Ben & Jerry’s Pumpkin Cheesecake is back! Please find our review below, a classic.
Ice cream and I go way back. As an adolescent, it played an integral role in my obese development. When I discovered fitness in college, ice cream was the one treat I would not abandon. For three years, my diet was as follows:
1) Canned tuna fish (for protein)
2) Frozen vegetables (for vitamins and minerals)
3) Keystone Light (for carbs and confidence)
4) Ice cream (for happiness)
It may come as a surprise, then, that I have never tried Ben & Jerry’s Pumpkin Cheesecake ice cream.
This ice cream has been released seasonally as a Limited Batch flavor since 2007, but has never made it into my cart. This was partially because I was unsuccessful in locating it, but also because I would stock only one ice cream at a time and make it last for several weeks. My, oh my, how things have changed drastically since I started this stupid junk food blog.
For starters, no limited edition product can escape my tireless hunting methods. I’ve basically been playing “Where in the World Is Pumpkin Carmen Sandiego?” for the last three months, and I now have a closet worth of junk food that very well may be the solution to world hunger. I found this during my lunch break at work, stocked it in the freezer, and then harrassed my coworkers until I found a cooler and some ice packs so it could survive my long commute home.
I nestled this baby into an obnoxious pink lunch box, broke more than a few traffic laws, and returned home with a little less dignity than I had before I left.
Would Ben & Jerry’s make me foolish for waiting so long?
In a word, yes. Notice in the first picture that somebody already got into the ice cream? Let me tell you what happened. I sampled some of the ice cream that stuck to the lid, savored the flavor, then impulsively dug in before remembering or caring that I was supposed to take photos for you.
Ben & Jerry’s Pumpkin Cheesecake is simply pumpkin cheesecake ice cream with a graham cracker swirl, but it is a damn-near flawlessly executed. You know how ice cream is creamy? This is creamier than that. And you know how ice cream is delicious? It’s better than that.
Let’s talk pumpkin spices. This creamy pumpkin crack is loaded with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Ben & Jerry’s wasn’t messing around as each of these spices are used in ideal ratios. Pumpkin puree adds authenticity.
After the tidal wave of pumpkin spices, the flavors transition to cheesecake. Cream cheese is high on the ingredient list, and it doesn’t get lost at all. This is not just pumpkin ice cream – it’s pumpkin cheesecake ice cream.
Now let’s talk about the swirl. This graham cracker swirl makes me want to purchase a graham cracker factory, pay Ben & Jerry full asking price to produce nothing but the swirl, then immediately close it to the public so nobody can eat the graham cracker swirl but me for the rest of eternity. It’s a beautifully inspired addition to the pumpkin cheesecake base. The only blemish on this ice cream is that there’s isn’t a little more swirl.
If you’re lucky enough to locate Ben & Jerry’s Pumpkin Cheesecake, purchase this limited batch flavor before I buy out the stock.
Now leave me alone and let me die with a huge pumpkin spice smile on my face.
Odds I Can Afford A Graham Cracker Factory Rating: 0 out of 10
Odds I Return This Snazzy Pink Lunchbox Rating: 1 out of 10
Overall Rating: 9.5 out of 10
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Highly entertaining blog post! Now, to get my hands on this ice cream….thank goodness B&J has that locater thingy online.
Hayley, you could have saved me two and a half weeks of my life if you shared this information 24 hours ago. I was unaware of the online locater thingy. Thanks for reading & commenting!
It overtakes the lead for the pumpkin power rating!!! Is the graham cracker crust apparent? I would love this flavor? Any other b&j flavor you love?
I was really pulling for the Hostess Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes to win this year, but this product was undeniably my favorite. The graham swirl provides great graham flavor, but it’s not a huge textural difference like some ice creams that add pieces of pie crust. I wish there were more of it, but the ice cream is too good to deny the full 10 points.
I think this is my new favorite B&J flavor, but I have missed a lot of them. I’ve heard Talenti’s Pumpkin Pie is just as good, if not better! The search continues…
Can’t wait to hear about talentis!! I know the texture is spectacular in their gelatos. And have you tried three twins? It is a local ice cream from my area. It’s all natural (no artificial ingredients). It would be cool to see a review!
I haven’t ever seen Three Twins before. Looks like they are from Cali? I live on the East Coast (MD), but maybe Drunk Female can get her hands on it one day.
Drunk Female and I agreed that we shouldn’t go crazy with ice cream reviews for the pumpkin power rankings, because ice cream is almost unfair. Even the worst ice creams are still better than lots of other mass-produced junk foods. Ice cream is just awesome. Outside of pumpkin, though, we will review exciting new ice creams in the future.
Cool! Can’t wait. And I agree. Ice cream is on another level than most junk food! Even bad ice cream is still tasty 🙂
In no way do I exaggerate when I say that I always search for this flavor when colder weather arrives. I’m not a huge fan of strong, traditional pumpkin flavors and actually tried this merely on a whim. Amazing!! That graham swirl is the right amount of gritty and sweet, which seems to be a rather odd combination of something you’d enjoy feeling in your mouth. If they ever take this away I will be quite saddened. Perhaps they will join the hot chocolate movement and that graham swirl will become something akin to marshmallow fluff. Yum!! 🙂
I fantasize about that graham cracker swirl… just outstanding. They should include more of it, but that’s me being selfish. You nailed it with “gritty and sweet,” and the combo works so well here. The grit might be welcomed because of the smooth ice cream and the lack of any other mix-ins. Gives it just a bit of texture. It’s a shame it’s so difficult to find because so many people are missing out. Glad you’re not one of ’em!
It’s all about the DQ pumpkin pie blizzard! Freaking ridiculous