Dollar Tree's Founders Street Vanilla Bean Ice Cream costs $1.50 for a 14-ounce container, but the ingredient list reveals why it may disappoint vanilla lovers.
The ice cream begins with skim milk and cream, followed by corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, and sugar. Because ingredients list from greatest to least by weight, these three sweeteners each comprise more of the product than later ingredients. Vanilla bean specks make up 2% or less of the ice cream, as does artificial vanilla flavoring. The product also contains several gums, calcium sulfate, and dextrose, another added sugar.
A product labeled "Vanilla Bean" might lead shoppers to expect real vanilla to dominate the flavor. While Founders Street includes ground vanilla bean specks, it relies primarily on artificial vanilla flavor.
Dollar Tree sells an alternative at $1.25 per sandwich. FatBoy Premium Vanilla Ice Cream Sandwiches use vanilla extract rather than artificial vanilla flavor. One customer described it as "a tasty treat with a lot of vanilla in the middle." FatBoy's ice cream contains multiple sweeteners and stabilizers like Founders Street, but delivers more actual vanilla flavor.