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25 of the Best Words to Describe an Ice Cream

25 of the Best Words to Describe an Ice Cream

Who doesn’t love ice cream, after all, it’s one of the world’s favorite desserts?

While you’re enjoying your ice cream, you may start to think about some words to describe ice cream to explain your experience to others.

Instead of using the actual flavors as words to describe the ice cream, how about describing the look or even the feeling you get?

Keep reading to learn 25 of these words to describe your ice cream treats:

 

Words to describe how ice cream tastes

 
What most people love about ice cream is its taste. There are so many flavors to pick from, some that you’d never even imagined possible.
 
Whichever flavor you’ve chosen, you’re bound to find any of these words to describe ice cream useful:
 

01Cheap
 
Admit it, not all ice cream tastes the same. An ice cream from brand A will taste a bit different to one from brand B, even if they are the same flavor.
 
The difference is the quality of ingredients, and where they are inferior, often they will taste “cheap”.
 
E.g. “I’ll stick to my [insert name of brand]; it might be a bit more expensive, but this tastes so cheap!”

 

hand holding two black and two brown ice cream cones with ice cream
Photo by Kelsey Curtis on unsplash

 

02Chocolatey 
 
Chocolate-based ice creams are a fan favorite and they are extremely versatile.
 
Some can be made of white or dark chocolate, some of milk chocolate, some might even be infused with other flavors to create something entirely different.
 
E.g. “I’m weak for the chocolatey flavor of this ice cream. My personal trainer will be so disappointed.”

 

03Bitter
 
Ice cream is “supposed” to be sweet right? Well, some flavors are naturally bitter because of their ingredients.
 
Bitter is a good word to use when your ice cream has a sharp taste that is not sweet, salty nor sour.
 
E.g. “It’s more of an acquired taste, but bitter orange ice cream is my favorite flavor ever!”

 

person drizzle chocolate syrup on top of ice cream

Photo by Jer Chung under pexels license

 

04Delectable
 
Delectable is a good word to use when you aren’t quite sure how to describe the taste, but you just know you like it. The word means delicious.
 
E.g. “I was craving something sweet, and unexpectedly stumbled on the most delectable pint of ice cream in the store last Thursday”

 

05Exquisite 
 
Ice cream with rich flavors and high-quality ingredients may be described as exquisite.
 
It means that it is pleasing to your tastebuds and was well made.
 
E.g. “You have to try this butter-pecan ice cream. It has the most exquisite flavor and pairs wonderfully with banana bread.”

 

06Fruity
 
This one is a bit obvious, but in the simplest terms, fruity ice creams taste like fruit. Some examples are cherry, strawberry, orange, kiwi, and so on.
 
E.g. “There’s no way you can tell me I’m not eating a fruit bowl right now. I was hesitant but I love the fruity taste.”

 

dessert assorted flavored ice cream choice sweet

Photo by JÉSHOOTS under pexels license

 

07Homemade 
 
Homemade ice cream doesn’t usually taste the same as commercially made ice cream. There are fewer additives, and flavors are generally more prominent.
 
E.g. “I couldn’t tell that this ice cream was homemade by the looks of it, but the flavor reminds me of the buttermilk ice cream my mother made me as a child.”

 

08Nutty
 
Just as fruity ice creams taste like fruit, nutty ice creams taste like nuts. Sometimes the ice cream itself was made with nuts, in other cases they were added afterward for flavor.
 
The perfect example is pistachio.
 
E.g. “I like nutty ice creams, not because of the crunch, but because of the flavor.”

 

03 two emma la dolce ice creams

Photo by Mia under pexels license

 

09Plain
 
Plain is a good word to use for ice cream that isn’t very flavorful such as vanilla. You can also use it when you don’t wish to offend someone who hyped up its flavor.
 
E.g. “It’s not bad, but it’s a little too plain for me. I like big flavors. “

 

10Salty
 
Some ice creams are made salty, but most people who enjoy this type of ice cream are fanatics with sophisticated palates.
 
E.g. “I never thought I’d say this, but I might actually be a fan of salty ice cream. It’s different, but in a good way. “

 

 

11Sour    
 
Sour ice cream is just that- sour. It will have a slightly acidic taste like lemon or vinegar.
 
E.g. “My kids tricked me into eating sour ice cream, but I actually enjoy the flavor.”

 

person wearing gray sweater holding grom ice cream
Photo by Maël BALLAND under pexels license

 

12Sweet
 
Sweet is the most common term that pops into people’s heads when it comes to ice cream and it’s undeniable that it’s true of most flavors.
 
So go ahead and use this word to describe your sweet, sugary ice cream.
 
E.g. “My favorite dessert is ice cream because it’s sweet and cold at the same time!” 

 

Words to describe the look of your ice cream

 
They say you eat with your eyes and we agree. No one’s going to want to eat something that looks unpleasant.
 
The appearance of the ice cream is often a good indication of how it will taste.
 
Here are 8 words to describe ice cream based on its appearance:
 

13[Insert color]
 
Color is a good place to start when describing ice cream.
 
So if it’s pink, say it’s pink. If it’s a weird-looking purplish color, say that. It helps others to visualize it where a description of its flavor falls short.
 
E.g. “I thought this brown ice cream would be chocolate flavored but it’s actually walnut flavored. “

 

scoops of cookie ice cream

Image from Canva – under one-time use license

 

14Creamy
 
Creamy ice cream looks smooth and consistent. This means there are no additions like peanuts or pieces of fruit to give it an extra layer of texture.
 
E.g. “That bowl of ice cream looks so smooth and creamy, like it would melt right on my tongue!”

 

15Chunky
 
Chunky ice creams are those that are not consistent in appearance and have little chunks or additions such as nuts, cookies, or chocolate chips.
 
These add crunch, flavor, and texture.
 
E.g. “Chunky monkey ice cream is a must-have for binge-watching sad movies with your girlfriends”

 

Photo of vanilla ice cream with peanuts on top

Photo by Kelsey Curtis on unsplash

 

16Disgusting 
 
As yummy as it tastes, ice cream can begin to look disgusting when your four-year-old mixes the flavors together and puts random toppings on it. At this point, it becomes unappetizing.
 
E.g. “My sundae melted together and it looks sort of disgusting now.”

 

17Hard
 
Hard ice creams are those that have been in the freezer for a while and have solidified completely. This is easy to tell based on appearance and many people prefer their ice cream this way so it’s more satisfying to put on cones.
 
E.g. “I prefer hard ice cream because soupy ice cream simply isn’t as enjoyable for me.”

 

flat lay photography of pink colored dessert and pink balloons

Photo by Karley Saagi under pexels license

 

18Inviting 
 
As we said, you eat with your eyes, so when you visit the ice cream shop, you get drawn to and typically purchase the one that looks most attractive, or inviting.
 
E.g. “I’m on a strict diet but that pint of strawberry ice cream looked so inviting I had to have some!”

 

19Soupy
 
As mentioned earlier, you can tell when ice cream is hard simply by looking at it. Soft ice cream is the opposite and is very melty and messy.
 
E.g. “If I wanted soup I would’ve ordered it. This ice cream is way too soupy to serve a customer”

 

20Tempting 
 
Tempting is a good word to use especially when you know you’re not supposed to have it, but you want to anyway. One scoop isn’t going to undo all that progress you made, is it?
 
E.g. “It looks so tempting, but I know I shouldn’t. You enjoy it.”

 

selective focus photography of person holding ice cream

Photo by Key Notez under pexels license

 

Words to describe feeling

 
Ice cream is a guilty pleasure for a reason. It helps to brighten any day, whether it was a stressful day at work, a summer day spent doing yard work, or after a bad break up.
 
Here are 5 words to describe ice cream based on the feeling it gives or has:
 

21Cool
 
Ice cream is a frozen treat, so of course, it will feel cool, but it will also cool you down.
 
This is a good word to use on a particularly hot day when the ice cream answers your prayers.
 
E.g. “Just what I needed. A nice, cool bowl of vanilla ice cream.”

 

person holding ice cream cone with white icing photo

Photo of Alex Teixeira on unsplash

 

22Refreshing 
 
A glass of water might help to keep you hydrated, but ice cream will surely do the trick to refresh you and will make you feel good.
 
It is good to use when ice cream revitalizes or energizes you after the heat has started to wear you down.
 
E.g. “Watermelon ice cream is the most refreshing ice cream I’ve ever had. It’s not too sweet, but at the same time it isn’t bitter or flavorless.”

 

 

23Rewarding
 
Maybe it’s because your parents took you for ice cream when you were on your best behavior, or simply because it tastes so good, but there truly is something rewarding about eating it.
 
E.g. “The most rewarding feeling in the world is when you take that first spoonful of ice cream, and before you know it, you’ve eaten the whole lot.”

 

man and woman eating ice cream
Image from rawpixel.com – under pexels license

 

24Sensational
 
This is a good word to use to describe a very rich or flavorful ice cream that dances on your tastebuds and releases a blast of dopamine.
 
E.g. “I had the pleasure of visiting an old ice cream shop in London and got the most sensational ice cream experience in my life.”

 

25Soft 
 
Soft ice cream glides onto the spoon easily and melts in your mouth immediately. If you touch it with your finger, it will sink right in.
 
E.g. “I think it’s ironic that ice cream can be so soft yet cold at the same time.” 

 

Conclusion

 
Ice cream isn’t just ice cream. You’d know that if you have ever had good ice cream in your life.
 
And, when you’re ready to share your experience, you now have a list of 25 words to describe ice cream at your disposal!