ICEE has launched a new line of sandwich cookies that are meant to evoke the flavors of its iconic frozen drinks. The press release states that “fans can enjoy the classic pop and fizz of their favorite carbonated beverage in a delicious crème filled cookie.” This intriguing concept seems to indicate that the crème contains pieces of popping candy. The cookies feature cherry or blue raspberry crème sandwiched between vanilla wafers.
I decided to try the cherry flavor first, as that would be the most familiar to me. In my youth, I always drank the cherry or cola-flavored ICEEs. I opened the package and my sense of smell was walloped by an intense artificial cherry aroma. It was shockingly potent.
I pulled a cookie out and twisted it apart, exposing the fluorescent crème. I jumped right in and pulled the crème off with my tongue. The flavor immediately reminded me of an actual cherry ICEE. It was saccharine, but not overbearing. It was an artificial cherry flavoring, but never veered into cough syrup territory. There were tiny crunchy bits integrated throughout the crème. I could feel a very mild sensation of effervescence, but it was much more understated than expected. It wasn’t exactly “fizzy.”
The cookies themselves had a faint vanilla flavor, but not nearly enough to be considered a “vanilla wafer.” They tasted closer to a nondescript shortbread, but it doesn’t particularly matter since they exist solely as a vessel for the crème. The cookie allowed the crème to take center stage.
I then opened the blue raspberry package and was greeted with a softer yet still immediately familiar aroma. I employed the same approach and tried the crème on its own first. It was a standard blue raspberry flavor, but was noticeably sweeter, stronger, and more artificial tasting than the cherry. I’m not sure if I’ve ever had a blue raspberry ICEE, so I can’t speak to its accuracy. Oddly, the blue raspberry cookies seemed to have more popping candy in the crème, which helped to make them feel slightly fizzier. When eating a whole cookie, it felt like a somewhat disjointed experience. The crème filling was just too domineering.
For me, the cherry-flavored ICEE cookies feel like a more cohesive presentation. The vanilla-esque wafers work better with the cherry-flavored crème. I will be the first to admit that my judgment could be clouded by nostalgia, though. Had I consumed blue raspberry ICEEs by the bucketload as a child, perhaps I’d have a different opinion.
The ICEE cookies are a unique idea with an underwhelming execution. If the crème filling had more (or more effective) popping candy, these would be even better. An improved wafer would also elevate the experience. If you’re a big ICEE fan, then these may be worth your time for flavor alone. I would steer clear, though, if the only appeal is the popping candy in the crème.
Purchased Price: $3.28 each
Size: 13 oz. package
Purchased at: Fry’s
Rating: 7 out of 10 (Cherry), 6 out of 10 (Blue Raspberry)
Nutrition Facts: (2 cookies) 140 calories, 6 grams of fat, 2.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 160 milligrams of sodium, 19 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 11 grams of sugar, and 1 gram of protein.
I haven’t had the cookies, but I did look at the ingredients list, and I’m pretty sure they don’t have popping candy. Instead, the fizziness comes from fizz powder. Whatever that is.