Freezer Aisle Festive Face-Off: We Ranked the Supermarket Christmas Ice Creams of 2026
The Christmas lights are up, the supermarket freezer aisle has turned into a snowy wonderland of tubs, and someone has already put a mince pie in the trolley 'for later'. Welcome to the 2026 festive ice cream taste test, where we ask the question that divides households: does Christmas pudding belong in a scoop, and is a mince pie cone a work of genius or a cry for help?
We gathered a panel of four - two adults with strong opinions about brandy butter, and two children who judge all desserts on whether they can be eaten while wearing a festive jumper - and worked through a trolley-load of own-brand Christmas pudding scoops, mince pie cones, gingerbread swirls and brand-name seasonal specials. No sponsorship, no scoring for packaging, and no mercy for anything that tastes like frozen potpourri. Prices vary by store and by week, so we have judged value by overall family usefulness rather than a single receipt.
How we judged the festive tubs
Flavour came first: does it actually taste like Christmas, or just like vanilla with a festive hat on? Then value - a tub needs to earn its freezer shelf space in the busiest month of the year. Family appeal mattered too, which means thinking about children, grandparents, fussy eaters and the one uncle who claims he does not like dessert but mysteriously appears when the scoops come out. We also considered serving flexibility: can it sit beside a warm mince pie, go into a cone, or be eaten straight from the tub while wrapping presents?
The rankings: Christmas pudding, mince pies and a few festive wildcards
1. Own-brand Christmas pudding scoops: the surprise winner
These are the tubs that look suspiciously sensible and then turn out to be the best thing in the basket. The good ones taste of plump raisins, a gentle spice hit and something pleasantly caramelised, without going full boozy fruitcake. The best are rich but not heavy, which means you can serve a small scoop beside a warm mince pie and still have room for a chocolate. Family appeal is not universal - children tend to view raisins as tiny intruders - but the adults at the table will fight over the last scoop. Buy one for the Christmas Eve dessert table, not for the kids' movie night.
2. Mince pie cones: silly, clever and very hard to resist
A mince pie cone is exactly what it sounds like: a cone or tub built around spiced fruit, pastry-ish notes and a lot of festive optimism. Is it a purist's nightmare? Possibly. Is it brilliant when you are handing out desserts to a crowd and want something that feels Christmassy without a plate and fork? Absolutely. The best versions keep the mincemeat flavour light and let a buttery, crumbly note do the heavy lifting. The worst taste like a candle. Serve these to teenagers and anyone who claims they are 'not really a pudding person'.
3. Brand-name sticky toffee and gingerbread specials: the crowd-pleasers
The big brands have leaned into cosy flavours for 2026, and the results are mostly good news. Sticky toffee, gingerbread and cinnamon swirl tubs are the safe bet for a family gathering because they are sweet, familiar and unlikely to start a debate about suet. Look for a proper ginger kick rather than a vague 'spiced' shrug. These are the tubs that disappear fastest when children are in charge of the scoop, and they work beautifully in a cone with a drizzle of caramel. Value-wise, buy them on offer and hide them behind the peas.
4. Panettone and pandoro frozen desserts: the posh wildcard
The Italian Christmas cake crossover is still having a moment, and the freezer versions range from delightful to 'why is this in my mouth?'. A good panettone ice cream tastes of citrus, vanilla and buttery cake, and feels fancy enough to serve in a glass with a splash of something sparkling. The weaker ones are simply sweet vanilla with raisins doing a half-hearted cameo. These are best for a grown-up dessert table, not a kids' party, and they need a warm biscuit or a slice of actual panettone alongside to avoid feeling one-note.
5. Mint chocolate 'snow' tubs: the reliable anti-pudding option
Not everyone wants Christmas pudding, and that is fine. A mint chocolate tub with a festive name is the freezer aisle's insurance policy: it keeps the chocolate lovers happy, it works in a cone, and it does not demand a brandy sauce ceremony. The best have a clean mint flavour and decent chocolate shards rather than a toothpaste-adjacent chill. Family appeal is high, festive originality is low, and that is not always a bad trade.
6. Luxury vanilla with brandy butter ripple: grown-up, but risky
This is the tub that sounds like a Christmas dream and can taste like a mouthful of alcoholic butter if the balance is wrong. When it works, it is gorgeous: creamy vanilla, a savoury-sweet ripple and a proper hit of warming spirit. When it does not, it is a dessert that needs a warning label and a glass of water. Keep this one for the adults, serve it in small scoops, and do not hand it to anyone who has to drive home.
7. Novelty reindeer lollies and snowman cones: the kids' vote
Let us be honest: the children's panel did not care about 'flavour complexity'. They cared about whether the reindeer had eyes and whether the snowman's nose stayed on. These are not the best-tasting things in the freezer, but they are brilliant for a Christmas Eve treat, a party bag or a distraction while the roast potatoes are being argued over. Buy one box, not three.
Which tubs are worth freezer space in 2026?
If you have room for only two festive tubs, make them an own-brand Christmas pudding scoop and a brand-name gingerbread or sticky toffee tub. The first gives you the proper Christmas flavour for the grown-ups; the second keeps the family happy without a debate. Add a box of mince pie cones if you are feeding a crowd, and treat the luxury brandy butter tub as a small, adult-only indulgence rather than a family staple.
Serving ideas for Christmas gatherings
A festive scoop works best when it has something warm or crunchy beside it. Try a small scoop of Christmas pudding ice cream next to a warm mince pie, or let it melt slowly over a slice of ginger cake. Mince pie cones are excellent for a casual pudding table where people are already holding a glass and a cracker. For children, keep it simple: a cone, a scoop, a few sprinkles and absolutely no raisins unless requested in writing.
The verdict
The 2026 festive freezer aisle is more fun than it has any right to be, but it is not all worth the shelf space. Buy the Christmas pudding scoops and the gingerbread swirls, treat the mince pie cones as a party trick, and leave the overpriced novelty lollies to the people who really, truly love a snowman with icing eyes. Christmas is about joy, after all - and joy is a scoop that tastes like it was made for the occasion.
