Is Häagen-Dazs Healthier Than Ben & Jerry's? Vanilla Labels Compared

Häagen-Dazs Vanilla Bean and Ben & Jerry's Vanilla are close on the Nutrition Facts panel: 28 grams of total sugar and 14 grams of saturated fat per 2/3 cup each, with Häagen-Dazs at 350 calories and Ben & Jerry's at 330. The bigger difference is the ingredient list: Häagen-Dazs lists 6 ingredients and no gums, while Ben & Jerry's lists 10, including added water, guar gum and carrageenan.

Key takeaways:

• Häagen-Dazs Vanilla Bean uses a minimalist 6-ingredient recipe (cream, skim milk, cane sugar, egg yolks, ground vanilla beans, vanilla extract) without added gums or stabilizers.
• Ben & Jerry's Vanilla lists 10 ingredients, including liquid sugar, added water, guar gum and carrageenan.
• Nutritionally, both pints are very similar per 2/3 cup: Häagen-Dazs provides 350 calories and 23 g fat compared to Ben & Jerry's 330 calories and 21 g fat, with both carrying 14 g of saturated fat and 28 g of total sugars.
• A 2/3 cup of Häagen-Dazs weighs 129 g versus 143 g for Ben & Jerry's, so Häagen-Dazs packs more calories per gram (about 271 kcal per 100 g on its Open Food Facts listing).

Ben & Jerry's vs Häagen-Dazs Vanilla: At-a-Glance Comparison

The table compares a 2/3-cup serving of each. Ben & Jerry's figures come from the Nutrition Facts panel on its flavor page; Häagen-Dazs figures come from the Open Food Facts listing for the 14 fl oz container.

Metric	Häagen-Dazs Vanilla Bean	Ben & Jerry's Vanilla
Serving Size	2/3 cup (129 g)	2/3 cup (143 g)
Calories	350 kcal	330 kcal
Total Fat	23 g	21 g
Saturated Fat	14 g	14 g
Trans Fat	1 g	1 g
Cholesterol	115 mg	95 mg
Sodium	65 mg	65 mg
Total Carbohydrate	29 g	29 g
Total Sugars	28 g	28 g
Added Sugars	22 g	21 g (42% DV)
Protein	5 g	6 g
Calcium	170 mg	190 mg
Ingredient Count	6 ingredients	10 ingredients
Gums Listed	None	Guar gum, Carrageenan
Egg Inclusion	Egg yolks	Egg yolks (Cage-Free)

Sources: Ben & Jerry's Vanilla flavor page and Häagen-Dazs Vanilla Bean product page. Häagen-Dazs also goes up against a mix-in pint in Tillamook vs Häagen-Dazs.

What Are the Ingredients in Häagen-Dazs vs Ben & Jerry's Vanilla?

Häagen-Dazs Vanilla Bean lists 6 ingredients, while Ben & Jerry's Vanilla lists 10, including added water, guar gum and carrageenan.

According to the Open Food Facts product entry for Häagen-Dazs Vanilla Bean, the formula contains:

• Cream
• Skim milk
• Cane sugar
• Egg yolks
• Ground vanilla beans
• Vanilla extract

By contrast, Ben & Jerry's official flavor page discloses the following panel for their Vanilla pint:

• Cream
• Skim milk
• Liquid sugar (sugar, water)
• Water
• Egg yolks
• Sugar
• Guar gum
• Vanilla extract
• Vanilla beans
• Carrageenan

Ben & Jerry's declares egg and milk, and its flavor page lists Non-GMO, Cage-Free Eggs, Fairtrade and Certified Gluten-Free. Water appears twice on its list: inside the liquid sugar (sugar, water) and as its own ingredient.

For more pints side by side, see 5 Ice Creams Scanned.

Does Ben & Jerry's Have Carrageenan or Guar Gum?

Yes. Ben & Jerry's Vanilla lists both guar gum and carrageenan, while Häagen-Dazs Vanilla Bean lists neither.

Guar gum comes from the seed of the guar plant (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba). Under 21 CFR 184.1339, the Food and Drug Administration affirms guar gum as Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) within specified maximum usage levels. In Europe, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) completed a re-evaluation of guar gum (E 412) in 2017, concluding that there is no need for a numerical acceptable daily intake (ADI) and no safety concern for the general population at the refined exposure assessment.

Carrageenan is extracted from red seaweed. Under 21 CFR 172.620, the FDA permits it as an emulsifier, stabilizer or thickener. In its 2018 re-evaluation of carrageenan (E 407), EFSA concluded that the group ADI of 75 mg/kg body weight per day should be considered temporary pending better data.

Ben & Jerry's does not disclose how much guar gum or carrageenan its vanilla contains.

Which Has More Calories and Sugar?

Häagen-Dazs Vanilla Bean has slightly more calories, delivering 350 kcal per 2/3 cup compared to 330 kcal per 2/3 cup in Ben & Jerry's Vanilla.

On sugar, it is a tie at 28 g of total sugars per 2/3 cup. Häagen-Dazs lists 22 g of added sugars, while Ben & Jerry's contains 21 g of added sugars, representing 42% of the Daily Value per serving.

On a macronutrient basis, Häagen-Dazs carries slightly higher fat values, with 23 g of total fat compared to 21 g in Ben & Jerry's. Both list 14 g of saturated fat and 1 g of trans fat per serving.

Cholesterol levels differ slightly: Häagen-Dazs lists 115 mg per serving, while Ben & Jerry's lists 95 mg. Sodium remains identical across both products at 65 mg per 2/3 cup. Ben & Jerry's offers slightly more protein at 6 g versus 5 g for Häagen-Dazs, and slightly higher calcium at 190 mg versus 170 mg. Ben & Jerry's panel lists 3 servings per container, for 990 calories and 63 g of added sugars (126% DV) in the whole container.

Which Ice Cream Is Denser?

Häagen-Dazs has a higher caloric density per gram than Ben & Jerry's, packing 350 calories into a 129-gram serving (about 271 kcal per 100 g on its Open Food Facts listing), whereas Ben & Jerry's spreads 330 calories across a 143-gram serving. Neither brand discloses its overrun (how much air is whipped in) or its milkfat percentage, so the labels do not show why the weights differ.

Do Ben & Jerry's and Häagen-Dazs Have Eggs?

Yes. Ben & Jerry's Vanilla lists egg yolks, as does Häagen-Dazs Vanilla Bean.

Both are sold as ice cream. The FDA standard of identity for ice cream (21 CFR 135.110) sets these minimums for anything labeled ice cream:

• Ice cream must contain not less than 10% milkfat.
• It must contain not less than 10% nonfat milk solids, subject to specific dairy ingredient allowances.
• It must contain not less than 1.6 pounds of total solids per gallon.
• It must weigh not less than 4.5 pounds per gallon.
• Except for frozen custard, it must contain less than 1.4% egg yolk solids by weight; frozen custard must contain 1.4%.

Neither brand discloses its egg yolk solids percentage.

For the Häagen-Dazs label on its own, see Häagen-Dazs Vanilla Bean scanned.

Is Häagen-Dazs Healthier Than Ben & Jerry's?

Neither is clearly healthier: both list 14 g of saturated fat and 28 g of total sugar per 2/3 cup, and the calorie gap is 20 calories per serving. Häagen-Dazs has the shorter ingredient list with no gums; Ben & Jerry's has slightly fewer calories and slightly more protein per serving. To compare the pints in your own freezer, scan them with the Aurascan app.