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Ice Cream Review: Van Leeuwen Macaroni & Cheese (6/10)

Contents

Brand

Van Leeuwen

Flavor

Kraft Macaroni & Cheese

Rating

6 of 10

Ice Cream Review Van Leeuwen Macaroni & Cheese

Review

Overall: Van Leeuwen’s Kraft Macaroni & Cheese ice cream is an inoffensive novelty pint that I would never seek out again. In that sense, it’s not really a success. But this flavor has been phenomenally successful at promoting the Van Leeuwen brand, and that’s the genius of it.

Who hasn’t heard about VL’s Mac & Cheese flavor at this point? It’s been on many major news shows, national and local. You’ve been compelled to try it from all the press. And once you did, you had to give other VL’s pints some consideration as possible future purchases. Mission accomplished for VL advertising and PR.

Some work went into this concept flavor. The pint artwork certainly resembles a box of Kraft Macaroni & Cheese. And the color of the ice cream itself nails that peculiar, glowing orange of powdered cheese sauce. VL used actual Kraft cheese powder as an ingredient—so it’s not just food coloring being used to obtain this effect.

The texture of the ice cream is rich, dense, and smooth—what I’ve come to expect and appreciate from a VL pint. The flavor does taste mildly Kraft powdered cheese sauce, especially as an aftertaste, as the sweet note fades.

As I grazed through my half of the pint, my reaction began as mild revulsion and ended with begrudging acceptance. For me, many savory flavors don’t quite jibe with ice cream. Perhaps it’s just that I expect a dessert to be only sweet, not savory. But over time, the cheese flavor became less present, less offensive.

The cheese powder gives off a sour note that works like buttermilk as an ice cream ingredient—it helps keeps the sweet flavor in check. But it’s also salty. The cheese powder lists salt as its second ingredient. It’s that sour and salty that I got used to over time and gradually accepted, but never really enjoyed or craved. I wouldn’t seek it out again. Perhaps it’s one of those weird flavor combinations that will be sought by the pregnant.

There are no mix-ins in this pint, no actual macaroni. I’m not sure what kind of mix-in you could include to simulate pasta, probably none. But the lack of mix-ins results in a one note ice cream, like a plain vanilla pint.

It’s worth sampling in the sense that a novelty song is worth listening to once—and then never again—just so you have the shared cultural reference. Five years from now someone will say to you “Remember that mac & cheese ice cream. That was crazy. Let’s get a pint of that.” If you didn’t partake, you won’t know how to respond. Me? I’ll pass. 6/10.

Home Delivery

Nationwide Shipping of Van Leeuwen Ice Cream

Front blurb

Van Leeuwen Kraft Macaroni & Cheese
French Ice Cream

Back blurb

WHY KRAFT MACARONI & CHEESE ICE CREAM?

Have you ever met someone who didn’t smile while eating ice cream? Or while eating a comforting bowl of Kraft Macaroni & Cheese? Yeah, we didn’t think so. So why not enjoy both, at the same time, in the same bowl, with the same mouth. You know you’ve always wondered what this mash-up would taste like. Or at least you do now.

Ever since 2008, when Van Leeuwen was born out of a yellow truck on the streets of NYC, we’ve been making good ice cream from good ingredients that makes you feel good.

After all, happiness is healthiness.

And nothing makes us happier than this Kraft Macaroni & Cheese Ice Cream. If this reminds you of the ice cream you grew up withy, you might be out of your mind. If this reminds you of the comforting bowl of Kraft Macaroni & Cheese you grew up with, you’re getting warmer. Because did we make this ice cream with that buttery, sweet iconic cheese? You bet.

Calories

  • 2.5 servings per container
  • Serving size: 2/3 cup
  • Calories per serving: 29
  • Calories per container: 725

Ingredients

Cream, Milk, Cane Sugar, Egg Yolks, Kraft Cheese Sauce Mix (Whey, Milkfat, Salt, Milk Protein Concentrate, Sodium Triphosphate, Contains Less Than 2% Of Tapioca Flour, Citric Acid, Lactic Acid, Sodium Phosphate, Calcium Phosphate, With Paprika, Turmeric, And Annatto Added For Color, Enzymes, Cheese Culture).

Contains: Eggs, Milk.

Purchase Location

Walmart

Price

$4.98

Books

Need to know how Van Leeuwen does it? Get Van Leeuwen’s cookbook: Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream

Related

Psst! You can make ice cream like Van Leeuwen at home. Here’s Van Leeuwen’s secret ice cream base recipe! (Spoiler: their secret ingredient is 8 egg yolks!)

Read all our Van Leeuwen pint reviews.

Read all our other pint reviews.

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