Ice Cream

REVIEW: Costco Double Chocolate Mint Sundae

Marvo / February 25, 2026 / Reviews / 5 Comments

This year’s McDonald’s Shamrock Season is here!

But if you have a Costco membership card, I might recommend grabbing it and heading to your nearest warehouse to get your hands on the new Double Chocolate Mint Sundae instead. Of course, that’s after you pick up paper towels, frozen chicken, a pillow-sized bag of chips, rotisserie chicken, a bag of romaine hearts that’ll rot before you get halfway through them, batteries, and a bunch of other things that’ll easily total over $200.

The seasonal dessert at the Costco food court features mint-flavored soft serve swirled with chocolate sauce and topped with more chocolate sauce and cookie crumbles.

Much like everything at Costco, this sundae is more than you need and offers an amazing price. It’s large enough and inexpensive enough to make the Oreo Shamrock McFlurry look McFeeble and green with size envy. Speaking of color, I’m trying to remember whether Costco’s dessert had a green tint. I keep squinting at the photos above and swearing I see some green, but I could’ve sworn the creamy base was just white while I was eating it. Maybe the food court’s LED lighting was doing something strange to my phone’s camera. However, in the end, it doesn’t really matter, because once you mix things, the chocolate syrup blends into the soft serve, turning everything grey. Delicious grey.

The mint in this sundae rises to a level of slightly chewed Wrigley’s Doublemint Gum, and the chocolate, even though my sundae looks like it got caught in a chocolate flash flood, still allows the mint to come through. However, if you want a stronger minty punch, I feel McDonald’s Oreo Shamrock McFlurry has Costco’s offering beat, but only slightly. Also, because it’s smaller, the McFlurry has a better soft-serve-to-cookie ratio. By the time I got to the bottom half of the sundae’s cup, the cookie crumbles made rare appearances.

However, while Costco’s Double Chocolate Mint Sundae may not be as minty or have as many cookie bits as McDonald’s offering, it still tastes amazing, and I say the chocolate syrup makes it more decadent. Also, its low $2.99 price for something twice the size of a McFlurry makes it taste a bit sweeter. I hope it returns every year so we can celebrate Costco Double Chocolate Mint Sundae Season!

Purchased Price: $2.99

Rating: 8 out of 10

Nutrition Facts: 790 calories. (No other nutritional information is available)

REVIEW: Ben & Jerry’s Sundaes (PB Blondie Bestie, Straw-Bae Shortcake, and Mocha Mood Pie)

Sean / February 11, 2026 / Reviews / 1 Comment

After finally bringing the popular European pre-packed Sundae line to eager ice cream fans in the States last year, Ben & Jerry’s is back in the creation kitchen with three new classic dessert-inspired flavors to kick off 2026. With the initial release, I found these 14.4-ounce containers of ice cream and mix-ins, topped with a light whipped topping and a textural flourish, to be quite successful, and this year’s lineup has a lot of promise, too.

PB Blondie Bestie

Peanut butter ice cream with blonde brownies and graham cracker swirls, topped with caramel-swirled whipped topping and mini peanut butter cups.

If this description reads like pure decadence, you’re right, and it is absolutely delicious. As much as I love peanut butter, the Ben & Jerry’s peanut butter base has never been one of my personal favorites, but it’s especially successful here when paired with the caramel-swirled whipped topping. The extra sweetness from the caramel and the whipped topping’s lightness bring out qualities to the PB base that really work in its favor.

When you combine the base with the triple threat of Ben & Jerry’s three best mix-ins, you’re in for a real treat. The blonde brownies are dense, chewy, and buttery with a golden flavor that works perfectly with the peanut butter, while the graham brings some crunch and extra salty-sweet to the spoon. Top that off with ample crunchy mini peanut butter cups, and this sundae is nearly impossible to stop eating. It’s among the best in the line and one to seek out for peanut butter lovers immediately.

Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (2/3 cup, 129g) 470 calories, 25 grams of fat, 10 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 25 milligrams of cholesterol, 340 milligrams of sodium, 58 grams of carbohydrates, 4 grams of fiber, 35 grams of total sugars, and 6 grams of protein.

Straw-Bae Shortcake

Sweet cream ice cream with shortbread cookies and strawberry swirls, topped with strawberry-swirled whipped topping and shortcake crumble.

For those who have eaten a lot of Ben & Jerry’s (guilty), this is a pretty familiar flavor profile, and I think it is the most successful iteration of it in pint form yet. The sweet cream ice cream provides a smooth backdrop to the sweet and acidic strawberry swirled throughout. Those two components are very classic, like a sleeve of sundaes bought for a little league team to be eaten with wooden spoons.

But what really makes this flavor work better than before is the saltiness from the shortbread cookies and crumble. The buttery cookies, with a touch of salt, add more contrast and a much-needed depth to this simple, throwback profile. While it’s not quite as revelatory as the Strawberry Cheesecake Bar from January, which also utilizes salt to enhance the sweetness, it’s a great spin on a mellow fruit-forward bite that will satisfy those who want something a little less rich.

Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (2/3 cup, 122g) 300 calories, 13 grams of fat, 8 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 55 milligrams of cholesterol, 90 milligrams of sodium, 41 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 35 grams of total sugars, and 4 grams of protein.

Mocha Mood Pie

Chocolate cold brew ice cream with chocolate cookies and chocolate cookie swirls, topped with fudge-swirled whipped topping and fudge chips.

This is another flavor profile that’s pretty familiar to well-versed Ben & Jerry’s fans, but this one has a twist: a brand new base. The chocolate cold brew ice cream is chocolate-forward, with a smooth, bittersweet coffee finish that isn’t as punchy as the original cold brew bases of the past but is very complementary to the rich cocoa. At first, I thought I didn’t get much coffee, but the flavor builds as you keep eating, leaving a nice coffee-kissed aftertaste in the sea of chocolate.

The mix-ins are classic B&J with the tandem of cookies and swirls bringing more rich, dense chocolate to the flavor party. Where this sundae really shines is the contrast the whipped topping offers — bringing lightness and sweetness to the heavy darkness beneath it, really elevating the concept of the sundae full tilt. The whipped topping has enough unique presence compared to the base that it’s almost like having a scoop of vanilla on top of the chocolate and coffee, making this another must-scoop for fans of the sundae lineup.

Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (2/3 cup, 127g) 370 calories, 21 grams of fat, 10 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 35 milligrams of cholesterol, 130 milligrams of sodium, 44 grams of carbohydrates, 4 grams of fiber, 33 grams of total sugars, and 5 grams of protein.

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

Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream

REVIEW: Nutella Ice Cream

Marvo / February 6, 2026 / Reviews / 2 Comments

I assume the foil lid that seals the Nutella Ice Cream pint, with the wait 5 minutes message, is there to allow the layer of Nutella below it to soften before you stab your spoon into it for the first time. I also like to think it’s there to allow you to contemplate the life choices you’re about to make once you pull that lid off, because once you do, there’s a good chance you could eat this excellent pint in under five minutes.

A major issue with Nutella is that you can’t eat the whole jar in one sitting in front of your primary care physician without them giving you a horrified look. At some point, that look will make you feel so guilty that you’ll stop eating, or your physician will slap that jar away from you. I mean, that still might be the case if you ate the entire pint of this ice cream because no caring doctor would let you eat a whole pint of the dessert in front of them. However, after comparing the nutrition facts of the two, eating the pint would be “healthier” than eating an entire jar of Nutella. Heck, it’s “healthier” than eating half the jar.

As I mentioned at the beginning, there’s a frozen Nutella layer that softens after five minutes of sitting. Once that layer is gone, you might think all the fun is over, but below that is Nutella-flavored ice cream and Nutella swirls. If you’re nuts about Nutella, I tell ya, you’re going to love this.

Even though it’s a simple pint made up of components that taste the same, I think it’s more satisfying than a jar of the choco hazelnut spread. It may be one note, but that one note has level variations and is terrific. While the top layer is a burst of Nutella and a tasty hindrance, I’d argue it’s unnecessary, since what’s under it is more fun.

The ice cream and swirls have a flavor that I’d say is not as potent as a spoonful of actual Nutella, so it’s easy to find yourself shoveling spoonful after spoonful into your mouth. But what I enjoyed most about those spoonfuls was how the swirls went from solid to gooey in my mouth. And, fortunately, there are many swirls throughout the creamy base.

If you love Nutella enough that you could eat an entire jar in one sitting, then you’re gonna love this pint. But just don’t eat it in front of your doctor and try not to eat it all in under five minutes.

Purchased Price: $4.99 (sale)
Size: 1 pint
Purchased at: Safeway
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (2/3 cup) 330 calories, 20 grams of fat, 6 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 25 milligrams of cholesterol, 45 milligrams of sodium, 35 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 30 grams of sugar (including 24 grams of added sugar), and 5 grams of protein.

Ice Cream Nutella

REVIEW: Little Debbie Ice Cream Sandwiches

Ann / February 4, 2026 / Reviews / 2 Comments

Guess who’s back, back again? Debbie’s back, tell a friend.

The talented folks at Hudsonville Creamery, who have previously brought us the Little Debbie Snack Cake-inspired pints of ice cream, are at it again with their latest frozen offering: Little Debbie Oatmeal Crème Pie and Cosmic Brownie Ice Cream Sandwiches.

I’d like to begin this review by establishing that I authentically like Little Debbie Snack Cakes—specifically, Oatmeal Crème Pies and Cosmic Brownies. I enjoy the ubiquitously soft chewy texture, the sweetness so intense it almost hurts your teeth, and the artificial colors in the candy sprinkles. I love it all, in moderation. You might think that because this is a junk food blog, enjoying classic Little Debbie is a cost-of-entry detail. But I find it important to mention because I’ve seen internet hatred spewed toward Little Debbie Ice Creams by people who, admittedly, don’t even LIKE the snack cakes themselves. Their reviews felt negatively skewed until they revealed that detail, so I wanted to make it clear where I stood in case you hadn’t figured it out from my 2022 review. Now, onward.

I started with the Cosmic Brownie ice cream sandwich, and my first emotion was extreme disappointment. These bad boys cost almost $10 for a pack of FOUR, and they look terrible straight out of the box. The chocolate ice cream filling had smooshed out of a couple of sides, and there was a sad view of visible rainbow candies.

Tasting the Cosmic Brownie ice cream sandwich was a different experience. The brownie’s texture was soft and chewy, and the ice cream held its integrity through the bite, not squishing out the sides at all. The brownie-flavored ice cream itself was light in texture and not so fudgy as to take away from the fudgy brownie surrounding it. Together, it was an enjoyable and well-balanced bite. I also noticed many more rainbow candies throughout the brownie as I ate.

I tasted the Oatmeal Crème Pie ice cream sandwich next. Without looking up the Nielsen data, I’d still guess the Oatmeal Crème Pie is Little Debbie’s top-selling snack cake. My 90’s nostalgia will never forget that scene from Honey, I Shrunk the Kids where they encounter a larger-than-life snack cake while shrunken in their backyard. Anyway, the appearance of this ice cream sandwich was much more promising straight out of the box, and the box came with six rather than four. Off to a better start already.

Similar to the Cosmic Brownie version, this one absolutely nailed the texture. The cookies were so incredibly reminiscent of the snack cake. In fact, I’d even go as far as to say I like these substantially more. They had cinnamon and molasses notes and were soft but substantial.

The ice cream had almost a marshmallow flavor, although the box described it as “Vanilla Crème,” so I can only imagine they were aiming to replicate the snack cake flavor there, too. These are very good. If you’re only going to buy one of the two, buy these. My husband and I fought over the last one; they were so delicious.

Look, you might have reached this point and rolled your eyes six different times at the earnestness of a woman who told you she liked Little Debbie and then waxed poetically about these ice cream sandwiches for several paragraphs, and to that I say LET ME LIVE.

My ONLY issues with these are that they are expensive and the Cosmic Brownies are kind of messily packaged, which seems like a rip-off given the price. The Cosmic Brownie sandwich is a little bigger, but I only noticed that when filling out the pricing details below. Otherwise, I think Hudsonville has done an excellent job paying homage, yet again, to our friend Deborah.

Purchased Price: $9.50 (each)
Size: 6 – 3 oz sandwiches (Oatmeal Crème), 4 – 4 oz sandwiches (Cosmic Brownie)
Purchased at: Mariano’s
Rating: 10 out of 10 (Oatmeal Crème Pie), 7 out of 10 (Cosmic Brownie)
Nutrition Facts: (1 sandwich) Oatmeal Crème Pie – 210 calories, 8 grams of fat, 4 grams of saturated fat, 10 milligrams of cholesterol, 180 milligrams of sodium, 32 grams of carbohydrates, 17 grams of sugar (including 16 grams of added sugar), and 2 grams of protein. Cosmic Brownie – 250 calories, 9 grams of fat, 5 grams of saturated fat, 15 milligrams of cholesterol, 190 milligrams of sodium, 38 grams of carbohydrates, 22 grams of sugar (including 20 grams of added sugar), and 3 grams of protein.

Ice Cream Little Debbie

OTHER THINGS I CONSUMED: 1/23/2026

Marvo / January 23, 2026 / Other Things I Consumed, Reviews / 1 Comment

Liquid IV Hot Chocolate

It’s cold here on this rock in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. I’m talking high 60s to low 70s. BRRRRR. Fortunately, I had this hot chocolate mix to warm me up, which was on the clearance shelf for 50 percent off or five dollars.

Unfortunately, I used only one of the six packets in the box to keep me warm and gave the rest away because this hot drink mix is a hot mess. It smells and tastes like I’m drinking watered down hot cocoa next to a busy perfume section at Macy’s. Is that hard to believe? Yeah, it is hard to believe Macy’s is busy nowadays. There’s also a slight sourness in the aftertaste, which is what I expect from fruity Liquid I.V. flavors, but not from a hot chocolate-flavored one.

Maybe Liquid I.V. should stick with only cold drink flavors?

Swoop Peanut Butter Chip Blitz High Protein Dessert

After opening the top, I saw a shimmer that made it look icy, but once I started scraping away at the top, a regular ice cream-looking level appeared.

I’ve never been a fanboy of high protein ice creams, like Halo Top and Enlightened. They were okay tasting, but didn’t wow me. However, this pint of Swoop did wow me. Not just because it’s a high protein ice cream, but it’s an ice cream that has a decent texture despite not having milk, skim milk, or cream. The only “dairy” listed is from whey protein isolate, and the first ingredient is water. It’s also made with avocado oil, and dates sweeten the chocolate. I know, all that sounds like it should be an awful product, but it’s not.

The pint features peanut butter swirls, dark chocolate flakes, and a maybe-vanilla base. While there are some peanut butter swirls going through the middle of the pint, they were mainly on the outer rim of the dessert. But with every scoop, there was a pronounced peanut butter flavor. The chocolate flakes were plentiful, and it’s hard to believe Swoop used unsweetened chocolate, dates, and coconut oil to make them.

Like any great ice cream pint, I could’ve eaten this in one sitting.

Alani Nu Cherry Bomb Energy Drink

I didn’t have high hopes for this zero sugar energy drink because when I searched the Target website to see if the nearest store had it in stock, I noticed its product page had an overall 3-star rating from shoppers. However, like other Alani Nu products I’ve tried, this one is great as well.

According to the brand, this energy drink is a “twist of cherry, vanilla, and cola flavors.” But it really should be rearranged to cherry, cola, and vanilla because the cherry is definitely the most prominent, followed by the cola, and somewhere there’s vanilla. However, my tongue didn’t notice it. Think of it as Cherry Coke or Wild Cherry Pepsi, but the cherry initially dominates the taste buds, then the cola comes through for a bit, and then the cherry fully rushes back in, which might be too much for some.

The Cherry Bomb name is definitely fitting. Also, I think it’s The Bomb. And with 200 milligrams, it’s also a caffeine bomb.

Dark Chocolate Reese’s Puffs Cereal

Our reviewer, Tiffany, covered this cereal earlier this week, and gave it a glowing review. After trying the sample General Mills sent me, I have to agree with a lot of what she said.

This cereal has a better balance between the chocolate and peanut butter flavors. It definitely makes the original Reese’s Puffs taste too peanut butter-y. I also agree with her that this should be the default Reese’s Puffs cereal. I don’t think General Mills would lose any money by doing that. Also, we don’t have to get rid of the original completely. General Mills could bring it back every so often with a graphic that calls it the “Retro Recipe.”

Click/tap here for our previous Other Things I Consumed posts

Alani Nu Cereal Energy Drink General Mills Ice Cream Liquid IV Reese's Reese's Puffs Swoop

REVIEW: Costco Double Chocolate Mint Sundae

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REVIEW: Ben & Jerry’s Sundaes (PB Blondie Bestie, Straw-Bae Shortcake, and Mocha Mood Pie)

PB Blondie Bestie

Straw-Bae Shortcake

Mocha Mood Pie

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REVIEW: Nutella Ice Cream

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REVIEW: Little Debbie Ice Cream Sandwiches

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OTHER THINGS I CONSUMED: 1/23/2026

Liquid IV Hot Chocolate

Swoop Peanut Butter Chip Blitz High Protein Dessert

Alani Nu Cherry Bomb Energy Drink

Dark Chocolate Reese’s Puffs Cereal

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