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Thursday, August 25, 2022

Trader Joe's Banana Pudding Flavored Ice Cream


Ever meet an ice cream you didn't like?

Us neither. 

That being said...some ice cream is much better than others. 

That's pretty much how my lovely bride and I feel about Trader Joe's Banana Pudding Flavored Ice Cream here in the 'burgh. Sandy and I consider ourselves ice cream aficionados and quasi-experts, and there's no doubt we've eaten our fair share, if not much more than that. So please pardon us if we can get a bit picky. 

There's just not quite enough to truly, 100% enjoy this newish pint of ice cream inspired by a classic treat. Banana pudding is decently enjoyable all by itself, but add in things like a salted caramel swirl and wafer cookie dough, it sounds like an almost surefire winner. But it doesn't translate somehow. Maybe it's the extra creaminess, with it being, you know, ice cream, and thus a little extra rich and sweet as far as the banana pudding. That'd be my guess. 

But also the mix-ins don't seem to add quite enough, either. The salted caramel is a bit too bland and basic to add much conrtast, and the wafer is more mushy and nondescript to be of much value, either. Both of those components are just there and that's about all that can be said. So what's left is just this cloying, overly sweet and rich banana taste, without anything to really balance it all out. 

But, well, it's ice cream, so....

Not completely unhappy here, but this won't be a repeat buy. Which is sad, because it sounds so good. Some caramel that slapped a bit more, or maybe some ginger wafer, or something, something to make not so bloatedly banana-y, would really go a long way. But as is, meh.

But at least it's ice cream.

Bottom line: Trader Joe's Banana Pudding Flavored Ice Cream: 5 out of 10 Golden Spoons. 

6 comments:

  1. Yeah, I was super disappointed. I like Chunky Monkey ice cream so I pictured something more similar to that in the banana flavoring versus the strong artificial banana flavor in this ice cream. But I may just forge ahead and eat it anyway because ice cream is ice cream.

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  2. Oh no! I thought it was pretty darn good. It's not perfect. Could use more caramel. And ginger cookies sound awesome! But then I guess it wouldn't be banana pudding. Actually don't know what the caramel is doing in there now that I think of it. Well for what it is, I enjoyed it.

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    Replies
    1. And yes, I have actually returned ice creams for a refund, so I don't like them all!

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    2. I'm with you. Went through 2 pints in a week.

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  3. Instantly did not appeal to me just reading the name of the item. I would think with everyone putting 19 cent bananas in their basket, the market for a banana ice cream would be minimal with people wanting to diversify their dessert flavors.

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  4. I've followed your blog for a while now and have come to the conclusion we don't like the same things. While I am from the Burgh, I completely disagree w/you on this one. High quality, decadent, banana pudding is exactly what this tastes like. If you don't like banana pudding, then maybe this wouldn't appeal to you. Chef's Kiss from this yinzer!

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