Top 8: These shop-bought vanilla ice-creams are far from plain

We all scream for ice-cream — serve some up with strawberries

Pic: iStock

Creamy rich, versatile, satisfying, vanilla ice-cream is hard to beat as a base for seasonal additions. The marriage with strawberries is summer in a bowl. 

Buzz some strawberries with caster sugar to make a sauce to drizzle on ice-cream over halved strawberries. Serve with triangles of freshly baked shortcrust pastry, flaky pastry or wafers.

Strawberries marinated in caster sugar and orange liqueur can be dropped into cones and topped with ice-cream. Served after a posh dinner for adults, they never fail to please.

Another great way to finish a meal is to serve vanilla ice cream with a drizzle of hot, strong coffee (called affogato in Italy). I often make a sandwich with wafers and dip the edges in toasted almonds or hazelnuts.

Not all ice-cream makers produce pure vanilla, so we do not feature a delicious sea salt variety from Murphy’s in our selection. We looked in supermarkets for the richness of vanilla, along with a natural sweetness (not glucose or fructose).

Ice-cream should be made from eggs, cream/milk and sugar, though some additives help to maintain an even texture. 

Gelato has more milk, less cream and usually no eggs. Some cheaper ice-creams, despite environmental concerns, still use low-cost palm oil and fat, so they didn’t make our Top 8.

The Good Dairy Company's Udderly vanilla Food pictures: Eddie O'Hare

Udderly The Good Dairy Co 360ml €5

The luxurious Madagascan vanilla is obvious here and the milk and cream from Catherine Good’s herd in Nohoval, Co Cork is full of rich flavours. Attractive flecks of vanilla are here too. Not cheap, but utterly delicious. Fats are a low 5.9% with 17.6% sugars. We bought in SuperValu.

Score: 9.5

Scúp Irsh Gelato

Scúp gelato 476ml €6.95

Milk, cream, and no eggs which is why this is quite light. While the vanilla is Madagascan, the flavour was quite low, and children particularly liked it. Sugars 8.9% and fats 8.4% are about half of many tasted. A hit with tasters and those watching their weight.

Made in Wexford. We bought in Bradleys Cork.

Score: 9

West Country Madagascan Vanilla

M&S Collection West County Madagascan vanilla 500ml €6.25

A well-balanced creaminess with Madagascan vanilla in this rich beige colour (from Demerara sugar) has flecks of vanilla. The Madagascan vanilla extract provides a full flavour. Sugars 15.7%, fats 15.2%. Very good. Made in Britain.

Score: 9

Dunnes Stores Simply Better Madagascan vanilla bean ice cream

Dunnes Simply Better Madagascan vanilla bean 550ml €5.99

A lovely creamy ice-cream with some vanilla flavour and flecks of vanilla seeds. Sugars are a high 21% from sugar, dried glucose syrup, invert sugar syrup. 13% fats. Made in Co Derry by the Morelli company, which also makes its own brand.

Score: 8.5

Haagen-Dazs vanilla ice cream

Häagen-Dazs Vanilla 460ml €7.10

Cream (39.2%), skimmed milk, egg yolk, and vanilla extract deliver high sugar (19.9%), and fats (16.9%) with less vanilla flavour (not Madagascan) than others. More creamy than some others, and very nice was the verdict.

Score: 8

Baldwin's farmhouse ice cream

Baldwins 500ml €6.95

This light ice-cream has a good balance of milk, cream, sugar with the Madagascan vanilla flavour also in flecks throughout. Sugars 19%, fats 17%, tasters liked its natural flavours. Made in Co Waterford from milk from the producer’s dairy herd. Available nationwide, we bought in Bradleys, Cork.

Score: 9

Tesco Finest Smooth & Fragrant Madagascan vanilla

Tesco Finest Madagascan vanilla 500ml €4

‘Smooth and fragrant’ is the tagline on the tub, and it was indeed the most fragrant of the selection. Richly creamy, the taste of vanilla was less than the scent but was delicious. Sugars 18.8%, fats 13.8%

Score: 8.5

Lidl Bon Gelati

Lidl Bon Gelati Bourbon vanilla 2500ml €3.79

Soft to spoon easily, this large tub is good value for a party. Lots of sugars – glucose-fructose syrup, sugar, dextrose, glucose syrup - deliver a high sugar content of 25.4% for just a little too much sweetness. It overpowers the bourbon vanilla flavour and fresh cream taste. Fats 11.8%. Tasters liked it well enough, but none scored it as their favourite.

Score: 7