When social media alerts you to Grey Poupon ice cream, there are only two possible explanations: April Fools’ Day is upon us, or the mad geniuses at Van Leeuwen are at it again.
Given that it’s late May and you are reading this review, you can probably deduce that Van Leeuwen’s Grey Poupon with Salted Pretzels Ice Cream is a very real product. Considering the brand’s propensity for wacky, experimental flavors, including Kraft Macaroni & Cheese and Pizza, we shouldn’t be surprised. Of all possible unconventional savory pairings for ice cream, why not choose mustard? Why not mustard that tastes so good, gentlemen request it from neighboring vehicles?
You may have a lot of answers to that question that you will share in the comments IN ALL CAPS, but I love mustard. I sometimes eat certain foods solely so they can serve as vehicles for mustard. Ice cream isn’t one of them, so the prospect of mustardy ice cream left me curious and considerably trepid. For the sake of adventure and sharing my experience with you, dear readers, I’m willing to put my money where my mouth is.
My mouth, overall, was not displeased with the purchase. The French ice cream base does not taste like mustard, but rather rich vanilla. The flavor is simple but very high quality: delicious, rich, and creamy. (According to the container, French ice cream contains double the egg yolks than standard ice cream, which contribute to its richness.)
Pieces of thin pretzel sticks are generously spread throughout the base. They add a hint of saltiness, but their texture is lacking. The ultra-creamy base begs for a crunchy element, but the pretzels range from soft to soggy.
At this point, I wondered if the product WAS a belated April Fools’ joke, but then I hit the bright yellow swirl running throughout the base. Mustard time. However, this swirl, which has the consistency of very loose caramel, does not share the vinegary, spicy pungency of Dijon mustard. The flavor is much more consistent with honey mustard. Honey is listed as an ingredient, which is likely lending that sweetness to the swirl’s notable mustardy tang.
The honey mustard flavor is prominent in some pockets of the pint. The thinner ribbons are more subtle; they offer just a bit of bright flavor and acidity to cut the rich base. Together, all components of the ice cream give a French- fries-and-milkshake vibe, if the French fries were replaced by pretzels lightly seasoned with honey mustard powder. The flavor is certainly unusual, and while I wouldn’t want a cone full of it, I don’t regret buying it.
Van Leeuwen’s latest creation may not inspire this devout mustard-lover to ask the ice cream truck: “Do you have any Grey Poupon?” But its adventurous blur of sweet and savory defies expectations, resulting in a surprising, interesting dessert experience. When soggy pretzels are the biggest downside of a condiment-themed ice cream, that’s a win for creativity.
Purchased Price: $4.98
Size: 14 fl oz
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 5 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (per 2/3 cup) 310 calories, 18 grams of fat, 11 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 100 milligrams of cholesterol, 280 milligrams of sodium, 34 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 26 grams of sugar, and 6 grams of protein.
I think if they covered the pretzels with like salted toffee maybe better. But nobody even asked for this!
Thanks for the straight forward review. You clearly went in with an open mind. It almost sounds like even Van Leeuwen hesitated going full force on delivered the promised flavour! Perhaps with some tweaks (ie. taking note of how other companies ARE able to accomplish pretzel mix-ins remaining crunchy(ish)) it could have been more of what it is promising to be. Either way, it’s still interesting! I’m definitely curious to try it…if someone else buys it or I stumble upon it in a reduced section.
They usually cover in chocolate to maintain the crunch.
Firstly, pretzels are inherently hard and crunchy…so, even when placed naked/sans coating, in a creamy base, I’m pretty darn surprised that these still managed to get soft/soggy. How did they manage to mess that up?
Secondly, when thinking about this and the earlier Van Leeuwen savory ice cream abominations…er, creations…I predict that their next foray into this realm will be taco-flavored. You heard it here first, folks. 😛
I bet they going do like baked beans ice cream? Red Bean Ice Cream base swirled with brown sugar swirl maybe?
Maybe red beans & rice ice cream?
Oh there are red bean ice creams alllllll over Asia. I lived in Korea for a decade and I still never got used to it. Blech. But on the topic of this ice cream, I’d totally try it. I’ve tried all of the other wacky flavors and the only one I didn’t really like was the wedding cake, oddly enough. The hot honey is really good actually. I bought those Thai banana fritters from Trader Joe’s and put a scoop of that on top with some caramel sauce and it was heaven. It’s also good with the Kraft one! The pizza and Kraft is like most people say – good but a novelty. You wouldn’t want more than just a small scoop. I’m going to head over to Walmart this weekend see if I can’t snag some of these new flavors!
Love red bean ice cream and popsicles and other desserts. I think Alek is more referring to the creole dish “red beans and rice” though.
Maybe you should take any type of pretzel/cracker/crouton that you may have in your house right now and get it wet and see what happens…
Grey Poupon Ice Cream?! But of course!!
Mais, bien sûr!