10 Best Ice Creams UK | Häagen-Dazs Mackies and More
Ice cream is and always has been a hugely popular sweet treat in the UK. Whether you prefer it straight from the tub while watching a film or in an ice cream cone with a flake, it is loved by kids and adults alike. However, with new flavours and brands popping up all the time, it can be hard to know which one to choose, especially when buying online.
Eating ice cream at home is always a treat, but consider how you're serving it. Expensive flavours may overpower the dessert you're serving it with so will be better on their own. It's also a lot of fun making up your own personalised ice cream sundae with different toppings and sauces. Whether you prefer Haagen Dazs, Magnum, or Ben & Jerry's, it's all down to personal taste - but we've got a recommended list from online retailers Asda and Tesco to help you choose your favourite!
Quick List - Top Ice Creams
Mackies
A Classic Ice Cream Which Perfectly Compliments Other Desserts
Grom
Italian Gelato That Is Beautiful in Its Simplicity And Is Indulgent In Experience
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Table of Contents
How to Choose an Ice Cream in the UK
- Choose Ice Cream Based Off Whether It Is Organic, Vegan Or Has Whole Ingredients
- Consider The Size Of The Ice Cream Tub And How Many It Will Need To Serve
Organic, Vegan, or Whole Ingredients? Here are the Best Types of Ice Cream to Make Choosing Easy
Traditionally the main ingredient of ice cream was either whole milk or cream, but modern-day food production techniques have meant that in some brands, other processed ingredients now take the top spot over milk and cream.
Whole milk and cream are generally more expensive to produce and process than concentrates or derivatives, so you will generally find that the products with the highest percentage of whole ingredients will generally not only be of higher quality but will also be more expensive.
Whilst milk derivatives can mean that you're spending less on your ice cream brand of choice, they can also affect the texture of the finished product. During processing, milk derivatives can lose a lot of their fat content meaning that they don't feel as nice in your mouth, so it is common for emulsifiers to be added to give that smooth texture without adding more fat.
This means that ice creams using milk derivatives are much likelier to contain a higher proportion of additives and synthetic ingredients compared to their counterparts with more milk or cream in the recipe.
If You Like A Rich Taste, Go for Ice Cream With Added Fruit, Nuts or Raw Chocolate
New and different flavours of ice cream are always being produced. Although flavours such as vanilla, chocolate and strawberry are a great choice as they are universally liked, if you are wanting a more memorable taste sensation then you should look for ice creams which have added ingredients such as fruits, nuts and chocolate.
The addition of fruit can make an ice cream taste refreshing as well as creamy. This therefore makes them a great choice for the summer season. Berries, mangos and lemons are just some of the fruits which are commonly used. Brands such as Häagen-Daz offer a wide range of fruit flavoured ice creams.
In terms of nuts, almonds, pistachios, pecan and macadamia nuts are all popular and delicious option. Nuts not only add a crunch but depth to the overall flavour. Finally, in terms of chocolate, many brands use white, milk, and dark chocolate pieces to help create a sweet and slightly bitter taste.
For more chocolate treats, check out our guides on the best chocolate cakes, chocolate chip cookies and vegan chocolates!
Vegan Ice Cream Can Provide Healthier Alternatives Using Coconuts or Soy
Vegan options are becoming more readily available, they are a safe way of avoiding any kind of dairy due to lactose intolerance as well as catering for people with plant based diets. Furthermore, since vegan ice creams are made with either coconut, almond or soy instead of whole milk, they tend to contain less calories.
Go for Under 400 Calories a Tub If You Like to Eat More in One Go
Lower sugar and lower fat ice cream alternatives are becoming more popular and the recipes are improving all the time. Whilst these are great if you’re trying to be mindful of what you eat, or if you’re diabetic, it is worth bearing in mind that these ice creams contain fewer whole ingredients and include a number of additives to simulate the taste and feel of fat and sugar.
Whey protein is often used in lieu of milk or cream as it is much lower in fat, but if it is used in high quantities can give the ice cream a grainy texture which isn't very pleasant so is often used with emulsifiers.
Sweeteners replace sugars in low fat and sugar ice cream recipes, and whilst they benefit from being much lower in calories than sugar and syrup, they can have adverse side effects such as headaches, dizziness and a laxative effect if they are consumed in large quantities.
450 ML Tubs Are Great for Two, 1 Litre Works Best for Families
Ice cream brands containing the most whole ingredients tend to be towards the higher end of the price scale, and the more expensive the brand the more likely it is to be available in smaller sized containers. This is worth bearing in mind if you have a large group to cater for, as the higher end brands could work out very expensive.
The average ice cream serving size is 100g, and based on this you could be paying as much as £1.50 per serving of some of the more expensive brands, versus around 12p for the cheaper high volume brands.
It is also worth bearing in mind that lower-priced ice cream brands have a lot of air whipped into the mixture to both achieve a soft serve texture and to also make the product a lower price point. So where more volume tends to be more attractive to buy, you may end up with more air in your tub compared to other brands.
Allergic to Nuts? Check The Allergens Before You Buy
There can be a lot of hidden allergens in ice creams, so it is always worth checking the ingredients list if you or someone you are buying for has any allergies. In UK law, food manufacturers must emphasis any allergens in their product in the ingredients list. These are often listed in bold to make them easily identifiable, and any potential contamination with other allergens in the manufacturing process must also be listed.
10 Best Ice Creams in the UK
Products | Image | Click to purchase | Key features | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Mackies Traditional Luxury Dairy Ice Cream | | A Classic Ice Cream Which Perfectly Compliments Other Desserts | |
2 | Grom Gelato al Caramello Salato | | Italian Gelato That Is Beautiful in Its Simplicity And Is Indulgent In Experience | |
3 | Waitrose (Duchy Organic) Chocolate & Cornish Sea Salt Ice Cream | | A Chocolate Lover's Ice Cream Dream | |
4 | Ben & Jerry's Phish Food | | A Rich and Sweet Treat With Chocolatey Chunks | |
5 | Haagen Dazs Pralines & Cream | | A Classic And Rich Ice Cream in a Signature Flavour | |
6 | Halo Top Strawberry Cheesecake | | Have a Guilt-Free Treat With This Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream | |
7 | Swedish Glace Smooth Vanilla | | A Classic And Universally Loved Flavour Made With A Vegan Recipe | |
8 | Magnum Double Salt Caramel Ice Cream Tub | | Crack Into the Chocolate Shell of This Indulgent Dessert | |
9 | Walls Carte D'Or Light Vanilla | | Less Fat Doesn't Have to Mean Less Flavour | |
10 | Oreo Oreo Ice Cream | | Classic Cookies and Cream in a Tub |
A Classic Ice Cream Which Perfectly Compliments Other Desserts
This is a true traditional ice cream, that lets the flavour of the ingredients shine without any added flavourings – not even vanilla! This ice cream is high in milk content and isn’t as sweet as other brands resulting in a relatively lower sugar recipe.
Mackies is known for its nostalgic flavour and creamy texture, and it’s the perfect ice cream to accompany strawberries or fresh seasonal fruit.
Italian Gelato That Is Beautiful in Its Simplicity And Is Indulgent In Experience
What makes this Italian brand of gelato so special is the fact it uses a gorgeous combination of ingredients from around the world. The caramel flakes are from France whilst the caramel itself is sourced from Belgium.
What is more, this particular ice cream is free from gluten, colourings and artificial emulsifiers meaning that it is suitable for those with special dietary requirements. If you are looking for the perfect ice cream for a date night or fancy dinner event, this is the one.
Waitrose (Duchy Organic)Chocolate & Cornish Sea Salt Ice Cream
A Chocolate Lover's Ice Cream Dream
This is definitely an ice cream for the chocolate lover, as this recipe includes Fairtrade dark chocolate, Madagascan vanilla extract and Cornish sea salt giving it a bittersweet taste.
What makes this tub so unique from the rest is the fact that when a Duchy Organic product is purchased, the money goes to the Prince of Wale's Charitable Fund which helps local communities.
A Rich and Sweet Treat With Chocolatey Chunks
This flavour is a bit of an institution for Ben & Jerry’s fans, being one of its most universally popular flavours. Named after the band Phish in the 1990s, this rich ice cream is swirled with marshmallow and caramel sauces with fish-shaped chocolate pieces.
It has all the hallmarks of being a sickly sweet, but it is in fact perfectly balanced with rich cocoa-y ice cream making it a moreish blend of sweet and bitter.
A Classic And Rich Ice Cream in a Signature Flavour
One of the brand’s most popular flavours, the rich Haagen Dazs texture is married with the salty and sweet flavours of crunchy pecan pieces and smooth caramel swirl.
Haagen Dazs produce extraordinarily rich and dense ice creams that don’t have any added ingredients to make it softer for scooping, so remember to leave ample thawing time before serving.
Have a Guilt-Free Treat With This Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream
One of the most popular lower calorie ice cream brands, Halo Top’s Strawberry Cheesecake flavour ice cream is an unapologetically sweet and nostalgic strawberry ice cream with cheesecake pieces. The main selling point of this ice cream is that it is only 360 calories per 473ml tub!
The recipe for this ice cream includes added protein and low sugar as the sugar has been replaced with stevia sweetener. As with other low-fat ice creams, there are added gum-based stabilisers which some may find leaves an unpleasant feeling in the mouth.
A Classic And Universally Loved Flavour Made With A Vegan Recipe
Swedish Glace is a popular vegan ice cream brand. It has a lovely smooth texture, and soy in place of dairy and egg make it both vegan and gluten-free. The speckle of real vanilla bean in this ice cream gives it both the look and taste of traditional ice cream, and it is soft-serve, meaning you can enjoy it straight from the freezer.
Whilst this ice cream is gluten-free and vegan, it contains quite a high amount of soy which is a known food allergen so this is to be considered where allergies are concerned.
MagnumDouble Salt Caramel Ice Cream Tub
Crack Into the Chocolate Shell of This Indulgent Dessert
This ice cream is pure indulgence in a tub! This rich recipe ice cream is totally encased in chocolate within the tub, meaning that to get to the ice cream inside you have to break the lid of chocolate with a satisfying crack. Rich caramel and chocolate shards are swirled through the creamy vanilla ice cream, and you can rest easy while indulging as all the ingredients are Rainforest Alliance Certified.
As this is a very rich ice cream involving a lot of caramel and chocolate, it is hardly surprising that it contains the highest amount of sugar in this listing at 29g per 100g making this more of an occasional treat than a freezer staple.
Less Fat Doesn't Have to Mean Less Flavour
This vanilla ice cream is 35% less fat than the full fat Carte D’Or equivalent meaning that you can still enjoy the same great taste guilt-free. This ice cream also has the benefit that the ingredients are Rainforest Alliance Certified.
Whilst this is lower fat than most on this list, this means that the ingredients include a few stabilisers in the form of gums which change the texture of the ice cream to make it feel creamier but can often leave a "gummy" feeling in the mouth.
Classic Cookies and Cream in a Tub
For fans of Oreo biscuits, this ice cream is an absolute must. The combination of the cool ice cream and the slightly salty and yet sweet Oreos is undeniably moreish.
Despite only having 19g of sugar per 100g, this is a very sweet ice cream which may not suit a lot of tastes, and it also as the disadvantage of containing palm oil which raises ethical concerns.
More Guilt-Free Sweet Treats From a Food Blogger
If this sumptuous selection wasn't quite enough choice for you then food blogger Mel Watts has some more guilt-free choices for you to take a look at! They may be all low-calorie, but we can assure you that's where the cutting down stops because this selection is as delicious as any regular ice creams.
Written and researched by Catherine Torrance
Top 5 Ice Creams
No. 1: Mackies｜Traditional Luxury Dairy Ice Cream
No. 2: Grom｜Gelato al Caramello Salato
No. 3: Waitrose (Duchy Organic)｜Chocolate & Cornish Sea Salt Ice Cream
No. 4: Ben & Jerry's｜Phish Food
No. 5: Haagen Dazs｜Pralines & Cream
View Full RankingThe descriptions of each product are referenced from content available on manufacturer, brand, and e-commerce sites.
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