REVIEW: Van Leeuwen Summer 2022 Ice Cream Flavors at Walmart That Aren’t Grey Poupon

Van Leeuwen Summer 2022 Flavors

Brooklyn-based ice creamery Van Leeuwen has risen to snack food cultural prominence over the past year with its novelty offerings mimicking Mac & cheese, pizza, and most recently, Grey Poupon mustard. It also does more “normal” seasonal flavors, like the spring variety we reviewed in April. It’s back for the summer with four new selections: Summer Peach Crisp, Campfire S’mores, Espresso Fior Di Latte Chip, and Honey Cornbread with Strawberry Jam.

Espresso Fior Di Latte Chip

Van Leeuwen Espresso Fior Di Latte Chip Top

Okay, so confession time: I didn’t know what “Fior di Latte” was. I ate this ice cream without checking, assuming it was just several words meaning “a kind of Italian coffee.” Much to my surprise, Fior di Latte is actually several words for “a kind of Italian cheese.” I’m glad I didn’t know that going in, or I’m afraid it may have negatively colored my opinion of this delightful ice cream. Going back with my newfound knowledge, though, yes, you can definitely pick up a salty swirl from the cheese. It blends perfectly with the strong coffee flavor, and the dark chocolate chips and graham pieces interspersed throughout make this the second best pick out of the bunch.

Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (2/3 cup) 310 calories, 19 grams of fat, 12 grams of saturated fat, 0.5 grams of trans fat, 85 milligrams of cholesterol, 160 milligrams of sodium, 31 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 25 grams of sugar (18 grams of added sugar), and 6 grams of protein.

Summer Peach Crisp

Van Leeuwen Summer Peach Crisp Top

My first thought on this was, “oh, snap, where’s the peach?” What I didn’t yet know -— but what I subsequently learned here, and then again with the S’mores version -— is that sometimes your Van Leeuwen pint is like Roanoke Island: to get to the treasure, you’ve gotta dig deep. Once you get to the syrupy peach swirl, it’s great, but there’s far too little of it overall. The “gluten-free oat pieces” meant to approximate the crust of a crumble, however, are too abundant, and they detract from the experience. This is worth getting if it’s all you see at the store, but I wouldn’t go nuts trying to find it.

Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (2/3 cup) 300 calories, 16 grams of fat, 10 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 95 milligrams of cholesterol, 150 milligrams of sodium, 36 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 29 grams of sugar (21 grams of added sugar), and 5 grams of protein.

Campfire S’mores

Van Leeuwen Campfire S mores Top

Though my overall favorite changes often, Rocky Road is always in my top five favorite ice cream flavors. Campfire S’mores -— which includes two key Rocky Road components -— is sinfully good. The marshmallow is inexplicably fluffy and chewy, and the rich fudge swirl defies all culinary scientific explanation by somehow remaining malleable and syrupy; this is not your grandfather’s frozen fudge ribbon. The ice cream itself purports to be “toasted marshmallow,” but it was indistinguishable from regular vanilla. Even still, this ice cream is Hall of Fame worthy, and it took considerable willpower to not down the container in a single sitting.

Rating: 10 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (2/3 cup) 310 calories, 16 grams of fat, 10 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 100 milligrams of cholesterol, 150 milligrams of sodium, 38 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 30 grams of sugar (20 grams of added sugar), and 5 grams of protein.

Honey Cornbread with Strawberry Jam

Van Leeuwen Honey Cornbread Top

Look, I get that this was an attempt at adventurousness, but there’s a reason we don’t put cornbread in ice cream. The texture was gritty and off-putting and, well, very cornbread-y. Great with a Southern dinner, but maybe not in my frozen dessert. The strawberry jam was rich and strong, and while it could have potentially helped keep this tolerable, like the peach pint, there wasn’t enough of it. Of the four, this was the only one I was not compelled to save for later.

Rating: 5 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (2/3 cup) 310 calories, 18 grams of fat, 10 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 110 milligrams of cholesterol, 200 milligrams of sodium, 34 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 31 grams of sugar (24 grams of added sugar), and 5 grams of protein.

Except for the Cornbread variety, I would repurchase all of these. Even the cheese one. In the case of the S’mores version, I may buy a whole pallet’s worth.

All pints were $4.98 and purchased at Walmart.

SPOTTED – 6/8/2022

Here are some interesting new products found on store shelves by your fellow readers. If you’ve tried any of them, share your thoughts in the comments.

Member s Mark Salted Caramel Churro Flavored Almonds
Member’s Mark Salted Caramel Churro Flavored Almonds

(Spotted by Robbie at Sam’s Club.)

Trolli Sour Tropical Dinos
Trolli Sour Tropical Dinos

(Spotted by Robbie at Walmart.)

Stranger Things Surfer Boy PIzza Cookie Kit
Stranger Things Surfer Boy PIzza Cookie Kit
Stranger Thins Eleven s Favorite Waffle Mix
Stranger Thins Eleven’s Favorite Waffle Mix
Stranger Things Upside Down Drink Mix
Stranger Things Upside Down Drink Mix

(Spotted by Robbie at Walmart.)

Werther s Original Chocolate Covered Caramels
Werther’s Original Chocolate Covered Caramels

(Spotted by Robbie at Big Lots.)

Dippin Dots Cookies  n Cream Cookie Bites
Dippin’ Dots Cookies ‘n Cream Cookie Bites
Dippin Dots Birthday Cake Cookie Bites
Dippin’ Dots Birthday Cake Cookie Bites

(Spotted by Robbie at Big Lots.)

Snak Club Watermelon Rings with Tajin
Snak Club Watermelon Rings with Tajin

(Spotted by Amanda Y at Winco.)

Cafe Valley Bakery Raspberry White Chocolate Swirl Cake
Cafe Valley Bakery Raspberry White Chocolate Swirl Cake

(Spotted by Amanda Y at Winco.)

H E B Creamy Creations Limited Edition Poteet Strawberry Ice Cream Cake
H-E-B Creamy Creations Limited Edition Poteet Strawberry Ice Cream Cake

(Spotted by Robbie at H-E-B.)

Kellogg s Frosted Flakes Lightyear Design
Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes Lightyear Design

(Spotted by Robbie at H-E-B.)

REVIEW: Jack in the Box Girl Scout Adventurefuls Caramel Brownie Shake

Jack in the Box Girl Scout Adventurefuls Caramel Brownie Shake Cup

What is it?

I’ll let what I copy and pasted from Jack in the Box’s app explain it:

The name says it all: it’s gonna be delicious, and it’s only gonna be around for a limited time. That’s right, our latest craveable shake is inspired by the newest Girl Scout Cookie – Adventurefuls. This is our classic vanilla shake with brownie pieces and caramel syrup, topped off in the best way: with a Girl Scout Adventurefuls Cookie. Hurry in, the adventure won’t last forever.

The adventure also includes excavating a mountain of whipped topping.

How is it?

Full disclosure: I found the actual Adventurefuls cookie to be underwhelming. It’s good, but the brownie-flavored part should’ve been chewy instead of crunchy, like a real brownie, and I wish the caramel part wasn’t a disc of caramel-flavored creme candy.

But I’m happy to report that this delicious shake makes up for a shortcoming of the actual cookie. However, it has a few shortcomings of its own.

Jack in the Box Girl Scout Adventurefuls Caramel Brownie Shake Brownies

The brownie pieces’ sizes vary from specks to straw-clogging. While the larger ones are chewy and have a rich fudge taste, the flavor of the tinier pieces isn’t noticeable in the caramel-flavored ice cream. Also, I’m not sure I’d say the shake is full of brownies, or brownieful, if you will. The caramel syrup is thoroughly mixed throughout the base, and its flavor complements the fudginess of the larger brownie pieces. But because it’s a flavored syrup and not actual caramel, there aren’t any gooey swirls.

Jack in the Box Girl Scout Adventurefuls Caramel Brownie Shake Specks

Jack in the Box Girl Scout Adventurefuls Caramel Brownie Shake Cookie

In the promo photos, the cookie is placed along the cup’s rim, like it’s lounging in a hot tub. But in my shake, it was placed face down, like it drowned in a hot tub. I know Girl Scout cookies are expensive, but I wish there were also Adventurefuls chunks mixed into the shake, like, um, body sweat in a hot tub.

It didn’t dawn on me until after the fact, but I should’ve crumbled the cookie and mixed it myself instead of doing the uncreative action of taking a couple of bites and then letting the rest sink to the bottom of the shake. But those bites helped me realize that the shake’s flavor is better than the cookie’s.

Anything else you need to know?

If you’re in the drive-thru or eating at the restaurant, ask for a spoon because there’s a good chance your straw will get clogged. Also, thank goodness there isn’t a cherry on top of this shake.

Conclusion:

Jack in the Box’s Girl Scout Adventurefuls Caramel Brownie Shake is more satisfying than the cookie.

Purchased Price: $5.50
Size: Regular
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 800 calories (other nutritional info not available on Jack in the Box website.).