10 Brands Of Ice Cream That Are Made With Real Cream

Not all ice cream is created equal. In fact, some of it isn't even ice cream. Take a quick tour of the popular brands in your freezer aisle, and you might be surprised by the number forced to call themselves "frozen dairy dessert" on the packaging, due to the fact that they lack insufficient amounts of a key ingredient: real cream.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), by definition, ice cream must contain at least 20% total milk solids and 10% milkfat. To meet those requirements, any product sold commercially as ice cream will list some combination of cream and milk as its primary ingredients, before mix-ins and stabilizers. The lower on the list that cream appears, the lower the quality of the finished product.

Now, we're not saying that a frozen dairy dessert can't be tasty. There's a time and a place for Breyers (which, despite being the oldest ice cream brand in the country, makes a lot of products that can't legally be called ice cream). But when you want the real thing, no cheap imitation will do. That leaves you with a few options: You could make your own ice cream or opt for one of the perfectly good grocery store brand ice creams out there. Or, even better, you could upgrade the entire experience with one of these 10 high-quality brands of ice cream that are made with real cream.

Originating in Alice Handel's Ohio home in 1945 and made with fresh fruit from her backyard, Handel's ice cream has since grown to over 160 ice cream parlors across the United States. At each location, customers are treated to oversized portions (each cone has at least two and a half scoops) of homestyle ice cream made right on the premises, using the heavy cream base that's a hallmark of Handel's proprietary recipe.

Along with offering classics like vanilla, strawberry and coffee, Handel's serves a dizzying array of more creative options (like new Knot Your Average Dough, a cookie dough ice cream with cookie dough pieces and a salted pretzel ripple) as well as many old-school ice cream flavors that other brands have seemingly forgotten. If you're craving a scoop of Grape, Tiger Stripes, or Coconut Pineapple, Handel's is your place.

Can't make it to a Handel's in person? The brand sells over 100 flavors of ice cream, sherbets, and ices packed in pints and quarts through retailers in 18 states. While it's not as widely available as larger brands, Handel's produces the quality and flavor that make it worth seeking out. Plus, given the fact that it was named the No. 1 ice cream on the planet by National Geographic as part of its "The Ten Best of Everything" travel guide in 2024, we suspect this company will only continue to grow.

Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams has come a long way since 2002 when founder (and James Beard Award winner) Jeni Britton opened her first scoop shop in Columbus, Ohio. In the years following, the brand became known for its exceptional quality and creativity, with Jeni's ice cream fans forming a line out the door to try the newest drop. Now, you'll find pints in major grocery stores across the country — and, if you somehow can't, you can order them online for nationwide delivery.

While it's easy to get distracted by wow-factor flavors like Watermelon Taffy and Miso Butterscotch Brownie, don't sleep on Jeni's original line-up, each flavor featuring a fun twist on a classic. Strawberry Buttermilk amps up the tartness of fresh fruit, while Honey Vanilla Bean adds a layer of warm complexity.

No matter which you choose, you'll be delighted by the texture of this premium ice cream, made Philadelphia-style by skipping the eggs to focus on high-quality, grass-fed milk and cream. Save for Jeni's dairy-free options, which are also delicious, milk and cream are always the first two ingredients.

Straus Family Creamery was founded by Albert Straus in Northern California in 1994 with the dairy farm that his parents started in the early 1940s with only 23 Jersey cows and a mission to do right by the land. The family's commitment to the environment led to actions like stopping the use of chemical fertilizers and creating a system for recycling food waste into feed for livestock. To this day, the company prides itself on going above and beyond what the USDA requires, for the sake of its animals, and also its products.

Rather than the legally mandated 10%, the high-quality ice cream from Straus Family Creamery features a whopping 15% butterfat, thanks to the organic cream and milk produced right there on the farm. This richness leaves less room for air, resulting in a smoother, more satisfying texture that can be enjoyed in 12 delicious flavors like Lemon Cookie, Maple Cream, and Dutch chocolate. They're all organic, gluten-free, and free of preservatives, fillers, coloring agents, and other artificial ingredients.

If you want a flavor other than the ones Straus sells, you can try making your own with the brand's Organic Ice Cream Base and your mix-ins of choice. No matter what you add, you'll have premium ice cream, made with real cream.

Behind the cute, colorful branding of Alec's Ice Cream is one of the creamiest, dreamiest scoops you'll ever try. The premium texture is the product of grassfed A2 protein dairy, which purportedly makes this ice cream easier to digest and less inflammatory than ones from its competitors. And lest you fear that Alec's is too good-for-you to taste good, rest assured, this ice cream is also delicious.

Along with being the first-ever A2 and certified regenerative organic ice cream, Alec's sets itself apart by offering unique flavors like Palm Springs Banana Chocolate Date Shake, Maple Cardamom Candied Pecan, Peanut Butter Fudge Honeycomb, and Pistachio Crunch With Graza, in collaboration with the Instagram-famous olive oil brand. Each lists cream as the first ingredient, while the brand's new Culture Cups (a line of probiotic ice cream cups topped with a hard chocolate shell) lists it second, behind only skim milk.

Each gut-healthy dessert in Alec's line-up is gluten-free, and the brand supports sustainable agriculture for a healthier planet. So really, the only question left is: Which Alec's Ice Cream flavor should you try first?

The philosophy behind Alden's Organic is that everyone should be able to indulge in delicious, high-quality frozen desserts. The product lineup therefore includes gluten-free and dairy-free options as well as (of course) premium ice cream made with real cream and milk produced by pasture-fed cows at family-owned farms. Alden's Organic prides itself on using wholesome ingredients that are ethically sourced, and nothing else. You won't find high fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners or flavoring, GMOs, antibiotics, or carrageenan here — just good, old-fashioned, organic ice cream made in Oregon.

Along with 1.5-quart "sqround" containers available in your local freezer aisle, Alden's Organic ice creams come in bar (with or without a chocolate coating) and sandwich (round, mini square, or traditional rectangle) form. As for the flavors, well, there's something for everyone: Marionberry Swirl and Orange Cream for those craving something fun and fruity, classic French vanilla and chocolate for the purists, and Vanilla & Chocolate Swirl for the ones who just can't decide. Whichever you choose, you'll be treated to a rich and creamy blend of high-quality ingredients, with milk and cream listed right at the top.

Since first launching in 1978 in a former gas station in Vermont, Ben & Jerry's has grown to become one of America's most iconic brands. Its origin story (two childhood friends took an ice cream course, then decided to make a go of it) is the stuff of legend, and its unwavering support for environmental and social justice causes serves as inspiration for countless other companies. And none of that would mean much if the ice cream wasn't good, but it is. Ben & Jerry's ice cream is really good, and it all starts with real cream.

On its website, Ben & Jerry's details how that cream comes from raw milk produced by family farms that then sell it to the St. Albans Cooperative Creamery. From there, the heavy cream and condensed skim milk are combined with other ingredients to become pints of Cherry Garcia, Chunky Monkey, Half Baked, Mousse Pie, PB S'more, Strawberry Cheesecake, Chubby Hubby, and more. Every year, the brand releases new flavors, each more mouthwatering and over-the-top than the last — and, if you think there are too many, you should see the number of proposed flavors Ben & Jerry's has rejected.

Named for its location in upstate New York, Adirondack Creamery is committed to highlighting local, farm-fresh ingredients. Its ice cream recipe is a reflection of that ethos, featuring only simple, straightforward ingredients that its customers know and probably have in their own kitchens. You won't find any stabilizers, emulsifiers, or artificial ingredients here. What you'll find instead is ice cream that's as close to homemade as you can get, without having to make it yourself.

Along with sugar and eggs, each pint is made with real cream and milk sourced from nearby family farms, allowing the brand to be as transparent and environmentally friendly as possible. And on the ingredients list, cream is always listed first, so you know the texture will be luxurious.

The base recipe may be simple, but that doesn't mean that all of Adirondack Creamery's ice cream flavors are. Yes, there's classic chocolate, and a vanilla that's said to be among the very best. But Adirondack also offers a variety of globally inspired creations that'll make your taste buds want to travel far and wide to try them. Kulfi-Pistachio Cardamom features the flavors of the much-loved Indian dessert, while Syrian Date & Walnut is a sweet and crunchy treat.

If you've wondered what makes McConnell's Fine Ice Creams so amazing, it's the fat — a whopping 18% compared to the 13%-14% typically found in artisanal ice creams. That milkfat comes from real cream and milk produced by cows on the Central Coast of California, where they graze in the sun year-round. From there, McConnell's adds sugar, eggs, and mix-ins like jam, cookies, candies, caramel, nuts, and other goodies to make inventive flavors like Chocolate Covered Strawberries, Hazelnut Latte, and Honey & Cornbread Cookies.

Along with its ever-expanding menu of flavors, McConnell's offers fun, limited-edition collaborations, like the one it did with Martinelli's Sparkling Cider and a 7-flavor collection in partnership with legendary candy company, See's (Chocolate with Polar Bear Paws, anyone?). It also caters to the dairy-free set with refreshing sherbets and sorbets, but its full-fat, dairy-rich pints are what make it one of the top ice cream brands in the country.

Born from a Santa Barbara dairy farm in 1934, McConnell's is now available in many major grocery stores. If you can't find it near you, you can opt to order online for nationwide shipping and even join the brand's Pint of the Month Club so you never run out.

When Ben Van Leeuwen took a job driving a Good Humor truck in college, he couldn't have predicted what that experience would lead to. He launched his own brand in 2008, with a mission to reinvent the classic ice cream truck. From there, Van Leeuwen grew into the ice cream empire it is today, sold nationally in scoop shops, grocery stores, and online.

Along with minimalist, monochromatic packaging that feels made for Instagram, Van Leeuwen owes its success to a commitment to quality. Each pint is packed with premium cream, milk, sugar, and eggs — unless it's one of the brand's vegan ice cream flavors, which are equally delicious.

The attention to detail that makes Van Leeuwen ice cream so delicious is especially evident in popular flavors like Marionberry Cheesecake, featuring a thick ribbon of jam made from farm-fresh berries, and Honeycomb, which isn't actually made with honey, but with caramel candy that gives it a delightful crunch. Unfortunately, the latter is the topic of a 2024 class action lawsuit waged by customers who say they were intentionally misled by the name. Here's hoping the brand quickly recovers, for the sake of ice cream lovers everywhere. In the meantime, no one can argue that Van Leeuwen's Vanilla Bean is one of the best in the game.

In 1960s New York, while everyone else was working to make things cheaper and faster, Reuben and Rose Mattus decided to do something else. The Polish immigrants imagined an ice cream made with only the finest ingredients, to provide a premium experience to lovers of luxurious desserts. They created three simple flavors (vanilla, chocolate, and coffee) using only simple ingredients (real cream, milk, eggs, and sugar), and that's how Häagen-Dazs was born.

Today, Häagen-Dazs still sells the pints that put it on the map, along with more decadent ice cream flavors like Black & White Cookie, Dulce de Leche Churro, and White Chocolate Raspberry Truffle. Sorbet, and handheld treats like waffle cones and bars, round out the mouthwatering lineup. Best of all, no matter where in the U.S. you are, these tempting products are usually easy to find.

Even as it's grown into one of the best-selling ice cream brands in the world, Häagen-Dazs has not strayed from its commitment to quality. It still does not use any artificial colors or flavors, and it still lists cream and skim milk as its first ice cream ingredients. This is likely why it remains a favorite, year after year, as trendier products come and go. At the end of the day, you can't go wrong with a classic, and it doesn't get more classic than Häagen-Dazs.