When I first laid eyes on Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip, I thought I'd been given a duplicate of Chocolate Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip; a pint I'd had a few months earlier. With an ingredient list that featured chocolate and peanut butter ice creams, Graeter's signature chocolate chips, as well as pieces of peanut butter cookie dough, I can't say I would have been disappointed. Instead, Graeter's Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip is a simple combination of two famous complimentary flavors: rich, milk chocolate chips nestled in creamy peanut butter ice cream. Most peanut butter ice creams from premium producers are the heaviest you'll find, but considering Graeter's is known for their denseness, this is bound to be a unique experience. With the orange lid laid aside, the first layer is beige in color and large chunks of those famous Graeter's chocolate chips make no attempt to hide.
This isn't quite as heavy as the chocolate peanut butter version, but still manages to clock in at a hefty 310 calories per serving. To ensure I can concentrate solely on the peanut butter base, I avoid all the chocolate chips scattered about. Some peanut butter ice creams allow the natural saltiness of the peanuts to come to the forefront, but Graeter's does just the opposite. They've focused on the sweetness of creamy peanut butter, and in doing so, have created the smoothest, richest peanut butter base imaginable. Their consistency is already regarded as some of the best around, so it comes as no surprise that this base shares that same full-bodied feeling. This allows the rich flavors to slowly penetrate every last taste bud, forcing them into submission with a heavy dose of peanut butter.
This peanut butter ice cream could have held its own even with no mix-ins, but any flavor can be made better with some of Graeter's signature chips. These roughly broken chunks of chocolate add tremendous texture without adding the rock-hard density the ones from other companies tend to do. These pieces are left behind long after the ice cream has melted away, which gives the tail end of each bite a rich, milk chocolate finish. Graeter's has always erred on the side of proven favorites rather than getting too creative, but when you can do the classics as well as they can, who can blame them?
Where I Found It: Graeter's Online Store
Grade: A
