Magnum vs supermarket chocolate ice creams

Cooling down with a supermarket own-label ice cream instead of a Magnum could bag you some savings this summer. But how do cheaper ice creams compare on taste?

To find out, we asked a panel of 60 people to blind-taste and rate Magnum Classic ice creams alongside nine supermarket own labels, including options from Aldi and Marks and Spencer.

We uncovered a top-scoring supermarket ice cream that was every bit as delicious as a Magnum, and we also found a Great Value ice cream that tastes great and is less than half the price of the big brand.

Discover which supermarket ice creams impressed our tasters the most, which ones are the best value and how sugar levels compare.

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Best chocolate-covered ice creams

Magnum Classic and M&S Chocolate Sticks were joint winners in our taste test, both scoring high marks for their satisfying texture and flavour.

Lidl's cheaper ice creams are worth trying, too – they're a tasty treat for families on a budget.

Best Buy: Magnum Classic – 82%

£3.50 for 3 x 100ml ice creams (£1.17 per ice cream)

Opt for the big brand and you will at least get your money's worth. Magnum's Classic ice creams triumphed in our taste test, tying for the top spot alongside M&S Chocolate Sticks. 

Tasters loved the well-balanced sweetness, vanilla flavour and indulgent creamy texture of the Classic treats.

At £3.50 for a pack of three, they're the priciest of the bunch, so keep an eye out for special offers to get the best value. They're frequently on some kind of deal - for example, they are currently £2.75 for 3 (92p per ice cream) for loyalty card holders at Tesco and Sainsbury's - so try to stock up when you see a deal.

If you've got the freezer space, it works out slightly cheaper to buy Magnums in bigger multipacks of six (taking them out of the cardboard packaging makes it easier to fit them into freezer drawers). There are also mini 55ml Magnum ice creams available – we've rounded up mini options further down the page.

Available from Asda Iceland, Morrisons, Ocado, Sainsbury's, Tesco and Waitrose. 

Best Buy: M&S Chocolate Sticks – 82%

£2.40 for 3 x 110ml ice creams (80p per ice cream)

M&S Chocolate Sticks were the only supermarket-brand ice creams that could rival Magnums in our taste test.

Our tasters rated them a cut above other supermarket rivals, with the majority of our ice cream lovers saying they were satisfied with the sweetness and strength of chocolate and vanilla flavours.

M&S Chocolate Sticks are among the most expensive own-label ice creams we tested, though they still offer a saving of just over a pound per pack of three compared to Magnums (at full price).

Available from Ocado and in-store at M&S. 

Great Value: Lidl Gelatelli Classic Ice Cream Sticks – 79%

£2.85 for 6 x 120ml ice creams (48p per ice cream)

Gelatelli Classic Ice Cream Sticks from Lidl are our Great Value pick. Well liked by our tasters, they had just the right sweetness, creaminess and vanilla flavour.

They weren't quite on par with our Best Buys overall, but at less than half the price of Magnum Classics, they're a good budget-friendly option. They're slightly bigger, too (120ml vs 100ml).

Available in-store at Lidl. 

Aldi Gianni's Milk Chocolate Ice Creams – 77%

£1.69 for 4 x 100ml ice creams (42p per ice cream)

These milk chocolate-covered ice creams from Aldi are among the cheapest we tested – and were rated highly for flavour.

Our tasters weren't quite as impressed with the texture of the ice cream, though, with some saying it wasn't creamy enough.

At just 42p per ice cream, they're a good budget-friendly alternative to Magnums, especially if you're nearer to an Aldi than a Lidl.

Available in-store at Aldi. 

Iceland Belgian Milk Chocolate Majestics – 77%

£2 for 4 x 120ml ice creams (50p per ice cream)

As you might hope from the frozen food specialists, Iceland's 'Majestics' chocolate lollies made our top five, tying alongside Aldi. 

Our tasters thought the ice creams looked great and were mostly satisfied with their creaminess. However, nearly a third said they were too sweet.

They're a decent choice and significantly cheaper than the big brand version too.

Available from Iceland. 

Looking for more summer food and drink recommendations? See our pick of the best extra virgin olive oil, the best pork sausages and the best alcohol-free beer

How other supermarket ice creams compare to Magnums

It was a close competition for the rest of the supermarket ice creams, with most scoring similarly overall. They didn't quite match up to our Best Buys, and some lacked flavour and creaminess.

• Waitrose Milk Chocolate Sticks – 74%. Our tasters liked this ice cream, but almost half of them thought the vanilla flavour was too weak. £2.25 for 3 x 100ml ice creams (75p per ice cream). Available from Waitrose.
• Morrisons Classic Milk Chocolate Amour Sticks – 73%. Half of our tasters thought this ice cream wasn't creamy enough, but otherwise these weren't bad. £2.25 for 3 x 110ml ice creams (75p per ice cream). Available from Morrisons.
• Asda Milk Chocolate Coated Ice Creams – 72%. Most people were happy with the sweetness and strength of chocolate flavour, but the ice cream wasn't creamy enough. £2.10 for 3 x 110ml ice creams (70p per ice cream). Available from Asda.
• Tesco Milk Chocolate Ice Creams – 72%. Although among the cheapest ice cream we tested, just over half of our tasters thought the vanilla flavour was too weak. £1.39 for 3 x 110ml ice creams (46p per ice cream). Available from Tesco.
• Co-op Dipped Milk Chocolate Vanilla Ice Creams – 69%. The lowest scoring overall, falling behind the others as out testers thought that the ice cream that wasn't creamy enough and the chocolate that wasn't chocolatey enough. A bit of a letdown, but not terrible. £2.10 for 3 x 100ml ice creams (70p per ice cream). Available from Co-op.

How we tested chocolate-covered ice creams

The ice creams were blind-tasted and rated by a panel of 60 people in June 2025 at our specialist test lab.

We recruited people who regularly buy and eat this type of ice cream. The group broadly represented the demographic profile of adults in the UK (age range, gender split and more). 

The taste test was blind, so our testers didn’t know which brand they were trying. They tasted the ice creams in a fully rotated order to avoid any bias. Each tester had a private tasting booth, so they couldn’t discuss what they were tasting or be influenced by others.

The tasters rated the flavour, aroma, appearance and texture of each ice cream, and told us what they liked and disliked. 

The overall score was based on:

• 50% flavour
• 20% texture
• 20% appearance
• 10% aroma.

These weightings are based on what people ranked as the most important attributes when tasting chocolate-covered ice creams. 

All our results are checked and analysed by our in-house statistical team for accuracy, to ensure we're recommending the tastiest products for you. 

Find out more about how we run our taste tests and why you can trust our recommendations in our taste test guide.

How much sugar is in a Magnum ice cream?

A full-size Magnum Classic contains 231 calories and 20g of sugar, which is two thirds of the maximum adult 30g daily sugar limit recommended by the NHS.

All of the ice creams we tested get a red traffic light rating for sugar and saturated fat. Iceland's Majestics have the highest calorie count (267 calories per ice cream), while the ice creams from Co-op and Waitrose have the lowest (203 calories per ice cream).

The size of ice cream differs slightly between brands, typically from 100ml to 120ml. You can opt for mini versions if you want a smaller treat. For a Magnum Classic, this brings the calories down to 136kcal and the sugar to 12g.

Where to buy mini ice creams 

Most brands make mini versions of these ice creams, which are typically around 50ml - roughly half the size of a full-sized version. You can also get variety packs, which can be handy if you want a selection of flavours to choose from.

Here's a round-up of brands that offer mini versions:

• Aldi Gianni's Mini Chock Sticks, £2.39 for 8 x 50ml ice creams (30p per ice cream). Available in-store at Aldi.
• Asda 8 Mini Coated Ice Cream Selection, £3.75 for 8 x 50ml ice creams (47p per ice cream). Available from Asda.
• Iceland Majestics Mini Ice Creams, £3.25 for 8 x 50ml ice creams. (41p per ice cream). Available from Iceland.
• Lidl Bon Gelati Mini Mix Ice Cream Sticks, £3.09 for 12 x 50ml ice creams. (26p per ice cream). Available in-store at Lidl.
• Magnum Mini Classic Ice Cream Sticks, £5 for 6 x 55ml ice creams (83p per ice cream). Available from Asda, Morrisons, Ocado, Sainsbury's, Tesco and Waitrose
• Morrisons Mini Selection Amour Ice Cream Sticks, £4.25 for 8 x 50ml ice creams (53p per ice cream). Available from Morrisons.
• Tesco Mini Chocolate Ice Creams, £4.25 for 8 x 50ml ice creams (53p per ice cream). Available from Tesco.
• Waitrose Mini Chocolate Sticks, £4.25 for 8 x 50ml ice creams (53p per ice cream). Available from Waitrose.

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Magnum ice cream flavours

There are lots of other Magnum flavours available if milk chocolate isn't your preferred type, and several supermarkets offer flavoured options within their own-label range. 

Popular ice cream flavours include white chocolate, almond, mint and salted caramel. 

For extra luxury, Magnum Double ice creams have a layer of sauce underneath the chocolate coating and are available in flavours such as cherry, raspberry and 'gold caramel billionaire'. There are also vegan options.

If you're watching your sugar intake, it's worth bearing in mind that some flavoured ice creams have a higher sugar content than Classic versions, although most are still around 20g.

Best cheap supermarket food and drink – we reveal the cheaper own-labels that beat the big brands in our blind taste tests

Price and availability correct as of 26 June 2025