Solero Exotic vs supermarket ice cream lollies

If you're a fan of fruity ice cream lollies, we've got good news – we've found cheaper supermarket own brands that beat Solero Exotic in a blind taste test.

We asked a panel of 69 people to blind-taste and rate Soleros alongside supermarket lollies from the likes of Aldi, Lidl and Tesco. 

Our taste test uncovered some standout options, including a Great Value lolly from Aldi that costs less than 50p per ice cream. 

Our recent pricing investigation found prices for popular branded ice creams have increased by up to 38% in the last few years, so it's a good time to switch and save.

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Best tropical ice creams

All the options we tried were decent, so there's no need to go miles out of your way, but cheap ice creams from Aldi and Asda topped the scoreboard, while Solero came last overall.

Best Buy and Great Value: Aldi Gianni's Tropico Exotic Fruit Lollies, 76%

£1.35 for three (45p per 100ml ice cream)

Aldi's tropical lollies were the highest scoring overall, combining refreshing fruity flavours of pineapple, passion fruit and mango with a satisfying creamy texture.

Not only did they pack a punch on taste, but they're also the joint cheapest on test (alongside Lidl) – and less than half the price of Solero Exotic.

At less than 50p per ice cream, they're a great budget option if you're craving a fruity pick-me-up.

Available from Aldi.

Asda Tropical Ice Creams, 74%

£1.60 for three (53p per 90ml ice cream)

They're not quite as cheap as our Best Buy, but Asda's tropical ice creams are still worth considering if you're after a cheaper alternative to the big brand.

Most tasters thought the sweetness and creaminess of these lollies was spot on, but just over half found the flavour of the ice cream too weak.

Although the price per pack is similar to most other supermarket own labels we tested, Asda's ice creams are slightly smaller – making them more expensive per 100ml.

Available from Asda.

Lidl Gelatelli Exotic Fruit Ice Creams, 74%

£1.35 for three (45p per 100ml ice cream)

These cheap and cheerful lollies from Lidl tied in joint second place alongside Asda.

While our tasters didn’t think they smelt quite as enticing as other options, most thought the strength of flavour, sweetness and texture were just right.

Bear in mind Lidl's ice creams have a higher sugar content compared to others we tested, containing 21.8g per 100g (Asda's have the least at 15.5g).

Available from Lidl.

See more top food and drink picks for summer including the best premium gin and the best extra virgin olive oil

How Tesco, Morrisons and Solero Exotic compare

All of the ice creams we tested scored reasonably well overall, so it's worth trying the cheaper supermarket own label wherever you shop (though not all supermarkets do their own version). Here's how the rest measured up:

• Tesco Tropical Ice Creams, 72% Well liked overall, but more than a third of tasters thought the flavour of the coating was too strong. £1.60 for three (53p per 100ml ice cream). Available from Tesco.
• Morrisons Tropical Swirl Ice Creams, 71% Most of the panel were satisfied with these, although some felt they weren't creamy enough. £1.60 for three (53p per 100ml ice cream). Available from Morrisons.
• Solero Exotic Ice Cream Lollies, 70% Not bad overall, but our panel found the aroma less appealing compared to other ice creams on test. £2.75 for three (92p per 90ml ice cream). Available from Asda, Morrisons, Ocado, Sainsbury's, Tesco and Waitrose. 

Strawberry Cornetto vs supermarket own labels – find out which cheaper cones scooped our Best Buy recommendation

How many calories are there in a Solero ice cream?

All of the tropical fruit lollies we tested contain less than 100 calories per ice cream, and get a low or medium traffic light rating for fat, saturated fat and sugar.

Soleros are generally less calorific than other popular ice creams. For example, Magnum Classic contains more than double the calories (240 calories per ice cream) and more than four times the amount of saturated fat.

While they are best saved for an occasional treat, they could be a good choice if you're after a lower calorie option. 

Note that the size of the ice creams varies by product too. While this may not be better value for money, it could be handy if you want to keep portion sizes a bit smaller.

Best cheap food and drink – discover the own-brand options that beat big brands in our taste tests

How we tested tropical ice creams

The ice creams were tasted in June 2024 by a large panel of consumers who regularly buy and consume ice creams. 

The make-up of the panel broadly represents the demographic profile of adults in the UK. 

Each ice cream was assessed by 69 people. Each taster rated the taste, texture, aroma and appearance of each ice cream, then told us what they liked and disliked about them. 

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

The overall score was based on:

• 50% flavour
• 25% appearance
• 15% aroma
• 10% texture

How to recycle ice cream packaging

The outer cardboard boxes can go in your household recycling bin. Individual plastic wrappers are usually recyclable with bags at larger supermarkets.

Wooden ice cream sticks aren’t recyclable, but they can be composted or placed in your garden-waste collection.

Price and availability checked 19 July 2024.