We’ve been treated to a lot of fun ice creams lately. The flavors seem to get more and more Junk Banter-y by the minute. One of the best features of ice cream is its versatility; you can replicate complex desserts and cram their flavors into a tiny little pint. Like cookies & cream cheesecakes, Christmas cookies, or crayons, to name but a few. But Haagen-Dazs has just forever earned my respect by mimicking an iconic dessert while cutting every corner imaginable. Introducing Haagen-Dazs Brownies à la Mode!
Haagen-Dazs Brownies à la Mode
For all my fellow dumbasses out there, “à la mode” just means “served with ice cream.” This shouldn’t be a problem for Haagen-Dazs – a global force in the ice cream industry. Haagen-Dazs Brownies à la Mode is a simple, straightforward attempt at a dessert with so much class that it’s earned a fancy squiggly over the “a.” Previously a shop exclusive, Haagen-Dazs has given it the pint treatment in their new Destination Series. The destination for Haagen-Dazs Brownies à la Mode is Chicago – the birthplace of the brownie, apparently. The flavor combines their vanilla ice cream with brownie pieces and a rich fudge ribbon. It’s… it’s beautiful:
Kind of.
Now, this can’t help but draw comparisons to the recently released Ben & Jerry’s Brownie Batter Core. That flavor used both vanilla and chocolate ice creams, along with brownie pieces and a truly wonderful brownie batter core filling. Ben & Jerry’s Brownie Batter Core was predictably good, if not a bit underwhelming. I’ve heard many complain that their delicious core only went halfway down the pint. To those people I say: HAHA I got the only good pint! Tonight we find out if Haagen-Dazs Brownies à la Mode is the better or worse option.
The easiest way for me to tackle this is to give my breakdown of where Haagen-Dazs Brownies à la Mode excels against Ben & Jerry’s Brownie Batter Core, and where it struggles:
Where It Wins:
- The vanilla ice cream. It’s just so much more flavorful and complex. Haagen Dazs uses Madagascar vanilla, if that contributes to the difference. Beats me… I just know that it tastes better. It’s sweeter, creamier, and can stand alone as a satisfying flavor.
- Chocolate in every bite. Because the fudge swirl and brownie pieces are blended in, every spoonful is going to offer the feature flavor without you having to do any searching.
- Quantity of mix-ins. Especially the brownies. You won’t have to dig for long to get your chew factor.
Where It Loses:
- The fudge sauce. Not that it tastes bad, but it’s just really straightforward and kind of boring. It lacks the fun and the depth of the Brownie Batter Core. Still is chocolate.
- The quality of the brownies. Same issue here. The brownies in Haagen-Dazs Brownies à la Mode aren’t as sweet and don’t have the same perfect saltiness that the Ben & Jerry’s brownies from Greyston Bakery have. They’re not as dense nor rich, either. Still are brownies.
That’s three wins and two losses. The biggest strength in Haagen-Dazs Brownies à la Mode is the “à la mode” itself. The vanilla ice cream is premiere for this tier of ice cream. It goes a long way in carrying this flavor, and provides a quality complement to some dependable but not game-changing mix-ins. B&J’s Brownie Batter Core wins the mix-in category easily. The two are slightly different experiences, but I’ll take Haagez-Dazs by the slimmest of margins because the base is always most important.
In summary, Haagen-Dazs Brownies à la Mode is a fine ice cream that isn’t going to disappoint anyone but the most critical of jackasses.
How Much of A Critical Jackass I Am Rating: 6.5 out of 10
Ice Cream Served with Ice Cream Rating: 10 of 10
Overall Rating: 7.5 out of 10
To keep up with all of our products finds and Junk Bantering in real time, follow us on social media at the links below!
Facebook: www.facebook.com/junkbanterblog
Instagram: www.instagram.com/junkbanter
Twitter: www.twitter.com/junkbanter
Snapchat: junkbanter
