REVIEW: Dairy Queen Orange Cream Shake

/ / Reviews / 4 Comments

I miss Wendy’s Orange Creamsicle Frosty. Even though it’s only been gone for a year, I’d braid Wendy’s hair for her if I could taste that creamy, delicious treat again. Heck, I’d revive Dave Thomas and have him do commercials again if I could order a cup of that citrusy and vanilla-y dessert. But I don’t have the power to bring back the dead or the finger dexterity to braid long hair.

Instead, I will have to settle for the new Dairy Queen Orange Cream Shake that features orange flavoring mixed into DQ’s vanilla soft serve and finished with whipped topping.

As I waited in line to order, I looked at the sparse Orange Julius branding at the Dairy Queen. I felt guilty for betraying it by coming to a Dairy Queen with the intention of ordering an orange-flavored treat, but it being a new shake and not the citrusy beverage with decades of history behind it. Et tu, Brutus? But if given the option between an Orange Julius and this Dairy Queen Orange Cream Shake, I’d stab the Orange Julius, I mean, I’d pick the soft serve dessert ten out of ten times.

Nothing about its flavor strays from what we think when it comes to “orange cream” treats. From the first sip, the only thing that came to mind was an Orange Creamsicle, the popular ice cream truck offering. It has the perfect balance of citrus and cream. While it doesn’t quite have the same feel as a Wendy’s Frosty, this had a pleasant thick, icy, and creamy texture. Its delicious taste made me forget about Wendy’s orangey Frosty. As for the whipped topping, it does nothing to enhance the “cream” flavor, but that’s fine because this shake is way better than fine.

I will miss Dairy Queen’s Orange Cream Shake when it disappears from the menu. And I imagine a year from now, I’m going to want to braid the Dairy Queen’s hair for her to get a taste of this creamy, delicious treat again. I’d attempt to revive the Dairy King if I could order this citrusy and vanilla-y dessert again. Maybe by then, I’ll have the power to bring back the dead or the finger dexterity to braid hair.

Purchased Price: $5.49
Size: Small
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 610 calories, 27 grams of fat, 14 grams of saturated fat, 1 gram of trans fat, 40 milligrams of cholesterol, 180 milligrams of sodium, 81 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 73 grams of sugar, and 11 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Baskin-Robbins Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Ice Cream

/ / Reviews

Baskin-Robbins should’ve called its Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Ice Cream, March 2025’s Flavor of the Month, Chock-full Chocolate Chip Cheesecake because my single scoop had a copious amount of mini morsels floating in it. It’s like a bag of Nestle Toll House mini chocolate chips double-sneezed on my order.

While the chocolate chips are abundant, there’s a triple threat of cheesecake-flavored components. The flavor features cheesecake ice cream, chocolate cheesecake ice cream, chocolate chips, cheesecake pieces, and cookie crumb swirls.

The white cheesecake base has a pleasant tang and seems to be doing all the heavy lifting regarding the cheesecake flavor. The brown chocolate cheesecake ice cream base has a minuscule level of tanginess, but I’m basing that on what I could taste because there was little of it in my scoop. I tried my darnedest to scrape on a decent amount of the chocolate cheesecake base onto my spoon so I could get a good taste of it, but with what I could get, its cheesecake level paled when compared to the regular base. As for its chocolate flavor, it was lacking, too, but that might’ve been also because of how little I had in my scoop.

Cheesecake pieces are chewy and tangy, but I didn’t notice them at first. Their texture sort of blended in with the softness and creaminess of the bases. Also, they didn’t really enhance the cheesecake taste when I ate it with the regular cheesecake base.

Much like the cheesecake pieces, I didn’t notice the cookie crumb swirls with my first few spoonfuls, but when my tongue hit one, it was hit with a cookie blast. It cut through the tanginess so much that it made my tongue forget it was eating cheesecake-flavored ice cream. But once that faded, the tanginess came back. Eating this scoop was like double-fisting desserts, with cheesecake in one hand and chocolate chip cookies in the other, thanks to the combination of the swirl and crunchy, dark morsels.

Baskin-Robbins’ Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Ice Cream is a delight, thanks to its unexpected cookie twist. It’s far more enticing than its name might lead you to believe.

Purchased Price: $4.39
Size: Single scoop
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (2.5 oz scoop) 200 calories, 12 grams of fat, 6 grams of saturated fat, 30 milligrams of cholesterol, 85 milligrams of sodium, 21 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 16 grams of sugar (including 12 grams of added sugar), and 3 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Kellogg’s Froot Loops Ice Cream

/ / Reviews

Full disclosure: I’m a Fruity Pebbles guy. If I had to rank the three most popular fruity cereals, it would go Fruity Pebbles, Froot Loops, and then Trix. I don’t hate Trix, but I’d pick the others over it if given the option. Sorry, silly rabbit, Trix are not as tasty as the other two.

The reason why I feel Fruity Pebbles is a superior cereal over Froot Loops is because the colorful rice cereal is sweeter and has a more significant fruity kick than the bright O’s from Kellogg’s.

With that said, this Froot Loops Ice Cream has a fruitiness and a sweetness I wish the actual cereal had. The flavor is undoubtedly Froot Loops but enhanced, like a baseball player from the early 2000s. This might be the sugar talking, but if Toucan Sam ate this ice cream, he would switch from using his beak to follow Froot Loops’ scent to pecking the peepers of the people who have the power to change the cereal’s recipe to make it taste as great as this ice cream.

However, despite being inspired by a cereal, this dessert somehow lacks any crunch. There are specks of pulverized Froot Loops floating in the cereal milk-flavored ice cream base, but most are on the border of being microscopic, which is definitely too small to provide any texture. But I guess being tiny allows them to permeate Froot Loops flavor throughout the ice cream in the 14-fluid-ounce container.

Now, I guess I could buy a box of Froot Loops and crush some on top, but not to the point where they’re nearly microscopic, to get some crunch. But let’s be honest: that’s way too much effort for a dessert. Heck, I’m too lazy to even scoop this into a bowl.

If you’re a Froot Loops fanatic, do yourself a favor and pick up this ice cream. Even if you’re on Team Fruity Pebbles or Team Trix, I think it’ll tickle your taste buds.

Purchased Price: $6.99*
Size: 14 fl oz container
Purchased at: Safeway
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (2/3 cup) 210 calories, 11 grams of fat, 7 grams of saturated fat, 45 milligrams of cholesterol, 60 milligrams of sodium, 25 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 19 grams of sugar (including 15 grams of added sugar), and 3 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.

REVIEW: Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes Ice Cream

/ / Reviews / 3 Comments

As an adult who loves cereal but can almost never wake up on time to consume a normal breakfast (and even if I could, I can’t be counted on to have non-expired milk on hand), I found the concept of Kellogg’s new breakfast cereal flavored ice creams intriguing. Freed from the confines of a balanced breakfast, perhaps Frosted Flakes could finally team up with an even more indulgent dairy in the form of ice cream and become a childhood dream come true. Who didn’t want ice cream for breakfast? Also, Kellogg’s went so far as to make these ice creams and not “frozen dairy desserts.” Additionally, this ice cream base is cereal milk flavored and not just vanilla. It should be good! Dare I say, Gr-r-eat?

I do not dare. Opening the container, I couldn’t help but notice this is a boring pint. It was obvious that the flakes were completely obliterated, and no effort was made to include any whole flakes or larger chunks of them. I suppose if you throw Frosted Flakes into a mixer, you can’t really expect them to maintain their structural identity. I guess I expected them to sprinkle in a few whole pieces, maybe coated with something to ensure they provided some crunch. If not for the packaging, you’d never know there were Frosted Flakes in here. The sandy-colored specks that remain from the cereal pieces are just that…sandy. It’s as if you’d dropped your ice cream at the beach and were determined to follow the five-second rule and enjoy it anyway. However, instead of eventually getting beyond the sanded part, the grittiness has permeated the whole way through.

I could overlook the pulverized flakes if the ice cream itself was good. I’m not that picky about ice cream, but this stuff is just disappointing. The texture is oddly gummy and not in a way that feels intentional. If I got an ice cream maker and this was the result of my first batch, I’d pat myself on the back because I technically made ice cream, and then I would definitely never use that recipe again. It appears the folks at Kellogg’s were less discerning.

The price here is the same as Ben & Jerry’s, but this seems like a worse quality product and instead of swirls and mix-ins, you’re only getting smashed corn flakes. I don’t mind the overall flavor and could be convinced its milky sweetness resembles cereal milk, but it’s mostly nondescript and the tiny flecks just aren’t enough to remind me of actual Frosted Flakes. It feels like Kellogg’s is relying on consumers to try this line solely based on the clout its beloved cereals carry, but I think it will have to put in a little more effort if it wants repeat customers. I found this pint on the bottom shelf at my store, and after having tried it, I can safely say that’s where it belongs.

Purchased Price: $5.29
Size: 14 fl oz
Purchased at: Jewel-Osco
Rating: 4 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (2/3 cup) 210 calories, 11 grams of total fat, 45mg of cholesterol, 65 milligrams of sodium, 25 grams of total carbs, 20 grams of total sugars, and 3 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Ben & Jerry’s Sundaes Ice Cream

/ / Reviews / 8 Comments

After being a pivotal part of the Ben & Jerry’s European scene for years, the pre-packed Sundae has finally arrived in the States. Like 2021’s Topped lineup, these new flavors bring a plussed-up-pint experience to your home freezer. Ben & Jerry’s Sundaes combine all the usual chunks and swirls of B&J’s classics adorned with a new whipping topping and extra chunks. Interestingly, the first significant drop from the company this year saw the ice cream containers getting larger with Scoop-apalooza, and these new Sundaes are the first time I can recall seeing a 14.4-ounce package as opposed to the standard 16-ounce pint.

The newly added whipped topping has a texture very similar to Cool Whip. It doesn’t deflate like a proper whipped cream, but it also tempers quicker and is softer than your average ice cream base. However, it is devoid of an off-putting artificial taste. It’s firm enough to hold up some light chunks and swirls, but it’s a notable contrast to Ben & Jerry’s dense, full-fat ice cream. Now, onto the individual flavors:

Cookie Vermont-ster

Vanilla ice cream with chocolate chip cookies and chocolate cookie swirls topped with a fudge-swirled whipped topping and fudge chips.

This packaged ode to the epic Ben & Jerry’s scoop shop sundae experience is essentially a slight deviation from the classic Milk & Cookies pint, and it delivers just as much satisfaction as that lineup staple. Here we have fudge chips instead of chocolate chocolate chip cookies and a fluffy whipped topping that elevates the creaminess of the already smooth and delightful vanilla ice cream.

The biggest addition by subtraction to this flavor profile is the lack of double chocolate cookies, allowing the chocolate chip cookies to take center stage as the lone non-swirl mix-in. This brings a defined brown sugar flavor and excellent chewy cookie texture to nearly every bite. The fudge chips’ crunch is a welcome addition, but chocolate is definitely a complimentary taste amongst all the sweet vanilla and buttery cookie bliss.

Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (2/3 cup, 130g) 370 calories, 21 grams of fat, 11 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 55 milligrams of cholesterol, 160 milligrams of sodium, 43 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 35 grams of total sugars, and 5 grams of protein.

Dulce De-lish!

Salted caramel ice cream with pecan toffee pieces and caramel swirls topped with caramel-swirled whipped topping and sea salt fudge chunks.

This is, as the name implies, absolutely delicious. The salted caramel ice cream is smooth and buttery, perfectly accented by the caramel swirls, which bring a solid, sticky sweetness to the rich, dense base. The whipped topping works seamlessly with the ice cream, accentuating the creaminess without particularly standing out, and the pecan toffee pieces bring a pleasant little crunch against all of the smoothness in the pint.

The only way this could be better is if the sea salt fudge chunks were also filled with caramel, but there’s so much caramel up and down this flavor that it’s much less of a need and more of a (selfish, caramel-loving) want.

Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (2/3 cup, 137g) 370 calories,18 grams of fat, 12 grams of saturated fat, 0.5 grams of trans fat, 60 milligrams of cholesterol, 230 milligrams of sodium, 47 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 36 grams of total sugars, and 4 grams of protein.

Turtle Sundae

Buttery ice cream with fudge-covered almonds and pretzel swirls topped with a caramel-swirled whipped topping and fudge-covered pretzel pieces.

The buttery ice cream base is a lot like a sweet cream in that it provides a relatively blank flavor canvas but leans into the rich, buttery notes over the creamier, dairy-laden ones. It is exceptionally smooth and decadent and plays well with the fluffy caramel-laced whipped topping for a balanced, satisfying experience.

I don’t get quite as much pretzel swirl as I would like, but the ample amount of fudge-covered almonds and pretzel pieces bring more than enough crunchy saltiness to deliver on the turtle concept. I usually associate turtles with pecans, and while there are none here, I get some nutty, earthy pecan nuance from the pretzel pieces that tie the whole flavor together well. Fun fact: this is the only one of the initial four launch Sundae flavors to be new and exclusive to the US, which is a fitting homage to the turtle’s Midwest Chicago roots.

Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (2/3 cup, 134g) 400 calories, 23 grams of fat, 13 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 55 milligrams of cholesterol, 300 milligrams of sodium, 42 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 30 grams of total sugars, and 5 grams of protein.

Choco-lotta Cheesecake

Chocolate cheesecake ice cream with chocolate cookies and chocolate cookie swirls topped with fudge-swirled whipped topping and sea salt fudge chunks.

I’m not sure I would ever guess “cheesecake” while digging into this sundae, but despite that, I think this is DIVINE. The chocolate cheesecake base doesn’t have a notable tang or anything I would immediately associate with Philly’s finest. But it has a very rich and decadent chocolate flavor that is more refined than the normal chocolate from Ben & Jerry’s. There’s a hint of cheesecake flavor there, but it is predominantly an incredibly deep and luscious chocolate flavor that only gets deeper with the double whammy of chocolate cookies and cookie swirls.

The cookies mixed in throughout the base make the flavor eat like a rich brownie batter with little pockets of gritty saltiness akin to a chocolate pie crust, and it is wonderful. Once again, the whipped topping is a great addition to the profile and the sea salt fudge chunks stand out more notably than in any other flavor, adding a nice pop of saltiness when they find their way onto my spoon. While some cheesecake pieces may have driven the concept all the way home, this is an undeniable creation that simply works and will deliver satisfaction for bonafide choco-lovers like myself.

Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (2/3 cup, 125g) 380 calories, 20 grams of fat, 10 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 55 milligrams of cholesterol, 170 milligrams of sodium, 46 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, 33 grams of total sugars, and 5 grams of protein.

DISCLOSURE: I received a free product samples from Ben & Jerry’s. Doing so did not influence my review.

Scroll to Top