Here's the Scoop on Halo Top

It's a fact that ice cream is a necessity of life. Celebrations, movie nights, breakups, self-denial...you name the occasion, ice cream is there for you.

With most ice creams, you grab a spoon and dread the inevitable amount of calories that you're about to indulge in (usually around 1,200 in an entire pint). With Halo Top, that dread gets reduced by a whopping 75%.

These low-calorie, protein-based ice creams have been on the market for a while now, so I don't need to give you the whole spiel about what they're made of and why they may or may not be better for you than traditional ice cream. All you need to know is that THEY'RE DELICIOUS. I was skeptical going into trying these because I'm not willing to give up the creamy, sugary-tasting goodness that's expected from ice cream. However, I've been thoroughly impressed with every flavor I've tried, which include the following (rated highest to lowest):

1. Caramel Macchiato (10/10)

This one just recently beat out peanut butter cup as my favorite. Previously, I swore by Haagen Dazs coffee ice cream without debate. However, there's a new coffee ice cream sheriff in town, and this one is only 280 calories per pint.

Caramel macchiato is one of their newer flavor releases and as good as the original flavors are, I saw a MASSIVE improvement in the new ones. They're significantly creamier and the pints are filled all the way to the top, which is an indicator of higher quality. But even more importantly, the flavor here is perfect: a potent coffee flavor that avoids being too strong thanks to the hint of sweetness that comes from the caramel. Although there isn't a caramel swirl, this flavor certainly is not lacking in any aspect.

2. Peanut Butter Cup (10/10)

This one knocks it out of the park. Peanut butter cup comes in at a relatively higher calorie count than some of the other flavors, but that's because of the addition of actual peanut butter. Not only is there peanut butter flavor throughout the chocolate ice cream base, but there are swirls of peanut butter running through the ice cream, which makes this flavor a stand-out. I've found this one to be the creamiest of the Halo Top flavors I've tried and can easily down the whole pint in minutes. On to the next....

3. Cinnamon Roll (9.5/10)

Yet another one of Halo Top's newer flavors that shot right up to the top of my list. Like caramel macchiato, it's super creamy, making for an all around better experience.

I wouldn't say that this one 100% tastes like cinnamon rolls, but the flavor profile is pretty similar. But you know what the best part is? The chewy, doughy cinnamon chunks that this flavor is completely loaded with. They really make the difference here and give the ice cream some excitement.

4. Pumpkin Pie (9.5/10)

All my fellow pumpkin pie lovers can be delighted to know that this flavor is a success. It is really difficult to compete with all the traditional ice cream pumpkin pie flavors out there, but Halo Top does for one key reason: pie pieces. You can't have pumpkin pie without pie pieces, and thank god Halo Top chose to include them. I wouldn't say there's an abundance of them, but I would say there are enough to make this flavor worth getting over traditional pumpkin pie ice cream if you're looking to go low-cal.

5. Birthday Cake (9/10)

Although this flavor has one of the relatively chalkiest textures, its flavor profile is completely on point. It is without a doubt birthday cake in ice cream form, and it accomplishes this flavor without being too sweet. Let this one sit out a little longer than you would the others, and you're good to go.

6. Oatmeal Cookie (9/10)

Yet another flavor that 100% does justice to its name. While eating this, you might find yourself asking whether you're eating ice cream, or an actual bowl of oatmeal. I'm not a massive fan of oatmeal flavored desserts, which is why this flavor isn't higher on my list, but if you are a fan, this might be the winner for you.

7. Sea Salt Caramel (8.5/10)

You'd expect a low calorie (and thereby, low sugar) version of one of the sweetest ice cream flavors out there to be seriously slacking in the taste category, but to my surprise, it is not slacking at all. This sea salt caramel is definitely sweet enough and probably best resembles traditional ice cream compared to the other flavors I've tried. It seems to me that the flavors with swirls running through them (caramel in this case) are the creamiest ones, so that earns this flavor a lot of points as well.

8. Mint Chip (8/10)

Upon first bite, mint chip can taste a little toothpaste-y, which is why it's at the bottom of my list. But it still receives a respectable 8/10 because after powering through those first few bites, the flavor magically becomes less artificial and more what you'd expect from a traditional mint ice cream. Another reason I like this flavor so much is probably a reason that most mint-chip lovers won't: there are barely any chips and they're absolutely tiny. Sorry to disappoint anyone who's looking for texture here, because you won't really be finding it.

Important note: Halo Top advertises on their packaging that in order to see the best results, the ice cream needs to be left out to defrost a bit before eating. I HIGHLY encourage letting it sit at room temperature for at least 20-30 minutes before eating. I know that sounds like a lot, but it really does make a difference, assuming you don't want to eat icy ice cream. Creamy ice cream > icy ice cream...always.

I have yet to try any other brands of protein ice cream like Enlightened, so I can't compare Halo Top to these, but I'm perfectly content sticking with Halo Top for all my low-cal ice cream needs for now.