such an underrated flavor I never see brands make it

I love Haagen Dazs, one of my favorite brands. But this is my first time trying one of their vanilla flavors. I don’t have vanilla often unless I’m pairing it with a dessert, as you can see. My wife’s homemade strawberry rhubarb pie (from scratch).

I feel like there’s not a ton I can say about the vanilla bean ice cream itself. I think maybe HD plain vanilla might pair better with desserts. But it was really good. Definitely a great vanilla flavor, I believe they use Madagascar vanilla beans. Real ground vanilla bean grounds in the ice cream. Very creamy just like all Haagen Dazs is, rich flavor, keeping it simple. I like it

Compared to other vanillas I’ve tried, I’d probably give it at least a solid 9 out of 10. But by itself, compared to other ice cream flavors, I’d give it an 8.1. Im just not a huge fan of vanilla by itself, but it was really good! Maybe one of the best vanillas I’ve tried

My name is Rhoda Morgenstern,
With headscarves and a wit to burn.
But underneath that Brooklyn flair,
It’s Valerie Harper standing there.

"Everything gets hotter when the sun goes down" Which sounds like a good reason to break out the ice cream if you ask me.

Earlier this week, I went slightly out of my way on a quest for a pint of Graeter's to try. Whether through an unfortunate lapse of self control or an intelligent efficiency improving maneuver, my plan to pick up one new pint saw me leaving the store with three. Seeing peoples' love for trying out Jeni's ice cream is one of the things that inspired me to want to start trying out new brands myself. Most of the posts I see are of mix-in heavy or very creative flavor ideas, so would this endorsement of the brand flow to the more basic flavors I often prefer, or are the gimmicks what make the ice cream here? I don't know of a better way to answer that question than trying them, and seeing two options (Sweet Cream and Honey Vanilla Bean) I will get to compare not only to other brands but to each other only adds some excitement for me.

Jeni's Sweet Cream

This has a good, ready to melt in your mouth, creamy texture. It's a bit harder than Häagen-Dazs, but much softer than the other brands I have reviewed and was very pleasing to me. The flavor is very subtle at first and the dairy notes only shine prominently after mostly melting. I really appreciate the lower sweetness level and rich fattiness of this ice cream. The more plain flavor might not be for everyone, but this pint impressed me. 8.6/10

Jeni's Honey Vanilla Bean

This has a softer texture than its sister pint, I think it is slightly harder than Häagen-Dazs Vanilla Bean and I don't have any plain Häagen-Dazs Vanilla left to compare it to. This may be my favorite texter of anything I've tasted yet and if not, it is close. However, I don't like the increased sweetness and more caramelly notes this one picks up when compared to the Sweet Cream. Oddly enough, that's what the flavor seems like to me, more caramelly or vanilla with prominent caramel notes rather than honey. I think I'll have to keep this around to see how it compares to the standard Häagen-Dazs Vanilla, as I suspect they are very similar ice creams. 8.4/10

My Verdict on Jeni's

I was expecting this to be a brand built on the strength of gimmicky, fun sounding flavors and heavy hand with the mix-ins. I was wrong. They make a seriously good plain base and even with the high price tag, I foresee myself purchasing more from them in the future. I would recommend any Ben and Jerry's fan to pick out a Jeni's pint to try at the higher price point at least once assuming their more mix-in heavy flavors tackle the fundamentals as well as what I tasted.

The Ratings

Ice Cream	Rating	Why You Should Get It
Häagen-Dazs Vanilla Bean	8.7/10	This is my favorite. It is sweet, rich and melts readily into a smooth cream on your tongue right after removing from the freezer. This has some of the floral vanilla bean notes if you are looking for those.
Jeni's Sweet Cream	8.6/10	I love the richness of this fat forward, slightly less sweet ice cream. It is a bit harder and less melty than the Häagen-Dazs. You have to appreciate the less bold, dairy forward flavor with a lower sweetness level, but if that sounds like you, pick this pint up.
Häagen-Dazs Vanilla	8.4/10	This is your pick if you want a slightly more potent vanilla flavor that leans into the darker caramel/oaky notes more than the brighter floral ones and you don't mind taking a very slightly less dense and rich base to get it.
Jeni's Honey Vanilla Bean	8.4/10	I think it might be slightly difficult to recommend this over Häagen-Dazs Vanilla given the different price points. I think they are very similar but haven't had them side by side, so the following assessments might not be quite right. Pick this if you like Häagen-Dazs Vanilla, but want to lean ever so slightly brighter in flavor and sweeter.
McConnell's Vanilla Bean	7.9/10	This is a bit harder out of the freezer and less ready to melt than the Häagen-Dazs ice creams. If that appeals to you, you might be able to look past what I think is a weaker vanilla flavor. I do think I would mostly steer you towards Häagen-Dazs, but this is a very good ice cream so if you see any offerings with mix-ins that sound good, don't hesitate to pick them up.
Van Leeuwen Vanilla Bean	6.8/10	Despite falling a distant last in my ratings and being the only one I am likely to avoid in the future, this might be the ice cream I am second most likely to recommend. A big factor in this low rating is a texture issue of mine that you probably don't share. If you appreciate or don't mind an egg flavor (similar to a yellow cake or a custard) that can get in front of the weaker vanilla, you will be rewarded with what seems to be the richest, highest fat ice cream of the bunch. If having something that stays more of a stable foam than a puddle of cream as it melts (think of a deluxe version of the over stabilized ice cream you would find in cheap ice cream sandwiches), then this might be your pick.

spotted at wegmans

Who says a reboot can’t be as good as the original? After the success of their collaboration’s launch in 2024, McConnell’s Fine Ice Cream and See’s Candies decided to do it again, offering up a three-part sequel last summer in prime blockbuster territory for cinema and frozen dessert alike. To me, this trio ups the creativity and flavor factor on the star power of Milk Bordeaux alone. That box-office draw — a creamy, buttery truffle — earns its close-up in an addictive brown sugar base. The flavor has been winning over fans since its April debut in Whole Foods. 

While I was able to try Bordeaux and three of the original flavors again, the last two here — a PB&J ice cream using See’s Peanut Butter Patties and strawberry base with Strawberry Creams — have yet to make their big retail premiere and have been sold out online for months. I did get a chance to try them as part of the full collection last summer and liked them very much. So I’m going a lot by memory in these reviews. With some time passed and expectations diminished, I imagine a re-scoop would only improve their standing. Here's hoping they get the Bordeaux treatment.

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Catching up on this series:

• Part I: The backstory of the ultimate sweet collaboration
• Part II: The Original Four (Wave 1 flavor reviews)
• Part III: The Expansion Three (Wave 2 flavor reviews. You are here)

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Wave 2
The Expansion Three
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Brown Sugar with Milk Bordeaux

• The candy-shop inspiration: Milk Bordeaux truffles, which showcase a delicate, velvety brown sugar and molasses cream center.
• The freezer-aisle interpretation: A rich, deeply caramelized brown sugar-infused base with chunks of Bordeaux truffles and a large helping of See’s signature chocolate sprinkles mixed into the churn.

My Take
Brown sugar, how come you taste so good in ice cream? OK, let’s move on from something dated like that old Rolling Stones song and go further back in time to something truly vintage. Brown Sugar with Milk Bordeaux is the flavor that encapsulates all that’s great with the philosophy and flavors of See’s old-timey candies. Built on an ice cream base that’s molasses heavy, it feels like something my grandma would have whipped up in her kitchen generations ago. I had a feeling this would be amazing because it features my favorite See’s candy. As the company’s top seller, it’s a lot of people’s favorite.

The Bordeaux’s center isn't a caramel or a fudge like so many beloved chocolate-box bites. Been there, done that. This features a truly memorable brown sugar buttercream fondant. I’ve seen recipes for making it at home, too, though I haven’t flexed my confectionery skills in many years. Feel like trying your hand at some copycat stovetop magic? It's essentially boiling down brown sugar, butter and cream for a couple of minutes into a velvety fondant. You add confectioner’s sugar (and yes, it’s a lot of sugar), cool it down, dip in chocolate and roll in sprinkles. Optionally: Add to ice cream.

The Bordeaux debuted sometime in the 1940s. Why the French name? It has nothing to do with Bordeaux wine. Like Häagen-Dazs, the epicurean moniker is meant to evoke European luxury. This ice cream uses the milk version, but you can find a dark chocolate alternative, plus a small candy-bar version and other spinoffs for holidays and special occasions. There it is at Christmastime, with a snowy white coating, accented in festive red and green sprinkles. Come Valentine’s, it’s dressed up like a heart. For Easter, a springtime egg. See’s even partnered with SusieCakes for themed bakery treats. This McConnell’s crossover feels like the culmination of the Bordeaux multiverse.

Brown Sugar proved to be the highlight of my online order last summer, so when I heard it debuted in retail as a Whole Foods exclusive, I quickly trekked to my neighborhood store in mid-April. I shouldn’t have been surprised that its slot on the freezer shelf was bare. It also sold out much faster than the other See’s flavors last year online. I had to make about seven trips to find it in stock— not a huge effort since the store is on a regular walking route, but probably worth another mile or two if need be. 

The base is as rich and addictive as I remembered it, even when you don’t get the Bordeaux. I had to stop myself from finishing it in one go. There’s also a secret swirl of sorts. I’m not sure why they don’t advertise a salted caramel ribbon this good in their pint prose, but it’s a happy surprise when you open the lid — and it helps buffer the sad truth of all these See’s pints: I’m not going to get as much of the headliner candy as I want. When you do get it, the buttery mouthfeel of that fondant against the hard crunch of the chocolate — amped up by additional sprinkles — is sublime. 

If McConnell’s and See’s had been twice as generous with the Bordeaux pieces I’d have considered a perfect 10/10 score. If you are, like me, lucky enough to have a See’s shop nearby, consider splurging a little more for a box of these Bordeaux (or a lot more if you want a full pound; they are not cheap). Then you’re free to be your own mix-in-ologist. But I couldn’t muster the extra time and effort to make that crazy, sugary dream a reality as this pint didn’t even make it to the freezer when I got it home. The lid came off and the spoon went in. Some things are worth the wait.

Score: 9.7/10

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PB&J with Peanut Butter Patties

• The candy-shop inspiration: See's Peanut Butter Patties, a smooth, buttery peanut butter filling covered in milk chocolate.
• The freezer-aisle interpretation: A peanut butter-infused milk and cream base shot through with thick ribbons of McConnell’s house-made tart red raspberry jam and chopped patty pieces.

My Take
I really want to try this one again. I love PB&J as a dessert flavor combo, though I’d prefer the J in the equation be just about anything other than that purple grape flavor. My favorite is strawberry, but raspberry — as this ice cream offers up — is excellent, too. It’s sort of shocking to me so few brands make a flavor like this, despite how many other PB&J-inspired treats exist for kids and adults alike. 

Who does do something similar? Umpqua offers a limited edition fall flavor timed to the return of the school year, tying it into grade-schoolers’ favorite lunchtime treat. It’s fine, but fairly light on peanut flavor and the jam is like the veggie portion of the cafeteria lunch: minimal, underwhelming. When I bought it last October, after a few disappointing bites, I went Sandra Lee on it. No, I didn’t make a dramatic tablescape from dollar-store finds or pair it with one of her infamously heavy pours. But I did perform some semi-homemade sorcery, swirling in stripes of Bonne Maman strawberry jam (heated to thicken it, then strained) and chopped peanut butter cups. I gave myself an A on this project.

Perhaps I was trying to imitate the magic — and correct the slight flaw — of this pint, tasted weeks earlier. PB&J with Peanut Butter Patties also has a lighter peanut butter flavor, but it’s a bit more natural and satisfying. I appreciate that McConnell’s didn’t just take another base in its portfolio and shoehorn it in here. They have a heavy hitter with Double Peanut Butter Chip (PB base plus PB swirl and chocolate) and a new fan favorite with Peanut Butter Cookies & Cream (sweet cream base with a heavy PB swirl, chocolate ganache and chocolate cookies). This PB base falls in the middle, with noble purpose: to give some of the spotlight space to the wonderful add-ins. 

Let’s talk about those Peanut Butter Patties. Not to be confused with the same-named cookies from the Girl Scouts, who just confuse everyone with inconsistent names and recipes. The Scouts’ patties are an alternative identity for their Tagalong cookie, thanks to working with two different bakers. I always got the sense that the baker turning out Shortbread, Peanut Butter Sandwiches and Caramel deLites was guided by a stern, humorless task master who saw the other company promising fun with Trefoil, Do-si-dos and Samoas, and insisted: None of that here.

Just know that these ones come courtesy of See’s. They likely debuted in the ’50s or ’60s, though the exact date is lost to candy history. These remind me of a chocolatier case Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup, but the filling has butter whipped in to make it smooth and slightly fluffy rather than dense and crumbly. No shade: I’d probably still take the Reese’s for nostalgia’s sake. But like a peanut butter cup ice cream, this one uses the chopped patties as these welcome pockets of richer, salty peanut butter against the lighter, nutty base. 

The one thing keeping this registering as elite is the J in PB&J. The quality of the jelly is great, the quantity less so. Ice cream makers really shouldn’t heed that old showbiz adage: Don’t leave them wanting more when it comes to fruity swirls. It’s just cruel for us jam fans. Because most of the See’s flavors I retried this spring have had a better ratio of mix-ins, I would like to see how the raspberry fates align a second time around.

Score: 8.7/10

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Strawberry with Strawberry Creams

• The candy-shop inspiration: Strawberry Cream confections, with a vibrant, fruity center and dark chocolate coating.
• The freezer-aisle interpretation: A bright Santa Barbara strawberry puree dairy base paired with whole, jammy chunks of the dark chocolate fruit creams and a bittersweet chocolate ganache swirl.

My Take
I have a complicated history with McConnell’s strawberry flavors. This is my hometown ice cream brand, so I have experience going back decades. What started out as a flavor love affair transformed into a bit of a grudge match, but I’m willing to make amends after tasting Strawberry with Strawberry Creams. 

Fresh out of college, I used to buy pints of McConnell’s from a store near my apartment. My favorite was — and still is — their Peppermint Stick (Side note: A few days back I suggested some new flavor ideas, but how about that base with See’s Peppermint Krispys for the holidays?). But Santa Barbara Strawberry was another go-to. As the brand expanded coast to coast, this wasn’t one of the flavors that showed up outside of California. Due to the delicate nature of the berries — and their high water content — it apparently doesn’t travel well.

Instead they sell a couple of alternatives that rank among my least favorite McConnell’s offerings: Chocolate Covered Strawberries (even the chocolate sauce couldn’t save a bland sweet cream base doomed by huge, icy berry chunks) and Strawberries and Shortbread Cookies (the same bland base, with not enough cookies or strawberry jam to make a difference). So this one is a red redemption. It takes the same basic flavors of the Chocolate Covered Strawberries and makes it into a more luxurious experience in tastes and textures.

You have the more flavorful strawberry base to start, swirls of bittersweet ganache (if you saw my review yesterday, this is more of a loose fudge sauce) and most importantly pieces of those candies. Unlike those mid-century modern Peanut Butter Patties, the Strawberry Cream belongs to the original 1920s foundation of See's Candies. Fruit creams and European-style fondants were all the rage at Flapper Era candy counter. They have a melt-in-your-mouth fruity texture. 

It all sounds so great, but I really need to revisit this one to figure out why it didn’t amaze me last summer. Perhaps my expectations were too high, given it was only my second ice cream shipment at the time? It’s natural that you want more from something boxed up with dry ice and chauffeured across state lines at a premium price. I feel like the lesser expectations — given the nature of a second scoop, not to mention the ease of picking them up at a neighborhood store — are helping me appreciate everything a little more this time. I have no doubt it would be the same if I got a chance to try the peanut butter and strawberry flavors again. Let’s hope Whole Foods does the smart thing and pairs them as a new release. 

Score: 8.6/10

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Final thought
The ultimate McConnell's & See's pairings

Now that we’ve wrapped up the reviews for all seven flavors across this mostly delicious project, I have one final takeaway. There are some natural duos here. If you are lucky enough to scoop these, try pairing them in a bowl for another layer of collaboration:

• The Luxury Banana Split: Vanilla with California Brittle + Banana Cream Toffee-ettes. You get vanilla and banana bases, chocolate and caramel sauces, with the almonds providing the perfect bridge. Add your own cherry or strawberries on top.
• The Decadent Coffee House: Brown Sugar with Milk Bordeaux + Coffee with Molasses Chips. A rich and caffeinated get-together where the crunchy toffee contrasts beautifully with the buttery, soft Bordeaux.
• PB&J Squared: PB&J with Peanut Butter Patties + Strawberry with Strawberry Creams. The fruity strawberry base here amplifies what’s slightly lacking in the PB&J pint (the berry jam), while the richness of the Peanut Butter Patties brings balance to the mellower Strawberry Creams.
• The Trash Can Special: Chocolate with Polar Bear Paws + my trash bin. I’m kidding. Sort of. This was rehomed (quite happily) with my sister. Try to find a friend or family member who might embrace a flavor more than you do, but don’t force yourself to eat a bunch of unpalatable calories. It's easy to do when you paid way too much.

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McConnell's & See's Candies: Flavor ranking

Flavor	Description	Verdict	Score
Brown Sugar with Milk Bordeaux	Molasses-heavy base, caramel swirl and brown sugar buttercream fondant chunks.	The undisputed masterpiece of the collab, in no small part due to how insanely addictive the mix-in is.	9.7/10
Coffee with Molasses Chips	Medium-roast coffee base with asweet fudge and airy, shattering molasses wafers.	A balanced mocha experience with a candy crunch that makes this a top choice for fun coffee mix-ins.	8.8/10
PB&J with Peanut Butter Patties	Lighter peanut base with pieces of salty patties and a raspberry jam swirl.	A great flavor concept that is held back ever so slightly from elite status by a stingy jam ratio.	8.7/10
Strawberry with Strawberry Creams	Santa Barbara berry base with old-fashioned fondant creams and chocolate sauce.	A fruity redemption arc for McConnell's strawberries that's in need of a fresh re-scoop.	8.6/10
Vanilla with California Brittle	Top-tier R.R. Lochhead vanilla base with roasted nuts, ganache and the See's almond brittle.	A maximum-crunch Golden State heritage triple-threat that elevates a classic vanilla scoop.	8.5/10
Banana Cream with Toffee-ettes	A silky, natural banana custard with gooey salted caramel and Danish butter toffee.	A light, but tasty base that flirts with Bananas Foster vibes. The nut ratio was much better the second round.	7.8/10
Chocolate with Polar Bear Paws	Tannin-heavy Dutch chocolate base with white chocolate peanut-caramel turtles.	Chalky, dry, bitter; the base needed fat. I needed water. But this may be the one for true Chocoholics.	3/10

Yesterday, we discussed the creative roots of the collaboration project between McConnell’s Fine Ice Creams and See’s Candies. Today and tomorrow I thought I’d take a deeper dive on the flavors. I originally tried the whole collection last summer, and this spring tried four of them again. The other three are a little bit of a distant memory, so I’m hoping to get a chance to try a couple more fresh. But it would probably take an actual polar bear to get me to try Polar Bear Paws again. Today, let’s dive into the first wave quartet that debuted in spring 2024.

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Wave 1
The Original Four
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Vanilla with California Brittle

• The candy-shop inspiration: See’s California Brittle, which features buttery, hard-crack almond brittle centers heavily enrobed in rich milk chocolate.
• The freezer-aisle interpretation: Churned into McConnell’s premium R.R. Lochhead vanilla bean ice cream base and packed with dark chocolate-covered almond brittle shards, extra salt-roasted almonds and ribbons of chocolate ganache.

My take
This pint isn't just a See's and McConnell's mashup. It’s a Golden State heritage triple threat that adds gravitas to putting California in the name. The base features R.R. Lochhead vanilla. I guess it goes to show how much McConnell’s cherishes this extract — sourced from a 55-year partnership with a vanilla visionary up the road in Paso Robles — that it gets co-billing on the brand’s standard vanilla pint. The vanilla is cold-extracted over weeks to preserve the deepest, most floral orchid notes possible.

McConnell’s favors its sweet cream for pints designed to have a basic backdrop. To them it sings of fresh cream, to me it reads bland frozen milk unless you get a heavy hand with mix-ins. So this is your only chance to try that top-tier vanilla bean ice cream paired with inclusions. And the inclusions are good. I tried this one again when it hit Whole Foods’ shelves in April. My lone complaint — more of a grumble really — last summer and again this time goes for nearly every pint in the collection: The candies are the best part, so of course I want more of them. I understand why they’re being frugal with their priciest mix-in, but that would be the ticket to elevating this one into elite territory. 

As is, it’s still very good, as McConnell’s augments the brittle with their own add-ins. That’s a savvy play from both their flavor gurus and their accountants. They take the key building blocks of the candy itself — here almonds and chocolate — and fill out the pint from their own stash. It’s like you baked your own amazing cookies for a party, but too many guests are coming so you busted open a bag of Oreos and Tate’s from your pantry to fit out the dessert table. While still delicious, I’m going for the homemade first. The nuts are fine. As far as the chocolate? I find the term ganache gets overused in ice cream descriptions. It sounds sexy, sure, but in my mind I expect it to be richer and fudgier — something like the Graeter’s chocolate. But this one eats much more like a velvety fudge sauce. The good news is that it flows easily through the pint. 

I’m lucky enough to have a See’s candy shop nearby. My friend got me a holiday gift card after I raved about this collection last year. I used it for a handful of treats, which all delighted. My second-favorite — my top pick will be revealed tomorrow — was the peanut brittle. I loved the flavor and the texture allowed me to eat it without fear of emergency dentistry. It made me a little sad they didn’t choose to feature it in an ice cream. 

But I can see why the California Brittle got the call instead. While peanut brittle already had established roots, See’s launched almond brittle in the late 1920s to celebrate the Golden State’s agricultural boom. Sun-drenched almond orchards played a key role, so they got the starring role in this confection, which has endured the decades to be one of the brand’s most celebrated creations. Crafted with extra butter for a thick, airy texture, the brittle blocks are drenched in rich chocolate. It ends up being a cross between a toffee and a traditional nut brittle. This is the collab for maximum crunch.

Score: 8.5/10

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Coffee with Molasses Chips

• The candy-shop inspiration: See’s Molasses Chips, crispy, honeycomb-textured molasses wafers enrobed in layers of premium dark and milk chocolate.
• The freezer-aisle interpretation: A medium-roast coffee infusion blended into the grass-fed milk and cream base, layered with decadent fudge ribbons and shattered chocolate-coated wafer pieces.

My take
I enjoyed this one last summer when I bought the See’s collection, but I liked it a lot more when I tried it as part of my Coffee Talk project in early spring. I also tasted the brand’s standard coffee (a very intense brew) and its Brazilian Coffee (a much smoother limited-edition pint). Perhaps comparing and contrasting this trio helped put the See’s collab in perspective.

The medium-roast coffee-infused base feels more welcoming and rounded this time — and I’m not sure if it’s because I tasted it next to powerhouse pints, or because they were a lot more generous with the fudge sauce. Of course, both times, those crunchy, airy Molasses Chips (both milk and dark here) are a standout. They shatter on your teeth, not unlike toffee pieces. But having tried the crunch bars that Ben & Jerry’s used in their flavor, these bring a chocolatey, caramelized snap, maybe a hint of toasted-sugar complexity from the molasses, while the B&J Coffee Toffee Bar Crunch mix-ins conjured the taste sensation of an unwashed charcoal grill. 

Like the almond brittle, these molasses chips go a century back. Molasses was a key part in the confectionery DNA of the day. I have a few of my grandma’s old cookie recipes and they all seemed to have molasses. It just gives you that old-timey vibe that See’s excels at. To make the chips, bakers boil cane sugar, corn syrup and molasses. As with other treats in the honeycomb family, a touch of baking soda at the end provides all the magic. When the heat hits the soda, it releases carbon dioxide gas, causing the boiling syrup to erupt into tiny bubbles. The candy cools while trapping those gas pockets, creating a brittle, airy glass structure. That’s why it works so well here. Instead of going fully solid, the tiny air pockets keep it fragile and light, providing the crisp shatter.

Last time, I got some bitterness — either from the candy or the base — but I think the heavy hand of sweet fudge waved that away this time, just leaving a lovely, balanced mocha experience. Having tried 55 coffee-related flavors over the past year for Coffee Talk I found that I did prefer a smooth coffee pint or perhaps a chocolate chip or chunk. But this one ranked high overall at No. 12 and it would go into my top 3 for a coffee pint with an elaborate mix-in — behind Häagen-Dazs’ Coffee Toffee Almond and Graeter’s Caramel Macchiato. 

That’s not bad company, and those two edge out a win based on the strength of the coffee base itself. This coffee base isn’t quite top tier. If these molasses chips had HD’s extraordinary coffee base, this pint would shoot straight to the top. That’s how good the mix-ins are.

Score: 8.8/10

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Chocolate with Polar Bear Paws

• The candy-shop inspiration: See's Polar Bear Paws, white chocolate turtle candy consisting of salty, salt-roasted peanuts and rich caramel.
• The freezer-aisle interpretation: McConnell’s intensely bittersweet Dutchman's Chocolate ice cream base heavily marbled with a thick peanut butter swirl and chunks of the white chocolate-coated turtle candy.

My take
This one I’ve largely forgotten. Or perhaps blocked out. I’m not even sure I registered the peanut butter swirl or the candy pieces, because I had to admit defeat very early on and give it to my sister. In fairness, she quite enjoyed it and I’m sure many other chocoholics would, too. 

To give context, I’m not a huge fan of dark chocolate bases, but some I do enjoy (anything from Häagen-Dazs, for example) and others I appreciate in small doses (recently Jeni’s Blackout Chocolate Cake). But there’s something about this base from McConnell’s — despite trusting the brand’s craftsmanship — that makes it the worst possible chocolate ice cream for my palate. I had the same reaction to the brand’s seasonal Reindeer Tracks, so I will need to pass on any similar flavors from them. I tried to figure out why this one was so repellent to me. There had to be some science to explain why this decadent base that some rave about leaves my mouth offended, and so dry. Like just-drank-a-bottle-of-red dry. It seems like the same culprit here as in the vino: Tannins.

McConnell’s uses Guittard Cocoa. While they are an excellent chocolate maker, Dutchman’s is a heavily alkalized, deep Dutch-process cocoa. These cocoa solids are packed with tannins, the same compounds found in dry red wines, over-steeped black tea and unripe fruit. Tannins contract the proteins in your saliva, leaving your mouth feeling robbed of lubrication — and so this ice cream reads to me as dry, chalky and aggressively bitter. This is the same experience I have with some of Ben & Jerry’s Chocolate bases. The chocolate ice creams I prefer, like the H-D versions, use more fat — in some cases a powder with more residual cocoa butter — as a shield against the tannins, creating a smooth, sweet finish. McConnell’s uses a high volume of dark solids, stripping your mouth dry. 

I wish I persisted a bit more just to get a better taste of the mix-in. Ulike the other two candies we’ve discussed, Polar Bear Paws came much later in the late ’80s. See’s introduced them as a playful, winter-themed spin on classic caramel turtles. Unlike pecan turtles, this confection swaps out dark chocolate for a thick coating of premium white chocolate, poured over a mound of heavily salted, roasted peanuts and a dollop of their signature, copper-kettle caramel. The candy became an instant holiday staple.

Perhaps I’ll buy some around Christmas — is it too much to hope for another gift card? — as this will be the only member of the collab I won’t try again. Even though the candies sound delightful, the ideal companion for this chocolate base is a cool liter of water.

Score: 3/10

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Banana Cream with Toffee-ettes

• The candy-shop inspiration: See’s Toffee-ettes, rich Danish butter toffee blocks and roasted almonds enrobed in milk chocolate and rolled in extra crunchy almond bits.
• The freezer-aisle interpretation: Pureed ripe bananas churned directly into the dairy, ribboned with a gooey salted caramel swirl and loaded with handfuls of whole Toffee-ettes.

My take
This is another one that improved on a second taste. Sometimes you just need that second date to really get to know an ice cream. But in this case — in contrast with the coffee flavor — it’s subtraction rather than addition that leads to a more balanced pint. Last time around I felt the natural banana flavor got overwhelmed under a mountain of nuts. In addition to the almonds that come in See’s Toffee-ettes, you had plenty of extra almond bits that distracted too much from the base. 

This time around, the base was given more space to stand on its own, and it’s lovely. There’s so much potential variance in a banana ice cream base in flavor and texture that I’m never sure what I’ll get.  A lot of commercial ice cream brands rely on synthetic flavorings or extracts, which feature a chemical compound that mimics the old, pre-1950s Gros Michel banana variety that survives today as the candied fruit flavor of Laffy Taffy or certain banana puddings. I prefer the natural flavor, but some brands go so gung-ho on fresh fruit the icy bananas doom the texture. This is one, like Graeter’s, that has real flavor and a silky, dense texture. McConnell’s uses pureed ripe bananas whipped into their grass-fed cream and egg yolk custard. I wish the flavor here were a bit stronger, on par with the Graeter’s. Its mellowness makes that balance of nuts vital. 

See’s Toffee-ette are fairly busy. Launched amid a post-World War II boom for See’s, the confection consists of a thick cube of rich Danish butter toffee packed with chopped roasted almonds, enrobed (I think this is See’s favorite word, and I’m quickly picking it up) in milk chocolate and rolled a second time in chopped nuts. If a McConnell’s pint gets too heavy-handed with those exterior loose nuts, it can suffocate the delicate banana cream. 

When you do get the nuts, toffee candy, banana and caramel together, I couldn’t help but think of New Orleans’ classic Bananas Foster. While I enjoyed the almonds being dialed down, a thicker caramel swirl would have been welcome. It’s somewhat lost here. Would some rum, cinnamon and brown butter make the caramel pop more and amp up the Fosters vibe? Or would it bury the banana further? It’s hard to say, but I’d be curious to try. It shows you how much difference mix-in consistency makes. Here, the balance turned a decent flavor into a good one this time around. With the right balance, it could be great.

Score: 7.8/10

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Coming tomorrow

Reviews of the final three flavors.

I was iffy on this one, but figured I’ll give one of these cornbread flavors a try. Well, it didn’t really pay off.

From the first bite, I didn’t really like it. I thought maybe cornbread in ice cream could be decent and an interesting change. I didn’t really like it at all. After a few more bites it got more palatable, and the ice cream base was great. But it would’ve been so much better with cake pieces or something!

I will say, I love VL’s base in their ice creams. Love the extra eggs they add to give it that rich, custard-like texture and taste. The buttermilk ice cream was my favorite part, and definitely kicked it up a few notches.

But overall, this one didn’t really hit for me. I’m not a huge fan of jams in ice cream, especially raspberry.. I don’t really like raspberry in any desserts actually. Jeni’s Brambleberry crisp is actually one of my favorite ice creams, surprisingly. But this one just didn’t really do it for me.

I’ll give it a 5.2/10.. I do love most Van Leeuwen ice cream I’ve tried, but this wasn’t one of them. I bet a lot of people would love it though. That’s a review

Summer berries and parfait- this flavor is equal parts sweet and tart. I really enjoyed it. Had a sorbet vibe.
Matchapolitan- tastes just like strawberry matcha which I enjoy. Was surprised by the matcha quality - it was very good. But it was very sweet.
Confetti Brownie batter- my favorite of the 3 but I’m a chocolate lover. It was very rich and fudgy. Would get this scoop again all summer :) enjoy!

“Quality Without Compromise.” That promise came from Charles See, the man who helped guide his mother’s cherished recipes from a tiny L.A. shop to a national treasure with See’s Candies. It might as well be the motto, too, of McConnell’s Fine Ice Creams. Since 1949, that brand has steadily risen from its Santa Barbara dairy roots to high-end freezers nationwide. Today, both operate on the same wavelength: No short cuts when it comes to ingredients and craftsmanship. So it’s no surprise that more than a century after See’s 1921 birth, the company jumped at the opportunity to showcase its spectacular confectionery in McConnell’s sumptuous pints. 

Mary See’s candies — from California Brittle and Milk Bordeaux to Molasses Chips and Toffee-ettes — find the perfect home in a dense arena of high butterfat and low air. McConnell’s didn’t take the easy route. Instead of its usual sweet cream, they rolled out some of their finest ice creams. We have the expected vanilla and chocolate, sure, but also brown sugar, peanut butter, strawberry, coffee and banana, each chosen to complement its candy-shop inspiration. While other notable sweets brands look for ways to cut corners, this ongoing collaboration shows what happens when two legends of California sugar hold themselves to a strict, three-word mandate: “Quality Without Compromise.”

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A GUIDE

I’ve been seeing lots of interest and questions about this collection, especially with its new prominence at Whole Foods. I thought I’d take a deeper dive for those who are interested in learning more. I first tasted the whole pack last summer, but have revisited four of these flavors this spring. I thought I would delve into some of the history of the collaboration to set the table, then come back tomorrow with a closer look at the flavors themselves.

If you’ve tried any of the flavors, I'm interested to hear your thoughts.

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THE COLLABORATION

This collaboration comes organically: a friendship between an employee of each company. No marketing gurus talking strategic partnerships — just a casual camaraderie that worked its way up the respective corporate ladders till both CEOs were chatting and realizing they both shared an almost old-fashioned allegiance to ingredient quality. In a world of preservative-packed chocolates able to sit years on a shelf and cheap tubs of ice creams whipped full of air and stabilizers, a synergy of the stomach sold this idea.

So in spring 2024, a quartet launched in what we can call a first wave of McConnell’s-See’s collaborations. It proved such a hit that it quickly went from a limited-edition lark to part of the regular lineup, though their release strategy over these past two years has left something to be desired. It’s getting better today, but still mired in some confusion over availability, especially after a second wave hit last summer with a trio of additional flavors, bringing the series to a lucky seven. 

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A SWEET PAST

See’s Candies: Mary See (1854-1939) developed her recipes while running a hotel on Vancouver Island in the late 19th century. After enticing his mother to join him in Pasadena, her son Charles opened the first See’s shop in Los Angeles in 1921. He used her portrait as the logo and laid down the law: real cane sugar, heavy cream and zero preservatives, as they rejected mass-produced shortcuts. A couple examples: In the 1920s, See’s dairy standards forced SoCal creamery suppliers to create new quality-control pipelines, elevating the industry. And during World War II, amid strict federal food rationing, See’s refused to dilute ingredients or swap in cheap alternatives like competitors. That meant quality over quantity and shops sold out quickly each day of their traditional thick toffees, hand-dipped crèmes and copper-kettle caramels. In 1972, investor Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway bought See’s. Afterward, he was often seen snacking on their peanut brittle in meeting. Billionaires … they’re just like us!

McConnell’s: Gordon "Mac" and Ernesteen McConnell founded their ice cream company in Santa Barbara in 1949. It’s now in its third generation of family ownership under Michael Palmer and Eva Ein, who took over in 2012. Amid the palm tree-lined streets drawing celebrities and tourists, McConnell’s functions as a working dairy, so they control the process from raw milk to finished pint. Though rising land costs forced them to sell their pastures in the 1960s, they maintained an unbroken supply chain by sourcing raw milk from the regional descendants of that original herd. Instead of relying on gums, they stabilize pints through innovation, including an aged dairy mix, very low air and milk solids. In decades past, McConnell’s took more of a traditional approach to its flavor, but since the new generation has taken over they have been increasingly incorporating more creative options to compete with the likes of Jeni’s, Salt & Straw and Van Leeuwen.

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THE FLAVORS

▷The Original Four
(Wave 1, released in spring 2024)

Vanilla with California Brittle: McConnell's legendary, heavy R.R. Lochhead vanilla bean base serves as the canvas. It is packed with shards of See's buttery almond brittle coated in dark chocolate, additional salt-roasted almonds and a dense, thick ribbon of house-made chocolate ganache.

Coffee with Molasses Chips: This coffee base infuses their grass-fed dairy mix with a medium-roast espresso reduction. The mix-ins are unique: crispy, honeycomb-like See's molasses wafers enrobed in a mix of dark and milk chocolate, laced with a smooth chocolate fudge sauce.

Banana Cream with Toffee-ettes: Pureed ripe bananas are churned directly into the heavy cream base. This is paired with a gooey salted caramel swirl and handfuls of whole See's Toffee-ettes, made up of Danish butter toffee blocks, milk chocolate and chopped roasted almonds.

Chocolate with Polar Bear Paws: Built on McConnell's bittersweet Dutchman's Chocolate base. It is heavily marbled with a thick peanut butter swirl and chunks of See's Polar Bear Paws, a white turtle candy featuring salt-roasted peanuts and buttery caramel enrobed in white chocolate.

▷The Expansion Three
(Wave 2, released in summer 2025)

Brown Sugar with Milk Bordeaux: This flavor utilizes a rich, custom brown sugar ice cream base. It is accented with chunks of See's signature Bordeaux truffles (with a brown sugar/molasses cream center), a parallel dark brown sugar syrup swirl and additional See's chocolate sprinkles.

PB&J with Peanut Butter Patties: A highly nostalgic gourmet profile. It features a salted, savory peanut butter ice cream base shot through with a tart raspberry jam ribbon and chopped-up pieces of See's milk chocolate Peanut Butter Patties.

Strawberry with Strawberry Creams: This pairs McConnell's bright, fresh strawberry puree dairy base with a velvety bittersweet chocolate ganache swirl and whole, jammy chunks of See's dark chocolate-covered Strawberry Cream confections

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FINDING THE ICE CREAM

So how do you find these pints? It’s been a little confusing as flavors come and go from stores and their online shop. They haven’t had their full collection online for a while now (the one I bought last summer was sold as a pack of seven), but a customer service rep did mention they plan to bring back the whole pack sometime this year.

Online: As of today, five flavors are now available for home shipping. The original four have been on there for a few weeks, but the Bordeaux just joined the mix. These cost 12 bucks each with a flat shipping rate of $19 that covers anywhere from five to nine pints. If you’re wary of shipping ice cream, McConnell’s is a pretty safe choice. They use ground shipping from three distribution centers across the U.S., so your order arrives within two days of leaving the warehouse. It’s well packed with a lot of dry ice. (I always say buy more if the shipping is the same as it brings down your price per pint, assuming you find other flavors you like. A few other great flavors that are hard to find in stores: Peppermint Stick, Brazilian Coffee and Passion Fruit Sherbet.)

Whole Foods: The Bordeaux flavor debuted in April as a retail exclusive. They are also carrying the vanilla brittle, but that has been available in other stores for a while.

Other grocers: I can find all four of the original four flavors at a local high-end grocer that carries a decent number of McConnell’s flavors. And usually if a store carries the brand it will have one or two — the brittle and banana seem to be the ones I come across most. If you want to see what stores carry McConnell’s, check out the grocery locator tool on their website.

Missing: So far, the PB&J and strawberry flavors haven’t hit retail shelves, from what I can tell, and they aren’t online right now, disappearing earlier this year. I’m hoping that means they’re ramping up production to release these in Whole Foods or other stores this summer, or at least put them back online. Perhaps we’ll see one sub in for the Bordeaux in WF’s next freezer refresh.

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WHAT’S NEXT?

Will there be a third wave at some point for this collaboration? Who knows, but we can hope. Add three more flavors and it's a perfect 10. What should be the next See’s candy to get the McConnell’s treatment? I’m guessing the amazing peanut brittle is probably unlikely given California Brittle’s spotlight, so I’ll offer a few alternative flavor ideas:

Cherry with Milk Mayfair: I enjoyed this candy, a trio of chocolate, cherry and walnuts when I got a custom box last Christmas, so I could see an interesting twist on Cherry Garcia: a cherry base, the candy mix-in, some cherry pieces and either fudge sauce or extra chocolate to tie it together.

Salted Caramel with Scotchmallow: I haven’t tried this one, but the combo of honey marshmallow and vanilla caramel is intriguing. I could see a salted caramel base, the candy, a honey-caramel swirl and some honey marshmallow fluff.

Rum Raisin with Milk Rum Nougat: After my initiation into the cult of Rum Raisin this year, I’m all for old-timey flavors with a little of that fake, but tasty extract. This candy has nougat, glacé cherries, raisins, walnuts and a hint of rum flavoring. Imagine pink rum ice cream, a fruity rum swirl, the candy mix-ins, plus more of those cherries, raisins and walnuts. This would be the world’s best Tutti Frutti.

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COMING TOMORROW

A closer look at the quartet of first-wave flavors.

I'm just finding out how good Alecs ice cream pints are. Love the light taste as well as not cramping up after. Plus chunks 😭 anyway in my area WF has stopped selling some flavors so look for it at sprouts instead. Pity tho. I was looking forward to that sale. The fudge brownie and PB one contain ingredients I can't eat and the last two are too simple for me so leaving them out

The tri-color ice cream features strawberry ice cream with pieces of fresh strawberry, vanilla ice cream and blueberry ice cream with real blueberries….

Vanilla Tasting Updates

Last week, I made a post giving my first impressions and a comparison of four different vanilla ice creams. After living with the ice creams for a week and eating them in a more relaxed usual way, I am updating some of my ratings. First, I have decided to move all the ratings up a bit (I initially gave an arbitrary rating of 8.0 for my first ice cream, but think these are better desserts than an 8.0/10 would indicate) and I will be giving more granular ratings in increments of 0.1 rather than 0.5. Second, McConnell's and Van Leeuwen will move closer to the Häagen-Dazs entries upon further tasting. For McConnell's, it was the last ice cream I tasted, so I think my mouth may have been colder making the ice cream seem harder than it was and I may have been getting a little sick of vanilla ice cream. For Van Leeuwen, all my personal texture issues with this ice cream as it warms as well as my slight preference against this flavor profile stand. However, when I eat it straight out of the freezer and still hard, I am able to pick up that this seems to be the richest, most high fat of the bunch which I like.

Keep in mind that the number ratings are to my personal preferences that are likely different than yours. To try to get around this I have made a "Why You Should Get It" column to try to help you decide what might fit your preferences best.

The Ratings

Ice Cream	Rating	Why You Should Get It
Häagen-Dazs Vanilla Bean	8.7/10	This is my favorite. It is sweet, rich and melts readily into a smooth cream on your tongue right after removing from the freezer. This has some of the floral vanilla bean notes if you are looking for those.
Häagen-Dazs Vanilla	8.4/10	This is your pick if you want a slightly more potent vanilla flavor that leans into the darker caramel/oaky notes more than the brighter floral ones and you don't mind taking a very slightly less dense and rich base to get it.
McConnell's Vanilla Bean	7.9/10	This is a bit harder out of the freezer and less ready to melt than the Häagen-Dazs ice creams. If that appeals to you, you might be able to look past what I think is a weaker vanilla flavor. I do think I would mostly steer you towards Häagen-Dazs, but this is a very good ice cream so if you see any offerings with mix-ins that sound good, don't hesitate to pick them up.
Van Leeuwen Vanilla Bean	6.8/10	Despite falling a distant last in my ratings and being the only one I am likely to avoid in the future, this might be the ice cream I am second most likely to recommend. A big factor in this low rating is a texture issue of mine that you probably don't share. If you appreciate or don't mind an egg flavor (similar to a yellow cake or a custard) that can get in front of the weaker vanilla, you will be rewarded with what seems to be the richest, highest fat ice cream of the bunch. If having something that stays more of a stable foam than a puddle of cream as it melts (think of a deluxe version of the over stabilized ice cream you would find in cheap ice cream sandwiches), then this might be your pick.

What's Next?

I may slowly pick up more ice creams to add to my reviews, but I also want to do a bit of a runthrough of some toppings that are nice to spruce up a pint of vanilla. If you have anything to recommend, feel free to.

Ok.. wasn’t at all what I expected. Wasnt sure what I was expecting but there isn’t any cake in this. It’s vanilla ice cream with ribbons of blue frosting. The frosting is crunchy but it is soooo goood. I couldn’t get enough of this. This is my favorite flavor by them so far. My goal is to try all of the flavors. I was very surprised by how much I enjoyed this flavor. The ice cream has a cake like flavor that is very tasty and there is some chocolate cookie pieces in there to enjoy!

Ok guys. I am OBSESSED with Van Leeuwen. It’s definitely my favorite pint I reach for at the store. And this flavor is definitely in the top 3 for me for Van Leeuwen. It has good ratios with the pistachio chunks and chocolate cone chunks. I love the crunch and the flavors just go so well with the creamy vanilla ice cream. Lots of flavor. Great texture.