I recently began working my way back through some of Ben & Jerry’s standard, less talked about flavors, so I thought I’d start the task of doing the same with their rival, Haagen-Dazs. While the names of their pints may be a little less playful than those from Ben & Jerry’s, you typically don’t have to read the description to get a good idea of what’s inside. Passing over flavors like Banana Split and Rum Raisin, I cashed in on a recommendation from a reader and decided to check out Chocolate Peanut Butter. Haagen Dazs has this to say about their simple sounding combination, “We start with our legendary chocolate ice cream and swirl in ribbons of creamy, smooth peanut butter. The experience is an irresistible blend of flavors in every delicious mouthful.” I’m a huge proponent of tradition flavors done well, so hopefully this one can win me over without too much difficulty.
Like many other pints featuring both peanut butter and chocolate, the version from Haagen Dazs comes in at 340 calories per serving and a whopping 1190 calories for the whole pint despite only containing 3.5 servings instead of the usual 4. After taking off the red lid and peeling back the plastic seal, the first layer looks all-chocolate besides a tiny beige spot of peanut butter that made its way to the top. Once the thick, chocolate ice cream is allowed to thaw out a bit, I scoop some out for my first bite. The super-premium, slow to melt base is heavy even for Haagen-Dazs, but luckily the flavors balance everything back out. Unlike other high butterfat chocolate ice creams, the one from Haagen Dazs doesn’t have the same dry, rich finish and instead teeters more towards a milk chocolate that provides the proper smoothness. Thanks to the layers of peanut butter that lie inside, the nutty taste has infiltrated the base and attributed some of its flavoring along the way.
I had initially been disappointed as I worked my through this pint due to the lack of peanut butter, but I soon found a large concentration at the center of this carton. This creamy, slightly salty peanut butter compliments the super-premium chocolate ice cream just as I’d expected it to. After reaching the peanut butter core, big pieces of stiff peanut butter swirl flake off and make their way into nearly every single bite from them on. Some pieces were bigger than my entire spoon and lingered around far longer than the chocolate ice cream surrounding it. Although this was one of the better options from Haagen Dazs, the competitive peanut butter and chocolate ice cream category denies this one from receiving an A grade. Regardless, if you’re a fan of this classic combination and haven’t tried this particular pint, it’s worth a scoop.
Where I Found It: Super Walmart
Grade: B
