During my trip to Vermont, the people working at Ben & Jerry’s seemed very excited about the latest additions to their Greek frozen yogurt lineup. Liz Lemon had been the most publicized due to its association with Tina Fey and 30 Rock, but Pineapple Passionfruit and Vanilla Honey Caramel had also joined the ranks. Considering I prefer vanilla and honey over pineapple, I chose Vanilla Honey Caramel as my next test subject. Yoplait had recently rolled out a nearly identical flavor, however it had received a poor rating due to the odd texture. Hopefully Ben & Jerry’s combination of vanilla Greek frozen yogurt with a honey caramel swirl would be able to win me over as Liz Lemon and Banana Peanut Butter had done in the past.
Most flavors from Ben & Jerry’s tend to check in above 200 calories per serving, but this simple concept comes in at only 190; making it among the lightest in their repertoire. After removing the lid, the first layer glows a bright white and shows only slight hints of the honey caramel swirl hiding below the surface. The only noticeable consistency difference between their ice cream and their Greek frozen yogurt seems to be that the latter scoops out a little easier and melts down a bit faster. As far as taste is concerned, the vanilla base focuses much more on the pleasant sourness of the Greek frozen yogurt than the banana and lemon versions had done. Each bite leads with this unique tartness and slowly incorporates the sweetness of the vanilla on the backend; but still remains much less sugary than the majority of their other offerings. Like many of the other Greek-based flavors I’ve sampled, the sourness takes some getting used to, however ends up growing on me as I work through this pint.
After removing the first few layers, I begin to run into the small stripes of honey caramel swirl. These are far more petite than the standard swirls mixed into most of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream and add only a minimal amount of texture. Most of the caramel-based swirls found in their pints, such as those in Triple Caramel Chunk of Brownie Chew Gooder, are thick and substantial. These smaller versions share the same consistency as honey, adding an influx of the familiar flavoring as well. The caramel comes in on the backend, which effectively compliments the vanilla Greek frozen yogurt base. Vanilla Honey Caramel far outperforms the version from Yoplait, but I’d still rather have Banana Peanut Butter and Liz Lemon over this selection.
Where I Found It: Super Wal-Mart
Grade: C
