20 Van Leeuwen Ice Cream Flavors, Ranked

What started as one yellow food truck in NYC has turned into a kaleidoscope of flavors — not to mention a national name. The Van Leeuwen brand has scooped up some quick success since it first hit the streets in 2008, growing to over 100 scoop shops and gaining some serious real estate in the retail space. It’s a brand that prides itself on using real ingredients in its bright pints of French-style ice cream. And we can’t forget about its eccentric flavors. Yes, it still covers your classics like vanilla bean, strawberry, and mint chip. But it also takes wilder swings with tastes like mango sticky rice and Earl Grey tea. It even has a few unexpected collabs with cultural icons like Guinness and Dr. Seuss’ “The Cat in the Hat”. 

Van Leeuwen has churned out quite the lineup, and I was recently able to get the scoop on 20 of its current flavors. After risking a sugar rush and inevitable crash to try them all, I ranked each one based on its consistency, blend of tastes, and uniqueness.

Some recommendations are based on firsthand impressions of promotional materials and products provided by the manufacturer.

Ah, if it isn’t one of the most dubious ice cream flavors ever invented: mint chip. It’s one that sparks debate and has its fair share of haters. I, for one, like the fresh taste, especially when it’s paired with a decent amount of chocolate chips. But this recipe from Van Leeuwen is not it.

It’s not as creamy as many of the brand’s other flavors and even has a chalkiness to it — like a matcha product where the powder wasn’t fully incorporated. It’s extra minty, but that sensation doesn’t hit you until it’s fully melted on your tongue. And while plentiful, the chocolate shards don’t do enough to compensate for the texture problems. Thus, this became my least favorite colorful pint.

Van Leeuwen already had a Sicilian pistachio ice cream on its books. But in keeping with the trends, it also added a Dubai-style treat to its lineup in March 2026. It’s meant to play on those nutty, tahini-infused notes of the viral chocolate bar, but doesn’t quite capture that same magic.

The salty pistachio flavor is light overall — especially when you look at it side-by-side with the brand’s other full-pistachio pint. But beyond that, the chocolate cone bits added in, presumably for a pop of crunch, don’t deliver. Embedded in the ice cream, they taste squishy and stale — like a cone that’s been propping up a few scoops for far too long. In theory, it sounds like the next new flavor sensation. But in reality, it’s underwhelming. Its only saving grace is that the base ice cream is smooth and not chalky like the mint.

Van Leeuwen itself points out the stigma around vanilla ice cream. The brand acknowledges that the flavor is often written off as boring, even noting that “if beige could yawn it would be vanilla.” Yikes. But Van Leeuwen tries to rewrite the script with a recipe packed with cream, egg yolks, and real Tahitian vanilla beans. It sounds promising, but I’m still not fully sold.

I’ve had this flavor before and always thought it was tasty. Set against all these other pints, though, it simply doesn’t stand out. While it has a good, sweet, and bean-forward flavor, it’s missing that rich, velvety consistency that I was hoping for. It’s a safe pick with no glaring flaws, but we can do so much better.

The difference in textures between the vanilla bean and this strawberry pint was like night and day. This one feels much closer to a classic French ice cream with its dense, custardy consistency. It immediately jumped the vanilla based on this alone.

The taste, on the other hand, could use some work. It’s sweet, and the berry taste is authentic. But it’s more of a flash-frozen strawberry flavor that holds a lot of extra tang than a fresh one. Plus, there are no real bits of fruit, which I always like to see in a strawberry pint. I will give this flavor props, though, for using beet juice to make its color rather than something artificial (that explains why it leans more purple than bright Pepto Bismol pink.)

This is the flavor I was most excited to try. Ice cream, to me, is a core food group, and bananas Foster is another sweet dish that I can’t resist — one that I don’t believe gets enough love. So, this flavor, which seemingly fuses both together into one scoopable dessert, sounded like a decadent dream. The brand fluffs it up even more by noting that it’s a spinoff of its honeycomb flavor, which has been a bestseller since 2015.

I wanted to like it so much, but I was let down primarily by the banana flavoring itself. Even though it’s made from real fruit, it has more of an unripe and artificial banana taste — similar to that of banana Laffy Taffys. If you’re into that kind of thing, you’ll love this one. But for me, it didn’t land. It did, however, work a little better than the strawberry flavor, because at least the strips of caramel help to balance out the notes of fake banana.

When British teatime and pudding (what they call dessert in the UK) collide. This pint plays on the aromatic and beloved flavors of Earl Grey. That means black tea leaves, bergamot oil, and water combine with Van Leeuwen’s classic ice cream ingredients, including cream, egg yolks, and cane sugar, to create the unique taste.

When set against the caramelized banana honeycomb, this option proves far more authentic. It definitely has a tea-like flavor, paired with stronger notes of spice and lemony citrus. I think it could make for a refreshing scoop after high tea. At the same time, though, I wish it were a bit smoother on the palate — I’m not sure the full-bodied taste of Earl Grey translates fully into an ice cream.

Drop the caramelized banana from the equation, and suddenly, this is a much more agreeable pint. Honeycomb is a core Van Leeuwen flavor, and it pops up a few different times in the lineup. In its purest form here, I can admit, it’s good. I can see why people might gravitate towards its sweet and uncomplicated taste. But it still has some work to do.

It is a little misleading, because there is no honey involved at all. Instead, pockets of caramel take center stage. I don’t mind this swap. What I don’t like is that the texture isn’t as creamy as others, as though it was affected by freezer burn even before I opened it for the first time.

This pint is just as visually appealing as the real-life drink. Dark green matcha ice cream and baby pink strawberry swirl together in a very pleasing way. On the tongue, it’s still appealing, though not my favorite ice cream ever.

The matcha leans intensely earthy and even a touch bitter, while the strawberry is almost more sour than it is sweet — just as it was in the straight-up strawberry pint. They both work to balance each other out, though, and it did start to grow on me as I continued to eat it. Plus, its more concentrated, velvety texture helps it to win out against the honeycomb.

I’m always on board for anything ooey and gooey. The name of this ice cream alone just sounds delicious rolling off your tongue. It’s enough to make your mouth water before you even pop open the lid. It’s also the first one I tried that I could see myself picking up again. We’re getting more into the sweet spot of Van Leeuwen’s indulgent side here, though that’s not to say it’s perfect.

Vanilla cake, tangs of cream cheese, and butterscotch-flavored ribbons all swirl together in this pint. It’s rich and salty-sweet. And it’s definitely a great one for cake lovers. As I spooned my way through it, though, it did start to feel like something was missing. I would have liked more real cake chunks and a thicker consistency — it’s lighter to the point that it feels more whipped. Fix these problems, and it’s golden.

Ice cream cake ice cream? What in the sprinkle-studded heck is going on here? I’ll leave it to Van Leeuwen to explain. The brand notes that this flavor starts with birthday cake ice cream that is rippled with dark chocolate cream-filled cookies. Then, it finishes off with the most aesthetic part, multiple ribbons of bright blue frosting.

Now, I’m a big fan of ice cream cake, and I also like this ice cream. But they are not one and the same. I’m not fully getting that ice cream cake vibe. It’s more like a cross between a cake batter and a cookies and cream pint, featuring cookie clumps that taste like softened Oreos. I actually like the cake and confection blend better than the ooey gooey butter cake, but since it’s still somewhat of a confused flavor, it doesn’t make it much further in the rankings.

It’s not often that you see a remixed version of chocolate chip cookie dough. Van Leeuwen takes a swing by giving the beloved flavor a malted makeover, and the gamble pays off.

You still have everything that’s good about a classic cookie dough: sugary dough bits, dark chocolate shards, and a vanilla base. But here, it’s all accompanied by that distinctively toasty malt flavor. Personally, I think it’s an upgrade. Could the cookie dough be a tad more buttery? And could the ice cream be a bit more creamy? Yes and yes, but at this point, we’re just getting nit-picky. It’s a good flavor, but it does get beaten out by a slew of others that are either more loaded up or more refined.

Building on the cookie dough bits from the last pint, this one also throws in brownie chunks and surrounds both with a brown sugar ice cream base. Now, I know what you’re thinking, and yes, it is very similar to the makeup of Ben & Jerry’s famed Half Baked ice cream.

Combining the unbaked component of cookie dough with baked brownie is almost always a recipe for rich success. But comparison-wise, I would still have to give the edge to Mr. Ben and Mr. Jerry. I think Van Leeuwen’s take could use a few more cookie dough bits and a foundation that was less caramel-like and more neutral, like sweet cream or plain vanilla, so it doesn’t feel as overdone and forced.

Pistachio is one of my favorite ice cream flavors, regardless of brand, and Van Leeuwen really hypes up its own recipe. It makes sure to advertise its use of true Sicilian pistachios, which are only found on Mount Etna in Bronte, Italy, and certified by the International Slow Food Institute. It sounds fancy, and I will admit, these world-class pistachios do make for a tasty ice cream. It feels extra thick and nutty, really putting those earthy pistachio notes on full display. The simple makeup of just nuts, cream, milk, cane sugar, egg yolks, and salt is another major plus.

Its only misstep is the exclusion of real bits of crushed pistachios. Without that satisfying textural element, this pint comes off a bit more one-note than the following flavors.

This pint looks just like a well-made cup of coffee with a swirl of latte art on top. I was sad to ruin it by digging in, but I quickly got over it as I realized how decadent it was — even more so than the pistachio. The taste of roasted espresso is strong and rich, really dominating the experience at first. But Van Leeuwen goes beyond just your classic coffee ice cream and incorporates a strip of sweet cream ice cream, as well — that’s the affogato piece of the puzzle. It balances out the bitterness and turns it into a much more faithful ode to the classic Italian dessert.

Like the pistachio, this one is simpler than others. But as far as coffee ice creams go, it’s very well done.

This one came as a surprise to me. I wasn’t expecting to like it nearly as much as I did. It’s fairly straightforward, but it does enough to capture your attention and keep you spooning. The ice cream base itself goes beyond a standard vanilla or sweet cream and gives off that sweet and sugary marshmallow fluff vibe, just in a denser, colder form. Then the real stars of the show are the chunks of chocolatey treats. They’re like bits broken off from a Crunch bar, but with more chocolate and itty-bitty rice crackles inside. They give you something to munch on, which gives this Van Leeuwen pint a leg up over the previous options.

I think kids would gravitate towards this one, as well. It’s one of the more approachable flavors in a sea of grown-up tastes and combinations that don’t always appeal to younger taste buds.

As such an obligatory and standard flavor, I didn’t expect the cookies & cream pint to make it this far. But it’s so well done that I couldn’t deny it a more primo spot in the taste test. It just might be one of my favorite cookies and cream ice creams of all time. That’s because it’s absolutely chock full of soft, dark chocolate cookie chunks, which are embedded into a cold, ground vanilla bean ice cream — no boring vanilla here.

This is another great one that kids can enjoy, and I think adults might even like it better than the marshmallow chocolate crispy treat. It’s a can’t-go-wrong kind of flavor.

An intriguing flavor to be sure. I was anticipating a mango sherbet of sorts, but Van Leeuwen takes things a step further. It combines a creamy ice cream made with real Alphonso mangos and a coconut cream-based ice cream, creating a pastel-colored frozen treat that’s easy on the eyes and the taste buds.

It feels like a smooth and decadent tropical treat. The flavor of sweet mango really makes it pop, while the coconut notes give it more depth. It just has a very unique and premium air about it, and that’s why I like it. The only reason I didn’t have it in my top three is that it does lean a little heavy on the coconut. I would have liked to see it lead more with mango.

This pint feels like an oldie but a goodie. It follows the same logic as Graeter’s most iconic and beloved flavor, black raspberry chocolate chip, by pairing classic fruits with sizable chocolate chunks. It’s hard to go wrong with that blend of indulgence and jamminess, and Van Leeuwen proves that yet again.

With real black cherries in the mix, the ice cream carries that fruity flavor. It’s a richer, deeper taste than that of tart, fresh cherries, dipping more into maraschino territory. It’s fluffy yet dense and rippled with both juicy cherry bits and dark chocolate fragments — a touch of bittersweet to cut through the brighter tastes of the fruit. It’s near perfection in a pint, and third only to a couple of flavors that are as delicious as they are unique.

If it sounds like a lot, it’s because it is. But in the best of ways, and in a manner that somehow never feels overly rich.

Peanut butter ice cream kicks things off, rippled with extra chewy brownie bits that accompany every bite. On top of this, the best surprise is large clumps of solidified peanut butter, which add even more texture and a beautiful saltiness. Honestly, the honeycomb pieces could have been dropped altogether, and I still would have been happy as a clam with just the peanut butter and brownie. It’s a scrumptious pairing and one of Van Leeuwen’s best.

Who said cornbread and ice cream can’t go together? This seems like a very out-there kind of flavor, but just hear me out. This surprising culinary crossover is not one to be overlooked.

Just to level-set, the berry in question is red raspberry. It’s not infused into the entire pint, but available in ribbons throughout — just enough to give you that vibrant flavor and even a few tiny seeds. There’s a slight tanginess to the ice cream that almost makes it seem like cream cheese was involved somewhere along the line, and then you have the cornbread crumbles on top of it all. They’re coarse yet tender and have that distinct corn flavor that actually reminded me of Cap’n Crunch cereal. This texture and saltiness are just what a sweet and creamy ice cream needs. I have no notes of critique whatsoever on this one-of-a-kind Van Leeuwen flavor.

I was able to source a handful of these Van Leeuwen pints directly from the company’s PR team and picked up the rest at my local Whole Foods, where the brand’s selection is quite stout. I also left out any of Van Leeuwen’s vegan ice creams.

The brand puts a lot of emphasis on quality ingredients, so that was a given across the board. My rankings ultimately came down to flavor and texture. Some pints were denser and creamier than others — the way I like it — while some delivered a better balance between the ice cream itself and the various add-ins (cookies, chocolate chips, fruity swirls, what have you). Originality was another plus. Several flavors were unlike anything I’ve seen from another brand, and many tasted even better than they sounded. When it came down to it, those more unique options often rose to the top.