Cheesecake vs vanilla ice cream: which is healthier?

They are about equally nutrient-dense: cheesecake scores 6/100 and vanilla ice cream 6/100, so pick by your goal. Both can be part of a healthy diet; the table below shows where each one is stronger. Source: USDA FoodData Central.

Cheesecake

6/100Low nutrient density

377 kcal per 100 g. 1 slice (1/12 cake): 130 g

Vanilla ice cream

6/100Low nutrient density

207 kcal per 100 g. 1/2 cup: 66 g

Which to pick for your goal

Fewer caloriesVanilla ice cream377 vs 207 kcal per 100 g
More proteinCheesecake6.1 vs 3.5 g per 100 g
More fiberAbout even0.4 vs 0.7 g per 100 g
Less sugarAbout even19 vs 21 g per 100 g
More potassiumVanilla ice cream124 vs 199 mg per 100 g
Less saturated fatVanilla ice cream15 vs 6.8 g per 100 g

Nutrition side by side

Per 100 g and per typical portion. Bold marks the better value for each row.
Nutrient	Cheesecake, 100 g	Vanilla ice cream, 100 g	Cheesecake, 130 g	Vanilla ice cream, 66 g
Calories	377 kcal	207 kcal	490 kcal	137 kcal
Protein	6.1 g	3.5 g	8 g	2.3 g
Carbohydrates	27 g	24 g	36 g	16 g
Sugars	19 g	21 g	25 g	14 g
Fiber	0.4 g	0.7 g	0.5 g	0.5 g
Fat	28 g	11 g	36 g	7.3 g
Saturated fat	15 g	6.8 g	20 g	4.5 g
Vitamin C	<0.1 mg	0.6 mg	<0.1 mg	0.4 mg
Vitamin A	239 µg	118 µg	311 µg	78 µg
Potassium	124 mg	199 mg	161 mg	131 mg
Iron	0.8 mg	<0.1 mg	1 mg	<0.1 mg
Calcium	79 mg	128 mg	103 mg	84 mg
Magnesium	12 mg	14 mg	16 mg	9.2 mg
Sodium	256 mg	80 mg	332 mg	53 mg

Last updated November 12, 2026. Scores use the HowHealthyIs Score method.

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