NEW! Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream Thread 3.0!

[MikeK46]

"Rich Buttery Ice Cream with Roasted Pecans"



Butter Pecan (scoop shop exclusive)

This is the flavor you parents were eating with their grandmothers back in the 70's, most likely invented by Howard Johnsons or Baskin Robbins in the earlier part of the 1900's during prohibition. In 1925 Howard Johnsons came up with a recipe that added butterfat to the ice cream to make it more flavorful. Or, it could've Baskin Robbins who opened in 1945 with "Old Fashioned Butter Pecan" as a nationwide permanent flavor.

Look elsewhere for "low-calorie" and "low-fat" frozen desserts, because Ben & Jerry's doesn't imitate. You won't find this ice cream sacrificing the flavorful, rich, and creamy texture that only very generous portions of butter and heavy cream can provide. The former is what servers as the foundation for this particular flavor, which is a scoop shop only acquisition.

When creating "Butter Pecan," they kept true to their philosophy. This flavor packs 20 grams of fat into an 86g serving. Yes, that's right, it's 23% fat. The highest fat density of any flavor, thoroughly eclipsing Chubby Hubby and then slightly edging past Peanut Butter Cup. The result? Taste buds are pulverized by a creamy wave of buttery flavor. It's decadent, without being too sweet. There are only 15 grams of sugar per serving. Compare that to "Chocolate Therapy," which packs 22 grams into a similar serving. While many butter pecan ice creams use vanilla flavoring, Ben & Jerry's does not: this one is allllll buttahhh.

You won't find a shortage of nuts within, as the base is thoroughly infused with pecans that are toasted on the surface while still retaining some crunch. Having to chew through the nuts makes this frozen dessert exponentially more filling and satisfying. You can really sink your teeth into the larger pieces. The roasted pecans are a pleasant change from the fudge, cake, toffee, or cookie mix-ins that are common in B&J flavors. Almost every bite increases your daily omega-3 intake. Not as much as a walnut pie but hey, let's not get greedy. Tiny pecan crumbs are strewn throughout: it's all in the details.

In "Ben & Jerry's Homemade Ice Cream & Dessert Book," the founders share two tactics: First, "Salt is a key ingredient, not an optional taste-booster. The slightly salty taste is an essential flavor component of 'Butter Pecan.'" It's very subtle and you might miss it if not paying attention, but if you look for it, it will come through clearly.

Second, the pecans are as crisp as possible. There is strong emphasis on "sautéeing the pecans in butter only until lightly browned and nutty-crisp. Cooking must be stopped at just that point: the nuts can go (in a twinkling) from just-right to overcooked and soggy if the cook is not paying careful attention."

What seemed plain at first sight turned out to be quite sophisticated. B&J nailed perfectly what "Butter Pecan" should be. 9/10

[nyy123]

Nice! Never seen the butter pecan flavor.

[nyy123]

3.0 to the top!

[Ryan314]

Who's had Voluntiramasu (or however you spell it)?

[Nimm]

Who's had Voluntiramasu (or however you spell it)?

I just had that for the first time yesterday. It was not a typical B&J flavor - lighter on the mix-ins, which were much less prominent, and a very rich, not-as-aggressively-sweet base. A lot less "busy" than most B&J, and something I would normally expect to be bored by. But I liked it a lot, just because all the flavors were well balanced and overall it was a nice subtle blend. Sort of the ice cream equivalent of an after dinner cordial. I can see this being a very hit-or-miss flavor.

[nyy123]

Who's had Voluntiramasu (or however you spell it)?

I just had that for the first time yesterday. It was not a typical B&J flavor - lighter on the mix-ins, which were much less prominent, and a very rich, not-as-aggressively-sweet base. A lot less "busy" than most B&J, and something I would normally expect to be bored by. But I liked it a lot, just because all the flavors were well balanced and overall it was a nice subtle blend. Sort of the ice cream equivalent of an after dinner cordial. I can see this being a very hit-or-miss flavor.

Yup! Definitely not typical B&J flavor...but pretty good.

[FunkymonkAW]

I just had that for the first time yesterday. It was not a typical B&J flavor - lighter on the mix-ins, which were much less prominent, and a very rich, not-as-aggressively-sweet base. A lot less "busy" than most B&J, and something I would normally expect to be bored by. But I liked it a lot, just because all the flavors were well balanced and overall it was a nice subtle blend. Sort of the ice cream equivalent of an after dinner cordial. I can see this being a very hit-or-miss flavor.

That's probably why I liked it so much. I'm a sucker for any type of coffee base. At 230cals a serving (instead of the usually 250-300), it's one of the few pints I'll eat anymore.

[Randre]

Been wanting to try this flavor for a while. First the base. So far this is my favorite chocolate base from all the flavors so far. Very creamy and good. At first I thought the brown Mixins were the graham crackers but turns out it was the toasted marshmallows which chewy and really good. The only disapointment from this flavor is the lack if graham cracker swirl which would most likley made this the perfect flavor. 9/10

[nyy123]

Been wanting to try this flavor for a while. First the base. So far this is my favorite chocolate base from all the flavors so far. Very creamy and good. At first I thought the brown Mixins were the graham crackers but turns out it was the toasted marshmallows which chewy and really good. The only disapointment from this flavor is the lack if graham cracker swirl which would most likley made this the perfect flavor. 9/10

S'mores does look good!

[nyy123]

Mike you mentioned how you also really like Brownie Chew Gooder...I suppose you are fortunate enough to have a target stocking it? The one near me seems to have lots of old ice cream (expired or expiring) & Berry Voluntary.

[ree_up]

Been wanting to try this flavor for a while. First the base. So far this is my favorite chocolate base from all the flavors so far. Very creamy and good. At first I thought the brown Mixins were the graham crackers but turns out it was the toasted marshmallows which chewy and really good. The only disapointment from this flavor is the lack if graham cracker swirl which would most likley made this the perfect flavor. 9/10

I just had S'mores yesterday too. Funny thing is that mine had tons of graham cracker swirls but only like 2 little pieces of marshmallow. The chocolate base was good though.

[Randre]

I just had S'mores yesterday too. Funny thing is that mine had tons of graham cracker swirls but only like 2 little pieces of marshmallow. The chocolate base was good though.

Weird. Swirls are usually consistent in all the pints I've had. Yeah the base was good. Definetly in my top flavors.

[MikeK46]

Mike you mentioned how you also really like Brownie Chew Gooder...I suppose you are fortunate enough to have a target stocking it? The one near me seems to have lots of old ice cream (expired or expiring) & Berry Voluntary.

Yea, my Target always has plenty of Brownie Chew Gooder, Peanut Butter World, and Berry Voluntary. I love BCG, the brownie mix-ins are so creamy it's almost like a swirl of raw brownie batter, much more so than any of the other flavors with brownies mixed in.

[TheRagingboxer]

Karamel Sutra.......1/5.

I must say was very unimpressed. Maybe it was the lack of mix-ins, or it being overall bland. Really just vanilla ice cream, chocolate ice cream, and caramel in the middle. I know some others that love it, so if you like the above listed, then this would be your ice cream.

[Buffalonian]

Peanut Brittle:

Peanut Brittle Ice Cream with Peanut Brittle Pieces and a Caramel Swirl

The caramel swirl was perfect and complimenting, without being too strong. The actual base ice cream didn't hold a very strong peanut brittle taste, more like a vanilla base with a hint of peanut butter to it. The pint also had a good amount of peanut brittle pieces, so almost every bite had some.

Overall, I really enjoyed this pint and would buy it again. It was my first peanut butter ice cream from Ben and Jerry's, next I will have to try 'What a Cluster' to have something to compare it to.

8.5/10

[schabowy90]

Pumpkin Cheesecake Seasonal- 7/10 lacking something, dunno what.


cinnamon buns- 10/10 unreal. cross between oatmeal cookie chunk and cookie dough. sooo dam goooood.


Red Velvet- 9/10 tastes exactly like cake batter coldstone. amazing.

[nyy123]

Probably will post updated information when I receive several (or more) reviews.

[Flyin Ryan]

Who's had Voluntiramasu (or however you spell it)?

I did. Dude, I loved it. That being said, I'm such a sucker for legit tiramisu. If you enjoy the real thing, you will definitely enjoy this flavor.

[Ryan314]

^definitely am!

[sarasayshi]

@Mike - Thanks for the 7-Eleven tip for Chubby Hubby. I'll check one out.

I tried Oatmeal Cookie Chunk on Saturday night and both me and my guy were like moaning the entire time we ate it! It is so GOOOD! I think I am gonna have to boot "Everything but the..." off my top 5 for OCC because I had Everything but the, the night before and it didn't tickle my fancy as much as it once did. So OCC gets a 5/5!

I also tried Milk and Cookies and I would give that a decent rating of 4/5 too. it was tasty!

[Ryan314]

^If I don't find OCC in the next day I'm gonna freak out. Way too many good reviews here!

[Flyin Ryan]

^If I don't find OCC in the next day I'm gonna freak out. Way too many good reviews here!

The only time I've ever found it (which was once) was at a mom-and-pop grocery store.
If you have any of those in your area that carry BnJs, check there. The bigger chains (Kroger, Family Fare, Walmart, Meijer, etc) typically don't carry it.

[Ashlei]

Actually, Kroger is the only place here that carries OCC. Try the flavor locator and see if you have any success with that.



Just saw this on B&Js twitter. I lol'd.

[MikeK46]

Just found this at none other than Whole Foods...who woulda thunk?

[nyy123]

Just found this at none other than Whole Foods...who woulda thunk?

Lol believe it or not I've found whole foods to be a place for a bunch of hard to find flavors. I also see a lot of cinnamon buns at mine.

[MikeK46]

Lol believe it or not I've found whole foods to be a place for a bunch of hard to find flavors. I also see a lot of cinnamon buns at mine.

At the large stores I usually only see the flavors that sell well. The real gems around here are mostly at 7-Eleven and hole-in-the-wall delis.

[nyy123]

At the large stores I usually only see the flavors that sell well. The real gems around here are mostly at 7-Eleven and hole-in-the-wall delis.

Really? Hmmm...it's kind of weird how inconsistent many of my grocery stores are flavor wise. The only flavors I always see are the cherry garcias, chocolate chip cookie dough, phish foods...other flavors can be hit or miss. I have yet to try stores that aren't chains though. I've only been to a 7-eleven in my life once.

[MikeK46]

The only flavors I always see are the cherry garcias, chocolate chip cookie dough, phish foods...

Yep, along with Half-Baked, Chunky Monkey, and New York Super Fudge Chunk, those are the flavors that the supermarkets here stock up on. I've been seeing a lot of Chocolate Macadamia and Cinnamon Buns as well.

[66jzmstr]

IN and SUBBED!

Well over 30 flavors in, and Chubby Hubby just barged its way into my Top Five, knocking out the 9.3 that is Coffee Heath Bar Crunch. Review below.


Chubby Hubby: "Fudge Covered Peanut Butter Filled Pretzels in Vanilla Malt Ice Cream Rippled with Fudge & Peanut Butter." Sweet yet salty, creamy yet crunchy. There is so much going on inside this pint, yet it all works devilishly well together. I could actually taste the malt in the vanilla malt base with its rich sweetness. My pint was loaded with the fudge-covered peanut butter-filled pretzels, all of which kept their crispy crunch. The fudge and peanut butter ripples were unavoidable. It’s no surprise a single serving runs 340 calories and 20 grams of fat. And it’s worth every bit of it. Despite having tackled over thirty flavors, Chubby Hubby’s tubby self has nonchalantly vaulted itself with aplomb into my Top Five. 9.4


My current Top Five is as follows:

1) Maple Blondie (10.0)
2) Cinnamon Buns (9.7)
3) Clusterfluff (9.6)
4) Oatmeal Cookie Chunk (9.5)
5) Chubby Hubby (9.4)


I have a few remaining pints of my beloved Maple Blondie, which I've only had once, but I'll try it again to see if it stands up to all these pints I've enjoyed since then. There are a number of flavors I have yet to try, but flavors like Dulce Delish - although I'm sure it's great - I just don't see contending for a Top Five spot, so I'm in no rush to try them. I have Pistachio Pistachio and Brownie Chew Gooder in the fridge, and I'll probably pick up a hand-packed pint of Chocolate Therapy. Still in search of Pumpkin Cheesecake as well, but after that, I think my quest is over. (The ice cream will continue though, of course. )

[MITCHAPAL00ZA]

Oatmeal cookie chunk: Finally found the elusive OCC after months of searching. a Mobil gas station of all places had it in a small freezer burned section next to the 40s. well i couldnt pass up the opportunity so i scooped 2 pints up, even at the convenience store inflated price of 5.50 per. Well luckily this flavor lived up to the hype. Do you guys remember little debbies oatmeal cookie pies? well imagine them in icecream form with a perfectly creamy/rich cinnamon base and complementing fudge chips. At first i thought the fudge was out of place but as the pint went on it began to grow on me. One thing that was peculiar with this flavor is i usually like to savor my ice cream(letting in melt in my mouth, very small bites at a time). this particular flavor was not nearly as good when doing this as opposed to just scarfing it down, so i ended up killing the whole pint once i discovered this : /....anyway it definitely made it into my top 5, but does not dethrone the almighty cinnamon buns. so therefore it gets a 9.5/10