Canada’s Best Vanilla Ice Creams: A Definitive Ranking
I’ve long had a chip on my shoulder about the way pop culture talks about vanilla as bland and boring, a put-down on taste or personality. Real vanilla bean as a spice is truly complex: highly floral, sometimes smokey, a warm hum that’s usually mistaken for creaminess but can actually taste spicy if you try it straight from the pod. I think there’s a reason perfumers have returned to Y2K-style vanilla fragrances in a big way in the past couple of years, complicating their nostalgic nature with more interesting interpretations of vanilla planifolla, the original Mesoamerican orchid plant that gave rise to the fragrance and flavour we know today.
I’m also convinced that a lot of what people read as a lack of character in vanilla as a flavour is actually a lack having tried much real vanilla. Most vanilla-flavoured food products you’ll find in grocery store aisles are flavoured with vanillin, a synthetic compound that mimics the real thing. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing—some types of treats don’t display a discernible flavour difference when made with pure vanilla over vanillin—but I do think it matters when we’re talking about the dessert most responsible for the bean’s bad rap: ice cream. There is so much bad vanilla ice cream out there, but you don’t have to spend the rest of your life eating it!
Related: We Tasted Every Major-Brand Ketchup Chip In Canada To Find The Best
The Chatelaine team recently taste-tested every version of vanilla ice cream we could get our hands on, with the exception of a few regionally specific brands unavailable outside of Ontario—which would be pretty difficult to ship here intact. Note: You’ll notice some product titles indicate “French vanilla” or “vanilla bean.” In the case of the former, this means the ice cream has been made with an egg-yolk custard base. The latter is pretty straightforward: They’re advertising that they’re using real vanilla bean in addition to the extract.
Here’s what we learned, and what we loved.
Great Value Vanilla Ice Cream
No one was a fan of this ice cream: too much water, too much sugar and a cloying, almost plastic-like vanilla flavour.
Nestlé Real Dairy Natural Vanilla
Nestlé was another miss for our tasters: too sweet and a texture that was more gummy (one taster wrote “gelatinous”) than thick.
President’s Choice Vanilla Ice Cream
Tasters liked this option, but noted that compared to its Cream First counterpart, it had more of a crystalized texture and watery flavour.
Nestlé Parlour French Vanilla Ice Cream
Much like a couple of other options in this list, Nestlé’s French Vanilla had a whipped cream quality to it—which means it melts very quickly. Tasters also noted the vanilla flavour was very muted.
Breyers Creamery Style French Vanilla
Multiple tasters described this ice cream as “fluffy”—a lot of whipped air, but its rich creamy taste made up for it. The vanilla flavour was fainter than some would have liked.
Breyers Creamery Style Natural Vanilla
We liked the rich-cream flavour in this vanilla standard, but like its French Vanilla counterpart, there is a lot of air whipped into the ice cream, which leaves it prone to developing ice crystals.
Irresistibles Vanilla Ice Cream
This Metro house brand was described by more than one taster as too much like soft-serve: a bit watery and very fast to melt.
President’s Choice Cream First Vanilla Bean
We really liked this pick for its rich, creamy texture and not-too-sweet take on vanilla.
President’s Choice French Vanilla
From “smooth” to “pleasing” to “not too sweet,” tasters liked—but didn’t love—this French vanilla option.
Kawartha Dairy Vanilla
We were surprised at the mixed reaction to Kawartha’s vanilla offering; we're far more passionate about its Moose Tracks flavour, as well as its eggnog.
Chapman’s Premium French Vanilla
This beloved Canadian ice cream maker (which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year) turned out a very creamy option, light in texture and with a strong eggy flavour. It's the ideal accompaniment to cakes, pies, crumbles and more.
PC Black Label Madagascar Vanilla
We loved this entry’s extra creamy, rich texture and true vanilla bean flavour (notes of egg yolk and bourbon come through nicely as well). It’s a great option for affogato or a single standalone scoop, but it’s not our first pick to accompany a slice of cake or pie.
Organic Meadow Vanilla Ice Cream
This was an across-the-board favourite for true vanilla bean flavour. “Almost smokey,” noted one tester, while another mentioned the cream had a bit of a tang to it. Excellent for accompanying desserts, making ice cream treats or standalone snacking.
Häägen-Dazs Vanilla Bean
While tasters generally liked the simple vanilla flavour and dense texture of this supermarket splurge, reactions paled in comparison to its sister...
Häägen-Dazs Vanilla Bean
Creamy, but not heavy; rich without an overpowering eggy taste; a complex floral and smokey flavour that reminds you vanilla beans are the dried and cured product of a notoriously labour-intensive orchid plant. Easily the staff favourite, and if you aren’t already a fan, we think you’ll love it, too. We’d recommend saving a tub of this for something where vanilla ice cream is the point of the dessert: a milkshake, an affogato, a perfect single scoop—with a cherry or sprinkle of salt overtop.
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