Every Tillamook Ice Cream Flavor, Ranked
By Laura Williams Bustos, MSEd/Updated: March 29, 2022 1:08 pm EST
For people living in the Pacific Northwest, Tillamook ice cream is the creme de la creme (dairy pun intended) of ice creams. If you have any idea how serious people from Texas are about Blue Bell ice cream, people from Oregon are the same about Tillamook. For one, the ice cream is legitimately delicious. It's creamy and smooth and just about everything you want in ice cream. Furthermore, the Tillamook factory in Tillamook, Oregon is one of Oregon's true claims to fame, while the brand offers region-specific flavors that really help solidify its distinct voice.
Ultimately, it's easy to say that all of the ice creams from Tillamook is good for at least some people. Yes, even the "bad" flavors. So if you're a diehard fan of rocky road (not our favorite, admittedly), you'll probably love Tillamook's version. We highly suggest you do your own taste test and decide for yourself, but, if you'd like some guidance, these are all of the currently available Tillamook ice cream flavors ranked worst to best.
28. Rocky Road
Yeah, yeah, rocky road ice cream is a "thing" because, apparently, some people like it. It's chocolate! There are almonds! And there are marshmallows! That's where you lose us — at the tiny frozen marshmallows. Don't get us wrong, as you can hand many people a s'more with a hot, melty, slightly charred marshmallow and they'll gobble it up. But a cold, hard, tasteless piece of rubbery marshmallow in a container of ice cream? Thanks but no thanks. We'll pass. The one saving grace for Tillamook's version is that their chocolate ice cream base is really tasty.
So if you're not a fan of marshmallows but find yourself served a bowl of Tillamook's rocky road, just try to avoid the marshmallows. The combination of chocolate ice cream and pieces of almonds is pretty darn good on its own, though picking your way around all the marshmallows can get pretty annoying. And who knows, maybe you're sharing with someone who loves the frozen marshmallows — just spoon the extras into their bowl.
27. Birthday Cake
It pains us somewhat to put Tillamook's Birthday Cake ice cream so low on this list. We certainly love some rainbow sprinkles, and this ice cream has just that scattered all through the cake batter ice cream. But aside from the colorful confetti of sprinkles, the flavor of cake batter ice cream with pieces of yellow cake tucked inside just doesn't do it, with a flavor reminiscent of the forbidden treat of raw cake batter (though, of course, Tillamook's version is safe to eat). So, the flavor of ice cream made to taste like cake? Not exactly a favorite.
But, it's certainly sweet and fun to serve and look at. Birthday cake ice cream would make an excellent birthday treat for the younger ice cream fans in your household. And who knows? Maybe birthday cake ice cream served alongside some actual birthday cake would make a difference in the experience.
26. Peaches & Cream
You can serve up ice cream topped with fresh fruit, and many people will gladly get on board. But serve up ice cream filled with fruit? That can get tricky. This is doubly true if it's peach-flavored ice cream. Peaches are good, but peach ice cream? Hard pass. The flavors are just too hard to get right, even for Tillamook.
That said, if you love all things peach and don't mind managing bits of fruit that may get unpleasantly tough in the freezing cold mix, your impression might be different. Certainly, if you love peach ice cream, you're probably going to love Tillamook's version. If you are going to try this flavor or ice cream, we suggest pairing it with a slice of peach pie on a hot summer day. After all, if you're going in on the peach flavor, you should go all-in on the flavor experience.
25. French Vanilla
All three of Tillamook's vanilla ice creams are simply put, above average. It's hard to go wrong with a solid, sweet, vanilla ice cream. And Tillamook's French Vanilla provides the smooth, custard flavor that some people love. But, for many people, the reputation of this flavor precedes itself, and not in a good way. All too often, vanilla is well, just too vanilla. If you're going to eat a bowl of ice cream, you probably want something truly decadent with an array of fillings and mix-ins, right?
This means that plain old vanilla is a tough sell for someone's first choice of ice cream. But if you love the thick, creamy custard flavor of French Vanilla ice cream, try pairing this variety with other bold flavors, like pecan pie and a cup of black coffee. The soft, creamy flavor of the vanilla could work in its favor there, balancing out the bold notes of other ingredients.
24. Oregon Strawberry
Strawberry ice cream, in general, is another one of those staple ice cream flavors that just about every brand has to keep in its arsenal. And to be clear, Tillamook's version is plenty good. For many ice cream consumers, this is a perfectly tasty strawberry ice cream that delivers just what it says on the front of the carton. There's nothing really to complain about here.
That said, when comparing it to other Tillamook flavors, it's never going to be a flavor most of us hop, skip, and jump for. Strawberry ice cream is fine. But, like its vanilla compatriots, it's still rather plain. Of course, it's also fruity, rather than chocolatey or crunchy, or filled with cookies or candy, which may not satisfy your particular ice cream craving. So, through no fault of its own, the plain Jane Oregon Strawberry flavor still comes in pretty far down this list. Sorry, strawberry fans.
23. Banana Split
Banana split ice cream sounds like it should be great. And really, with the walnuts, the fudge ripple, and the cherries thrown in, it's not bad. But it's not fantastic, either. There's something about the strawberry banana ice cream that just makes the whole thing a little too sweet (you know, the sugar, probably). And, if you're not a fan of maraschino cherries — and not everyone is, given the fruit's intense, sometimes artificial sweetness and rather alarming bright red color — you're going to be digging around those little pieces to avoid them. Who wants their ice cream to involve actual work?
That said, as far as fruit-flavored ice creams go, the balance of nuts and chocolate at least makes it a little more interesting than some of the other Tillamook flavors. And for that, it at least ranks a little higher than the plain strawberry, vanillla, or peaches and cream flavors from Tillamook.
22. Oregon Dark Cherry
Now, for those of you who love fruity ice creams, we should offer up our apologies. However, it's easy to find plain fruit ice cream rather boring. Wouldn't you rather add in the fresh stuff yourself, anyway? And to be clear, if Tillamook's Oregon Dark Cherry flavor came with a ribbon of chocolate and a few walnuts thrown in, it would likely end up much higher on this list. That's because this flavor is pretty darn tasty.
If you like fruit-flavored ice creams and insist on getting a variety with the fruit mixed in, this blend of dark cherry ice cream with pieces of dark cherries thrown in isn't a bad bet, exactly. It certainly has a lot more depth than some of the other fruit-flavored ice creams on this list. Yet, if you're still skeptical of frozen chunks of fruit or just want something a little more complex, you should move on.
21. Old-Fashioned Vanilla
While plain old vanilla may never be our favorite flavor, it does have its place. It's perfectly good perched on top of a slice of warm apple pie or thrown into a glass with a root beer. And if you're looking for a solid option, it's hard to go wrong with Tillamook's Old-Fashioned Vanilla. It's creamy and is a classic for a good reason. In fact, it may even make you recall memories of old-time ice cream shops enjoyed on vacation. Nostalgia's got to count for something, right?
This variety of vanilla is light and creamy, making it a simple and unassuming flavor that's at least better than many competing brands. You just may not find yourself excited to enjoy a scoop of the stuff unaccompanied. But the next time you need a scoop of vanilla to enjoy with a slice of chocolate cake, consider adding this flavor to your grocery list.
20. Caramel Swirl
Caramel is a solid choice when it comes to ice cream toppings or fillings. It's sweet, it's creamy, and it's got a decadent flavor that's hard to turn down on many fine occasions. But in our humble opinion, it should always be paired with other toppings or fillings, too. If you're going to enjoy this ice cream, at least crab some nuts or some chocolate to complement the caramel.
But caramel as the sole filling for ice cream? Even as Tillamook's Caramel Swirl doesn't make it interesting. We wanted to grab a bottle of Hershey's chocolate sauce and squeeze a nice dollop of the stuff on top, then throw a handful of roasted almonds or peanuts just for good measure. Of course, if caramel is your favorite flavor, you're going to want to pick up a container and indulge. There's nothing bad to say about this Caramel Swirl, but nothing exciting, either.
19. Mountain Huckleberry
By now, you might be a bit surprised to find a fruit-flavored ice cream creeping up this list of Tillamook ice creams. But you might also be a bit surprised to find huckleberry-flavored ice cream. And it's exactly that surprise factor that won this Tillamook flavor a few extra points.
If you're unfamiliar with huckleberries, they're largely found in the Pacific Northwest, which makes this flavor particularly Oregonian and something you're unlikely to find from any other national ice cream brand. This Mountain Huckleberry ice cream starts with a creamy vanilla base and delivers a combination of sweetness and tartness with the huckleberry swirl. We appreciate the unique flavor and the bright, acidic notes the huckleberries bring to an otherwise super sweet vanilla base (this is still sugary ice cream, after all). If you are still dedicated to fruity ice cream flavors, then be sure to give this type a try.
18. Chocolate
Plain chocolate ice cream, to us, is like plain vanilla and plain strawberry. That is to say, it definitely has its place in the dessert canon. It's certainly not bad, especially the version from Tillamook, but it's also not the first thing most of us are going to grab when we meander through the freezer aisle at the grocery store, looking for a special treat. But, if you're really interested in the core flavor and so are going to buy plain chocolate ice cream anyway, you should buy a high-quality version.
With that in mind, Tillamook's Chocolate is legitimately good. We can confidently attest that Tillamook's chocolate ice cream is the real deal, with a pleasantly creamy texture and rich chocolate flavor that delivers without totally overwhelming your palate. Like other relatively plain flavors, we think that this variety works best when it's paired with something extra, like some toasted nuts, candy pieces, or a rich sauce.
17. Caramel Butter Pecan
We're now entering the middle-ground for Tillamook's ice cream flavors. And, nestled rather safely in the center of the pack, Caramel Butter Pecan is a solid flavor choice, especially if you're a big-time caramel fan. This features caramel ice cream with extra caramel swirled through and roasted butter pecans thrown in for good measure.
That's what makes it different from most butter pecan ice creams on the market, given that most competing versions stop at butter pecan and don't add the caramel. But the extra smooth sweetness of the caramel packs a punch that may make this your favorite flavor. And for those of us who aren't huge caramel fans? The roasted butter pecans help balance out the caramel sweetness, making it more enjoyable to eat than the plainer stuff. That said, there are a few more caramel-focused flavors from Tillamook that beat this particular one out.
16. Caramel Toffee Crunch
Tillamook's more complex Caramell Toffee Crunch is, simply put, a superior version of the brand's less complex Caramel Butter Pecan. The ice cream features a "ripple" of caramel and distinctly crunchy pieces of chocolate toffee, pecans, and almonds. So there's a lot going on with each bite you take, both in terms of flavor and texture (we think that nuts stand up better to the cold ice cream than chunks of fruit, too).
The sweet caramel is enhanced by the even sweeter toffee, then balanced by the more rich and subtle flavor of the nuts. The result ends up tasting a bit like an ice cream sundae, but with the toppings already mixed in for you, rather than piled on top. That said, it only ranks in the middle of the pack because, while it's certainly good, it's still very sweet and rather light on the mix-ins.
15. Vanilla Bean
Tillamook's final vanilla flavor comes in exactly in the middle of the pack. When it comes to vanillas, we believe that vanilla bean is really way to go. It just has a lighter, almost crisp flavor to it that's imparted by the little flakes of vanilla bean in the mix. And while we will almost never eat a scoop of vanilla ice cream plain, if you serve us a scoop of Tillamook's Vanilla Bean, we might just go back for seconds.
This flavor is also the perfect option for making next-level ice cream sundaes or for setting up an ice cream bar at your next party. Just grab a couple of containers of vanilla bean and set them up alongside a table filled with sprinkles, chocolate chips, berries, crushed Oreos, popular candies (if you're looking for suggestions, M&M's and chopped up Butterfingers work great), and sauces. You're practically guaranteed to have a hit on your hands.
14. Udderly Chocolate
Officially entering the top few ice cream flavors offered by Tillamook, we're also entering the land of all things chocolate. If the lower half of this list seemed remiss of this classic ice cream flavor, you won't be disappointed going forward. And to kick off the bunch, we're starting with the brand's Udderly Chocolate, which is a combo of standard chocolate and white chocolate with "chocolaty bits" of both varieties mixed in to the base.
If you're a fan of chocolate ice cream, this flavor will surely do it for you while also offering some textural interest with the chocolate add-ins. The mix of chocolate types with the chocolate pieces thrown in makes it an upgrade from the plain ol' chocolate flavor. Sure, it may sound like chocolate overload... and, well, it is. But, assuming you're a serious fan of this flavor, chances are good that you'll be pretty pleased regardless.
13. Monster Cookie
If you've never had a monster cookie, well, you need to remedy this oversight, stat. Monster cookies are essentially what happens when you throw every delicious thing from all types of different cookies into a single recipe. Does it have chocolate chips? Yes. M&M's? Yes. Oatmeal? Yes. Peanut butter? Yes. And Tillamook's Monster Cookie ice cream is exactly what it sounds like, given that it's the ice cream version of this cookie.
It starts with the brand's Cookie Dough ice cream, a salted peanut butter swirl, crispy oats, "chocolaty flakes," and pieces of candy. It's fully loaded with all these tasty fillings. So, why isn't it higher on the list? Well, for starters, there are simply ice creams that are better. But aside from that, we could do without the crispy oats in my ice cream, which is a bit odd and can still get a tad mushy. You may prefer your ice cream to be a bit more simple, too.
12. White Chocolate Raspberry
When choosing between white chocolate and dark chocolate flavors, we'll almost always go with dark chocolate. But when you pair a white chocolate ice cream with raspberry, you win some extra points. And Tillamook's White Chocolate Raspberry flavor is one of the only fruity flavors to make the top half of this ranking. Plus, raspberries (and pretty much all other berries, while we're at it) are plentiful in Oregon, so chances are good that this is a flavor made with local-to-the-factory ingredients.
That said, instead of being filled with pieces of raspberry, this flavor has a "ripple" of sweet raspberry compote twisting through. That means it doesn't quite have the tang of real raspberries and is fairly sweet. Still, when paired with the white chocolate base, it's nicely sweet, smooth, and creamy. We suggest eating it with real raspberries piled on top for an extra hit of tartness.
11. Oregon Hazelnut and Salted Caramel
Yes, another caramel ice cream from Tillamook — but stay with us here. The Oregon Hazelnut & Salted Caramel ice cream is different from the other caramel flavors for a few reasons. First, it starts with a hazelnut ice cream base, which has a rich and subtle flavor that helps offset the sugary sweetness of the caramel. Second, that caramel is salted, which helps tone down the sweetness and adds complexity.
Finally, there are actual pieces of Oregon hazelnuts thrown in, making for an experience that incorporates cold ice cream, a smooth ribbon of caramel, and the crunch of the nuts. The complementary flavors and textures make a nice treat where you can really sit back and indulge yourself. Give it a try, and maybe serve it next to a scoop of plain vanilla bean or chocolate if you're still craving a little extra flavor.
10. Cookies & Cream
Now, it's time for Tillamook's Cookies & Cream. This is one of those classic flavors that's popular in every brand, but can be even better when it's offered by a high-quality company like Tillamook. And as expected, they don't disappoint. The creamy flavor of the ice cream with the pieces of chocolate creme sandwich cookies broken up and dispersed throughout is just plain good.
The one thing that's interesting to point out about this version is that it's made with the brand's French vanilla ice cream as the base. If you'll remember, that's actually least favorite of the brand's three different vanillas. This variety might have ranked even higher if Tillamook had chosen to build this ice cream with one of its more complex vanilla varieties, but the custard flavor of the French vanilla actually works well with the chocolate cream of the cookies. No major complaints here.
9. Waffle Cone Swirl
When you go to the Tillamook Cheese Factory in Tillamook, Oregon and stop by their on-site store (where you can buy what seems like every type of cheese and ice cream known to man), you can get their ice creams served up in a waffle cone. We highly recommend the experience. But if you can't make it to this far northwest corner of Oregon's Pacific Coast, then you should at least try the brand's Waffle Cone Swirl ice cream.
Here, you get both chocolate and vanilla ice cream bases, a swirl of caramel, and chunks of real waffle cone that have been dipped in chocolate. Admittedly, not all the waffle cone pieces are very crunchy. Some are, sure, but others are a bit soft. The whole point of eating a waffle cone is to get that crunch to counterbalance the smooth ice cream, so this flavor loses a few points.
8. Chocolate Chip
The Chocolate Chip ice cream was another Tillamook flavor that regularly made it home from the grocery store with us when we were living in Oregon. As someone who is a big fan of chocolate chip ice cream, Tillamook does an especially good job. The chocolate chunks are big (not flaky like some brands), and they aren't overly sweet, making them a nice offset to the vanilla ice cream base.
The chocolate chip ice cream qualifies as an ice cream we could eat every day, but with enough self-control to not eat a couple of bowls in one day. In other words, it's a good daily treat, but it's not going to call us back to the freezer for seconds or thirds. You'll likely enjoy the experience, but perhaps it's not going to be quite enough to knock your socks off as other Tillamook flavors might stand to do.
7. Malted Moo Shake
Think of the Malted Moo Shake as a fancy version of the chocolate chip flavor. To be clear, the taste is pretty distinct, as the malted vanilla ice cream ends up having a rich, almost toasty flavor. If you've ever eaten a malted milk ball, it's something along those lines. But then you have the chocolate fudge chips added in to offset the malted vanilla. And here, they're seriously fudgy chips, not just straight chocolate. This means that they impart a sweeter, creamier sensation than traditional chocolate chips.
So, here you have some upgraded vanilla ice cream and similarly upgraded chocolate chips coming together to make the Malted Moo Shake ice cream. It is, essentially, a fancy version of basic chocolate chip ice cream. The overall taste is sweeter, and really, it's a toss-up as to which flavor could be considered "better". However, surely you agree that this flavor gets great kudos for originality.
6. Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
No matter the brand, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough has long been an ice cream flavor stalwart and Tillamook gets this flavor right. In addition to its base of cookie dough flavored ice cream (which tastes more like plain vanilla ice cream without a distinct cookie dough flavor), you get little balls of soft, creamy cookie dough and pieces of chocolate mixed throughout.
Good as it is, Tillamook's Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough ice cream would be even better with more mix-ins. Don't get us wrong, as cookie dough is one of those mix-ins that can get seriously overdone. This means that it's a little tricky to find the balance between "not enough" and "too much" when it comes to dressing up ice cream. Still, while we love almost everything else about this flavor, it could use just a few more pieces of cookie dough per scoop to really elevate things.
5. Mint Chocolate Chip
Mint chocolate chip ice cream has been a favorite flavor of ice cream since many of us were little kids. There's something about that fresh mint flavor paired with chocolate chips that will send quite a few of us back for seconds and thirds almost every time. And, without a doubt, Tillamook is one of our all-time favorite brands of Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream. The thing is, it's completely possible to get mint ice cream wrong. But Tillamook gets the flavor right. It's creamy, smooth, and fresh, with just enough of the chunks of chocolate chips to give you that nice sweet (but not overly sweet) counterbalance.
While some people will go gaga over this flavor, we must admit that mint can be a divisive dessert flavor when you ask around. For some, it's just right. For others, it's more like eating some toothpaste with sugar and chocolate mixed in. It all depends on your personal preference.
4. Chocolate Peanut Butter
Here's the thing about Tillamook's Chocolate Peanut Butter ice cream: it's not for the faint of heart. It's probably one of the richest flavors out of the Tillamook lineup, with both chocolate ice cream and salted peanut butter. The peanut butter salted is a real treat, offering balance to an otherwise sweet flavor. To that end, you may not necessarily want to pick up this rather intense flavor of ice cream every single time you've got a craving. It's the kind of treat that we'd definitely be inclined to eat too much of — and then maybe end up with a stomach ache afterward.
But, if you're feeling bold and have a serious love for the classic combo of chocolate and peanut butter, this could very well be the ice cream for you. Perhaps it's best suited for nights out and get-togethers, to ensure it's evenly distributed.
3. Marionberry Pie
For those of you who have been paying attention, it might come as a surprise to see a fruit-flavored ice cream ranking quite so high on this list of Tillamook ice creams. We're the first to admit that fruity ice creams usually aren't total favorites, but the Marionberry Pie from Tillamook is the exception to the rule.
If you're unfamiliar with marionberries, they're another Oregon-specific berry. In fact, according to Food & Wine, they were developed back in 1948 in Corvallis, Oregon by Dr. George Waldo. All told, they're very similar to blackberries. The berries tend to have a sweet and tart flavor, and when served up in ice cream with pieces of pie crust mixed in? It's a real treat. And for us, it's a bowl of ice cream that delivers on flavor and nostalgia, making it one of those ice creams we'll always buy when it's available.
2. Coffee Almond Fudge
If you've ever been to the Pacific Northwest, you know there's a drive-thru coffee cart on practically every corner. The dreary, chilly, rainy days that stretch from November through June make coffee an absolute staple in most people's lives, and Oregon coffee producers make some seriously good coffee. So it's just logical that an Oregon-based ice cream manufacturer like Tillamook would also make really good coffee ice cream.
Tillamook's Coffee Almond Fudge ice cream is one of those flavors that stand out from not just the competition, but the rest of the company's flavors. You have the coffee ice cream, of course, which is deliciously sweet but with a slightly bitter coffee edge. That's then complemented by a swirl of fudge and crunchy toasted almonds. Due to its rich flavor, it may not be for absolutely everyone, but we greatly appreciate the complex, grown-up flavors of the coffee and nuts.
1. Tillamook Mudslide
Drumroll, please! The top Tillamook ice cream to round out this ranking is, hands down, Tillamook Mudslide. First, it's simply not a flavor combination that you're going to find in every other brand. Second, the name "mudslide" is a direct reference to the not-so-fun natural disaster that often occurs in Oregon when the rains put entirely too much stress on the hills and mountainsides, so it has a certain local feel. And third, it's just downright delicious.
If you like chocolate, you're going to love this flavor. The chocolate ice cream base is enhanced with a ribbon of sweet fudge and finished off with chunky but not overly sweet chocolate chips. Like some of the other rich Tillamook flavors, this isn't one for the faint of heart, and might not be one you want to eat every day. Still, it's definitely a flavor that will satisfy your sweet tooth and leave you wanting more.