Breyers Ice Cream and Frozen Dairy Desserts

Breyers offers a wide variety of ice cream and frozen desserts. The texture, flavor, and ingredients are similar to other brands in the marketplace. In fact, even the brand name is often confused by one of its top competitors: Dreyer’s (a Nestle brand).
This food review provides a detailed overview of Breyers sweet dairy treats. It includes an explanation of the difference between ice cream and frozen dairy desserts, an analysis of calories by macronutrient, and the ingredients for many of the brand’s most popular flavors.
Breyers Ice Cream vs Frozen Dessert
Is It Ice Cream?
The first thing to note is not all of the containers in your grocer’s Ice Cream freezer is actually ice cream. At least not as it’s defined by the USDA.
Ice cream is made primarily with 100% real dairy products, which may include milk, cream, milk powder, and whey. It may also include other additives that act as stabilizers, emulsifiers, and flavoring agents.
By comparison, other frozen dessert options look like ice cream and taste similar to ice cream, but are made with various other ingredients, including oils.
Moreover, even if the desserts share some of the same ingredients as real ice cream, the dominant ingredients in frozen desserts that don’t qualify as ice cream are often added sugars, water, gums, or a type of oil.

Standards for Ice Cream
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, there are certain grades and standards that must be met in order for a product to be labeled as “Ice Cream.”
The standards for ice cream include the following:
Additional standards apply when optional bulky ingredients such as cocoa solids, flavors, or sweeteners are added.
Marketed as Frozen Dairy Dessert
Food products that do not meet such standards cannot be labeled as Ice Cream.
Breyers uses the term “Frozen Dairy Dessert” for many of its products, including Vanilla Fudge Twirl, Extra Creamy Vanilla, and Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough flavors.
Breyers Summary Nutrition Facts by Flavor
Breyers ice cream and frozen dairy desserts do have a couple of nutrition facts in common.
Use the following table to compare calories, fat, carbs, and added sugars in many of Breyers top ice cream and frozen dessert flavors.
Nutritional Information by Flavor
Flavor | Type | 2/3 Cup | Calories | Fat | Carbs | Added Sugars |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
French Vanilla | Ice Cream | 85g | 180 | 10g | 21g | 13g |
Vanilla Chocolate | Ice Cream | 87g | 170 | 9g | 21g | 15g |
Vanilla Chocolate Strawberry | Ice Cream | 87g | 160 | 8g | 20g | 14g |
Natural Vanilla | Ice Cream | 88g | 170 | 9g | 19g | 14g |
Coffee | Ice Cream | 78g | 140 | 4g | 23g | 12g |
Chocolate Truffle | Ice Cream | 91g | 200 | 8g | 30g | 17g |
Chocolate Chip | Dairy Dessert | 89g | 170 | 7g | 26g | 14g |
Black Raspberry Chocolate | Dairy Dessert | 89g | 180 | 5g | 30g | 16g |
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough | Dairy Dessert | 89g | 190 | 7g | 30g | 15g |
Rocky Road | Dairy Dessert | 90g | 190 | 7g | 29g | 14g |
Cookies & Cream | Dairy Dessert | 80g | 190 | 6g | 29g | 17g |
Chocolate Pretzel Swirl | Dairy Dessert | 81g | 180 | 8g | 27g | 10g |
Vanilla Fudge Twirl | Dairy Dessert | 90g | 150 | 4.5g | 26g | 13g |
Extra Creamy Vanilla | Dairy Dessert | 81g | 140 | 4.5g | 24g | 14g |
Butter Pecan | Dairy Dessert | 83g | 170 | 8g | 22g | 10g |
Double Chocolate Brownie Batter | Dairy Dessert | 82g | 180 | 7g | 29g | 16g |
Extra Creamy Chocolate | Dairy Dessert | 81g | 140 | 4.5g | 23g | 13g |
CarbSmart Coffee Cookie Crunch | Dairy Dessert | 81g | 120 | 6g | 17g | 2g |
Calories
Total calories in Breyers ice creams and frozen dairy desserts vary by flavor. The total ranges from 120 to 200 calories per serving.
Calories by Macronutrient
Carbohydrates contribute the highest proportion, up to nearly 70%, of total calories.
Fat makes up approximately between one quarter to one half of the total calories. And approximately 4% to 8% of calories is from protein.
SUMMARY OF CALORIES BY MACRONUTRIENT
Breyers Ingredients and Allergens
As noted above, the ingredients used for products labeled and marketed as Ice Cream must adhere to standards set by the USDA. This is apparent in Breyers use of the term Frozen Dairy Dessert.
That term is not unique to Breyers. It’s used by OREO, Dreyer’s, Blue Bunny, and Klondike, among many other brands.
Breyers ice cream generally contains fewer ingredients compared to the alternative dessert option.
For example, here is a comparison of the ingredients between two of the brand’s vanilla flavored treats: Natural Vanilla (its original ice cream) and Extra Creamy Vanilla (a vanilla-flavored frozen dairy dessert).
Comparison of Ingredients
Ingredient 26986_4f5434-66> |
Natural Vanilla |
Extra Creamy Vanilla |
---|---|---|
Milk 26986_f73dfe-d3> |
Yes 26986_6d01e1-4f> |
— 26986_e93aa0-3b> |
Cream 26986_d376ce-2e> |
Yes 26986_fee781-5c> |
Yes 26986_8993a2-da> |
Skim Milk 26986_538ae7-32> |
— 26986_f7aaa6-30> |
Yes 26986_03ef0a-a7> |
Sugar 26986_9fde69-ca> |
Yes 26986_66d566-e1> |
Yes 26986_648572-ea> |
Natural Flavor 26986_5fc9d5-0a> |
Yes 26986_6fb0e7-88> |
Yes 26986_20bf01-6c> |
Corn Syrup 26986_fc0748-11> |
— 26986_911f21-7c> |
Yes 26986_23006e-72> |
Water 26986_57ecc5-08> |
— 26986_752170-22> |
Yes 26986_58e3e7-bf> |
Whey 26986_6e1d05-a5> |
— 26986_cad481-71> |
Yes 26986_e79233-ab> |
Mono and Diglycerides 26986_3d0929-39> |
— 26986_bcbde5-f3> |
Yes 26986_951f18-e8> |
Guar Gum 26986_08c3d5-ea> |
— 26986_5eb098-cc> |
Yes 26986_1f3d06-c6> |
Carob Bean Gum 26986_14b7ab-86> |
— 26986_d42f76-d2> |
Yes 26986_63d11e-dd> |
Tara Gum 26986_9c0067-2b> |
Yes 26986_ee8b00-b2> |
Yes 26986_d6ede6-20> |
Annatto 26986_a73c2f-4f> |
— 26986_19f266-71> |
Yes 26986_6e36d9-e5> |
Vitamin A Palmitate 26986_54e415-35> |
— 26986_b80873-56> |
Yes 26986_93579a-98> |
Ingredients and allergens vary by flavor. The following chart provides a summary of ingredients in popular Breyers ice cream flavors and Breyers frozen desserts.
Ingredients by Flavor
Flavor 26986_df38f4-7f> |
Ingredients 26986_092ce6-71> |
---|---|
French Vanilla Ice Cream 26986_c4ab1a-c6> |
Milk, Cream, Sugar, Corn Syrup, Egg Yolks, Whey, Vegetable Gums, Mono and Diglycerides, Natural Flavor, Annatto, Salt. 26986_aa7361-f6> |
Extra Creamy Vanilla Dessert 26986_f6f0db-d3> |
Skim Milk, Sugar, Cream, Corn Syrup, Water, Whey, Mono and Diglycerides, Guar Gum, Carob Bean Gum, Tara Gum, Natural Flavor, Annatto, Vitamin A Palmitate. 26986_faab9a-f7> |
CarbSmart Coffee Cookie Crunch Dessert 26986_a5a7b7-47> |
Skim Milk, Cream, Maltitol Syrup, Water, Polydextrose, Coconut Oil, Glycerin, Coffee Extract, Whey, Sugar, Dutched Cocoa, Soluble Corn Fiber, Enriched Wheat Flour, Mono- and Diglycerides, Vegetable Oil (soybean, palm), Guar Gum, Carob Bean Gum, Dried Cane Syrup, Natural Flavor, Cocoa, Soy Lecithin, Corn Starch, Sodium Bicarbonate, Milk, Salt, Acesulfame Potassium, Sucralose. 26986_90f9d0-69> |
Chocolate Truffle Ice Cream 26986_d361d5-6f> |
Milk, Cream, Sugar, Dutched Cocoa, Corn Syrup, Coconut Oil, Whey, Canola Oil, Vegetable Gums, Mono and Diglycerides, Salt, Cocoa, Soy Lecithin, Natural Flavor, and Annatto. 26986_c7870f-65> |
Double Chocolate Brownie Batter Dessert 26986_d85787-70> |
Skim Milk, Corn Syrup, Sugar, Fructose, Coconut Oil, Dutched Cocoa, Enriched Flour, Cream, Water, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Corn Oil, Whey, Cocoa, Palm Oil, Molasses, Butter, Soybean Oil, Mono and Diglycerides, Natural Flavor, Guar Gum, Soy Lecithin, Carob Bean Gum, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Bicarbonate, and Salt. 26986_d18023-bf> |
Coffee Dessert 26986_5a441c-d5> |
Skim Milk, Corn Syrup, Sugar, Water, Cream, Coconut Oil, Coffee Extract, Whey, Mono and Diglycerides, Guar Gum, Carob Bean Gum, Tara Gum, Annatto, and Natural Flavor. 26986_826fcf-8a> |
Natural Vanilla Ice Cream 26986_ed8ae3-3f> |
Milk, Cream, Sugar, Tara Gum, and Natural Flavor. 26986_02d5c0-a5> |
Vanilla Fudge Twirl Dessert 26986_2afeef-e2> |
Skim Milk, Corn Syrup, Water, Sugar, Fructose, Coconut Oil, Whey, Cream, Dutched Cocoa, Vegetable Gums, Mono and Diglycerides, Salt, and Natural Flavor. 26986_14d0fb-5b> |
Vanilla Chocolate Strawberry Ice Cream 26986_834e9c-54> |
Milk, Cream, Sugar, Water, Strawberries, Whey, Dutched Cocoa, Tara Gum, and Natural Flavor. 26986_474646-07> |
Cookies & Cream Dessert 26986_5fd797-7f> |
Milk, Liquid Sugar, Sugar, Wheat Flour, Cream, Corn Syrup, Palm Oil, Skim Milk, Whey, Dutched Cocoa, Natural Flavor, Salt, Baking Soda, Soy Lecithin, Mono- and Diglycerides, Carob Bean Gum, Guar Gum, Vitamin A Palmitate, and Tara Gum. 26986_1e27f5-a4> |