Tag: Ice Cream

REVIEW: Jeni’s Maple Soaked Pancakes Ice Cream

Tiffany 17 Comments

Jeni s Maple Soaked Pancakes Ice Cream Pint

What is Jeni’s Maple Soaked Pancakes Ice Cream?

Emulating a breakfast staple, it’s fluffy pancakes in salted butter and Vermont maple syrup ice creams.

The side of the pint shares a heartwarming blurb on her inspiration — Young Jeni enjoyed freshly tapped maple syrup, from her grandparents’ trees, with a triple stack of buttermilk pancakes. She soaked them until they became a syrupy, sweet mush.

How is it?

Buddy the Elf would approve and count this as part of his syrup food group!

Jeni s Maple Soaked Pancakes Ice Cream Top

After pulling back the lid, I could immediately see two swirl colors – a cream one and a light brown sugar-esque one.

From tasting it, the darker part was unmistakably the maple syrup ice cream. It had a light and caramel-like flavor. However, it wasn’t cloying like caramel can get sometimes. Could I tell that it was from Vermont? Nope, but I can appreciate Jeni’s attention to detail. What I can also appreciate is how one manages to freeze real maple syrup without it crystallizing or diminishing the flavor! Food magics.

Jeni s Maple Soaked Pancakes Ice Cream Spoon

By the process of elimination, I anticipated the lighter part to be the salted butter portion. It didn’t really have a pronounced taste, but my taste buds did pick up the saltiness.

Jeni s Maple Soaked Pancakes Ice Cream Panugget

The pancake was swirled throughout. But the adjective fluffy should really be in quotes because it creates unrealistic expectations! They were also more like pancake pieces, or in today’s snack vernacular, they could be considered pancake bites. The texture was fine. They were crumby, so they reminded me a bit of stale pancakes, but at least they weren’t frozen solid. I found myself hunting for them like cookie dough pieces in vanilla ice cream, but it was a lot more difficult because these were practically camouflaged.

Altogether, this was pretty good and unique from what’s in the ice cream aisle today! I also always appreciate creamy ice cream that’s easy to scoop, with a spoon, right out of the freezer.

Anything else you need to know?

Jeni s Maple Soaked Pancakes Ice Cream Lid

Since day one, Jeni’s has been faithful to her philosophy of high-quality ingredients. All her cream comes from grass-fed cows from a local Ohio milk producer. None of her ice creams have stabilizers, emulsifiers, or corn syrup! Even for the color of this specific flavor, she used hibiscus, apple, and carrot to achieve it. We pay a pretty premium for this, but I think it’s worth it!

While Jeni’s is relatively new to grocery store shelves, she’s been rockin’ it since 2002. If you get a chance to visit one of her 40+ locations, there are scoop shop exclusives (shameless plug for the Pear Riesling Sorbet paired with the Darkest Chocolate ice cream)!

Conclusion:

I didn’t need a unique breakfast flavor analog like this to convince me to eat ice cream for breakfast, but I enjoyed the idea AND execution of this.

Purchased Price: $12
Size: 1 pint (473 mL)
Purchased at: Jeni’s Website
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 serving – 2/3 cup or 123g) 300 calories, 18 grams of fat, 10 grams of saturated fat, 0.5 grams of trans fat, 55 milligrams of cholesterol, 320 milligrams of sodium, 35 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 28 grams of sugar, and 6 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Ben & Jerry’s Chewy Gooey Cookie Ice Cream

Sean 1 Comment

Ben Jerry s Chewy Gooey Cookie Ice Cream PInt

What is Ben & Jerry’s Chewy Gooey Cookie?

Just in time for Girl Scout Cookie season, Ben & Jerry’s put its own spin on the purple-boxed caramel-y classic Samoas. Chewy Gooey Cookie combines milk chocolate and coconut ice creams with fudge flakes, shortbread cookies, and caramel swirls.

How is it?

It’s good, but not great.

Ben Jerry s Chewy Gooey Cookie Ice Cream Swirl

The coconut ice cream is fantastic. I can’t recall the last time B&J’s used this in one of its dairy pints, if ever. It’s sweet and creamy with pieces of shredded coconut that add little pockets of chewiness to the predominately smooth landscape. I really like it. The milk chocolate base was the right choice over the standard, darker chocolate, as its milky sweetness doesn’t overpower the coconut’s gentler fruity and nutty notes. I don’t enjoy the chocolate nearly as much as the coconut on its own, but there’s no denying they’re a dream team when enjoyed in tandem.

Ben Jerry s Chewy Gooey Cookie Ice Cream Spoon

The mix-ins do a great job of bringing the Samoas experience full circle when they’re present, but I wish there were more! Most notably, the caramel swirls are pretty thin, and I have to hunt to get some on my spoon. Surprisingly the fudge flakes are also relatively light, and as the least interesting inclusion, I didn’t think I would miss them. But I do wish I had more crunch.

Ben Jerry s Chewy Gooey Cookie Ice Cream Unearthed

The shortbread cookies are the most prominent of the three, and they’re crucial to realizing the cookie concept. That crumbly floury texture is pivotal to the Samoas, and while I wish their flavor had a bit more of a buttery and salty punch, I overall appreciate what they bring to the pint.

Anything else you need to know?

I know this isn’t Girl Scouts-branded, but I’m fixating on that because the homage jumped out at me when I read the description. Samoas are my favorite Scout cookie, oftentimes overshadowed by Thin Mints. Coincidentally last year, Ben & Jerry’s released an ice cream called Thick Mint, so someone at the company definitely loves these cookies, and I can get behind that.

Conclusion:

Even though the milk chocolate base is good, I would have preferred a fudge swirl for a more interesting texture and dense flavor and to not take any real estate away from the excellent coconut base. There’s a ton of potential in this pint, but it’s lacking the pizazz that some of B&J’s more effective outings, like Phish Food with its legendary dual swirl, bring to the table. Is this ice cream chewy? Absolutely. Is it gooey? Eh, not quite, but it could be exceptional with a couple of tweaks.

Purchased Price: $4.99
Size: One Pint
Purchased at: Safeway
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (2/3 cup, 140g) 360 calories, 20 grams of fat, 13 grams of saturated fat, 0.5 grams of trans fat, 60 milligrams of cholesterol, 150 milligrams of sodium, 41 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 31 grams of sugar, 5 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Little Debbie Ice Cream

Ann 13 Comments

Little Debbie Ice Cream Lineup

Update 9/5/23: We tried the Turtle Brownie, Apple Fruit Pies, and Chocolate Chip Creme Pies ice cream flavors! Click here to read our review.

Update 3/8/23: We also tried the Fudge Rounds and Birthday Cakes flavors! Click here to read our review.

Update 9/2/22: We also tried the seasonal Pumpkin Delights flavor! Click here to read our review.

Update 6/24/22: We also tried the Star Crunch and Unicorn Cake flavors! Click here to read our review.

There aren’t many independently-owned companies with a brand as well-known and emotionally coveted as Little Debbie. Maybe it’s the vast and varied number of snack cake, donut, and bakery items. But I think Little Debbie has managed to package up some processed snack food magic in its little boxes, and when I heard it had collaborated to create Little Debbie-themed ice creams, my Cosmic-Brownie-loving heart did a flutter.

I realize there are a lot of nostalgic ties to Little Debbie treats. People have strong opinions about their favorites. My review aims to evaluate each ice cream for its overall representation of the snack cake and the total quality as a stand-alone ice cream. I purchased as many of the accompanying snack cakes as I could find but could not track down a Honey Bun or Swiss Roll IRL. (Supply chain shortages, UGH!)

I started my journey with the Nutty Bars one and immediately noticed the foil lid with a Hudsonville Ice Cream label. In my excitement to find these, I had missed the fantastic detail that these are all truly “ice creams” and not “frozen desserts,” “light ice creams,” or “soft serves.” The first three ingredients in every variety are milk, cream, and sugar (and then many other ingredients, but still, I was delighted and hopeful).

Nutty Bars Ice Cream

Little Debbie Ice Cream Nutty Bar 1

The Nutty Bars variety is a peanut butter ice cream with chocolate swirls and small Nutty Bar-type inclusions. The pieces were wafer squares covered in chocolate which had a more dense texture than the Nutty Bars themselves but were still pretty representative and delivered a wafer crunch. I was smitten. The flavors were clear and balanced, and the ice cream had enough flavor and texture elements to make it enjoyable while also definitely reminding me of a Nutty Bar.

Little Debbie Ice Cream Nutty Bar 2

Rating: 10 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1/3 of the container) 280 Calories, 16 grams of fat, 8 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 35 milligrams of cholesterol, 115 milligrams of sodium, 28 grams of carbohydrates, 1 grams of fiber, 21 grams of sugar, and 5 grams of protein.

Zebra Cakes Ice Cream

Little Debbie Ice Cream Zebra Cake 1

Next up, I dug into the Zebra Cakes version, stopping to admire the zebra-striped lid and familiar graphics. It has a vanilla ice cream base with chocolate fudge swirls and vanilla cake pieces. The base tasted remarkably similar to the cake and frosting of the actual snack. The fudge swirl was a great addition, though I think it overrepresented the chocolate note compared to the snack cake’s decorative chocolate swirl. The pieces were more saturated than the Zebra Cake cake, which somehow made them better. This reminded me of the Christmas Tree Cakes Ice Cream, but with the welcome addition of the over-achieving chocolate swirl. Also, yeah, the only Zebra Cake I could locate was a Zebra Cakes ROLL, but the flavor, for comparison’s sake, was the same.

Little Debbie Ice Cream Zebra Cake 3

Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1/3 of the container) 220 Calories, 10 grams of fat, 6 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 40 milligrams of cholesterol, 80 milligrams of sodium, 30 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 23 grams of sugar, and 4 grams of protein.

Strawberry Shortcake Rolls Ice Cream

Little Debbie Ice Cream Strawberry Shortcake Rolls 1

After the Zebra Cakes, I went for the similar Strawberry Shortcake Rolls Ice Cream. This was vanilla-based with a strawberry swirl and vanilla cake pieces. This flavor made it clear that Little Debbie was an active participant in this collaboration because the strawberry swirl tasted IDENTICAL to the strawberry cream in the snack cake version. Like, WOW. There were lots of vanilla cake inclusions, and once again, the base had a bit of that vanilla cream flavor as well. In terms of tasting like the snack cake, this one felt about as close as you could get in an ice cream form. I’m not typically a strawberry ice cream fan, but there isn’t anything I don’t like about this.

Little Debbie Ice Cream Strawberry Shortcake Rolls 2

Rating: 10 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1/3 of the container) 220 Calories, 10 grams of fat, 6 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 40 milligrams of cholesterol, 80 milligrams of sodium, 28 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 21 grams of sugar, and 4 grams of protein.

Oatmeal Creme Pies Ice Cream

Little Debbie Ice Cream Oatmeal Creme Pie 1

Having established a heightened level of expectation, I chose the Oatmeal Creme Pies one next. This flavor had a lot of pressure, as it’s one of Little Debbie’s most well-known and best-selling treats (according to the internet). The ice cream base was a nice clean vanilla, and the mix-in was marble-sized gobs of cinnamon cookie pieces that didn’t appear to have any oats. Still, they were certainly representative. My biggest qualm is that there were too few cookies since they were the only inclusion. They also tasted too heavily of cinnamon and ginger. They were delicious, yes, but they didn’t taste as close to the Oatmeal Creme Pie cookie as I thought they would. Once I found and ate the cookie pieces, I was left with too much plain vanilla ice cream.

Little Debbie Ice Cream Oatmeal Creme Pie 3

Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1/3 of the container) 220 Calories, 9 grams of fat, 6 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 40 milligrams of cholesterol, 85 milligrams of sodium, 31 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 25 grams of sugar, and 3 grams of protein.

Honey Buns Ice Cream

Little Debbie Ice Cream Honey Bun 1

Honey Buns Ice Cream was next, and I have to say, I was really disappointed I couldn’t find an actual Honey Bun to compare. I did find a Hostess Jumbo Honey Bun, but that’s a different brand, and I was dedicated to the accuracy! When trying this, the first words out of my mouth were, “Holy crap! How’d they do that?” This delivers on the donut flavor. The base tasted exactly like a Honey Bun (again, maybe this is the magic of shared artificial flavors, and if so, I’m ALL for it!). There were cinnamon sugar swirls and sugar-coated fried dough chunks, which were slightly CRUNCHY like an old-fashioned donut. This ice cream blew my freaking mind. I will buy this again. The cinnamon might have been a tiny bit heavy, but those donut pieces, whoa.

Little Debbie Ice Cream Honey Bun 3

Rating: 10 out of 10 with enthusiasm.
Nutrition Facts: (1/3 of the container) 240 Calories, 13 grams of fat, 8 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 40 milligrams of cholesterol, 95 milligrams of sodium, 27 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 21 grams of sugar, and 3 grams of protein.

Swiss Rolls Ice Cream

Little Debbie Ice Cream Swiss Roll 1

Heading back to the cake roll realm, I tried Swiss Rolls Ice Cream next. Again, pathetically, I couldn’t find an actual Swiss Roll to compare it with and had to go a bit on memory for this one. This featured a chocolate base which, again, tasted remarkably similar to the specific chocolate frosting found on Swiss Rolls. There were chocolate cake pieces and a white swirl to represent the sweet cream filling which had sort of a marshmallowy flavor. It might have just been my pint, but I thought the cake pieces were noticeably smaller than those in the Zebra Cake or Strawberry Shortcake varieties, and that made it hard to taste/notice them. When I did encounter some cake, it was dry and gritty. Overall, I still think this came close to representing a Swiss Roll, but as a stand-alone ice cream, the quality wasn’t as high as the others.

Little Debbie Ice Cream Swiss Roll 2

Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1/3 of the container) 210 Calories, 9 grams of fat, 5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 30 milligrams of cholesterol, 70 milligrams of sodium, 31 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 23 grams of sugar, and 3 grams of protein.

Cosmic Brownies Ice Cream

Little Debbie Ice Cream Cosmic Brownies 1

And to round out this crossover launch, there’s Cosmic Brownies Ice Cream. Bright-colored chocolate sprinkles and gobs of chewy chocolate brownie were scattered against a background of chocolate ice cream. I honestly think the base’s flavor could have been stronger, but that might have taken it closer to the taste of Cosmic Brownie frosting. Maybe they could have also added a chocolate swirl? The brownie pieces, however, were fantastic. Chewy, chocolatey, and plentiful, the only thing wrong with them is that I think I liked them better than an actual Cosmic Brownie, and that made me feel like a traitor. The vibrant sprinkles are a little bit lost and muted when submerged in ice cream, but I was surprised that they still did deliver a candy flavor of their own. A pretty decent match with the popular treat and not at all a bad stand-alone ice cream.

Little Debbie Ice Cream Cosmic Brownies 2

Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1/3 of the container) 230 Calories, 10 grams of fat, 6 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 40 milligrams of cholesterol, 85 milligrams of sodium, 30 grams of carbohydrates, 1 grams of fiber, 22 grams of sugar, and 4 grams of protein.

Little Debbie Ice Cream Pure Joy

I was pretty blown away by this lineup. I told A LOT of friends and family to go find them. I don’t think many other brand crossover launches like this have done this well at replicating flavor profiles, and I tip my hat to the ingenuity of McKee Foods and Hudsonville Ice Cream. I was particularly impressed with the quality, especially at a $2.50 price point. As mentioned above, the only disappointment was when I occasionally realized I might like one or two of these better than their bakery counterpart. Heaven forbid.

REVIEW: Oreo Frozen Dairy Dessert Bars and Sandwiches

Alex 15 Comments

Oreo Frozen Dairy Dessert Bars and Sandwiches Boxes

Cookies n’ cream ice cream is a choice that feels too obvious and not obvious all at once. I asked friends and family to name their favorite frozen flavors and only one said cookies n’ cream, yet the International Dairy Foods Association says it’s America’s third favorite behind only vanilla and chocolate.

Perhaps it’s like when you ask someone their favorite movie; chances are they’re going to name the flick they’ve seen a handful of times that’s creatively stimulating, not the comfort film they’ve put on every single time it’s been on cable. No one thinks of Grease 2, and no one thought of cookies ‘n cream, including me. However, once I mentioned the flavor, most recognized it was a favorite, with many then naming a version that included Oreo. So, a lot of you may be latently excited to hear Oreo has released new frozen dairy dessert bars and sandwiches.

Oreo Frozen Dessert Bars Wrapper

The Oreo Bars come in a box of five and, to my delight, include Per Container nutrition facts alongside the Per Serving. Want to eat all five in a row? Oreo knows you do and doesn’t judge. They’re wrapped up in cute little sleeves reminiscent of Oreo cookie packaging, but the bars themselves aren’t the cutest.

Oreo Frozen Dessert Bars Shell

The outside of each treat is lumpy and dull, but it communicates it’s going to taste like an Oreo wafer. While they could’ve rolled the bar in Oreo crumbles, I appreciate that cookie chunks are instead mixed into the chocolate coating. The texture was unlike any I’ve experienced. If there was a more delicious way to say sandy I would, but please take my word that it’s incredibly satisfying sand. The coating didn’t have the crack many may be seeking, but with the crunch of the cookie I didn’t mind it being a bit softer.

Oreo Frozen Dessert Bars Split

The ice cream was a sweet and thin cookies n’ cream. This is definitely not America’s bronze medal wearing variety since it lacked velvety depth, but paired with the Oreo cookie pieces it made perfect sense as a stand in for the crème. I went back and forth wishing it was richer but enjoying that it tasted like its namesake. Though if that’s what they were going for, I think a nut milk-based ice cream would’ve fared similarly and it felt like a missed opportunity to make these dairy-free like the cookies.

Oreo Frozen Dessert Sandwiches Side

The Oreo Sandwiches are a delight! I couldn’t help but feel like a kid holding what looked like a giant Oreo sandwich cookie. No “Per Container” here (all four are 840 calories for those interested), but that may be because they’re more substantial. The wafers tasted just like an Oreo cookie wafer. Not as crunchy, but crunchy for an ice cream sandwich. They didn’t soften as I munched through them, yet I was able to eat the whole thing without the wafers smushing down the ice cream and pushing it out the sides.

Oreo Frozen Dessert Sandwiches Dunk

The sandwiches held the same ice cream as the bars and I felt the same about it in this format, but it was more at home against the bitter cocoa taste of the wafers than the sweet chocolate coating on the bar. Here it made the whole bite taste like an Oreo dipped in milk. And yes, the sandwiches will twist open.

Oreo Frozen Dessert Sandwiches Twist

Oreo Frozen Dairy Dessert Bars and Sandwiches Back Box

Both boxes tease that each frozen treat is an Oreo playfully reimagined, and I would say each one was exactly that and would recommend either. But if you want the unquestionable “you’d still know it’s Oreo flavored with a blindfold on” experience, go for the sandwiches.

All in all, Oreo has put out some spectacular cookies n’ cream ice cream novelties that may just have me more likely to name the flavor as my favorite.

Purchased Price: $4.99 each
Size: 5-pack box (Bars), 4-pack box (Sandwiches)
Purchased at: Ralphs
Rating: 8 out of 10 (Bars), 9 out of 10 (Sandwiches)
Nutrition Facts: Oreo Bars – (1 bar) 190 calories, 11 grams of fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 6 grams of saturated fat, 5 mg of cholesterol, 80 milligrams of sodium, 22 grams of total carbohydrates, 15 grams of total sugars, 0 grams of fiber, and 1 gram of protein. Oreo Sandwiches – (1 sandwich) 210 calories, 6 grams of fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 2 grams of saturated fat, less than 5 mg of cholesterol, 200 milligrams of sodium, 35 grams of total carbohydrates, 17 grams of total sugars, 1 gram of fiber, and 2 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Turkey Hill Mystery Flavor Frozen Dairy Dessert

Sean 22 Comments

Turkey Hill Mystery Flavor Frozen Dairy Dessert Tub

Mystery flavor Doritos in plain silver bags marked only with test numbers. Mystery flavor Mtn Dew VooDEW that creeps around for Halloween. That one time Oreo made a mystery flavor that turned out to be Fruity Pebbles with a chocolate cookie. These are some of the many notable mysteries in junk food history, and to kick off the new year, we have a game-changing mystery on our hands — mystery ice cream.

Never, in all my years of scooping, have I heard of a mystery flavor ice cream. For 2022, Turkey Hill invites customers to grab this 48-ounce container of its finest frozen dairy dessert, scan the QR code (or visit www.turkeyhill.com/mysteryflavor), and try their hand at solving the creamy puzzle for a chance to win free Turkey Hill ice cream for life. If you want to go down this rabbit hole yourself, it’s time to turn away because detective Sean has arrived, and it’s spoiler season.

Technically this isn’t ice cream. Due to its lower milk fat content, it’s considered frozen dairy dessert, but I’ll refer to it as ice cream in this review because that’s how most people view it. Since it’s lower fat and far lighter than anything with any premium tag attached, the texture is a bit airy and fluffy. Although fluffed out, it has a decently lush mouthfeel, with a smooth creaminess that intensifies the more it tempers. Sometimes frozen dairy desserts have a wateriness and lack any depth of flavor, but that’s not the case here, and I’m pleasantly surprised.

So what IS the flavor?

Turkey Hill Mystery Flavor Frozen Dairy Dessert Top

It’s a bit of a letdown. It’s a white base with a blueberry swirl, and that’s it. When I say “white base,” I mean that it’s kind of hard to nail down because it’s not jumping out with anything notable. Again, it has a pretty decent mouthfeel that reminds me of something richer than it is, like cream cheese or even cheesecake, but it isn’t too tangy. It’s also not floral like a proper vanilla bean, so the base flavor lacks character beyond its surprising texture.

Turkey Hill Mystery Flavor Frozen Dairy Dessert Top 2

The swirl is just okay. Slightly tart with a fruit-meets-candy blueberry taste that reminds me a bit of Pop-Tarts without going fully processed. My issue with the swirl isn’t in the taste though, it’s in the quantity and texture. There isn’t nearly enough of it, both in terms of density and actual thickness, to bring any real textural character to the decent but un-exciting base. There are some denser pockets towards the middle of the container, but in those thicker slabs, a more noticeable iciness comes through, a common problem with fruity swirls that take away from the smoothness.

Turkey Hill Mystery Flavor Frozen Dairy Dessert Middle

So the answer to the mystery is — blueberry? Maybe blueberry cheesecake? Blueberries and cream? Having only one swirl is a massive missed opportunity from Turkey Hill to make something more complex and fun. Add in a graham cracker swirl and a slightly more complex base and this could be a fantastic low cal Blueberry Cheesecake. Amplify the vanilla and add in a regular crust or streusel swirl and it’s an excellent Blueberry Pie a La Mode. But as it stands? It’s a really fun idea that falls flat to deliver on the excitement it promised via the cool and mysterious magnifying glass on the carton.

Turkey Hill Mystery Flavor Frozen Dairy Dessert Scoop

Update 3/16/22: The mystery has been revealed. Turkey Hill announced that the mystery flavor is…Blueberry Pancake.

DISCLOSURE: I received a free product sample from Turkey Hill. Doing so did not influence my review.

Purchased Price: FREE
Size: 48 ounces
Purchased at: Received from Turkey Hill
Rating: 5 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (2/3 cup, 90g) 150 calories, 3.5 grams of fat, 2 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 10 milligrams of cholesterol, 95 milligrams of sodium, 29 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 21 grams of total sugars, and 3 grams of protein.