7 Carvel Soft Serve Ice Cream Flavors, Ranked by a Food Editor

If you grew up on the East Coast, odds are you’ve had plenty of Carvel in your day. I remember Crunchies-laced ice cream cakes at nearly every kid’s birthday party I ever attended and seeing Fudgie the Whale commercials on TV every Father’s Day . (I’ve also been known to order a box of Chipsters to my doorstep in the wee hours of the night via Uber Eats, but you didn’t hear it from me.)

As drool-worthy as the novelties are, Carvel is no doubt most beloved for its soft serve, which was invented by Tom Carvel in 1936. It’s notably creamier, richer and fluffier than other soft serves you’ve had because of its higher fat content. There are dozens of flavors that shops can choose from; each location has vanilla , chocolate and a twist of both year-round, along with other rotating flavors they can offer as they please. I went to the Hackensack, New Jersey store , which opened 50 years ago, to taste seven varieties of the chain’s famed dessert. Read on for my honest review of each flavor.

All 34 Cheesecake Factory Cheesecakes, Ranked by a Food Editor

7. Birthday Cake

Taryn Pire

This limited-time gem made its rounds over the summer. It had that slightly salty, cake batter-like taste you crave without being overly sweet. I’d call this flavor very kid-friendly. If you’re really about that birthday cake life though, I suggest the Cake Mix Carvelanche, because it incorporates Birthday Cake Crunchies and delivers a punchier, saltier, batter-like flavor. I’d also top this one with rainbow sprinkles (but you probably figured as much).

6. Oreo Cookie

Taryn Pire

Malty and slightly salty, this soft serve is made with an immersion blender that turns Oreos into liquid to maintain the soft serve’s buttery smooth consistency. As tasty as this was, I missed the crunch of Oreo pieces or crumbs, so texturally it wasn’t my favorite. I also felt it could be a touch saltier…but I guess a flurry of Oreo pieces or chocolate Crunchies would even things out.

5. Pumpkin Cheesecake

Taryn Pire

Here for a limited time this fall, this autumnal pick is a must for any PSL lover. The pumpkin flavor was dessert-like (its gently spiced profile is reminiscent of pie or pumpkin bread) and pleasant, so even picky eaters would likely enjoy it. My one critique was that the cheesecake aspect could’ve been more robust—the people want tang!

4. Chocolate

Taryn Pire

Full disclosure: I’m not a chocolate ice cream girl, especially when it’s super rich and fudgy. However, I really liked the subtle, malty, Ovaltine-like flavor of Carvel’s chocolate soft serve. It wasn’t too intense, but still bitter and complex. This would be delicious with fresh fruit (namely berries ).

3. Strawberry

Taryn Pire

Speaking of berries, this has been my go-to Carvel flavor for years. Fruity and blush-colored, the strawberry offering was super silky and summery. It was substantial enough in flavor but still plain enough to pair with bolder toppings, like Oreo pieces or strawberry Crunchies. (I highly recommend both, BTW.)

2. Vanilla

Taryn Pire

It’s no surprise that this has been the chain’s most popular flavor, considering it’s been around for 80 years and it’s essentially impossible to dislike. It had a super lush, thick texture, and its nostalgic vanilla flavor was simple and sweet. Although all the soft serves have the same base, this one felt extra creamy somehow and wasn’t frosty at all. You’ll be hard pressed to find a complaint with this one.

1. Twist

Taryn Pire

I was shocked by how much I enjoyed this 50/50 split of chocolate and vanilla. It was flawlessly balanced. The vanilla rounded out the bitterness of the chocolate just right, while the chocolate intensified the vanilla’s natural sweetness and milky quality. There was nothing not to like. (For the record, I also enjoyed the strawberry and Oreo Cookie twist, but a sprinkle of flaky salt on that one would have really taken it to another level.)

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