Costco’s Kirkland Ice Cream Bars vs Häagen-Dazs: Which Ones Are Better?

The freezer case at Costco is a treasure trove of treats right now. There are new options like the Dubai chocolate ice cream bar, and then there are classics like the Häagen-Dazs chocolate-almond coated vanilla ice cream bars. Interestingly, the Kirkland ice cream bars sold next to the Häagen-Dazs version appear to be almost identical. We tested both to find out which one was better and offered the best bang for your ice cream buck.

Kirkland ice cream bars with chocolate flavored coating and roasted almonds is distributed by the Costco Wholesale corporation in Issaquah, Washington. While the Häagen-Dazs vanilla milk chocolate almond ice cream bars are distributed by Dryer’s Grand Ice Cream in Walnut Creek, California. There is some suspicion that these two products are so similar that they might be coming from the same manufacturer. However, based on the information on the box as well as through our analysis and taste test, we don’t think that is the case.

Testing Kirkland Signature Ice Cream Bars vs Häagen-Dazs Vanilla Milk Chocolate Almond Ice Cream Bars

Ingredients

Before even taking the first bites of ice cream, we compared the ingredients on each package. The packaging on the Häagen-Dazs bars describes the dessert as containing “Madagascar vanilla, rich milk chocolate and toasted California almonds.” The official ingredients listed for the vanilla ice cream are cream, skim milk, sugar, egg yolks and vanilla extract. The coating contains milk chocolate, almonds roasted in vegetable oil and coconut oil. We love an ingredient list without artificial flavors or fillers! Each of the Häagen-Dazs bars weighed in at 77 grams and contain 270 calories and 19 grams of fat.

The Kirkland ice cream bars were made with ice cream containing cream, milk, nonfat milk, sugar, egg yolk and vanilla extract. This is quite similar to the Häagen-Dazs bars. The chocolate coating with almonds contains sugar, coconut oil, nonfat dry milk, unsweetened chocolate, soybean oil, unsweetened chocolate processed with alkali, soy lecithin, almonds, canola oil and/or safflower oil. The label has a disclaimer that this product contains a bioengineered food ingredient. Each Kirkland bar weighed in at 78 grams and had 280 calories and 21 grams of fat.

Appearance

The Kirkland bar was wider but thinner than the Häagen-Dazs bar. Given that their size differed by a mere gram, the amount of food was virtually the same even though they were shaped differently. We also noticed that the Häagen-Dazs coating contained more nuts and the chocolate layer seemed slightly thicker.

Price

The Häagen-Dazs bars are sold in a 15-count box for $12.79. That comes out to 85 cents per bar. The Kirkland version is sold in an 18-count box for $10.99, which comes out to 61 cents per bar. Both are quite a good value for a summertime treat, so in the end, it was really going to come down to the taste test.

Taste

Overall, we found the vanilla ice cream in the Häagen-Dazs bars to be richer, creamier and with a stronger vanilla flavor. That was on par with our previous analysis of the best vanilla ice cream brands. We also thought the coating had a stronger, more authentic chocolate flavor. Finally, the fact that the almonds were roasted on the Häagen-Dazs version gave them a more robust taste.

All this being said, the Kirkland ice cream bars were still quite delicious! The ice cream was nice, just not as vanilla-forward. The primary difference was in the chocolate coating. It was a bit waxier and more artificial tasting than the name-brand bars. There were also fewer nuts. If you like more crunch, Häagen-Dazs is the way to go.

Which ice cream bar is better: Kirkland or Häagen-Dazs?

Ultimately, we preferred the Häagen-Dazs ice cream bars. The price per bar is slightly higher, but that wasn’t enough to sway the vote. The chocolate tasted more authentic, the ice cream was creamier, and the almonds were more flavorful and present.