We Tried 16 Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Creams and These Were Our Favorites

Best Overall: Haagen-Dazs Mint Chip

Average Rating: 4.06/5

Haagen-Dazs lived up to its reputation for producing high-quality, premium ice creams at a reasonable price (relative to some of the competition). We couldn't say enough about the subtly sweet mint and high-quality, bitter chocolate chips: "Excellent," says one tester. "Everything I'm looking for: creamy, sweet, minty, bitter chocolate chips."

Another tester says, "Light, mint is refreshing and not fighting for attention. The chunks are the right size to complement the mint — a balanced duo!"

We also loved that this ice cream doesn't have an unnatural green color, like a lot of the competitors. And with a brand as widely available as Haagen-Dazs, you can find a pint pretty much anywhere.

Buy it: Haagen-Dazs Mint Chip, 14 ounces, $3.88; Walmart

Runner-Up: Breyers Mint Chocolate Chip

Average Rating: 3.43/5

Breyers was just edged out by Haagen-Dazs. The peppermint flavor was a little weak, but it got points for not tasting artificial (but still tasting like dessert, and not like a leaf). The chocolate was really high quality, we just wished there was more of it. Like the Haagen-Dazs, Breyers doesn't use any artificial color in their mint chip ice cream. And at just eight cents per ounce, it's a great value.

Buy it: Breyers Mint Chocolate Chip, 48 ounces, $4.18; Walmart

Best Splurge: McConnell's Mint Chip

Average Rating: 3.56/5

Okay, I know not everyone is willing to shell out a whopping $12 for a pint of ice cream. But, if you're looking to treat yourself to top-shelf, high-quality ice cream, McConnell's makes a dang good mint chip ice cream. This California-based creamery uses grass-fed milk and cream, along with real cane sugar and melted, bittersweet chocolate. And for those with dietary restrictions, it's gluten-free and nut-free.

"Very nice," raves one tester. "Minty, but not overpowering. Good chip amount!" I would caution you that the mint flavor here is the real deal — and if you don't like mint, you're better off skipping this one: "If you love mint, this is it. I personally like a more mild flavor," says one reviewer.

Buy it: McConnell's Mint Chip, 16 ounces, $12; McConnell's Fine Ice Creams

Best Budget: Blue Bell Mint Chocolate Chip

Average Rating: 3.17/5

Blue Bell is an iconic, recognizable brand, especially here in the South where no kid's birthday party was complete without those single-serve, Blue Bell ice cream cups. But this was my first time trying their mint chocolate chip ice cream, and it didn't disappoint — if you can get past the alarmingly greenish-blue color. It earned high marks across the board, including for flavor, creaminess, and value (10 cents per ounce).

"Classic," says one tester. "The mint flavor you know and love."

On the list of cons for the Blue Bell was the scarcity of the chocolate chips. And it should be noted the Blue Bell was one of the first to melt into a soupy mess when sitting out at room temperature for about 45 minutes.

Buy it: Blue Bell Mint Chocolate Chip, ½ Gallon, $6.15; H-E-B

Best Non-Dairy: NadaMoo! Organic Mint Chip Dairy-Free Frozen Dessert

Average Rating: 3.28/5

Full disclosure: I'm not privy to the world of non-dairy ice creams. But that only makes NadaMoo!'s performance all the more impressive. When a non-dairy ice cream can hang with the real stuff, you know it's good.

This was hands down the best of all the non-dairy ice creams we tested. And it wasn't just me who thought so. Several of the testers were dairy-free folks, and they loved the flavor of this one: "Best dairy-free flavor," says one tester who gave this ice cream a five out of five. "Very clean and good balance of flavor." Their mint chip flavor is made with organic coconut milk (and lots of other organic ingredients), so folks with dairy intolerance can have peace of mind.

Buy it: NadaMoo! Organic Mint Chip Dairy-Free Frozen Dessert, 16 ounces, $4.99; Target

Best Low-Calorie: Halo Top Mint Chip Light Ice Cream

Average Rating: 2.44/5

Low-calorie ice cream gets a bad rap, but Halo Top performed surprisingly well, and did so with just 330 calories per pint. One tester describes the flavor as, "A more muted mint, but still quite enjoyable — no overpowering elements."

We would have liked to see a little more chocolate in this one. And it didn't hold up well over time (i.e. it was ice cream soup after not too long). But considering the calorie count, it's easy to see the appeal of this one.

Buy it: Halo Top Mint Chip Light Ice Cream, 16 ounces $3.88; Walmart

Best for People Who Hate Mint Chip: Ben & Jerry's Mint Chocolate Cookie

Average Rating: 2.75/5

We did have a few mint chocolate chip haters among the testers (sorry, friends). But their feedback was particularly useful for this superlative: best mint chip ice cream for people who hate mint chip.

Ben & Jerry's Mint Chocolate Cookie ice cream has a barely-there mint flavor and is loaded with generously-sized chocolate sandwich cookie chunks. We found it to be pretty reminiscent of classic cookies and cream ice cream. This is a safe choice if you're on the fence about mint flavor, but still want that light, refreshing taste.

Buy it: Ben & Jerry's Mint Chocolate Cookie, 16 ounces, $4.39; Target

Also Recommended: Jeni's Green Mint Chip

Average Rating: 3.11/5

If you prefer your mint chip ice cream light on the mint and heavy on the chips, Jeni's has got your back. One taster describes the Green Mint Chip ice cream as, "Light, airy, and refreshing; if mint were a cloud!"

And we know looks aren't everything, but Jeni's Green Mint Chip ice cream has a vibrant green color that's 100 percent natural: "The vibrant green hue is all-natural, too, made with a leaf called spirulina, and juice from whole fruits and vegetables," says Jeni's on their website.

At $12 a pint, this is definitely a special occasion ice cream, and though the McConnell's outperformed this one, Jeni's ice cream is far more widely available.

Buy it: Jeni's Green Mint Chip, 16 ounces, $12; Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams

Also Recommended: Baskin Robbins Mint Chocolate Chip

Average Rating: 2.88/5

When you picture mint chocolate chip ice cream, I'm willing to bet that this classic flavor from Baskin Robbins is what comes to mind. It's a creamy ice cream with a middle-of-the-road mint flavor and a nice balance of chocolate to ice cream. There are better mint chip ice creams out there, but this one from Baskin Robbins is always going to be a safe choice.

Buy it: Baskin Robbins Mint Chocolate Chip, 14 ounces, $3.99; Target

Other Ice Creams We Tested

These ice creams fell just short of the competition.

Edy's Mint Chocolate Chip

Average Rating: 2.72/5

This is a classic, American mint chip ice cream, but when compared to the competition, it just didn't live up to our expectations. At first glance, this ice cream has a very unnatural, bright green color that one tester described as "concerning." It was also the fluffiest of all the ice creams we tested, so much so that after sitting at room temperature for about 20 minutes, it more resembled whipped cream in texture than ice cream. It's pretty standard, but there are better options out there for the price.

Buy it: Edy's Mint Chocolate Chip, 48 ounces, $3.98; Walmart

Talenti Mediterranean Mint Gelato

Average Rating: 2.36/5

We had high hopes for the Talenti, being that it was the only gelato we tested. But the creamy, melt-in-your-mouth gelato texture was not enough to make up for the unappealing mint flavor that was described as, "leafy," "toothpaste," and "a little soapy," by our testers.

Buy it: Talenti Mediterranean Mint Gelato, 16 ounces, $3.98; Walmart

Coolhaus Dirty Mint Chip

Average Rating: 2.06/5

This ice cream spurred a strong reaction from virtually everyone who tested it. Coolhaus describes it as, "fresh mint leaf ice cream," the key being fresh mint. The mint flavor was so authentic here, to the point of tasting herbal, which isn't what most people are looking for in an ice cream. One reviewer says, "It would be a good palate cleanser, but not a good dessert. Too herbal."

Buy it: Coolhaus Dirty Mint Chip, 16 ounces, $6.99; The Fresh Market

Turkey Hill Choco Mint Chip

Average Rating: 1.94/5

Turkey Hill's real, premium ice cream has a large fan base in the Northeast, but unfortunately their Choco Mint Chip ice cream left more to be desired. Our testers were pretty split on this one, running the gamut from "Just tastes cheap," to "Love the texture of the little chips — melt in your mouth!" This is definitely a mint chip ice cream for one who prefers to have a lot of little chocolate crumbles, rather than chocolate chips or chunks.

Buy it: Turkey Hill Choco Mint Chip, 48 ounces, $3.99; Kroger

Ben & Jerry's Non-Dairy Mint Chocolate Cookie Frozen Dessert

Average Rating: 1.7/5

Unlike the other plant-based ice creams we tested, which were all made with coconut milk, Ben & Jerry's non-dairy ice cream is made with sunflower seed butter. Unfortunately for many of us, the nut butter taste completely overwhelmed any mint chocolate flavor there was. But if your taste buds are adjusted to plant-based dairy products, you may be a fan of this one like one of our dairy-free testers: "I don't even like mint chocolate chips, but as a non-dairy person, it's great!"

Buy it: Ben & Jerry's Non-Dairy Mint Chocolate Cookie Frozen Dessert, 16 ounces, $4.59; Target

So Delicious Mint Coconut Milk Frozen Dessert

Average Rating: 1.63/5

We wanted to love this dairy-free option, but sadly the texture was far too dry and icy for us. If you're going to go with a coconut milk option, we'd suggest sticking with the NadaMoo!, which has a much more minty flavor (unlike this one, which is pretty strong on the coconut).

Buy it: So Delicious Mint Coconut Milk Frozen Dessert, 16 ounces, $4.47; Walmart

So Delicious Mint Coconut Milk Frozen Dessert (No Sugar Added)

Average Rating: 1.5/5

With no added sugar, you've got to give So Delicious a little leeway here. Our testers were surprisingly split on this one. A tester who gave this ice cream a one of out five says, "It's a desert, not a dessert. So dry…" But another dairy-free tester had good things to say about this no-sugar-added treat: "From a non-dairy person (most of the time) this is pretty good! Doesn't taste too much like coconut."

If you are trying to cut back on dairy and sugar, this might be worth a try, so long as you take it out of the freezer well before you eat it so it has time to soften.

Buy it: So Delicious Mint Coconut Milk Frozen Dessert (No Sugar Added), 16 ounces, $7.99; So Delicious