16 Jenis Ice Cream Flavors, Ranked

The best thing about Jeni’s ice cream flavors is that they are anything but boring. Jeni’s flavors aren’t just ice cream, they’re conversation starters. No plain vanilla or chocolate or strawberry in sight. The full line of Jeni’s ice cream flavors includes pints inspired by breakfast foods, regional cakes, and even specialty coffee drinks. But what are the best Jeni’s ice cream flavors? We tasted 16 Jeni’s flavors to find out. 

In our ranking of these Jeni’s flavors, we considered texture (we want creamy, not icy), balance of flavor (not too sweet, definitely not savory), and creativity (because that’s what Jeni’s is all about). Want to watch us in action? Check out this video of us doing our initial tasting. Or just keep scrolling for 16 Jeni’s ice cream flavors, ranked. 

Here are 16 Jeni’s ice cream flavors ranked from skip it to scoop it. 

Cinnamon Roll

On paper, I was sure this would rank among the best Jeni’s flavors. But it fell flat. There’s far too much cinnamon and not enough cinnamon roll. It is reminiscent of the aroma of a craft store during the fall, as so many cinnamon flavored things are. There’s not enough of that frosting element. And, though the cinnamon roll chunks are plentiful, they are weirdly dry. One of the best Jeni’s ice cream flavors in concept, but not in practice.

Credit: Merc / Instacart

Rating:

5/10

Sporks

Biscuits & Peach Jam

Here’s another conceptually amazing flavor. But, once again, the execution just didn’t hit for us. My main issue: It’s salty. I’m all for a balance of savory and sweet, but this ice cream came off as oddly salty to me. The biscuit chunks are also dry (I know, they’re biscuits, they should be crumbly, but they should be buttery, too). And, while there’s lots of peach jam, it doesn’t taste like real peach. I know Jeni’s is capable of capturing real fruit flavors. Two of the best Jeni’s ice cream flavors are fruity. But this one just didn’t come together.

Credit: Merc / Instacart

Rating:

5.5/10

Sporks

Boston Cream Pie

A mix of vanilla custard, chocolate fudge, and yellow cake crumbs, this flavor is perfectly fine. The vanilla ice cream is creamy, the chocolate is present, and the cake chunks are decent. But there’s just nothing remarkable about it. There are so many incredible, fun Jeni’s ice cream flavors out there. And, compared to them all, this one isn’t bad—it’s just nothing special. It speaks highly of Jeni’s flavors that a totally acceptable flavor ranks so low on our list of all the Jeni’s ice cream flavors, ranked.

Credit: Merc / Instacart

Rating:

6/10

Sporks

Green Mint Chip

If you’re in the market for a mint-heavy mint chocolate chip ice cream—like, really, really minty—then you should give this Jeni’s flavor a try. But, for our taste testers, it was too minty and not creamy enough. The chocolate bits strewn throughout are nice and crunchy, but they don’t taste like much. To me, this flavor just proves that Jeni should stick to the wilder flavors and not even bother with the classics.

Credit: Merc / Instacart

Rating:

6.5/10

Sporks

Salty Caramel

This flavor fascinates me. It’s a really sophisticated flavor that walks the line between sweet and salty. As my colleague Jordan Myrick noted, it tastes like the top of a creme brulee. It’s caramelized and a little burnt and a little salty. Personally, I couldn’t eat a lot of it, but I think it’d be an incredible garnish on a slice of apple pie. It’s not one of the best Jeni’s flavors but it’s definitely one of the most interesting.

Credit: Merc / Instacart

Rating:

7/10

Sporks

Almond Brittle

I really like how brown buttery the ice cream base is in this flavor. But that’s not enough to carry it into the top ten best Jeni’s ice cream flavors. Unfortunately, it loses points when we get to the brittle component. It’s just not brittle. It’s not crunchy. And it doesn’t taste like it’s coated in any sort of caramel. Great base, meh mix-ins.

Credit: Merc / Target

Rating:

7/10

Sporks

Darkest Chocolate

This one is a real matter of preference. It’s advertised as having a “pleasingly dry finish,” and it definitely is dry. It leans hard into the bitter dark chocolate end of the chocolate ice cream spectrum. And it ranked pretty high in our best chocolate ice cream ranking because it is so, extremely dark chocolaty. But, for me, that lack of sweetness robs it of depth. Sugar, like salt, helps enhance flavor. Without enough of it, this chocolate ice cream didn’t have the decadent punch I look for. But if you’re a diehard dark chocolate fan, you’ll probably enjoy it.

Credit: Merc / Instacart

Rating:

7.5/10

Sporks

Dark Chocolate Truffle

Jeni’s makes great dairy-free ice cream. This one is made with coconut milk, and you do taste it a bit—but, honestly, that’s a good thing. That touch of coconut adds some interesting flavor to what might have been a bit boring without it. Aside from that coconut flavor, you’d never know this was a dairy-free ice cream. It’s just as creamy and rich as the other Jeni’s flavors on this list.

Credit: Merc / DoorDash

Rating:

7.5/10

Sporks

Blackout Chocolate Cake

Okay, ice cream. We get it. You’re chocolatey. Ever heard the expression that something is a “hat on a hat” in comedy? Well, this ice cream is a hat on a hat in terms of sheer chocolate content. It’s so chocolaty. It’s a bit too much. It’s so extremely decadent. That said, it has great texture from the cake chunks and chocolate bits. If you have a bumper sticker proudly declaring that there’s a chocoholic on board, then this is the best Jeni’s ice cream flavor for you. But the rest of us might need to pair it with some basic vanilla ice cream, just to have a little break.

Credit: Merc / Instacart

Rating:

8/10

Sporks

Brambleberry Crisp

Growing up, there were berry farms in our county that would make and sell blackberry and blueberry ice cream in the summer. I loved it. I miss it now that most of those berry farms have been turned into things like goat yoga destinations or biodynamic wineries. Luckily, I can just buy a pint of Jeni’s Brambleberry Crisp. The ice cream is sweet. The jam ribbon is slightly tangy. It has a homemade vibe. My only quibble: The big chunks of oaty crisp are delightfully sweet-salty-crunchy, but they are few and far between. Too often, you just get little bits of chewy oats. More big, crunchy chunks, please!

Credit: Merc / Target

Rating:

8.5/10

Sporks

Gooey Butter Cake

Cream cheese frosting is the best kind of frosting (I won’t listen to any arguments to the contrary, thank you very much). And the base ice cream in this Jeni’s flavor really tastes like cream cheese frosting—which is to say, it tastes great. The cake chunks are BIG and moist. It’s the best Jeni’s ice cream flavor if you’re looking for something akin to a vanilla ice cream, but way better.

Credit: Merc / Target

Rating:

8.5/10

Sporks

Peanut Butter Chocolate

Why isn’t there more peanut butter ice cream? There’s plenty of chocolate peanut butter ice cream, but Jeni’s proves that peanut butter ice cream—peanut butter ice cream base with chocolate mix-ins—is a classic, overlooked flavor. It’s so impossibly creamy, punctuated by crunchy chocolate flecks. The peanut butter ice cream base is just salty and sweet enough. Sure, the chocolate flakes could add more flavor, but the star of the show is that peanut butter ice cream. It’s the best Jeni’s ice cream flavor for peanut butter lovers.

Credit: Merc / Target

Rating:

9/10

Sporks

Cold Brew Coconut Cream

We put this Jeni’s flavor way up at the top of our best coffee ice cream ranking. And it’s definitely the best Jeni’s ice cream flavor for coffee ice cream lovers—but, beyond that, it’s one of the best Jeni’s ice cream flavors, period. A few Sporked taste testers aren’t coffee drinkers, but even they loved the contrast of the coffee granita with the creamy coconut ice cream. This is a new, original take on a classic ice cream flavor. It’s a big swing, but it pays off.

Credit: Merc / DoorDash

Rating:

9/10

Sporks

Buttercream Birthday Cake

This is a kid’s ice cream dream come true—it’s a frozen birthday party. It’s wildly sweet, but it should be. It’s funfetti ice cream, for gosh sakes. The cake chunks are like cake cookie dough. And there are so many crunchy, rainbow sprinkles. Even as someone who doesn’t love super sweet stuff, I can appreciate how amazing this ice cream is. It’s a real birthday cake ice cream fantasy. It captures not only the flavor but the textural and aesthetic experience of a kid’s birthday party. And that’s why it’s one of the best Jeni’s flavors around.

Credit: Merc / Target

Rating:

9.5/10

Sporks

Texas Sheet Cake

I simply cannot believe this is a dairy-free ice cream. Sure, after I found out, I could taste a touch of the coconut flavor in the mix from the coconut milk. But until someone pointed it out to me, I didn’t get a whiff of dairy-free anything. The chocolate ice cream is rich and dark, and the chocolate cake chunks taste like really good grocery store sheet cake. This is the best Jeni’s ice cream if you’re looking for chocolate ice cream or vegan ice cream.

Credit: Merc / DoorDash

Rating:

9.5/10

Sporks

Lemon & Blueberries

There was no question about this being the best of all the best Jeni’s ice cream flavors. The lemon ice cream is like lemon gelato. It’s zesty and creamy, with a twinge of just-sour-enough buttermilk flavor. And the swirl of blueberry adds some fruity tang that tastes like fresh blueberries. It is absolutely perfect. After tasting 16 Jeni’s ice cream flavors, you would think I’d be done with ice cream. But it was tough to stop “tasting” this pint (I was just eating it, I won’t lie). In fact, I took it home so I didn’t have to stop enjoying it.

Credit: Merc / Target

Rating:

10/10

Sporks

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