Full disclosure: Much like a plan, I don’t think I’ve ever had a flan in my life. Granted, my life has mostly been filled with eating establishments that feature fries and not flan. So I guess Ben & Jerry’s new Fudgy Flan Ice Cream is the closest my taste buds have ever gotten to the custard-y dessert.
The Latin American dessert amantes del chocoflan is the inspiration for the pint, and Ben & Jerry’s tries to recreate its flavor with burnt caramel ice cream, fudge brownies, and pastry cream swirls? What’s with the question mark at the end of the previous sentence? Well, I’m not entirely sure there were any pastry cream swirls because I didn’t see or feel any. It was a little annoying, like stepping in front of an unflushed urinal. Granted, my glasses prescription is -6.25 on the right and -6.50 on the left (that’s bad for our non-optometrist audience), so maybe my eyes missed them. However, the image on the front of the container shows darker brown swirls, but like vampires, they didn’t appear in the photos I took. While they eluded my eyes, my taste buds did notice them in the form of something that tasted marshmallow-ish from time to time.
The other two pint parts that I could clearly see were the fudge brownies (because there were a lot of them) and burnt caramel ice cream. This variety isn’t the first time Ben & Jerry’s has used this base in one of its flavors. It debuted with Urban Bourbon, and here’s what I wrote about it:
I have to admit I’m not sure I taste the ice cream’s burntness. Instead, it had a normal caramel flavor that was almost too mild.
With this pint, the base, again, tastes like a regular caramel-flavored ice cream. However, it pairs well with the chewy brownies, which are a delightful addition. When combined, there’s a tasty one-two punch of caramel and fudge that ends with an aftertaste reminiscent of coffee ice cream. Along with the rich brownie flavor, they also provide a wonderful chewiness that I love sinking my teeth into. These brownie pieces are pliable enough that you can scrape some off from the large chunks without having to excavate the whole piece.
However, again, I’ve never had flan in my life, so I can’t compare this to it. However, from what I’ve tasted, this is a glorious treat with a magnificent combination of caramel flavor and chewy brownies with occasional hints of marshmallow. It’s superb enough that I’m sad it’s a limited batch. I might be a Fudgy Flan stan.
Purchased Price: $8.99*
Size: 1 pint
Purchased at: Safeway
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (2/3 cup – 139 g) 340 calories, 18 grams of fat, 11 grams of saturated fat, 0.5 grams of trans fat, 80 milligrams of cholesterol, 120 milligrams of sodium, 40 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 35 grams of sugar (including 28 grams of added sugar), and 6 grams of protein.
*Because I live on a rock in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, things are a bit pricier here. You’ll probably pay less than I did. Also, Safeway is so expensive.
