"I noticed in your excellent review of Homemade Vanilla yesterday that there seems to be some confusion about the type of vanilla ice cream used in flavors like Dessert Trio, Orange Swirl, etc. I decided to call Blue Bell Corporate to get an answer. First of all, unless the item description specifically says Homemade Vanilla (such as Century Sundae, Homemade In The Shade, Southern Hospitality, etc.), it DOES NOT contain Homemade Vanilla. However, it does not contain Natural Vanilla Bean or French Vanilla either. Blue Bell has a separate formulation for the vanilla used as the base for flavors like Dessert Trio and Orange Swirl. That's why you see no bean specks nor that darker, yellowish hue seen in Homemade Vanilla. Natural Vanilla Bean uses sugar and higher butterfat, while the vanillas used in Dessert Trio and Homemade Vanilla use less butterfat but also use high fructose corn syrup rather than just pure sugar. That's why Natural Vanilla Bean is all natural, while the others say "Natural and Artificial Flavor Added". So, in essence, the vanilla used in Dessert Trio is a "fourth vanilla" for Blue Bell that you can't buy as a stand-alone in pints or half gallon containers. I hope this helps to clarify the Blue Bell vanilla questions."
Thanks again for making the call and getting our question answered!