Tag: Ben & Jerry’s

REVIEW: Ben & Jerry’s Netflix & Chilll’d Ice Cream and Non-Dairy Frozen Dessert

Marvo 1 Comment

Ben Jerry s Netflix Chilll d Ice Cream

Pretzels seem like an odd inclusion in Ben & Jerry’s new Netflix & Chilll’d Ice Cream. Is it popular among Netflix subscribers and password sharers? Maybe it’s just me, but popcorn and potato chips are probably munched on more during a binge-watching.

Is there something in Netflix’s algorithm that not only knows we might like Interior Design Masters because we’ve watched Queer Eye, but also what we like to eat while we watch Tan France turn folks from Le Eek to Le Chic? Or maybe Netflix’s algorithm watches us through the cameras in our phones, tablets, and compu…

(Knock at the door)

Hi. Who are you guys? Hey, nice red suits. Wait. W-w-what are you doing? Let me go! LET ME GO! HELP! HELP!

Oh, hello. I’m back. Forget that whole thing about Netflix’s algorithm binge watches our lives through our cameras. Netflix’s algorithm is definitely not watching us right now or threatening me with revealing the amount of high school romance anime I watch.

Ben Jerry s Netflix Chilll d Non Dairy Frozen Dessert

Just like Netflix has something for everyone in the family, Ben & Jerry’s is offering Netflix & Chilll’d in varieties that will satisfy everyone’s deal with dairy. The regular version features peanut butter ice cream with sweet and salty pretzel swirls and fudge brownies. The non-dairy one has peanut butter-flavored frozen dessert made with almond milk, sweet and salty pretzel swirls, and fudge brownies.

After trying both, I have to say I prefer the non-dairy one.

Ben Jerry s Netflix Chilll d Ice Cream Closeup

The combination of the peanut butter frozen dessert with the saltiness and flavor from the pretzel swirl tastes something like a Nutter Butter cookie to me, which is something I haven’t experienced with ice cream (or frozen dessert). Also, the PB flavor in the non-dairy one is more prominent than the dairy version. Maybe the almond milk used in the base makes it a little nuttier. The peanut butter ice cream in the regular Netflix & Chilll’d is fine, but the frozen dessert stands out a bit more.

Ben Jerry s Netflix Chilll d Non Dairy Frozen Dessert Closeup

The pretzel swirls in both pints add a welcomed saltiness that contrast and enhance the sweet components. The swirl in the non-dairy one also gives off toffee notes. I feel the flavor is more prominent in the regular one, but that might be because the peanut butter ice cream doesn’t have as strong a flavor as the frozen dessert. Also, although “pretzel” is in both descriptions, the swirls don’t provide any crunch, which is disappointing.

Unlike the pretzels and their lack of texture, the fudge brownies bring the expected chewiness to each spoonful. And, like we’ve seen hundreds of times with peanut butter and chocolate, combining it with the peanut butter ice cream/frozen dessert results in sweet tooth satisfaction. Actually, the fudge brownies help make the regular version taste similar to a peanut butter cup.

I know. The previous sentence makes it hard to believe I prefer the non-dairy and non-peanut-butter-cup-tasting one.

Chill Netflix

Both Netflix & Chilll’d pints are NOT binge-worthy. Well, they are, but I don’t want to encourage anyone to eat entire pints in one sitting. Again, I prefer the non-dairy one, but I feel you can’t go wrong with either.

Purchased Price: FREE
Size: 1 pint
Purchased at: Received from Ben & Jerry’s
Rating: 8 out of 10 (Non-Dairy), 7 out of 10 (Regular)
Nutrition Facts: (2/3 cup) Regular – 390 calories, 24 grams of fat, 10 grams of saturated fat, 0.5 grams of trans fat, 80 milligrams of cholesterol, 290 milligrams of sodium, 38 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 29 grams of sugar, 7 grams of protein. Non-Dairy – 380 calories, 22 grams of fat, 9 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 250 milligrams of sodium, 44 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 27 grams of sugar, and 4 grams of protein.

DISCLOSURE: I received a free samples of the product from Ben & Jerry’s (thanks Ben & Jerry’s!). Doing so did not influence my review in any way. Although, with ratings like that, you might think it did. But I assure you it did not.

REVIEW: Ben & Jerry’s Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Non-Dairy Frozen Dessert

Marvo 1 Comment

Ben Jerry s Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Non Dairy Frozen Dessert

Ben & Jerry’s Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Non-Dairy Frozen Dessert is a non-dairy version Ben & Jerry’s iconic Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream. It features vanilla-flavored frozen dessert made from almond milk, gobs of vegan chocolate chip cookie dough, and fudge flakes.

Before stuffing my mouth with a spoonful of it, I thought I would definitely love it. The original dairy version is one of my favorite flavors, I enjoyed the two Ben & Jerry’s Non-Dairy varieties I’ve tried so far (Cinnamon Buns and Chocolate Salted ’n Swirled), and I like the vegan snackable chocolate chip cookie dough bites Ben & Jerry’s offers in bags. But, despite all that, I didn’t love this pint.

The vanilla base is what broke my heart. I can taste the almond milk in it, but its flavor also makes Cool Whip flash in my head. I’m fine with the frozen whipped topping. I won’t say anything bad about it, like it could probably be used as hair product in a pinch. Heck, there have been moments in my life when I ate it like ice cream. But I don’t want my ice cream, er, non-dairy frozen dessert to taste like Cool Whip. There’s something not quite right about that.

Ben Jerry s Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Non Dairy Frozen Dessert Closeup

There’s a good amount of the vegan chocolate chip cookie dough in the pint, but not enough so that every time you dip your spoon into the container you’ll pull out one of those gobs. While there’s a lot, they don’t help improve my opinion of the flavor overall.

As for the fudge flakes, I’m not sure there were any in mine. I don’t know if the fudge in the chewy cookie dough bites are the fudge flakes, but there weren’t any dark brown mix-ins suspended in my pint.

Because the base is made from almond milk and the cookie dough gobs are vegan, this whole pint is vegan. So no animals were harmed or touched in the making of this flavor. Although I imagine some animals were probably petted along the way.

I finished the pint, but that doesn’t reflect of how I truly feel about this non-dairy frozen dessert flavor. Of the three Ben & Jerry’s Non-Dairy Frozen Dessert varieties I’ve tried, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough is, disappointingly, my least favorite so far.

Purchased Price: $3.50 (on sale)
Size: 1 pint
Purchased at: Target
Rating: 5 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1/2 cup) 260 calories, 12 grams of fat, 8 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 35 milligrams of sodium, 37 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 25 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Ben & Jerry’s Chocolate Salted ‘n Swirled Non-Dairy Frozen Dessert

Marvo 2 Comments

Ben Jerry s Chocolate Salted n Swirled Non Dairy Frozen Dessert

Thank you, Ben & Jerry’s!

Thanks for adding a space between “almond” and “milk,” and not making it a compound word like Silk and Starbucks do. Spelling it almondmilk irritates me because my autocorrect always splits it up and then I have to go back to turn it into one word because I have to spell it the way they do. It’s like how I have to use “doughnut” instead of “donut” when referring to Krispy Kreme products because that’s how the chain spells it.

Also, thanks for your Chocolate Salted ‘n Swirled Non-Dairy Frozen Dessert.

Ben & Jerry’s newest non-dairy treat features chocolate sandwich cookies and salted caramel swirls in a chocolate-flavored frozen dessert made with almond milk. It’s currently a Target-exclusive.

Will it ever be free to see other stores? If we look throughout Ben & Jerry’s flavor history, exclusive products usually remain in a committed relationship.

This is the first time I’ve had the brand’s non-dairy almond milk chocolate base, and it’s not going to be mistaken for Ben & Jerry’s chocolate ice cream. Its flavor is still quite pleasing, but it’s also familiar to my taste buds. It reminds me of Silk’s chocolate, ugh, almondmilk.

Ben Jerry s Chocolate Salted n Swirled Non Dairy Frozen Dessert Closeup

When I saw “chocolate sandwich cookies” listed on the front of the container, I didn’t expect to see a whole cookie standing in the middle of my pint like it was the crash-landed Star Destroyer in The Force Awakens. I expected chunks throughout the container. I mean, there were some, but most of the cookie mix-ins in the pint consisted of that whole one and another half that sat at the bottom of the pint. Having an entire cookie wasn’t too much of an issue because I treated it as if it was one of Ben & Jerry’s Core varieties and just scraped away some of the, unfortunately, soggy cookie while getting a spoonful.

While those two components are good, the gooey salted caramel swirl is a bit odd. It doesn’t taste like caramel or have much saltiness. Instead, I get more of a toasted marshmallow vibe. Of course, your results may vary, or I might’ve broken my taste buds after doing over 1,250 reviews. But that’s what I get, and I guess if it’s going to taste like something different, toasted marshmallow is one of the best scenarios. So I shouldn’t be saying the swirl is odd because when eaten together, all the components make a sweet, satisfying, and almost s’mores-like spoonful.

Ben & Jerry’s Chocolate Salted ‘n Swirled is, I believe, the second non-dairy frozen dessert I’ve had from the company, the first being Cinnamon Buns. I enjoyed my first dip into Ben & Jerry’s non-dairy frozen world, and I also liked my second, although not as much as my first.

Purchased Price: $3.50 (on sale)
Size: 1 pint
Purchased at: Target
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (2/3 cup) 320 calories, 15 grams of fat, 10 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 200 milligrams of sodium, 44 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 28 grams of sugar, and 3 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Ben & Jerry’s Toffee Break, Caramel Crisp, and Nutty Caramel Swirl (Scoop Shop Exclusive Flavors)

Marvo

Ben Jerry s Toffee Break Caramel Crisp and Nutty Caramel Swirl Scoop Shop Exclusive Flavors

Ben & Jerry’s Scoop Shops aren’t as prevalent as McDonald’s restaurants, Starbucks locations, or mattress stores. But if you happen to live within a reasonable driving distance from one, you can try three Scoop Shop-exclusive flavors this summer, all inspired by the candy aisle — Nutty Caramel Swirl, Toffee Break, and Caramel Crisp.

Nutty Caramel Swirl

Ben Jerry s Nutty Caramel Swirl

As you can guess, since this flavor has nougat ice cream, peanuts, fudge flakes, and a salted caramel swirl, Nutty Caramel Swirl honors the iconic Snickers bar.

But it’s not a new variety. It made its debut back in 2013 as a 7-Eleven exclusive. We reviewed it back then, and you can read that review by clicking here. If you want an updated version, please read on.

Packed with peanuts, Nutty Caramel Swirl satisfies. Okay, not as much as an actual Snickers, but this flavor does a good job at paying homage to the candy bar. First off, that nougat-flavored base is spot on. If you want cold nougat in your mouth, you could freeze/refrigerate a Snickers or Milky Way bar, or you could buy a scoop of this ice cream.

Ben Jerry s Nutty Caramel Swirl Top

The caramel added a gooey texture and a buttery and salty flavor. The peanuts were everywhere in the pint. It was as if Marcellus Gilmore Edson’s lab was in it. The legumes don’t have the same crunch as peanuts in a Snickers bar; they were slightly dull, which was a bummer.

As for the fudge flakes, they were the least impressive component. They didn’t make themselves known too often. With every spoonful, I thought to myself that it could’ve used a little more chocolate flavor to capture the spirit of a Snickers. Overall, I enjoyed it, but I feel as if it could’ve been better.

Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 scoop/85 grams) 230 calories, 13 grams of fat, 7 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 50 milligrams of cholesterol, 75 milligrams of sodium, 25 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber 19 grams of sugar, and 4 grams of protein.

Toffee Break

Ben Jerry s Toffee Break

If you want my recommendation for which of the three flavors you should try, which you might since this is a review site, go with Toffee Break.

When I first tried this and started jotting down my thoughts, that was my opening sentence. It’s now crossed out because after eating a second scoop (and a third), I don’t believe it anymore.

Toffee Break features buttery brown sugar ice cream with almond brittle and a toffee caramel swirl. It tries to capture a Heath Bar in ice cream form. What got me loving this at first was the combination of the buttery flavors with almond peeking out every so often and the super crunch of the brittle. But after dipping my spoon into the pint for a second time, those flavors didn’t seem to pop as much as they did when I first dug into it.

Ben Jerry s Toffee Break Top

When that happened, I thought maybe it’s not the ice cream. Instead, it’s me. So I rinsed my mouth with water and scraped off whatever build up there was on my tongue. But I still couldn’t recreate the euphoria I had when I initially dug into this flavor.

The buttery brown sugar base tastes more like vanilla, while the caramel still brings the butteriness, but it’s not as intense as before. At times, spoonfuls with just the base and swirl remind me of birthday cake. The almond is still there whenever I bite into a piece of brittle, which has a jaw-shaking crunch that’ll appeal to ice chewers and helps those spoonfuls that have it taste somewhat like a Heath Bar.

Toffee Break is a fine ice cream, but it doesn’t stand out among the other two.

Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 scoop/85 grams) 220 calories, 12 grams of fat, 7 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 55 milligrams of cholesterol, 135 milligrams of sodium, 24 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 20 grams of sugar, and 4 grams of protein.

Caramel Crisp

Ben Jerry s Caramel Crisp

Finally, we have Caramel Crisp, a flavor that has milk chocolate and caramel ice creams with mini caramel-filled cups and crispy bits. The combination makes it sound as if the pint honors Nestle’s 100 Grand Bar, one of my favorite candy bars.

Like a 100 Grand Bar, my pint was loaded with crispy bits. Unless you have extreme precision with a spoon, there’s no way to NOT get at least one in a spoonful. They provide a crunch that’s slightly better than Rice Krispies. Although, I did get my pint within days of coming out of the factory, so that might contribute to their freshness.

Ben Jerry s Caramel Crisp Top

While it’s hard to miss the crispy mix-in, there weren’t a lot of the caramel-filled cups in my pint. It took a lot of digging before I got my first one. It’s an issue because the gooey caramel inside each chocolatey cup is the key to making the flavor similar to my favorite candy bar. The caramel ice cream doesn’t do that for me. When I’m able to get all the ingredients together on one spoon, it’s grand.

There’s a part of me that wishes this came with a caramel swirl instead so that there’s an even distribution of the buttery confection, but I understand why it might not have one since the other two varieties do. So if you do try this flavor at a Scoop Shop, be THAT customer who asks for a scoop that has a lot of caramel cups.

Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 scoop/85 grams) 230 calories, 13 grams of fat, 9 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 50 milligrams of cholesterol, 45 milligrams of sodium, 24 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 21 grams of sugar, and 4 grams of protein.

I know it might seem like I’m a little down on these, but I really enjoyed all three flavors. They all do a decent to good job at emulating the flavors of their respective candy bars. Which one you choose should really come down to which candy bar you prefer — Snickers, Heath, or 100 Grand.

Are these flavors worth the trip to a Ben & Jerry’s Scoop Shop?

Well, it’s getting warmer, which means you’re getting warmer, and ice cream is cold, so eating ice cream will make you less warm. That’s physics or thermodynamics or both. I don’t know. I barely passed every science class I took. But if you’re looking for a sweet treat to help you beat the heat for a brief moment, any of these three would be fine.

DISCLOSURE: I received a free sample of each flavor from Ben & Jerry’s (Thanks, Ben and Jerry). Doing so did not influence my review in any way.

REVIEW: Ben & Jerry’s Red, White & Blueberry and Ice Cream Sammie

Meghan 9 Comments

Ben Jerry s Red White Blueberry and Ice Cream Sammie

As spring winds down and electricity bills ramp up from air conditioning, grocery stores nationwide are busy curating their ice cream supplies to make room for this season’s newest releases.

Walmart is no exception, and it’s entirely appropriate that it, as the most distinctly “American” superstore, be the exclusive distributor of Ben & Jerry’s two newest pints celebrating summer in the USA.

Red, White & Blueberry

This Old Glory-themed pint blends pieces of shortbread cookies with raspberry, blueberry, and vanilla ice creams. Colorful name aside, this appears woefully pale under the lid, and its taste is similarly one-note.

Ben Jerry s Red White Blueberry

Rather than enhancing the more interesting blueberry and raspberry ice cream swirls, the intense vanilla base comprised roughly 70% of this pint’s volume, and almost entirely masked every unique component promised in this flavor’s description.

Granted, Ben & Jerry’s makes an excellent vanilla ice cream (so excellent, in fact, that Delish.com declared it to be the best vanilla ice cream you can buy in stores), but nobody is buying this Walmart-exclusive because they want something so…vanilla.

Blueberry is a woefully underrepresented flavor in the frozen dessert aisle, and I was hoping for this to be its moment to break out into the limelight. Sadly, the only blueberries I found were in the swirl’s light purple color. Somehow, the raspberry ice cream was even more indecipherable. I didn’t see a single trace of pink or red in my entire container.

Even the shortbread pieces seemed uninspired. Although not entirely terrible, they were soggy, lacked any notion of creativity, and didn’t seem up to par with Ben & Jerry’s usual “everything plus the kitchen sink” attitude.

Ice Cream Sammie

Supposedly a more expensive and less portable spin on the classic childhood treat, Ice Cream Sammie combines chocolate sandwich cookies and chocolate cookie swirls into a base of rich vanilla ice cream.

Ben Jerry s Ice Cream Sammie

Like Red, White & Blueberry, this flavor also failed to live up to my expectations. Unlike its sister pint, however, the issue here isn’t from lack of flavor. Rather, the true nature of this pint is misrepresented by its name. The cookies used here are basically Oreo-like, not true ice cream sandwich wafers. That difference may seem minor, but the impact it has on how this ice cream comes across is enormous.

Rather than reminding me of actual ice cream sandwiches, this is more like Cookies ‘N Cream on steroids. Is it a good version of Cookies ‘N Cream? Yes, absolutely! (And if you’re into Cookies ‘N Cream, then this is something for you to pick up on your next trip to Wally World). But is it like those unmeltable ice cream sandwiches I loved so much as a kid? Not even close.

Although those in search of the ultimate Cookies ‘N Cream may dig Ice Cream Sammie, both of these Walmart-exclusives were way off the mark for me. With so many other delicious options from Ben & Jerry’s, I’d recommend sticking to your usual favorites during your next ice cream run.

Purchased Price: $3.48 each
Size: 1 pint
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 4 out of 10 (Red, White & Blueberry)
Rating: 6 out of 10 (Ice Cream Sammie)
Nutrition Facts: (1/2 cup) Red, White & Blueberry – 220 calories, 120 calories from fat, 13 grams of total fat, 8 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 70 milligrams of cholesterol, 60 milligrams of sodium, 22 grams of total carbohydrates, 0 grams of dietary fiber, 19 grams of sugar, 4 grams of protein. Ice Cream Sammie – 290 calories, 150 calories from fat, 17 grams of total fat, 8 gram of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 60 milligrams of cholesterol, 150 milligrams of sodium, 31 grams of total carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of dietary fiber, 24 grams of sugar, 4 grams of protein.