
10. S’mores
No need to sit around a campfire to get this summer treat. All you have to do to get the perfect combination of graham cracker, marshmallow and chocolate is head over to your closest freezer aisle.
9. Strawberry
This bright pink ice cream makes it feel like summer all year round. Strawberry is timeless and is always a good option — everyone knows it’s the best party of a Neapolitan.
8. Chocolate Almond Crunch
Complete with pieces of almonds and a milder chocolate flavor, this Halo Top tastes better than “regular” ice cream. With the milder flavor, the roasted almonds are more present, making this a truly unique ice cream.
7. Chocolate
Chocolate is obviously a classic. It would be further up on this list if it weren’t for an interesting aftertaste. However, I would still eat this flavor if given no other options.
6. Sea Salt Caramel
In no way can you ever go wrong with the words, “sea salt caramel.” Complete with actual, real caramel in the carton, eating this Halo Top feels to good to be true.
5. Chocolate Mocha Chip
Coffee and chocolate is one of the best combinations in the world, and you can quote me on that. I just really like this flavor because it’s coffee. If you take anything away from this post, it’s that I like ice cream and coffee.
4. Peanut Butter Cup
Not even kidding, I’m eating this as I write. This Halo Top ice cream flavor has actual peanut butter in it. While peanut butter hasn’t always been thought of as healthy by all, more and more companies are opting to create healthier nut butters made primarily with one ingredient: nuts.
3. Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
This is a great take on the classic chocolate chip cookie dough. My only complaint, and why it wasn’t number 1 or 2, is that there are not a lot of cookie dough chunks in the ice cream itself. Yes it’s healthy, but at what cost?
2. Mint Chip
Not toothpaste-y at all — this ice cream is not overly minty and doesn’t make you feel like you just came from the dentist.
1. Birthday Cake
The best Halo Top ice cream flavor is without a doubt Birthday Cake. This ice cream tastes like you put Funfetti cake in the freezer and ate it three days later — that’s a good thing.
While I don’t usually suggest sitting down and eating an entire pint of ice cream, I kind of condone sitting down and eating an entire pint of Halo Top ice cream — especially if it’s Birthday Cake.