REVIEW: Blue Bell Chocolate Lava Cake Ice Cream

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Vanilla ice cream with a chocolate cake pieces, chocolate sundae sauce, and dark chocolate fudge swirl.

I’ve been on a few cruises, but being packed on a ship with drunk adults, screaming kids, and various communicable diseases that are likely to cause gastrointestinal distress is not really my thing. One of the only positives I can say about cruising is the availability of unlimited chocolate lava cake. So, I was excited but also dubious when I saw Blue Bell’s new Chocolate Lava Cake Ice Cream.

My first reason for dubiousness is that the base is vanilla ice cream, which seems odd for chocolate lava cake. The second reason is the presumed lack of hot lava in something I got from the grocery store freezer. But my concerns were unfounded. It turns out that Blue Bell, which has been making ice cream for well over 100 years, knows more than I do about making said ice cream, because this flavor is simply magnificent.

That's a lot of chocolate.

Casting vanilla ice cream in a supporting role with the chocolate cake pieces, chocolate sundae sauce, and dark chocolate fudge swirl was a smart move, because using chocolate ice cream might have resulted in a chocolate overload and probably wouldn’t have allowed the other components to shine. The vanilla flavor is almost imperceptible, and that lets its chocolate friends do their thing. And they do it well.

Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate

Even using my spoon as a dissection tool, it was tricky to tell what’s what between the three types of chocolate in here. At first, I thought it was the chocolate cake pieces that were tremendously dense, chewy, decadent, and delicious, but the fudginess of it seemed to indicate it was actually the swirl. The cake pieces don’t impart much of a cakey consistency, but I didn’t mind that. The end result was a surprisingly complex mix of different chocolates that I don’t recall getting from any other ice cream. Of course there was no oozing, warm chocolate like in an actual lava cake, but you can’t expect Blue Bell to defy the laws of physics.

Dig in deep!

Sadly, I did not have any chocolate sauce on hand at my house because the kids would just guzzle it for breakfast, but I might have to get some and hide it behind the vegetables because the only way to make this better would be to warm up a bit of that and drizzle it over the top.

This truly is one of my favorite ice cream flavors, and I don’t have to live in a tiny room for several days to enjoy it.

Purchased Price: $3.99
Size: One Pint
Purchased at: Brookshire Brothers
Rating: 10 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (2/3 cup) 300 calories, 15 grams of fat, 7 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 40 milligrams of cholesterol, 95 milligrams of sodium, 37 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of dietary fiber, 25 grams of sugar, and 5 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Baskin-Robbins Brookie Batter Ice Cream

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Chocolate Chip Cookie and Brownies unite!

Here’s something I thought I’d never type: I guess sometimes Oreo cookie pieces aren’t necessary.

What made me come to that conclusion was Baskin-Robbins’ July 2026 Flavor of the Month, Brookie Batter. There’s a lot going on with this scoop. It starts with brown sugar and brownie batter flavored ice creams. Then there are chocolate chip cookie and brownie dough chunks. Suspended in all of that are brownie batter flavored swirls. Then, like icing on a cake that already had icing on it, there are Oreo cookie pieces that feel like a third wheel uncomfortably sitting at a table where brownies and chocolate chip cookies are on a date.

Did someone at Baskin-Robbins corporate accidentally add an extra zero to the Oreo amount on a purchase order, creating an Oreoabundance? Did the folks there feel guilt because the last Flavor of the Month to feature Oreo cookie pieces was back in September 2024? Because the famous chocolatey cookie pieces seem unnecessary.

Whatever the case, Brookie Batter is a great ice cream flavor with a perfect balance between cookie and brownie.

Sorry for the slightly blurry photo.

The brown sugar and brownie batter ice cream bases are enjoyable on their own and do a good job of conveying the flavors of a brookie. But the scoop gets even better with the cookie and brownie dough chunks. Both are chewy, and when you get one or the other, it imparts its flavor into the ice cream and enhances it. It was rare to get both chunks in the same spoonful, but I didn’t mind. It was like playing Brookie Bingo, except instead of random numbers being pulled from a spinning cage, chewy chunks of cookie or brownie were scooped out from my cup.

And if that weren’t enough, the brownie batter swirls kick things up another notch. They add a slight grittiness and are bursting with fudgy flavor, elevating the other brownie-flavored elements. But I do wish my scoop had more of them.

Back to the Oreo pieces, which, I’ll admit, don’t really detract from the scoop and contribute a bit of crunch, which I guess justifies their presence. But, I dunno. It’s a little weird that they’re in here without being a headliner. Maybe if Chips Ahoy pieces were alongside them, the Oreo addition would feel more intentional and less like an afterthought. But if this didn’t have them, I would still enjoy it as much.

Baskin-Robbins’ Brookie Batter is a wonderful ice cream that nails the flavors and textures of a brookie, and those gritty swirls take the scoop to another level.

Purchased Price: $5.19
Size: 4 oz scoop
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 300 calories, 14 grams of fat, 8 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 40 milligrams of cholesterol, 180 milligrams of sodium, 40 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 30 grams of sugar (including 25 grams of added sugar), and 4 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Dairy Queen Biscoff Cookie Blizzard

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It's just soft serve and Biscoff cookies.

There is almost nothing enjoyable about air travel, unless you like long security lines, flight delays, and people in Group 10 who line up at the gate before boarding even starts. But one thing that helps me take the edge off is the Biscoff cookie many airlines toss out to the plebs in economy. It can sometimes be the only positive experience during a day of flying, and now you can get that feeling without having to listen to a safety demonstration, as Dairy Queen has introduced the new Biscoff Cookie Blizzard as part of the Blizzard Cup lineup.

The Blizzard Cup sounds like a minor league hockey tournament.

This Blizzard is about as simple as simple gets. It’s Biscoff cookies blended with vanilla soft serve. That’s it. But sometimes simple is splendid, and that’s the case here.

Biscoff cookies and soft serve is quite simple.

As much as I like Biscoff cookies, I don’t think I’ve ever actually purchased them at the grocery store. I really don’t know why, because the sweet blend of caramel and cinnamon is delicious. So this Blizzard might be the first time I’ve had a Biscoff without sitting uncomfortably in an aluminum tube. I was really looking forward to this Blizzard, and it delivered as expected.

But it's a tasty combo.

It was a delight every time I got a significant chunk of Biscoff in a spoonful, but even the soft serve mixed with just cookie crumbs was tasty. Much like a regular Oreo Blizzard, this one is not going to astound you — it’s just cookies and vanilla ice cream — but it is certainly a sweet, satisfying treat.

My only advice is not to dilly-dally as you eat this Blizzard. I guess because of the airy texture of Biscoff cookies, I did experience a bit of cookie sogginess toward the bottom of the cup. That’s just a minor complaint, however, and I hereby declare this as the winner of the Blizzard Cup (even though I’ve only had two of the three in the new lineup).

Purchased Price: $4.49
Size: Mini
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 330 calories, 11 grams of fat, 77 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 30 milligrams of cholesterol, 160 milligrams of sodium, 50 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 39 grams of sugar, and 8 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Dairy Queen Mexican-style Hot Chocolate Made with ABUELITA Blizzard

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Dairy Queen Mexican-style Hot Chocolate Made with ABUELITA Blizzard

Here’s a sentence that likely has never been typed before: I know more about the Spanish language than I do about hot chocolate. That’s a weird thing to say, but it applies to the Mexican-style Hot Chocolate Made with ABUELITA Blizzard at Dairy Queen. It is part of the new Blizzard Cup menu and probably the record-holder for the longest Blizzard name in history.

I know enough Spanish to know that abuelita means grandmother, but I have an odd dislike for hot beverages of any kind, so I had never heard of ABUELITA hot chocolate. I also don’t know why the word has to be in all caps, or why Mrs. Doubtfire is on the logo. But I do know this Blizzard is quite good.

My aversion to hot chocolate only pertains to the hot part, so I was excited to try it as part of an icy-cold Blizzard. If you’ve had Nestle’s ABUELITA or any Mexican-style hot chocolate, you know there’s a lot more going on than with the standard version. And that’s certainly true with this Blizzard.

The ABUELITA packs a nice punch of warm cinnamon, and the chocolate flavor is not as sweet or powerful as other chocolate-focused Blizzards. There’s still plenty of chocolatiness in here though, thanks to the choco chunks that are a staple of so many other Blizzard combinations. The result is a complex and pleasing blend of chocolate flavors.

Whipped topping has never made anything worse.

The only letdown comes from the fudge-coated mini marshmallows. I realize marshmallows are chewy by nature, but these are distractingly rubbery and don’t impart much fudge or marshmallow flavor. They just add a weird texture against the crunch of the choco chunks. And since whipped topping has never made anything worse, the addition of it on top is a nice bonus.

Even after a slight downgrade because of the marshmallows, this Blizzard provides a tasty change of pace and stands out from most others. It did not quite make the list as one of my all-time favorites, but I would definitely get it again, and it’s worth a try if you are a fan of Mexican-style hot chocolate.

And it turns out that’s not Mrs. Doubtfire on the label, but instead is the late actress Sara Garcia, who was known as Mexico’s Grandmother.

Purchased Price: $4.49
Size: Mini
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 430 calories, 19 grams of fat, 13 grams of saturated fat, 0.5 grams of trans fat, 30 milligrams of cholesterol, 150 milligrams of sodium, 59 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 49 grams of sugar, and 8 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Wendy’s Banana Frosty Swirl

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Banana!

Ladies and Gentleminions, Wendy’s is back with another Blendy.

Well, they would be if they just agreed to call it that. Yeah, it’s technically called a “Frosty Swirl,” but I’m not gonna let that little restraining order get in the way of calling it a Blendy.

What are they gonna do, restrain me again? Order me around like some Minion?

In the business, they call that an “expert segue.” Not me though. I call it an “expert segway” because I prefer the dumb-guy spelling of the word, and it’s well established that I’m a rebel.

Know who else are rebels? The Minions. Call me Paul Blart, because I am a Segway expert!

Banana Frosty

Yup, we’ve got ourselves a collab between Wendy and the new film, Minions and Monsters, and you’ll never guess what flavor it is.

You guessed it, Bottom! No wait, the other word the Minions say, Banana!

As an ardent banana defender, I feel it is my duty to stick up for any and all banana-flavored snacks. I love almost all of them. … not sure I loved this one.

Banana Frosty Swirl

Don’t get me wrong, it’s vanilla ice cream with banana syrup. It’s not bad, it’s just not what it could’ve been. As much as it pains me to admit, I don’t think bananas work as a syrup.

I can’t recall the last time I had a Vanilla Frosty, but I really just think this was ice cream. I’ve broken down the consistency of the Frosty in past reviews, and this lacked that little bit of “grainy ice” texture that is uniquely Frosty. It tasted good, but that was a bad start.

Banana!

I wasn’t exactly swimming in banana syrup swirl, but it was probably for the better. In isolation, it tasted okay, but it was a very highly concentrated flavor. I wouldn’t say it was natural or “Banana Runt” artificial, but right in banana purgatory. (Sidenote: Banana Runts are amazing, stop slandering them.)

I didn’t love the consistency here. It’s essentially the same as chocolate syrup, and it was a little strange when coupled with a banana flavor. I don’t know why, but thick, gooey banana syrup just doesn’t hit the same.

There was also a sour finish to the syrup, but once I mixed it up, it tasted alright. That said, the ratio was such that the vanilla just took over completely, and it got pretty boring like the 3rd act of Despicable Me 4 – a movie I definitely saw.

Boss

All things considered, it’s decent, and it’s definitely a cute collaboration. Who doesn’t like the Minions? They’re still funny. Hearing one say, “Allo Wendy” in the commercial is comedy, but this Blendy leaned a little closer to tragedy.

My ultimate takeaway was – why didn’t Wendy’s just make a Banana Frosty?! Why are we trying to “McFlurry” this? Is Wendy’s corporate the eponymous Monsters? Just make a delicious, grainy iced Banana Frosty! It was right there!

After I had that epiphany, I realized I was more disappointed than I initially thought, and I honestly no longer saw the allure.

… I shoulda said “appeal.” It was right there!

Purchased Price: $2.99
Size: Small
Purchased at: Wendy’s
Rating: 5 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 370 calories, 8 grams of fat, 5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 30 milligrams of cholesterol, 270 milligrams of sodium, 65 grams of total carbohydrates, 56 grams of sugar, and 0 grams of protein.

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