It's been a while since I've ventured into the Talenti arsenal. After having Sea Salt Caramel, my personal favorite on the line, Coffee Chocolate Chip, and Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup, I've never really been let down. Now, while these may not be mind-blowingly good, lets also factor in that they are 1) a gelato, and 2) a lot less kcal dense than some ice creams out there.
Talenti Caramel Apple Pie has only had spectacular reviews, and with their release of a Raspberry and Cream, Fudge Brownie, and Lemon flavor, this one caught my eye the most. The last time I had an apple pie kind of dessert was when I ventured to Penn State and the creamery there and had Deep Dish Apple Pie flavor the students made and let me tell you, this was out of this world! Upon opening the lid, we realize this flavor is made up of cinnamon gelato with apples, flaky pie crust and a caramel swirl. They do not lie regarding the cinnamon gelato, which is deceiving since it's labeled as Caramel Apple Pie with no hint of cinnamon anywhere in the name. There were hints of caramel swirl all throughout the outside of the pint, so i was eager to see how this would relate to their Sea Salt Caramel.
Upon my first bite the first thing that shot into my head was Cinnamon Buns from Ben & Jerry's line. This was an exact literal replica of that base and the Cinnamon gelato was very pure, not an overpowering cinnamon, but literally the perfect amount and it also had a cinnamon roll like aftertaste. You get that buttery/creamy texture that a gelato offers with a potent cinnamon base. This was a major A+ in my books right off the bat. As we continue to get into the pint, we start to run into the little apple pie chunks and small hits of the caramel swirl.
The apple pie pieces reminded me of the flakes you get in many of the Ben & Jerry's pints. They are very hit or miss, but not all over the place. This reminds me nothing of Sea Salt Caramel and the barrage of caramel truffles you encounter. These are very small, not very hard, and provide a good texture that also complement the powerful cinnamon gelato base which is fantastic. The caramel swirl is also hit or miss. It comes and it goes, but I do have to say the flavor is rich for a 200 kcal per serving. For only 10g of fat per serving and 200 kcals the flavor of this pint is very hard to pass up. How Talenti made a lower calorie version of a Cinnamon Buns base with apple pies and a nice swirl is beyond me. But still, overall, it's nothing to rave over. It's very good, do not get me wrong, but the mix-ins are lacking and the caramel swirl could be more profound. If those were amplified, this would be killer. This one is hard to pass up for the kcals, taste, and overall different flavor.
Where Bob Found It: Giant Eagle (Erie, PA)
Bob's Grade: B