Luckily for me, my local Walmart is usually pretty dependable when it comes to offering up new options from some of the country’s most popular ice cream companies; especially some of the harder to find flavors from Blue Bunny. I’d been able to secure cartons of the limited edition Chocolate Caramel Cashew and White Chocolate Caramel Cluster almost immediately after their release, so when I caught wind of their new Strawberry Cheesecake through a Reader Review, I knew exactly where I should look first. Sure enough, this combination of strawberry ribbon swirled in cheesecake ice cream with a graham crunch was sitting front and center in the Blue Bunny section. Cheesecake-based ice creams constantly rank among my favorite, but it’s not one you see used often by non-super-premium companies and it looks like they had to exclude actual cheesecake pieces when churning up this limited edition batch.
I’d thoroughly enjoyed the super-premium pint of Strawberry Cheesecake from Ben & Jerry’s as well as the highly complicated version from Blue Bell, so I was interested to see how this light, 150-calorie per serving, option could hold up. After breaking the tab and pulling off the easy lock lid, the first layer looks promising with plenty of the graham crunch poking through the top and hints of the strawberry ribbon sitting directly underneath the surface. Despite the decent amount of mix-ins, I’m still able to secure a spoonful of the base free of any distractions. Considering this is from Blue Bunny, I was prepared that this wouldn’t possess a super-premium consistency, but I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the sweet taste of their cheesecake ice cream. Most cheesecake bases are either too tangy or too mild, but this was one of the most well balanced options I’ve tasted.
The stripes of bright red, strawberry ribbon are evenly distributed throughout the entire carton, which ensures that almost every bite includes enough to contribute it’s flavoring. This drizzle of sauce adds another element of sweetness and makes the entire creation uniquely strawberry; my personal favorite cheesecake flavor. The bits of graham crunch are intended to impersonate the thin, graham cracker crust of a cheesecake and considering the low calories involved, serve their purpose. They add much needed texture along with the complimentary taste of graham cracker. While I’m still biased towards their Cookie Creation flavors, Blue Bunny’s limited edition Strawberry Cheesecake wasn’t far behind.
Where I Found It: Super Walmart
Grade: B
