Brian Nagele
As we set out on a delicious voyage into the enticing universe of Halo Top ice cream, treat your taste buds to a symphony of guilt-free delights. Halo Top is the clear winner in a world where guilt-free enjoyment is redefined by its array of delicious flavors and health-conscious options meet dessert aspirations. From the creamy embrace of Birthday Cake to the rich enticement of Peanut Butter Cup, each spoonful is a celebration of pleasure without compromising on wellness. Come explore the ideal ratio of sweetness, texture, and satisfaction that makes Halo Top the preferred frozen treat for everyone looking for a delectable treat without feeling guilty as we reveal the top picks.
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
This ice cream flavor has become one of the most popular and is usually a fat, sugar, and calorie bomb. Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough is one of the best Halo Top flavors and has only 360 calories and 33 grams of sugar in an entire pint. Compare that to other brands that often have over 1100 calories and 99 grams of sugar per pint, and it’s easy to see why this flavor is popular. Halo Top’s version has 9 grams of fat in the pint, while other brands have 50 to 60. You can eat the entire pint of Halo Top for the same sugar and fewer calories and fat as ⅔ cup of another brand. I love eating raw cookie dough, which is discouraged, so this ice cream always hits the spot.
Pistachio
Pistachio ice cream tastes both delicious and healthy, and this brand’s version can probably fit into any healthy eating plan as a treat. The entire pint contains only 280 calories and 25 grams of sugar. If you have more self-control than I do and can eat one-third of the pint, a standard serving size, it’s only 90 calories and 8 grams of sugar. The pint contains 17 grams of protein and less than 300 mg sodium. There are only 5 grams of fat in the entire pint, but they somehow make it taste incredibly indulgent.
Sea Salt Caramel
If you want something rich and delicious that you don’t have to limit to a tiny portion, and you’re in the mood for something beyond basic ice cream flavors, try Halo Top’s Sea Salt Caramel. This flavor has the creamy, buttery-tasting sweetness of caramel with enough salt to make the flavors pop. And for only 300 calories and 5 grams of fat per pint, you’re not likely to hinder your dietary goals if you get carried away. Though it’s easy to do, I’m not suggesting you eat a whole pint of ice cream in one sitting. But if it happens, you can still stay on track with your health goals.
Red Velvet
Red velvet cake is one of my favorite baked goods. Fortunately, the light Red Velvet pint is one of the best Halo Top flavors when you want something that feels like cheating without guilt. The whole pint has 350 calories, 8 grams of fat, and 31 grams of sugar, so one-third or one-half of it will make a perfect light yet decadent dessert. This ice cream is slightly sweeter and a little less chocolatey than red velvet cake, but not enough that it doesn’t scratch the itch when I’m craving that kind of decadence. Chunks of brownie mixed throughout provide a great chew and make it even more satisfying to eat.
Mint Chip
Ice cream lovers can’t agree on whether mint chip ice cream is heavenly or horrible, and I fall onto the side of the board that loves the combination. Mint Chip is one of the best Halo Top flavors to have on hand if I’m craving a little chocolate and mint. This pint has many fewer calories than the chocolate mint candies I love. And it’s more satisfying to have a bowl of ice cream than a handful of candy for the same calories and grams of sugar. A regular-sized serving of one-third of the pint has only: 110 calories, 2.5 grams of fat, 10 grams of sugar.
Peanut Butter Cup
Peanut butter cups are one of my favorite candies, but they pack a lot of fat and sugar into a small package. Fortunately, one of the best Halo Top flavors is the Peanut Butter Cup pint. The container has 330 calories, 10 grams fat, and 26 grams sugar. Even if you eat two-thirds of the pint, it’s a cold, creamy indulgence for the same calories as two small peanut butter cups. Two-thirds of the pint also has about one-third the sugar and less than half the fat as one package of the candy.
Oatmeal Cookie
If you love cookies the way I do, don’t wait to try Halo Top’s Oatmeal Cookie light ice cream and see if it doesn’t handle your cookie craving. You won’t get the fresh-baked warmth of an oatmeal cookie, but the taste will remind you of cookies just pulled from the oven. The whole pint only has 290 calories and 5 grams of fat, so it’s truly a light treat or dessert suitable for any time. A third of the pint is about 100 calories and 2 grams of fat, so if you can stop at ⅔ cup, you’re barely making a dent in your daily numbers.
Birthday Cake
This flavor is one that I was skeptical about for several years after it started popping up in the freezer section. I preferred actual cake with vanilla ice cream and still usually do. After I tried one of the best Halo Top flavors, Birthday Cake, I changed my mind. It might not replace the tastes and textures of the occasional birthday cake and ice cream dessert, but it’s an incredibly close second. At only 300 calories per pint with fun sprinkles and a nostalgic taste, this flavor quickly became one of my favorites to keep on hand for moments when the cravings strike.
Cookies & Cream
Other leading brands have more calories, fat, and sugar in a small standard serving than Halo Top’s Cookies & Cream has in the entire pint. This flavor has 6 grams of sugar in the pint, compared to almost 70 grams in other brands, with only one-third the calories at 310 for the container. If I want a treat like delicious ice cream, I’m willing to cut back on other carbs or exercise a little more. What I love most about Halo Top is that I can enjoy a sweet dessert without having to do either of those things, especially if I keep myself from eating the whole pint.
Strawberry
Classic Strawberry is one of my favorite flavors and one that’s an easy choice for berry lovers. Real strawberries flavor this ice cream and give it a familiar, fresh taste. Strawberry ice cream is one of their lower calorie flavors with only 90 calories per ⅔ cup serving or 270 calories for the whole container. One-third of the container has only 1.5 fat grams and 8 grams of sugar. If you want sweet strawberries but don’t have any on hand or want something other than the plain fruit, this treat won’t set you back in your health and dietary goals.
Vanilla Bean
Vanilla is usually the first ice cream flavor we taste as kids and often remains a lifelong favorite. It always ranks high among the favorite ice cream flavors in the US. Rich, vanilla ice cream with the taste of real, not imitation, vanilla is a simple but decadent dessert that goes with any meal. Vanilla Bean is a delicious Halo Top flavor, with real ground vanilla beans instead of fake flavorings to ensure it has the right taste. At only 290 calories and 7 grams of fat for the whole pint, it has less than a small serving of regular vanilla ice cream or other light varieties without the artificial taste of chemical sweeteners.
S’mores
Halo Top’s S’mores flavor is hard to find outside Canada and the northern border states, so grab some if you’re lucky enough to run across it. This flavor has about 130 calories per serving and 10 grams of sugar. If you eat the whole pint, you’ll probably think it’s worth it. You’ll get the classic combination of chocolate, marshmallow, and graham cracker flavors, famous for melting over a camping fire in this creamy, cold dessert. The flavor is one of the most calorically-dense light ice creams but has much fewer calories and fat grams than similar flavors from other brands. One serving also has about half the calories of your favorite campfire version, with no need to build a fire to enjoy it.
Chocolate Mocha Chip
I think Chocolate Mocha Chip is one of the best Halo Top flavors, especially for people who love the combination of chocolate and coffee. If you prefer your chocolate dark and rich instead of peppered into other ice cream flavors, you’ll love the ice cream’s deep chocolate flavor and the mocha chips’ chocolatey taste. It’s a grown-up-tasting treat with the flavor of coffee and will add only 110 calories to your day’s total for a standard serving size. At only 320 calories in the whole pint, you can also eat a grown-up serving without guilt.
Chocolate
Chocolate is a classic flavor for people who love chocolate ice cream without add-ins or frills. I loved discovering it because I never imagined I could have more than a cup of chocolate ice cream for only 200 calories. Two-thirds of the container is about 200 calories, 4 grams fat, and 16 grams sugar. You can have your ice cream and eat it at those numbers without resorting to a light chocolate ice cream that tastes artificial. Real cocoa, sea salt, and no artificial sweeteners make this one of my favorites when I’m craving chocolate and something creamy.
Candy Bar
Can’t decide between a candy bar or ice cream? This dilemma is something I’m familiar with, and thanks to one of the best Halo Top flavors, I don’t have to choose between two favorites. Their Candy Bar ice cream is one of their highest-calorie choices, but it still only has 360 calories in a whole pint. You’ll get everything about a candy bar you’re craving with the bonus of cold, creamy goodness. This flavor has a base of chocolate ice cream, and the following ingredients create a heavenly texture: Ribbons of caramel swirls, Pieces of nougat, Chunks of peanuts. The flavor is close to a Snickers bar, but you can eat two-thirds of the pint for fewer calories in one candy bar.
Caramel Macchiato
You could order a caramel macchiato with 250 calories and 33 grams of sugar at your favorite coffee shop. Or you could have two-thirds of a pint of Caramel Macchiato light ice cream for 50 fewer calories and 13 fewer grams of sugar. If you love sweet coffee drinks like macchiatos, you won’t believe how closely the flavors in this ice cream get to your favorite espresso beverage. Ribbons of caramel swirl through the coffee-flavored ice cream that add bursts of creamy sweetness a beverage can’t match. Even if you eat the pint, it’s less sugar and fat than the drink. Besides, eating something with a spoon or out of a cone slows you down and satisfies hunger and cravings better than drinking a beverage.
Black Cherry
Halo Top recently decided to stop making this flavor, but it’s still available in some grocery stores, like Albertson’s and HEB. I hope it’s only on pause and will come back soon because it’s one of the best Halo Top flavors. It’s a delicious, lighter substitute for Cherry Garcia with a third of the calories and fat. Not many ice cream brands offer cherry ice cream, which is a shame because vanilla and cherry flavors mingle so well. You can enjoy a similar taste with Halo Top’s Oatmeal Cookie ice cream and cherries in this official shake recipe.
Blueberry Crumble
Another unusual flavor not many brands offer is blueberry ice cream. Halo Top’s Blueberry Crumble tastes like a sweet blueberry pie with a whipped cream topping. Pieces of light, flaky pie crust sprinkled throughout make it even more like the classic dessert, which should please any pie lover. Blueberry pie filling swirls throughout this fresh-tasting, summery pint that can calm your ice cream and blueberry pie cravings. This ice cream will satisfy your sweet tooth and do it for fewer calories than pie or ice cream alone. The whole pint has only 330 calories and 6 grams of fat, so you don’t have to give up anything to enjoy this treat.
Chocolate Almond Crunch
Did you know some of the best Halo Top flavors are dairy-free and Certified Vegan? If you want something creamy and chocolatey with the crunch of almonds, consider trying this flavor even if you’re not vegan or avoiding dairy. They don’t have an equivalent dairy version but don’t let that stop you. You won’t miss the milk! Halo Top’s Chocolate Almond Crunch is one of the most decadent of their vegan ice cream flavors, with only 100 calories and 4.5 grams of fat per serving. This pint is: Gluten-free, Dairy and egg-free, Soy-free. The only potential allergens are almonds and coconut.
