Photo source: Perry's Ice Cream
Supermarket ice cream freezers will see a lot less chocolate--as there is a global cocoa bean shortage--and a lot more nostalgia during Summer 2024. Extreme “fruity and sweet flavors”—in particular strawberry, banana and blue—are trending. Blue as a flavor leans towards cotton candy or birthday cake frosting, with or without some bubble gum or lollipop blueberry. Cinnamon is everywhere, as is honey, with and without heat.
Perry’s Ice Cream’s newest flavors complement these trends. They were developed to meet the trend in nostalgia as consumers seek products that remind them of the past and provide comfort, while offering a modern interpretation.
Caramel Panda Paws (sea salt caramel ice cream with caramel panda paw cups and swirls of thick rich fudge) and Cookie Jar (sea salt caramel ice cream with chocolate chip cookie chunks) come in 1.5-quart containers. Notice how the dark Cookie Jar packaging is suggestive of the ice cream having some chocolate flair, despite the fact that it is quite limited due to general chocolate sourcing issues.
Over the Moon (toffee ice cream with crushed cookie swirls and sponge candy pieces) is the latest addition to Perry’s Extra Indulgent pint line. Those sponge candy pieces are part of the sweet flavor trend.
Nostalgic flavor innovation continues for Perry’s with the introduction of new three-gallon tub flavors for scoop shops. Bee Sting offers a twist to graham cracker and vanilla pudding flavors by adding a “sting” with a hot honey swirl. Inspired by cereals from childhood, Fruit Scoops is reminiscent of the delicious fruity milk at the end of the cereal bowl.
Blue Bell Creameries is celebrating its St. Louis expansion with a new ice cream flavor inspired by the cake made famous there, Gooey Butter Cake Ice Cream. No chocolate here!
Gooey Butter Cake is cake batter ice cream combined with a cream cheese swirl and rich, gooey butter cake pieces. The new flavor comes in half gallon and pint containers.
Blue Bell introduced Cinnamon Twist Ice Cream in January. The flavor is a rich, creamy base with hints of brown sugar and cinnamon combined with cinnamon bun dough pieces and a cinnamon icing swirl.
Continuing with the nostalgia trend, Rich Products Corp., is adding Funfetti Ice Cream Cake to its lineup. It’s made with birthday cake-flavored vanilla ice cream, classic Funfetti cake, whipped icing and colorful sprinkles. It’s all about sweetness.
Soft-serve ice cream is also nostalgic to many, especially older consumers. It reminds them of getting a twisted cone at places such as the Tastee Freez that John Mellencamp references in his 1982 hit “Jack and Diane.”
Blue Bunny is all about making soft-serve available in retail packages. The brand’s Summer 2024 innovation is Twist pints. The frozen treats combine two indulgent flavors of soft ice cream, expertly twisted to perfection, and adorned with a decadent ribbon of ooey gooey goodness. Flavors are Chocolate Vanilla, Strawberries & Cream, Cookies & Cream, Candy Bar, Mint Chocolate, Blu’s Birthday Cake, and Cherry Chocolate. Notice there’s not much chocolate and there’s that blue flavor.
Dippin’ Dots wants in on the blue thing, too. It’s visible in the company’s newest flavor: Frozeti Dough. The flavor was inspired by Dippin’ Dots’ mascot Frozeti the Yeti’s cool blue color. It tastes like sugar cookie, with occasional dots of chocolate chip and chocolate sandwich. Limited chocolate and lots of sweet blue!
Foodservice has jumped on the soft-serve bandwagon. Chicken Guy!, the chicken chain owned by Guy Fieri and Robert Earl, is debuting the Berry Bomb Shake. It is described as hand-spun vanilla soft-serve with mixed berry puree, topped with fresh whipped cream and cinnamon toast crumble.
Yogurtland’s newest soft-serve frozen yogurts are also right on trend. There’s Strawberry Matcha and Milk & Honey. Guests can also enjoy limited-time-only toppings such as Lychee Star Jelly and Strawberry Heart Jelly. There’s that very sweet fruity trend.
Fanci Freez, a restaurant brand with locations in Idaho, is taking its popular milkshakes from local acclaim to a product positioned for national distribution. Patent-pending technology was required to accomplish bringing a soft-serve milkshake product to the grocery aisle. This allows consumers to enjoy a milkshake at home after just 30 seconds in the microwave.
And in the U.K., Premier Foods is coating a soft-serve like ice cream with chocolate and selling it on a stick. Angel Delight stick novelties feature a fluffy, light ice cream that comes in Butterscotch and Banana varieties.
Bakery-Derived Flavors Rule at Innovative Ice Cream Contest
Peanut Butter Overload by Windy Knoll Farm Market took home top honors in the Most Innovative Ice Cream Flavor competition this week at the International Dairy Foods Association’s (IDFA) annual Ice Cream Technology conference. Banana Pudding Eclair by Hershey’s Ice Cream was awarded Most Innovative Ice Cream Novelty; and Insta Graham by The Ice Cream Club was named Most Innovative Prototype Ice Cream Flavor—the award for flavors not yet found in the marketplace.
“We all love classic flavors like chocolate and vanilla, but it is exciting to see the creativity these companies are bringing to the table,” said Roberta Wagner, senior vice president of regulatory and scientific affairs at IDFA. “This year’s contest highlighted… bakery-derived flavors, such as cookies, sourdough and graham crackers.”
This year’s awardees of the Innovative Flavor and Product contests are:
Most Innovative Ice Cream Flavor (currently offered for sale in the market)
1st Place: Peanut Butter Overload | Windy Knoll Farm Market
2nd Place: Lemon Meringue Pie | Graeter’s Ice Cream
3rd Place: Sweet Potato Marshmallow Pie | Van Leeuwen Ice Cream
Most Innovative Ice Cream Novelty (currently offered for sale in the market)
1st Place: Banana Pudding Eclair | Hershey’s Ice Cream
2nd Place: Deep Sea Treasure | Perry’s Ice Cream
3rd Place: Pralines ‘n Cream Ice Cream Bar | Baskin-Robbins
Most Innovative Prototype Ice Cream Flavor (not yet in the market)
1st Place: Insta Graham | The Ice Cream Club
2nd Place: Caramel Apple Pie | Balchem
3rd Place: Strawberry Guava Passion with White Chocolate and Short Bread Cookie | Fruitcrown Products, Corp.
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