I tried all the supermarket ice lollies – delicious 23p winner is great for families & summer parties

The Sun

10-07-2025

WHEN the heat is on, who doesn't enjoy scoffing a refreshing ice lolly.
And with temperatures soaring to over 30C in some parts of the UK this week, it is the ideal time to stock up the freezer.
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Classic fruit splits, with their vanilla ice cream centre, are one of the nation's favourites, and supermarkets have very affordable options.
But are they any good?
Laura Stott had the tough job of scoffing seven of them.
She gives each her verdict and a score out of five.
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Sainsbury's fruit juice ice cream splits
6 x 73ml, £1.50 (25p each)
A CLASSIC box that won't break the bank.
These lollies are a traditional fruit split with a fruit-flavour outer shell and vanilla ice cream in the centre.
They are quite small in size and you need to slurp them fast in warm weather, so they don't drip everywhere, but they will hit the spot in the sunshine.
Inside this pack, you get blackcurrant, pineapple and strawberry flavour, all made with fruit juice from concentrate.
I found the pineapple to be the most flavoursome and it was a little more unusual than the other offerings, with a nice tang
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But the blackcurrant split was a bit bland.
Decent creamy ice cream on the inside, though.
Overall, these are yummy and well priced.
Tesco real fruit splits
6 x 73ml, £1.35 (22p each)
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THESE classic ice lollies from Tesco are great-value freezer staples.
At 22p per treat, they are very reasonable for what you find inside.
You get an array of fruity flavours to slurp with strawberry, pineapple and blackcurrant to choose from.
Pineapple was the most vibrant, which is probably owing to the fact that they contain 11 per cent juice from concentrate, meanwhile blackcurrant lagged behind with 4.5 per cent and strawberry only two per cent.
However, in hot weather, I expect all of them will be refreshing.
These were sticky and overly sweet, but there's a nice creamy vanilla centre, and I'd wager that kids will love them.
Great for stocking up for a summer, or as a dessert all year round.
Asda assorted fruit splits lollies
6 x 73ml, £1.40 (23p each)
ASDA'S licks are on a par size-wise with most other supermarkets' offerings.
You get just the right amount to feel satisfied on a sunny day.
As with many other own brands' ones, the flavours are blackcurrant, strawberry and pineapple – and the latter is the punchiest.
The difference with this pack is that I found the strawberry lolly to be extremely enjoyable, too.
It had just the right amount of sweetness and paired perfectly with the generous chunk of vanilla ice cream in the centre.
These did get a bit drippy around the edges, so take care when eating them outside.
But flavourwise, these are extremely tasty, and another super-saver to keep on standby.
Aldi Gianni's real fruit splits
6 x 73ml, £1.19 (20p each)
AS expected, Aldi's are super value for money and the cheapest of the bunch.
You certainly won't be having a meltdown over the price, and they don't lack in flavour either.
As is standard with most supermarket own-brand splits, the flavours are blackcurrant, pineapple and strawberry, with the red berry being my favourite.
It had a scrummy scent and tasted as good as it looked – not too sweet.
The pineapple flavour was probably my least favourite of the bunch with a slightly artificial taste, and crystals had frozen into the churn in the centre.
But, on a hot day, it would still get wolfed down with no complaint.
There's a decent amount of milky ice cream in the middle of these, too.
M&S strawberry splits ice lollies
6 x 68g, £3.25 (54p each)
THESE are substantially pricier than the others and you only get one flavour, so if you aren't a fan of strawberry then these are not for you.
If it is your preferred choice, however, then the extra money is well spent.
These splits have a gorgeous, authentic strawberry aroma, which engulfs your nostrils the moment you unwrap them.
The taste of the berries is incredibly intense and powerful and the ice cream inside is top-notch.
You can tell it has been made with real cream, which makes these more luxurious tasting than the others.
On the downside, they melted incredibly quickly and I ended up with red drips on my clothes.
Morrisons strawberry split ice lollies
6 x 70ml, £1.40 (23p each)
OH dear, what a disappointment. These looked enticing when I unwrapped the first one.
Just like the M&S box, these lollies only come in strawberry flavour, but the red berry colour was vibrant and perfectly summery, and the ice cream looked tasty enough.
These were a little smaller than some other supermarkets' offerings, but they still looked appetising and I was looking forward to eating one.
Sadly, when I did tuck in, I could barely taste anything.
With no discernible fruity flavour, the outside layer was just like a sugary, coloured water.
And, although the vanilla centre looked creamy with a nice texture, it again tasted of nothing.
Rather than spend £1.40, you might as well have a glass of water to cool off.
Lidl Gelatelli fruit split ice lollies
6 x 73ml, £1.39 (23p each)
JUST as cheap as Morrisons ' pack of splits, but these are absolutely delicious.
Eating one of these in the summer sunshine is guaranteed to put a smile on your face.
You'll find pineapple, strawberry and blackcurrant splits in the box and all are equally tasty.
For me the pineapple was the most flavoursome, but the blackcurrant sticks were surprisingly authentic tasting.
It wouldn't normally be my preferred flavour, but these weren't overly sweetened and I enjoyed the tartness on the tongue.
The ice cream had a smooth texture and they didn't melt too quickly either, so no drips on my clothes.
At just 23p each, these are great for families or summer parties when you'd need to stock up.