Some ice cream brands take it a step further by offering a vanilla bean option. While all these flavors include vanilla as the dominant flavor, some may only use vanilla extract to flavor their base.

After scooping my way through more than a dozen options, it was clear that not all vanilla ice cream is the same.

Vanilla ice cream often gets a bad rap. It’s seen as an accompaniment to brownies and pies, or as a base for good hot fudge and milkshakes. But as a standalone flavor, many people consider it ...