Creative Ice Cream Flavors
There’s no time like summertime to dig into new ice cream flavors, and 2019’s summer season is no exception. As is the case with everything in the world of food, the ice cream industry has been permanently changed by the rapidly-developing American palate. Two decades ago, a trip down the ice cream aisle in your local grocery store would yield perhaps four brands and two dozen flavors, with most of the aisle’s diversity coming from just one or two major brands. Today, you’re more likely to encounter a minimum of ten different brands and 50 or 60 different flavors–or more.
What’s that doing in ice cream?
Savory-leaning flavors are just one new concept now represented among modern frozen treat offerings, but this trend is an important one to track. Flavors that taste much better than they sound are the norm these days. Berries and beans? Puppy chow? Olive oil and salted almonds? One of the best flavors of the year actually incorporates mushrooms: sherry-candied mushrooms taste amazing and blend well with the honey, butter, and peanut-butter-and-chocolate cereal mix found in the same carton.
Have your ice cream and eat it too
Another huge trend this year is the explosion of low-calorie ice creams. For people who have tried low-calorie dairy dessert options in the past and (rightfully) turned up their noses, today’s low-cal options come as a sweet shock. With rich, creamy textures and flavors such as strawberry cheesecake, sea salt caramel, chocolate chip cookie dough, birthday cake, s’mores, peanut butter cup, and oatmeal cookie, it’s hard to believe that you can eat an entire pint for about the same number of calories that you’ll find in just a half-cup of many premium brands.
Flavor ingredients play a huge role in the success of these products and in the guilt-free enjoyment of the consumers who buy them.
Alcohol on ice (cream)
As a flavor, alcohol will always be in, and boozy ice creams are fan favorites, especially this year. The trick is to infuse ice cream with the full flavor of the liqueur along with a balancing flavor such as fruit or nuts–as you’ll find in flavors such as bourbon vanilla bean truffle, amaretto black cherry, and Irish crème brownie. There are clearly endless ways to spin these flavor profiles, so think about all the adult beverages that you love and ways to turn them into tomorrow’s top frozen treats. Chocolate stout pretzel crunch, anyone?
Ice cream lends itself beautifully to all manner of flavors and mix-ins, both sweet and savory. Make your mark in the ice cream industry today with the next big scoop.