Recently, most new flavors from Vermont’s most famous company have been Topped, Core’d, or brought back from the dead. But Ben & Jerry’s latest was inspired by one of the company’s all-time successes: cherries. While this pint has some major differences from Cherry Garcia, B&J’s second highest selling pint for eight years running, it will no doubt garner interest from folks who enjoy the Grateful Dead-inspired classic. Cherry Crumble switches up the formula from the brand’s more recent decadent offerings and pairs buttery ice cream with cherries and swirls of oat crumble.
I was intrigued by this pint because the container wasn’t screaming at me with mix-ins and because the base was something I don’t recall ever seeing. Described simply as “buttery,” a word often used to denote that something will be delicious, I needed to know how it tastes. Good news: it’s freakin’ awesome. Bad news: it’s kind of hard to describe. Middle news: I’m going to try!
The base is rich and decadent in a way I don’t recall ever experiencing from B&J’s sweet cream, which is probably its closest equivalent, but far superior. It has a heavy and luscious mouthfeel with buttery notes, but not nutty like browned butter, more of a clean and deep flavorful sensation, like unsalted butter and sugar on white bread. Like I said, it’s hard to describe, but it’s wonderful and has a density that screams super premium. It’s a really great, nuanced ice cream.
The cherries are also well executed. There are plenty, and they pop with a lovely bright sweetness and touch of acidity. More importantly, they do so with zero iciness. They provide the perfect balance of sugary and tartness against the rich buttery base. A jam or pie filling swirl might be more faithful to the concept of a crumble, but I enjoy the squishy flavorful chunks of fruit. I’m not sure if it’s because I’m getting older, but I’ve been having a serious cherry renaissance in the last two years, and I love this simple old-timey mix-in.
The oat crumble is where this pint could use some improvement. I still really enjoy it, but it reminds me much more of a cinnamon-y graham cracker swirl than a chunky oat crumble. When I read “crumble,” I instantly think of a crunchy, buttery, and salty topping that erupts with flavor, and while this swirl is good, it doesn’t deliver on the punchiness or texture I’m looking for. It has some pleasant grittiness with a touch of spice but no butteriness that can compete with the fantastic base.
While this pint falls a bit short in flawlessly executing a cherry crumble a la mode, it’s a very scoopable flavor that should be in anyone’s cart who enjoys a fruit-driven profile with a rich, buttery foundation.
Purchased Price: $4.99
Size: One Pint
Purchased at: Safeway
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (2/3 cup/140 grams) 350 calories, 21 grams of fat, 11 grams of saturated fat, 0.5 grams of trans fat, 75 milligrams of cholesterol, 125 milligrams of sodium, 37 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 35 grams of sugar, 5 grams of protein.
Looks like you got way, way more mix-ins than I did. I liked the flavor but it was a pretty empty pint.
Sounds like cherry Grumble
:rimshot:
Right!! It was good but i did not have a single cherry in mine. Like literally not one!
I think that you did a grand job describing it and thanks for the review! Maybe Ben and Jerry’s will improve upon the oat crumble recipe and provide us with different fruit variations of this throughout Spring and Summer…goshdarnit, I hope that they’re working on a strawberry rhubarb right now.
Strawberry-rhubarb…ohmygosh, you just brought me back to childhood! My grandma, on my mom’s side, made strawberry-rhubarb pies every summer, when my sister and I were growing up…and, every time, both the strawberries and the rhubarb were grown in her very own suburban back-yard garden. 🙂
🙂 Aww, yay! I’m a sucker for food memories. And even to this day now I get to enjoy the bounties of my Mum’s garden (where my plant and gardening bug got an early start!) where she does happen to have some rhubarb and strawberries that often end up in crumbles!
There’s something extra special about just walking out back and gathering some ingredients and then super exciting figuring out how to use everything/proffer them off to people/preserve them!
thank you for your attentive reading and feedback Holly! I really appreciate that — I hope ya scoop it and enjoy the springy treat 🙂
The Skillet is the MAN
Appreciate the love chef bob!!
🙂
Non-dairy version, plz. kthxbai
I really like this flavor, even though I’m not sure I even got a whole cherry in the mix. I bought 3 pints after the first one I had.
I love Cherry Crumble. I hate that it’s a Limited Edition. I bought three of them from my local grocer and when I went back to buy more they were all out…and I have not seen them in any other grocery stores. As one who has a Chocolate Allergy that causes severe Migraines, finding a great ice cream like Cherry Crumble was a God-send. Please bring it back and make it a part of your regular production.
And, while you’re at it, please consider several more ice cream flavors that don’t have Chocolate, cream cheese, in them….like a Butter Pecan, A Butter Crunch, A Black Raspberry.