Ice cream is the ultimate summer treat, but regularly kicking back with a bowl isn't great for your health. Some ice creams deliver 400 calories or more per serving, which can add up fast. But there's a solid crew of low-calorie ice creams to choose from if you want to enjoy this sweet treat with less of an impact on your waistline.
There's no exact definition of what makes an ice cream "low-calorie," but it generally means the treat has 200 calories or less per serving. Luckily, there are a lot of different ice creams and ice cream-adjacent treats that fall into this category. Some explicitly call themselves "low-calorie," while others quietly fly under the radar. That's why it's so important to read the nutrition labels if calories are a concern for you.
I'm a diehard ice cream fan of all types and flavors, and I even make my own sometimes. While I love the idea of low-calorie ice creams, I was doubtful that these versions could be as good as their full-calorie counterparts. I was shocked (and thrilled!) to learn I was wrong.
Because low-calorie anything has the potential to taste horrible, I noshed my way through some of the most common and highly recommended options out there. I even found a new favorite! Here's what I discovered along the way.
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How I Chose the Low-Calorie Ice Creams
To choose the best low-calorie ice creams, I polled friends and pored over message boards and social media to see which of these treats got people talking. From there, I cross-referenced nutrition labels to make sure these desserts were, in fact, low-calorie. (All ice creams tested were 200 calories or less per serving, and some were significantly less than that.)
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) requires that products contain 10% milk fat to qualify as ice cream, which means most low-calorie treats won't qualify. As a result, I used the term "ice cream" loosely to define treats that look and taste like ice cream. These included frozen yogurts, non-dairy treats and products labeled as "frozen dairy desserts."
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Courtesy Korin Miller
How I Tested the Low-Calorie Ice Creams
I tested each ice cream using a range of factors. Taste was crucial. These products don't need to just taste good, they should have a flavor that's consistent with what the label claims. I also looked for any aftertastes and noted them when they surfaced.
Texture also mattered, with products that had a creamy texture ranking higher than those with an icy or chunky consistency. Naturally, calorie counts were considered, too. Each dessert was sampled one at a time, and then compared head-to-head. Because kids have some of the most discerning palates when it comes to eating ice cream, I also recruited my four young children and some of their friends for feedback on each.
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10 Low-Calorie Ice Creams, Tested and Ranked From Worst To Best
I was surprised to learn that no low-calorie ice creams used in testing were terrible, although some were better than others. I would happily eat most of these again. Here's what I learned while diving into these desserts.
10. Nick's Cookies & Cream
Courtesy Korin Miller
Nick's is a big name in the low-calorie ice cream world, and with good reason: It produces some really low-cal options. The brand's Cookies & Cream flavor has just 330 calories per pint and 110 calories per serving. I didn't hate this ice cream, but I didn't love it, either. It's not nearly as creamy as the others on this list, and the flavor was unique. It had an essence of cookies and cream, but didn't taste like the real thing. It also had an aftertaste that lingered. Because Nick's has such a big fan base, I'll definitely try out the brand again—I just probably wouldn't reach for this flavor.
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9. Turkey Hill No Sugar Added Vanilla Bean
Courtesy Korin Miller
Turkey Hill's No Sugar Added Vanilla Bean ice cream has a mere 100 calories per serving. It's also fat-free and has no added sugar. Turkey Hill did a great job with the consistency with this, but the flavor was off. It tasted more like tapioca pudding than vanilla and had a fake sweetener flavor that lingered. It wasn't bad—it just wasn't my favorite.
8. So Delicious Dairy Free Sandwiches
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So Delicious Dairy Free Sandwiches are the only non-dairy option on the list, and they're 100 calories a pop. The ice cream inside is made with coconut milk, and it has a nice, creamy texture. The chocolate sandwich layers were also perfectly gooey and tasty. The only downside of this ice cream sandwich is that it has a strong coconut flavor. If you prefer your ice cream sandwiches to taste like vanilla, this isn't for you. But if you like the taste of Almond Joy in an ice cream version and can't tolerate dairy, this is a solid choice.
7. Yasso Coffee Chocolate Chip
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Sure, Yasso is technically a frozen Greek yogurt. But it's sold in the ice cream aisle and mimics the look and feel of ice cream. The brand's Coffee Chocolate Chip flavor is 150 calories per serving, too. This treat looks a little icy from the start, but give it a minute to warm up—it has an ice cream-like consistency after that. The coffee flavor is strong and tasty, and there were plenty of chocolate chunks throughout. There is a slight aftertaste, but it was nothing I couldn't live with. Even my kids, who are not coffee drinkers, enjoyed this one.
6. Breyer's Snickers
Courtesy Korin Miller
Breyer's has a few of those hidden low-calorie ice creams I mentioned earlier, including its Snickers flavor. This treat has a vanilla base with Snickers chunks mixed in, creating a nice texture on your tongue. It's really creamy and has a good blend of vanilla, chocolate, caramel and nuts. There aren't a ton of Snickers pieces in the mix, but that's probably how Breyer's keeps the calorie count down. Snickers fans will love this—it went fast in my home.
5. Protein Pints Strawberry
Courtesy Korin Miller
The big sell with Protein Pints is its protein content—you'll get 10 grams of the macronutrient per serving. But the Strawberry flavor is also low-calorie at only 120 calories per serving. Protein Pints needs to warm up a little before scooping to give you a creamier consistency. The flavor leans a little toward frozen yogurt, but it's still highly tasty. The flavor, lower calorie content and higher amount of protein helped this rank higher on the list.
4. Blue Bunny Soft Chocolate
Courtesy Korin Miller
This option is another sleeper hit. Blue Bunny doesn't advertise its Soft Chocolate ice cream as a low-calorie choice, but it has 180 calories per serving. This ice cream is ready to scoop as soon as you open it, with a creamy consistency that's similar to soft ice cream. It tastes identical to regular ice cream and has a light feel on your tongue that's perfect for hot days. The chocolate is also spot-on. I kept eating this one.
3. Breyer's Chocolate Truffle
Courtesy Korin Miller
Breyer's Chocolate Truffle flavor pushes the limits of low-calorie ice cream. But it still qualifies and is so delicious that it's worth a solid look. This treat is the creamiest one I tried, with a rich chocolate flavor that's unforgettable. The ice cream has chocolate truffle chunks sprinkled throughout, creating a nice mix of textures on your tongue. It scoops well, too, making it an excellent choice for sundaes and cones.
2. Halo Top Sea Salt Caramel
Courtesy Korin Miller
Halo Top first debuted nearly 15 years ago, and the brand has rolled out a range of light ice cream flavors ever since. Its Sea Salt Caramel has 130 calories per serving and a nice, creamy texture that feels like regular calorie ice cream. The taste is perfectly caramel-y with a slight butterscotch aftertaste. The flavor is robust and satisfying, too. It's a great choice when you're craving something sweet.
1. The Skinny Cow Chocolate & Vanilla Double Trouble
Courtesy Korin Miller
The Skinny Cow is not messing around with these ice cream sandwiches. They're 100 calories each and taste identical to their full-calorie counterparts. I had trouble keeping these in my house—everybody wanted to eat them. The sandwich layers are chewy and chocolatey, while the ice cream inside is really creamy. While some ice cream sandwiches will give you a smaller serving to try to skimp on calories, these are a good size. You can savor one of these beauties and walk away feeling like you just ate something special.
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