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19 Blue Bunny Ice Cream Flavors Ranked From Worst To Best

Nikelle Murphy
16 min read
cartons of Blue Bunny ice cream with lids off, with spoons stuck into ice cream
Nikelle Murphy/Mashed
  • Blue Bunny offers a wide variety of ice cream and frozen desserts, with over 80 options in its lineup, and has been around for almost a century in Le Mars, Iowa.

Is there such a thing as too much ice cream ? Never. While popular grocery store ice cream brands can vary in quality, the best ones offer a flavor that suits every kind of sweet tooth.

Blue Bunny certainly falls into that category, with more than 80 options in its lineup of ice cream and frozen desserts. Though the brand has gone through numerous changes over the years, it's been around for almost a century and is a big part of why its hometown of Le Mars, Iowa, is known as the ice cream capital of the world.

Though Blue Bunny still makes ice cream, many of its scoopable treats are technically "frozen dairy desserts" because of their lower dairy fat content. But a bowl full of Blue Bunny can almost always hit the spot, regardless of what it's technically called. The brand recently reformulated several of its popular "soft" ice creams, meant to mimic the texture and flavors of soft serve. I set out to find out whether those variations are the best desserts Blue Bunny makes, or whether a classic flavor takes the top spot. You can find out more about how I ranked each flavor at the end.

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Read more: Which Hot Dog Is Actually The Best? We Tried And Ranked 11 Brands

19. Pistachio Almond

carton of pistachio almond ice cream with a scoop of ice cream in a dish

Nikelle Murphy/Mashed

If you've ever had a bowl of Jell-O's pistachio pudding, this is basically the same thing — just in frozen form. It's the same hue of light green, with a similar amount of almond flecks throughout.

I will eat real pistachios by the handful, but artificial nuttiness has never been my jam. Unfortunately, this Blue Bunny flavor wasn't good enough to change my opinion. The ice cream base was cloyingly sweet, and the small almond flecks weren't large enough to add much flavor or texture contrast. My husband is a fan of pistachio pudding, so it's his lucky day: He'll get this entire container to himself.

18. Cherry Chocolate Chunk

top-down view of carton of pink ice cream with chocolate chunks

Nikelle Murphy/Mashed

Cherries and chocolate are a popular pairing, but this version missed the mark for me. The cherry chunks tasted like a hit of maraschino cherries straight from the jar, if those chunks were dried out and crunchy from the freezing process. Nothing about the texture or flavor of those was appealing.

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The chocolate flakes in the ice cream were a tastier addition, but Blue Bunny makes several better flavors with that popular mix-in. For that matter, it also makes a better cherry flavor that ranks higher on this list, with no hints of maraschino syrup in sight.

17. Soft Butter Pecan

carton of ice cream with bowl of ice cream beside it

Nikelle Murphy/Mashed

Blue Bunny now makes nine flavors of its Soft scoopable frozen dairy desserts, but some are much more successful than others in my eyes. My husband teases me for my affinity for "old man" ice creams: The ones with pecans, nut brittles, or similar flavor profiles. I grew up with those because they were my grandfather's favorite, so I suppose he's not far off the mark.

I'm partial to Breyers Butter Pecan . While it's also technically a frozen dairy dessert these days, not an ice cream, it still has the same rich, slightly buttery mouthfeel. The pecans are large and add crunch to each bite. Sadly, the same can't be said for Blue Bunny's take, with a base that tastes too much like artificial butter. The pecan pieces are too small to add much texture contrast, and the result is a ho-hum version that I wouldn't purchase again.

16. Soft Peanut Butter Chip

ice cream scoop in carton of peanut butter chocolate chip ice cream carton

Nikelle Murphy/Mashed

I often appreciate some texture variation in a bowl of ice cream. However, I found that with most of the soft serve versions of Blue Bunny's frozen desserts, mix-ins were an unwelcome addition.

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The company did a remarkable job of creating a soft serve product that you can find on grocery store shelves instead of only from an ice cream machine. Each one tended to be light and airy, with a satisfying, smooth texture. That said, in some versions, like the peanut butter chip, I was left wishing that the smooth texture weren't infiltrated with dozens of little chips in each bite.

The peanut butter flavor in this soft "ice cream" was nutty and sweet, but was lacking a bit in the richness that I've come to enjoy in other peanut butter desserts. (This was decidedly not Kohr's peanut butter frozen custard , for example.)

15. Bunny Tracks

top-down view of ice cream scoop in carton of ice cream with bowl of ice cream beside it

Nikelle Murphy/Mashed

Blue Bunny Bunny Tracks is apparently a fan favorite, but to me, it was a pretty basic iteration of a standard Moose Tracks ice cream flavor . Chocolate-covered peanuts are scattered within a vanilla base, along with swirls of caramel and fudge. The peanut butter-filled bunnies are a nice addition to the mix, but they don't do enough to make this version stand out.

Since Blue Bunny's ice cream bases are almost exclusively frozen dairy desserts rather than richer ice cream, the lighter and airier bases benefit from interesting toppings mixed in. Though the flavors in Bunny Tracks aren't necessarily unique or noteworthy, it is the first on this list that showcases the brand's ability to thoroughly mix toppings throughout the containers. The peanuts were a decent size and added a good crunch. The bunnies similarly added some flavor contrast, and the caramel and fudge swirls were ample throughout.

14. Soft Vanilla

top view of soft serve vanilla ice cream in Blue Bunny carton

Nikelle Murphy/Mashed

Blue Bunny certainly gets the texture of this soft serve vanilla right: It's light and smooth just as you'd expect it to be, and you really can scoop it from the carton straight out of the freezer. (Thank you to the coconut oil and various gums in the ingredients list for making this possible.) While Blue Bunny's soft serve versions won't win over any health-food fans with this list of additives, the reality is that few  soft serve ice creams  will either.

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If the penchant for a taste of soft serve vanilla outweighs the additives — and let's face it, it often does — then Blue Bunny's updated recipe could be exactly what you're looking for. The company reformulated the line of soft scoopables at the beginning of 2026, featuring colors and flavors from natural sources, but without high-fructose corn syrup. It's a solid offering of exactly what is advertised. It's just so... vanilla.

13. Banana Split

ice cream carton with bowl of ice cream next to it

Nikelle Murphy/Mashed

I fully expected to hate this flavor, mostly because artificial banana flavoring (like what's in the yellow Laffy Taffy candies ) is truly abhorrent. I said what I said. Lucky for all of us, Blue Bunny uses actual banana puree in this sundae-inspired flavor, and it's all the better for it. The fresh banana flavor comes through without being overpowering, and it's complemented by the pineapple chunks and nuts scattered throughout. The strawberry sauce is also light and fresh-tasting.

While this flavor is supposed to contain chocolate sauce, I couldn't taste (or see) a hint of it. The label for this flavor changed recently. The previous image only showed strawberry sauce, while the updated label also includes fudge. Perhaps this is a change coming in the near future, rather than today.

12. Soft Mint Chocolate Chip

carton of soft serve mint chocolate chip ice cream with scoop in container

Nikelle Murphy/Mashed

The mint and chocolate combo is one of the best ice cream flavors around, but this soft serve style doesn't do the flavor as much justice as the original texture. The chocolate flakes were spread generously throughout the light, minty base, but ended up feeling like unwelcome intruders in the soft serve texture. This was fine in a dish, but I wouldn't enjoy this texture combo very much in a cone.

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If you care about avoiding food dyes, however, this one might end up being a favorite mint-chip flavor in your freezer, since the reformulated recipe doesn't include a signature green hue. The minty flavor was refreshing without tasting like you're eating a stick of gum — another point in its favor.

11. Soft Strawberry

bowl of soft serve strawberry ice cream with carton in the background

Nikelle Murphy/Mashed

This carton of Blue Bunny is where things start to turn a corner: While the frozen desserts lower on the list are probably ones I wouldn't necessarily pick to eat again, the rest on the list — including this fresh-tasting strawberry soft serve — are ones I'd happily dig a spoon into again.

This soft strawberry flavor includes strawberry puree as the third ingredient, only following skim milk and cream. That just-picked berry flavor comes through beautifully in each spoonful, and the color is a pretty, appetizing pink that comes from beet juice rather than Red Dye 40. It's creamy and luscious, and while I prefer a sweet-and-salty combo with ice cream, this reminded me of summertime in a bowl.

10. Salted Caramel Craze

bowl of salted caramel ice cream scoops with carton and ice cream scoop in background

Nikelle Murphy/Mashed

If ribbons of salted caramel sauce are your happy place, this Blue Bunny flavor is likely to please. The salted caramel base was a touch too sweet on its own — though I'm a fan of anything in the salted caramel vein. I was generally won over by the balance of flavors with the other salted caramel additions (the sauce and the caramel-filled bunnies studded throughout), which added the "salted" component in enough measure to balance out the sweetness.

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While this is normally a favorite flavor of mine, the caramel simply outdid itself and was a touch overwhelming. Overall, I think Blue Bunny offers better flavor combos in the freezer aisle.

9. Soft Chocolate

soft serve chocolate ice cream container with spoon stuck into it

Nikelle Murphy/Mashed

A chocolate-vanilla twist in a cone is my go-to soft serve order, and this chocolate soft serve fulfilled the nostalgia factor I was looking for. It was creamy and smooth, with the quintessential chocolate soft serve flavor you expect. While not as rich as a typical chocolate ice cream, the unique flavor you only get from soft serve ice cream satisfied my sweet tooth.

You probably won't achieve a twist in a cone from this container. The frozen desserts are easily scoopable, but not moldable. If you pair this with the soft serve vanilla, though, you have a pretty decent replica in terms of flavor — all without the hassle of tracking down an ice cream machine.

8. Vanilla Bean

container of vanilla bean ice cream with bowl of vanilla scoops in front

Nikelle Murphy/Mashed

Any vanilla ice cream will have a tough job cracking the top five flavors in rankings I complete — it's just too boring, in my opinion. But that said, this vanilla bean ice cream stands apart from the rest on this list in a couple of ways. One, it's the only true, actual ice cream on this entire list. And two, it's speckled with actual vanilla beans, though it also relies on vanilla extract for a flavor boost.

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As you'd expect with those factors, this product had a richer, creamier texture than other cartons of Blue Bunny I sampled. The vanilla flavor was pleasant and stood out from other vanilla bases I tried for its more prominent profile. My local grocery store didn't carry other versions of vanilla ice cream from Blue Bunny, though the brand also makes Homemade Vanilla and regular varieties. Those are also frozen dairy desserts, however, making Blue Bunny Vanilla Bean a true lone wolf.

7. Super Fudge Brownie

Blue Bunny chocolate brownie ice cream container with bowl and brownie bits in it

Nikelle Murphy/Mashed

Blue Bunny doesn't make a lot of chocolate-based ice creams — far more of them are vanilla, caramel, or other lighter variations. But this chocolatey version, complete with fudge stripes and brownie bits, is enough to make me believe there should be at least one or two more chocolate bases in the lineup.

The chocolate base is rich and creamy, and while the brownie bits could be slightly larger, they're chewy and add a yummy texture contrast. What the brownie bites lack in size, they make up for in volume, as they're plentiful throughout the carton. If death by chocolate is your aim in life, this flavor is a decent starting point.

6. Mint Chocolate Chip

scoops of mint chocolate chip ice cream in a bowl and ice cream container

Nikelle Murphy/Mashed

While the soft serve version of Blue Bunny's mint chip left something to be desired, this regular version ticked a lot of the right boxes. It was rich and creamy, though still technically a dairy dessert, and full of smooth, minty flavor.

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Unlike in the soft version where the chocolate flakes seemed to detract from the overall smooth texture, the denser ice cream in this carton was enhanced with the dark chocolate bits. The chips were in generous proportion to balance the mint and chocolate flavors, and I found myself reaching for additional spoonfuls before tucking this container back in the freezer. I wouldn't necessarily say that this is a better mint chip version than other brands, but it's a solid offering of a fan-favorite flavor.

5. Cherrific Cheesecake

cheesecake ice cream with cherry swirls and graham swirl in ice cream scoop

Nikelle Murphy/Mashed

I'm not always a fan of cherry cheesecake, but in this case, it ended up being one of the better Blue Bunny flavors. The cheesecake base is slightly more tangy than the typical vanilla ice cream, and the cherry and graham swirls are in perfect proportion.

Unlike the maraschino-flavored cherry chocolate carton, this cherry flavor is more reminiscent of cherry pie filling . It's brighter and punchier, and tastes rich and indulgent without being overpowering. The graham swirl is a perfect foil for the cherry sauce, adding a slightly crunchy texture and flavor that evokes the perfect cheesecake crust. This flavor is a great example of Blue Bunny's ability to match flavor profiles well together and achieve a perfect texture for a frozen dairy dessert.

4. Soft Cookies & Cream

container and bowl of soft serve ice cream with cookie pieces in it

Nikelle Murphy/Mashed

Though several of the soft serve flavors from Blue Bunny landed further down the list, this cookies and cream iteration ended up being the best of the bunch. My local grocery store doesn't stock the regular cookies and cream option, so perhaps I'd enjoy that more, as with the mint chocolate chip varieties. That said, this version was a perfect medley of softened chocolate cookie pieces and light, airy soft serve ice cream.

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This version had a rougher texture than some of the other soft serve versions, likely because the cookie pieces were blended into the entire mix. That added to the contrast in each bite and made it more interesting to eat. It was still smooth and creamy, but with the occasional larger cookie chunk to keep things from becoming too one-note. Blue Bunny didn't reinvent the wheel with this cookies and cream option, but if the classic flavor is a favorite in your household, this version won't disappoint.

3. Super Chunky Cookie Dough

ice cream scoop with cookie dough ice cream, with bowl of ice cream in front

Nikelle Murphy/Mashed

I've bought generic brands of cookie dough ice cream in the past and been left disappointed when the ice cream base is lacking in flavor, or when the cookie dough chunks are so sparse that it's like going on a treasure hunt through the carton with your spoon. Thankfully, neither was the case with this option.

Blue Bunny's take on the popular flavor features a cookie dough-flavored base, with ample brown sugar flavoring that's prominent in most recipes. It's loaded with cookie dough and chocolate chunks, which are perfectly chewy and make each spoonful interesting (and delicious) to eat. The cookie dough batter swirl gives an extra punch of flavor to the whole mix, though it would be perfectly good without it. That just takes it up a notch. Cookie dough ice cream is a favorite in my family, and I predict this will be one of the first cartons to disappear.

2. Caramel Butter Pecan Praline

ice cream with caramel ribbon scooped out of container and into white bowl

Nikelle Murphy/Mashed

I'm unsure about why I liked this butter pecan variation so much more than the soft serve version that Blue Bunny offers. I think it comes down to a better-flavored ice cream base and superior mix-ins that add extra texture and flavor.

In fact, I would go so far as to say that I believe the soft serve version of Blue Bunny's butter pecan is a different recipe from the regular version, even though both are frozen dairy desserts. The soft serve was a deeper caramel color, while this base was a lighter cream hue. It's honestly difficult to tell with the number of additives on both ingredient lists, but the flavor tastes less like artificial butter and more like cream and caramel.

The caramel swirl adds a gooey, indulgent texture that's absolutely welcome here, which is balanced incredibly well with the pralined pecans. These nutty pieces seemed larger than in most other Blue Bunny flavors I tried, and the praline coating added an extra crunch factor from the granulated sugar. While all of this should have been a sugar bomb, the salty touches from the caramel sauce and the pralined pecans kept the sweet flavors perfectly in check.

1. Peanut Butter Party

top view of ice cream container with peanut butter and fudge swirls

Nikelle Murphy / Mashed

Blue Bunny outdid itself with this particular flavor, and it makes no apologies for the indulgent overload of peanut butter and chocolate you'll find in each bite. I'll make no apologies for how many extra spoonfuls I snuck while taste-testing these — and you shouldn't, either.

The peanut butter ice cream base is the perfect starting point, smooth and balanced with savory notes from the nuts. Fudge swirls and swaths of frozen peanut butter come next, in ample proportion. A generous scattering of peanut butter cups rounds out each carton, adding a mild crunch from the frozen chocolate shells, followed by creamy peanut butter.

Peanut Butter Party is the definition of overindulgence, but it's also the type of ice cream Blue Bunny does best: over-the-top, chock-full of texture and flavor variations, and walking the perfect line between sweet and salty. While I will be sharing copious amounts of ice cream with friends and family (19 cartons is a bona fide health hazard for one family's stash), this carton might be all mine.

How I ranked Blue Bunny's ice cream flavors

Cartons of Blue Bunny ice cream with flavors on lids

Nikelle Murphy/Mashed

To rank the best ice cream flavors Blue Bunny makes, I bought every 46-ounce carton that my local grocery store sells. (Blue Bunny makes other options that aren't carried in my local area, along with pint sizes that I didn't include for size and price consistency.)

All cartons retailed in the Lancaster, Pennsylvania, area for $4.49, or $4 on sale. Since price was consistent, this did not factor into the overall ranking. I tasted each flavor separately, straight from the freezer, to get the correct flavor and texture after photos, since some of Blue Bunny's options are meant to have a soft serve consistency. I ranked the flavors based primarily on taste, noting when the products were true ice cream rather than frozen dairy desserts. (As I mentioned above, the only flavor I tried that was actually classified as ice cream was Blue Bunny Vanilla Bean.)

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