Having been caught off guard by how incredible Ben & Jerry's Banana Cream Pie had been, I jumped at the opportunity to recapture that same sensation with a similar offering from Private Selection. Only available for a limited time as a seasonal offering, their Southern Recipe Banana Cream Pie is described as, "flaky pieces of crust folded into sweet banana ice cream swirled with creamy banana sauce." Despite missing a marshmallow component, the thoughts of flaky pie crust in sweet banana ice cream keeps me optimistic.
This was my first time investing in a full-sized carton of a Private Selection flavor, so I was pleased to see that they had adopted a similar resealable container, much like that of Blue Bunny. Unlocking the top and throwing it aside, the first layer is a lovely shade of light yellow, but unfortunately seems to be missing the gaudy mix-ins found in it's Ben & Jerry's counterpart. After scooping out a large helping, the pieces of flaky pie crust and creamy banana sauce look perfectly capable of getting the job done.
I tend not to expect much when working with a generic grocery store brand, but this had a premium feel. Thicker than I anticipated, and coming in at 210 calories per serving, it isn't quite as heavy as Banana Cream Pie from Ben & Jerry's, but comes close. Even though the carton warned of sweet banana ice cream, this base lacks the overly sugary characteristics I had been worried about. The smooth ice cream takes it's time melting down, releasing the ideal blend of cream and slightly-sweetened bananas along the way.
It isn't long after analyzing the banana base that I begin to get hit with a barrage of some of the best pie crust bits I've had. Varying in size and texture, the majority of these pieces are equipped with a slightly crunchy exterior that gives way to a soft, flaky interior. From past experience, this particular mix-in tends to be hit or miss depending on the company, but Private Selection allows the pie crust to live up to it's potential. The banana sauce swirl served as the finale of this seasonal offering.
Noticeably thicker than the banana ice cream base, this sweet and stringy swirl of intense banana flavor compliments the other components beautifully. Even though there aren't any signs of marshmallow, the combination of pie crust and banana swirl are so well-done that another mix-in isn't absolutely necessary. No this wasn't quite as good as the Ben & Jerry's version, but it wasn't far behind. After balking on their Sweet Honey Baklava, I'm glad I gave Private Selection another shot.
Where I Found It: Kroger
Grade: A
