The Pint Gets More Powerful in 2025

Flavor is no longer just about what tastes good. It’s about what feels meaningful, personalized and future-facing. It’s about delivering delight in a moment of chaos, comfort in the face of climate shifts and trust in a time of transformation, according to research shared by IFF. “Consumers are no longer chasing indulgence for its own sake. They’re seeking moments of joy that feel emotionally grounding and intentionally pleasurable, small escapes that restore balance and spark connection. This movement toward ‘joyful harmony’ reflects a desire to elevate everyday experiences through sensory delight, cultural nostalgia and moments that feel shareable and real.”

Enter the powerful pint of ice cream. It contains just enough creamy and dreamy to bring joy.  
I explored this topic a few weeks ago. If you missed the Friday the (June) 13th blog titled “July is National Ice Cream Month. Explore some of the creative goodies Americans will be enjoying this summer,” link HERE.

Joyful harmony is creating a surge in demand for comforting yet adventurous profiles, according to IFF research. Think playful nostalgia and glimmers of happiness. Expect flavors to be layered, bold and emotionally expressive, often times with multisensory formats. 

That’s what you find in Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams new “Super Fun Times” collection. These three new limited-edition flavors are about making joy part of the everyday palate. 

Pink Bubble Gum is juicy and intensely fruity. Tastes like the first--and best--30 seconds of classic gum.

Root Beer Float is root beer ice cream with marshmallows. It tastes like the creamy, refreshing, frothy foam atop a frosty mug of root beer.

Toasted S’mores is toasty vanilla bean marshmallow ice cream with gooey milk chocolate and graham cracker cookies.

Just in time for the holiday weekend and National Ice Cream month, Jeni’s has three more nostalgic delights. 

Popcorn Brittle is popped popcorn ice cream with a corn-toffee crunch.
Strawberry Pretzel Pie is pretzel streusel and strawberry sauce in cream cheese ice cream.
Watermelon Taffy tastes like a creamy, tart candied watermelon.

After Kellanova partnered with Golden West Food Group earlier this year to launch Eggo and Rice Krispies Treats Ice Cream, the companies decided to grow their breakfast-inspired pint offerings with more nostalgic cereal flavors. 

The original pint lineup included three Eggo-inspired flavors--Blueberry, Buttery Maple and Chocolatey Chip--along with Rice Krispies Treats. The new pints are Apple Jacks, Corn Pops, Froot Loops, Frosted Flakes and Honey Smacks. 

After ice cream, what else is creamy and dreamy? Pudding, and why not freeze it for the fun of it?

New Lorenzo’s Southern Style Frozen Pudding has twice the butterfat of standard ice cream. It’s creamy, dreamy and brings nostalgic joy. These premium frozen pudding pints come in four varieties: Banana Pudding, Chocolate Mousse, Hawaiian Pineapple and Schnooka’s Strawberry. They are made with clean-label ingredients and much lower in sugar than the original family recipe that they are based on. They are sold by the pint in retail stores throughout Chicago, my amazing hometown.

Sunday kicks off the Summer Fancy Food Show in New York City. I expect to see lots of great dairy innovations on the expo floor. I am very much looking forward to tasting Sammontana Gelati all’Italiana, which is making its U.S. debut. 

Founded in 1946 in Empoli, Tuscany, Sammontana is more than just a gelato company. Known for its creamy textures and bold flavors, it is a symbol of joy, family and flavor that has defined generations of Italian summers, according to the company. (There’s that joy attribute.) 

American consumers will soon be able to enjoy a curated selection of flavors, including Chocolate, Pistachio, Wild Cherry Vanilla, Hazelnut, Almond Brittle and the brand’s best-seller in Italy: Salted Caramel. Sammontana gelato will be available starting this July in all Eataly locations across the U.S., with additional products and retail partnerships to follow in the coming months.

“For generations, Sammontana has represented the joy of Italian summer, the spontaneous smile that comes with a cone on a hot day, the shared pleasure of a family dessert, the timeless ritual of gelato,” said Alessandro Angelon, CEO of Sammontana Italia.

Lastly, there’s Protein Pints, an innovative protein-packed ice cream brand that is rapidly disrupting the frozen dessert aisle with a unique offering that resonates strongly with today's health-conscious consumers. Higher protein ice creams of a decade ago also focused on reducing or eliminating carbohydrates and going as low as possible on calories. Protein Pints do that, too, but the primary focus is on delivery high-quality, complete protein. 

Protein Pints demonstrates the power of a product that meets evolving consumer needs for both indulgence and wellness. The brand’s commitment to using only natural ingredients ensures extraordinary taste, while its significant protein and lower sugar content clearly resonate with a broad audience. 

The five flavors are Cookie Dough, Peanut Butter Chip, Chocolate, Mint Chip and Strawberry. All flavors are packed with 30 grams of protein per pint, made with natural ingredients and 85% less sugar than traditional ice cream. Protein Pints still contains some added sugars, but are also sweetened with allulose and monk fruit. Creamy, dreamy dairy fat is a critical part of the formulation. The product is made with whole milk and butter. You will also find egg yolk and whey protein isolate on the ingredient statement. 

It's time to chill out and find joy in ice cream.

 

Hybrids (Animal and Plant): It’s Only a Matter of Time

 

Consumers have come to expect that food and beverage manufacturers use—as best as possible—sustainable sourcing and production practices. But most are not willing to pay for it. 

Consumers also know they need to eat more plants. They’ve heard the message. But, they are not going to eat it if it does not deliver on taste. 

“Sustainability is going to become cost of entry into market,” said Kara Weibeler, senior director of consumer insights at Chicago-based Simple Mills, a natural brand offering premium better-for-you crackers, cookies, snack bars and baking mixes. She spoke at a Chicagoland Food & Beverage Network Innovation Breakfast on May 1. 

It’s all about meeting consumers where they are in their health and wellness journey. Ten years ago it was a lot different than where they are today. And this will likely look very different in 10 more years. 

Janet Helm, a food and nutrition consultant based in Chicago, the former Chief Food and Nutrition Strategist for Weber Shandwick who helped turn milk from a commodity to a brand with the iconic got milk? and milk mustache campaigns, said that right here, right now, consumers are looking for “healthiesh” and “plant forward” options. It’s all about “tasting good, being good for you—and the planet—and not about deprivation.”  

“Hybrids, if we had them 10 years ago, we’d be much further in,” said Susann Bellman, senior business development manager at NIZO, a global leader in food research with a focus on protein and fermentation innovation, when speaking at VitaFoods Europe 2025 in Barcelona about a month ago. 

Nick Morgan, managing director of Nutrition Integrated, was on a panel with Bellman. He noted the evolution of the protein bar over the past two decades. “The shift of change is significant,” he said. 

It will be the same for dairy soon. Bellman said that consumers want more protein—animal and plant—and they want to get it through familiar formats. 

Morgan believes that the dairy case is the ideal retail department. “The dairy aisle is so well established,” he said. “And products come with a very accessible price point.” 

Both panelists, along with another, Simon Jurkiw, a food industry growth consultant with Pop Scale Up agreed that there’s a lot of opportunity in hybrid protein desserts. Protein gives permission for consumers to indulge. In the U.S., this is a particularly key area to focus, as the refrigerated dessert sector is currently quite small; however, it has opportunity for great growth. 

Say hello to the new Dairy Drink from Farm Dairy and PlanetDairy, both in The Netherlands. It is hybrid milk making its debut in Albert Heijn grocery stores across the country. 

(It’s a hybrid milk that also has potential to be transformed into a refrigerated dessert.)

PlanetDairy has combined its proprietary core technology with Farm Dairy’s production platform to make this new blended milk product possible. It provides the taste and nutritional profile of traditional dairy with the lower carbon benefits of plant ingredients.

“We first met with Albert Heijn in the spring of 2024,” according to Paul Cornillon, chief technology officer at PlanetDairy, a company dedicated to creating hybrid dairy products. “We shared the success of our cheese launch (under the brand name of Audu) in the Nordic markets and approached them with ideas on cheese, milk and yogurt.” 

To read more about PlanetDairy and Audu, link HERE.

The first challenge to overcome was taste and appearance. The new milk blend had to look and taste like traditional dairy milk. That’s where most consumers are today. 

As mentioned earlier, today’s consumers want sustainable options, but are not necessarily willing to pay for them. The companies worked together to select ingredients to match the experience of traditional dairy, while also being affordable and nutritionally balanced.

The Dairy Drink comes in three varieties: skim, semi-skimmed and whole fat. They are 60% to 70% cows’ milk, depending on variety, with the balance comprised of plant-derived ingredients. 

If your company is not already exploring this space. It’s time. 

July is National Ice Cream Month. Explore some of the creative goodies Americans will be enjoying this summer.

 

The average American consumes about four gallons of ice cream a year, according to the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA). Most ice cream companies are family owned and have been in operation for more than 50 years, according to an IDFA survey. And last year, ice cream makers in the U.S. churned out more than 1.3 billion gallons of ice cream. That’s a lot of frozen deliciousness. 

As the summer reaches peak temperatures in July, Americans celebrate National Ice Cream Month as a way to cool off and enjoy the nation’s favorite frozen treat with friends and family. This year the majority of that ice cream will be lacking chocolate, as the prices of cocoa, and the chocolate made from it, are at record highs. 

Formulators have gotten creative—and at times, edgy—with innovations for this summer. Many focus on newstalgia flavors, which are nostalgic with a modern twist. Others are designed to provide wow, maybe even shock value. And others are about forging a connection between brand and consumer in order to bring them some joy. 

Less than a mile from my home in Chicago is Pretty Cool Ice Cream. One of the shop’s recent limited editions was the Potato Skins Ice Cream Bar. It tasted just like the famous appetizer, but cold, and a bit creamier. Get inspired by checking out the menu HERE.

Perry’s Ice Cream has three new flavors exclusive to its scoop shops, which are located across New York, Ohio and Western Pennsylvania. Only one has some chocolate inclusions. 

Blueberry Cornbread is a fusion of honey ice cream, blueberry swirls and cornbread pieces, while Lavender Dream is a sophisticated blend of lavender vanilla ice cream complemented by ribbons of blackberry swirls. The NutHouse, a collaboration with Ohio State University Athletics, features sea salt caramel ice cream, brownie batter swirls and chunks of peanut butter cookie dough. The latter is also available at retail in a 1.5 quart container. The new flavors can also be purchased online via its website. 

Cold Case Ice Cream is only available online. It is a crime-inspired direct-to-consumer ice cream company breaking the mold with a growing cult following. All ice creams are limited edition, hand-crafted specialty flavors that are shipped in a solid -109.3°F frozen case with a chilling twist.  

Here’s what’s inside the new Break Free Limited Edition Premium Case. A gold “shovel” spoon to scoop out all of the evidence and leave no crumbs behind. One Cold Case Mystery Game, a family-friendly game based on the six suspects’ flavors. There’s also six pints of ice cream and their accompanying “incident report” detailing each mysterious flavor profile. 

The flavors are: 

• America’s Most Wanted: Creamy goat cheese meets rich blackberry jam, sliced almonds, brown sugar, honey and just a whisper of rosemary.  
• Cookie Mobster: A blue sweet cream base hides a stash of Oreo pieces, Famous Amos chocolate chip minis and those notorious pink-and-white Circus Animal cookies. 
• Huckleberry Pie Witness: Fresh huckleberries, jammy swirls, a buttery graham cracker pie crust and warming spice. 
• Illegal Fireworks: Cotton candy and vanilla ice cream rigged with Pop Rocks for an explosive finish, ignited by marshmallow swirls and detonated candy shards.
• Stone Cone Killer: Sweet cream ice cream laced with chunks of fudgy brownie, shards of chocolate-drenched waffle cone and thick veins of fudge swirl. 
• Summer Camp Massacre: Vanilla ice cream stuffed with graham crackers, brown sugar, chocolate shavings and a sticky swirl of marshmallow. 

This isn’t just an ice cream drop. It’s a story-forward, true-crime inspired brand that offers a full sensory experience. 

Speaking of sensory, Unilever’s UK ice cream brand Magnum continues to grow its Utopia novelty. The brand describes the stick bars as being multi-sensorial, as they are “marbled” and surrounded with a liquid sauce and enclosed in a coating.

Double Cherry offers a combination of marbled berry-flavored panna ice cream, drizzled in sour cherry coulis sauce and covered in the signature Magnum milk chocolate coating with crunchy, berry-flavored sugar pieces.

Double Hazelnut swirls hazelnut and caramel almond ice creams within a salted hazelnut sauce, coated in thick white chocolate studded with salted caramelized hazelnut, almond and pistachio pieces.

Euphoria Pink Lemonade is creamy lemon ice cream wrapped around an intense core of sweet raspberry sorbet, coated in white chocolate and bursts of raspberry crunch and popping candy. 

Friendly’s, a brand of Dairy Farmers of America, wants to connect with Gen Z through a collaboration with the Jonas Brothers. The trio are celebrating 20 years of music with their upcoming tour that kicks off on August 10 at MetLife Stadium. (I took my sons to see them 18 years ago. I am still recovering.) 

The new 20th Anniversary Flavor combines each brother’s favorite ice cream flavor--all side by side--in one 48-ounce tub. It’s Neapolitan with a twist. The flavor are: Kevin’s Coffee Cookie Crumble, Joe’s Chocolate Marshmallow Swirl and Nick’s Vanilla.

Hiland Dairy Foods is offering more than just fun-flavored ice cream this summer. It’s serving up a chance to win big. The Golden Ticket Giveaway, a promotional partnership with Silver Dollar City, invites families to celebrate the season with a scoop of fun and a sprinkle of adventure. Running from June 1 to July 27, the campaign features instant-win prizes, social media giveaways, and the ultimate grand prize: the Golden Ticket, which grants winners a memorable trip to Silver Dollar City. With a retro-inspired theme that evokes the magic of summer vacations and rollercoaster thrills, the campaign brings together two summertime favorites: ice cream and amusement parks. This summer Hiland’s three new ice cream flavors are: Chocolate Peanut Butter,  Strawberry Cheesecake and Cherry Cheesecake.

Graeter’s Ice Cream is riding the amusement park ice cream theme with the rollout of Beast Feast – Cookie Dough Unleashed. It is named after the iconic, record-setting wooden roller coaster at Kings Island. The cookie butter ice cream is packed with monster-sized chunks of sugar cookie dough and topped off with rainbow sprinkles. 

Beast Feast – Cookie Dough Unleashed is part of Graeter’s limited-edition summertime flavors inspired by classic bakery treats. The Bake Shop collection includes five other new flavors: Cinnamon Sticky Bun, Blueberry Lemon Crumble, Pineapple Passion Fruit Sorbet, Minty Brownie and Caramel Pecan Cheesecake.

Like Friendly’s, Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams is connecting with consumers through music, too. It’s all about that feeling when your favorite band takes the stage and time stops. Everything else falls away, you’re wholly present and in the moment, engaged with what’s happening right now, connected with those around you, and you feel fully alive. Jeni’s latest limited-edition flavor is a celebration of that exact feeling, inspired by the band Goose.

Goose Tracks is a riff on a nostalgic classic black raspberry chip. Except Jeni’s made it bolder by swapping black raspberries for juicier, more flavorful berries, including red raspberries and blackberries, and layering in bittersweet chocolate flakes. It’s both nostalgic and new, like hearing your favorite song played live for the first time. Other new flavors from Jeni’s include Pink Bubblegum, Root Beer Float and Toasted S’mores. 

“On a Venn diagram comparing Jeni’s and Goose, where the circles overlap would be called Things That Bring People Together and Make People Feel Good,” said Ryan Morgan, Jeni’s Head of Brand. “Music and ice cream are two of life’s greatest connectors. A live Goose show is about the joy of the moment and sparking the type of emotional connection that only comes through shared presence in real life. A Jeni’s experience is about the same thing.”

Because not everyone can afford a pint of Jeni’s during these inflationary times, The Kroger Co. decided to get bold with its limited-time Kroger Brand Summer in a Pint collection.

The four varieties and their stories are:  

• Fireside Nights: An elevated take on classic s’mores, this toasted marshmallow-flavored ice cream features s’mores pieces and a glittering swirl that radiates the orange hue of a campfire flame so campers and glampers can enjoy a bounty that does not require roughing it.  
• Italian Style Summer Fizz: Transporting taste buds to a carefree moment in the Euro summer sun, this blood orange-flavored sherbet is loaded with popping candy clusters and a blood orange-flavored ribbon.  
• Poolside Tan Lines: Mimicking the tan lines achieved after kicking back poolside, this flavor swirls together vanilla bean, chocolate and coffee ice creams.
• Sandy Shores: Like tropical waters cascading across shorelines, this coconut-flavored ice cream is reminiscent of crystal-blue seas and swirled with a sweet and salty pretzel crunch for a treat even better than a beach day.  

Take a break and grab a scoop of your favorite. Cheers! Oh, and by the way, Happy Friday the 13th!

IDDBA 2025: The Big Takeaway for Dairy

 

The record-breaking International Dairy Deli Bakery Association (IDDBA) 2025 show took place this week in New Orleans. The expo featured 1,000-plus exhibitors, with more than a fourth being first-timers. Many of those first timers were in the dairy space. 
That’s right, dairy, just like the dairy in IDDBA. For long, cheese was the main representation for that first D in IDDBA. That changed this year, which I believe is a reflection on the fact that dairy foods are hot, hot, hot right now, as consumers return to whole, minimally processed familiar foods. 

Products that debuted at the expo were featured this week as a Daily Dose of Dairy. There are more to come throughout the month of June. Keep your eyes out for protein pudding, on-the-go dairy dips, turmeric yogurt and refrigerated milk bars. 

The big takeaway is how dairy can be nutrient-dense treat that gives consumers permission to indulge. Single-serve desserts and refrigerated dips rocked the expo floor. 

During a panel discussion, Sarah Weise, chief executive officer of Bixa, a research consultancy firm, said that 97% of grocery shoppers see food as a way to treat themselves. They equate a treat to “me” time. 

Treats can be sweet as well as savory, hence the overwhelming number of desserts and dips that were showcased on the expo floor. 

Other trends can build into these little luxuries, including limited-time offerings, newstalgia and regionally/globally inspired flavors. Trending flavors include southern U.S. profiles, such as fried pickle and smoked brisket (both of which are available in dairy dips), Latin American flavors, such as Tajin and tres leches, and feta (as a flavor profile and as a carrier).

When it comes to newstalgia—something old and familiar with a new twist—it’s all about appealing to the shopper’s emotions, according to Karri Zwirlein, director of bakery, deli and prepared foods at Tops Market, who also spoke on the panel. “These consumers have had a very disruptive few years and they are looking for food that will remind them of a time when things weren’t so disruptive,” she said.

Disruption is not going away. Remind consumers that dairy is there for them.