Tag: Ice Cream

Talenti Gelato Layers are one of the most eye-catching products in the ice cream aisle. In their clear, pint-sized plastic containers, we can see the components stacked on top each other as if we’re looking at a cross section of a dessert planet.

Two of the newest varieties are Banana Caramel Crunch and Lemon Berry Pie.

Banana Caramel Crunch’s layers include banana pudding gelato, pie crust pieces, dulce de leche, more banana pudding gelato, and more pie crust pieces. Lemon Berry Pie features lemon gelato, graham pieces, blueberry sauce, a second lemon gelato layer, and pie crust pieces.

There’s definitely banana flavor in the Banana Caramel Crunch, but as for caramel and crunch, it’s a bit lacking. The creamy base is excellent, and I’d be happy if Talenti offered it its own pint. It has a mild flavor and is not as sweet as a ripe banana.

When the gelato, dulce de leche, and pie crust are in one spoonful, it tastes like…bananas. To be more specific, the caramel seems to add something to the gelato’s flavor to make the two taste like something that reminds me of a banana that’s still a little green. As for the “crunch” part, the pie crust pieces are as soft and silent as the rest of the dessert. So feel free to eat this next to your sleeping loved one.

As I was eating the Lemon Berry Pie one, I kept thinking it tastes like a dessert other than pie — lemon cheesecake. Although, isn’t a cheesecake technically more a pie than a cake? Ugh. No time to sit and ponder about that because this review won’t write itself.

Anyhoo, it seems as if the tanginess from the blueberry sauce and the lemon gelato create a tang that’s similar to cheesecake. The graham cookies and pie crust don’t enhance the pint’s flavor, and they also don’t provide contrasting textures with the other ingredients.

Look, I ate both easily without any regard for weight gain or guilt because they’re tasty. But I felt the gelato’s flavor dominated both pints, and I wish the dulce de leche and blueberry sauce stood out more. I guess it also doesn’t help that there are two base layers in each pint and a thin amount of sauce. Also, I would’ve liked something that provided a crunch. But if you love banana or lemon, which aren’t too common in the ice cream aisle, it’s worth a purchase.

DISCLOSURE: I received free samples from Talenti/Unilever. Doing so did not influence my review in any way.

Purchased Price: FREE
Size: 1 pint
Purchased at: Received from Talenti (sold wherever Talenti products are sold)
Rating: 6 out of 10 (Banana Caramel Crunch), 6 out of 10 (Lemon Berry Pie)
Nutrition Facts: (2/3 cup) Banana Caramel Crunch – 280 calories, 11 grams of fat, 7 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 60 milligrams of cholesterol, 75 milligrams of sodium, 41 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 32 grams of sugar, and 5 grams of protein. Lemon Berry Pie – 250 calories, 11 grams of fat, 7 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 40 milligrams of cholesterol, 95 milligrams of sodium, 36 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 28 grams of sugar, and 4 grams of protein.

I’ve eaten a hibiscus flower before, but I can’t tell you what it tastes like. My hibiscus rosa-sinensis taste test happened in the 80s, when I was really young, naive, and could be dared to put almost anything in my mouth for the high price of one dollar.

While I can’t tell you what the flower is supposed to taste like, the internet can, and it says it has a tart cranberry-like flavor. So if Ocean Spray ever comes out with a cran-hibiscus drink, be skeptical of it.

Talenti’s Strawberry Hibiscus Dairy-Free Sorbetto features, according to its jar, “Sweet strawberries and real hibiscus flowers are blended for a perfectly sweet and tart dairy-free sorbetto with a hibiscus swirl.”

Strawberry is the second ingredient listed, behind water, but the sorbetto also contains hibiscus powder AND hibiscus flower. However, it smells and tastes like strawberry is the second ingredient listed.

When I put my nose over the top of the pint, the aroma that wafts out is similar to what comes out whenever I open the bag of Kirkland Signature Frozen Strawberries in my freezer to make smoothies. All I taste with every spoonful of the sorbetto is something similar to a tart strawberry jam, but much lighter. I don’t get that cranberry-like flavor the internet tell me I’m supposed to taste. Even when I taste just the dark colored hibiscus swirl, all I get is strawberry with a bit more tartness than the rest of the pint.

Since there’s no dairy, the texture isn’t creamy or dense, like gelato or ice cream. But it scoops easily, and the lack of dairy helps make it a light dessert that your belly won’t regret eating after a big meal. The pint also contains something that initially has a texture of seeds, but then melt away.

Although Talenti’s Strawberry Hibiscus Dairy-Free Sorbetto tastes a bit one-note to me, its fruity flavor was enjoyable enough that I don’t need a dollar to encourage me to put it in my mouth.

DISCLOSURE: I received a free sample of the product. Doing so did not influence my review in any way.

Purchased Price: FREE
Size: 1 pint
Purchased at: Received from Talenti
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (2/3 cup) 150 calories, 0 grams of fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 0 milligrams of sodium, 38 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 34 grams of sugar, and 0 grams of protein.