I Taste-Tested All 7 Stranger Things Scoops Ahoy Ice Cream Flavors

Though it may seem like Stranger Things fans are stuck in the Upside Down while waiting for Season 5, there are still a few ways to return to Hawkins if you’re missing it. Of course, the most obvious is a rewatch of the Netflix series, but Strangers Things has also returned to Universal Studios’ Halloween Horror Nights with a Season 4 house any thrill-seeker would appreciate. For foodies, you can also get a taste of Stranger Things with the new Scoops Ahoy pints. No need to visit the Starcourt Mall where Steve and Robin work, because official Stranger Things ice cream is now available at Walmart stores and online.

The collection of seven Scoops Ahoy pints include exclusive flavors inspired by the series, like the U.S.S. Butterscotch and Eleven’s Triple Decker Extravaganza. There are also three flavors taken from the Upside Down: Mint Flare, The Void, and Pineapple Upside Down. As an ice cream lover and Stranger Things fan, I just had to try all seven flavors to see which ones are worthy of a scoop and which ones I’d rather give to Vecna. The best part of all is that these pints are available to you as well. While there have been pop-up Scoops Ahoy ice cream parlor shops before — there’s even one at Hollywood’s HHN this year — this is the first time you could get your hands on some Stranger Things ice cream during your weekly grocery store run. So, to help you pick a flavor to buy, here is a ranking of the Scoops Ahoy pints. As Steve says in Season 3, “Would you like to set sail on this ocean of flavor with me?”

The Void

Just like I want to avoid ending up in the Upside Down with Vecna, I also want to avoid eating this pint of Stranger Things ice cream. The Void, inspired by where Eleven can travel to with her powers, is a black vanilla ice cream with a strawberry ribbon and vanilla cream cookie pieces. You can really taste the artificial coloring that makes the vanilla ice cream a dark black color, which was an immediate no from me. The one redeeming quality of this ice cream was the vanilla cookie pieces, but I didn’t really want to keep digging around to find them. It makes total sense that this is one of the three Upside Down flavors, because there is something sinister about it. Warning: This ice cream will turn your entire mouth black as well.

Rating: 1/5

Pineapple Upside Down

The most sherbet-like ice cream in the collection is this Pineapple Upside Down flavor. It’s a pineapple ice cream with a salted caramel swirl and pound cake chunks. It isn’t as creamy as the rest, but it did taste like a pineapple upside down cake, especially when you get to those cake pieces. I liked that the creators tried to do something different, but the base ice cream wasn’t enough to keep me going. I’m all for putting pineapple in things like Argyle does at Surfer Boy Pizza, I just wish this pineapple ice cream was a little more smooth and natural tasting.

Rating: 2/5

U.S.S. Butterscotch

The U.S.S. Butterscotch is not new to fans of Scoops Ahoy. In 2019, Baskin-Robbins added a U.S.S. Butterscotch Sundae to its menu, inspired by the ice cream sundae served at Scoops Ahoy in Season 3 of Stranger Things. Baskin-Robbins’ U.S.S. Butterscotch was a butterscotch ice cream with butterscotch pieces and a toffee ribbon. This pint available at Walmart has a butterscotch ice cream base, but is mixed with a salted caramel ribbon and salted caramel chocolate.

For such an iconic flavor that’s probably the most associated with the Scoops Ahoy brand, I expected a little more. It was a struggle to find the salted caramel chocolate, which enhanced the ice cream a lot by adding a crunch. Without the chocolate pieces, it’s just a super sweet butterscotch ice cream. It wasn’t bad, but it can be boring.

Rating: 3/5

Triple Decker Extravaganza

Inspired by Eleven’s Eggo waffle sundae, the Triple Decker Extravaganza is a vanilla and butter ice cream with maple ribbon, waffle, and chocolate peanut butter candy. There’s a lot going on in this ice cream, but if you’ve seen Eleven’s Triple-Decker Eggo Extravaganza from Season 1, you know it’s meant to be chaotic. I liked that every bite was a surprise, so if you’re not paying attention, you can end up eating the entire 14 oz. pint in one sitting. While it wasn’t my favorite, it really reminded me of Stranger Things and is a great snack choice for rewatching the series at home.

Rating: 3.5/5

Chocolate Pudding

Dustin and Lucas discover that the lunch lady has been hoarding the chocolate pudding in Season 1, but you don’t have to go breaking into Hawkins Middle School to get some chocolate pudding ice cream for yourself. This Scoops Ahoy flavor is a chocolate ice cream with a chocolate fudge swirl and vanilla wafers. If it isn’t clear already, this is the pint for chocolate lovers. It’s rich and creamy, and would be great in your own at-home ice cream sundae. The only reason it’s not in my top faves is because I think there are so many more interesting flavors to choose from instead.

Rating: 4/5

Cinnamon Bun Bytes

Cinnamon ice cream may not be the first flavor you gravitate toward, but don’t knock it ‘til you try it. Actually, cinnamon is one of my favorites and I’ve also found myself loving cookie dough ice cream lately, which is why I think this is one of the best Scoops Ahoy ice cream flavors. This pint has cinnamon ice cream with cinnamon cream cheese swirl and cinnamon roll dough. I liked the cinnamon ice cream on its own, but those gooey and delicious cinnamon roll dough bites really wow’d me. I just wish there were more mixed in.

Rating: 5/5

Mint Flare

While the other two Upside Down flavors of Scoops Ahoy ice cream landed at the bottom of my list, this Mint Flare, named after the Mind Flayer in Season 2, was one of my favorites. This is basically a mint chocolate chip ice cream, but the pink color and rainbow confetti really added a fun twist to it. It was probably the prettiest of the Stranger Things ice cream pints, and full of nostalgia. If you’re not a mint chocolate fan, you can skip it. However, if you love a good Thin Mint or York Peppermint Pattie, this is the one for you.

Rating: 5/5