UPDATED 7/15/21, 3:35 p.m. ET:According to TMZ, the supply of 2,000 pints sold out online within an hour. People were really craving the mac and cheese-flavored dessert, or copped for the novelty of it. Either way, it worked.
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Kraft announced Tuesday that the company has partnered with New York’s Van Leeuwen Ice Cream to create a mac and cheese-flavored ice cream as a unique way of celebrating National Macaroni & Cheese Day on July 14.
“We know that there is nothing more refreshing on a hot summer day than ice cream. That is why we wanted to combine two of the most iconic comfort foods to create an ice cream with the unforgettable flavor of Kraft Macaroni & Cheese we all grew up with,” Emily Violett, Sr. Associate Brand Manager for Kraft said in a press release, perPeople. “As big fans of Van Leeuwen, we knew they’d be the perfect partner to create this ice cream with us.”
Earlier this year, Jeni’s delved into the savory ice cream business with its Everything Bagel flavor as part of its limited edition “Ice Cream for Breakfast Collection.” The pint was described as having “buttery streusel laden with sesame, poppy seeds—and yes, onions and garlic—woven throughout subtly sweet cream cheese ice cream.” Desus Nice and The Kid Mero a.k.a. The Bodega Boys also partnered with Odd Fellows to launch their own ice cream capsule, which featured a bacon, egg, and cheese flavor.
So how does Kraft’s concoction taste? Well, according to Eater’s Amy McCarthy, pretty darn good. “The cheese powder combines with Van Leeuwen’s rich base, made with milk, cream, and sugar, to produce a buttery flavor that’s only slightly cheesy,” McCarthy wrote in her review. “It doesn’t exactly evoke a bowl of macaroni and cheese in terms of texture, thankfully, but the flavor is strikingly similar. It’s lightly funky, and more complex than the classic blue-box dinner. It’s one of those foods that’s so uniquely compelling that you’re going to be confused while eating it, but definitely won’t want to stop.”
The mac and cheese-flavored ice cream will be available for $12 a pint on Wednesday, starting at 11 a.m., on Van Leeuwen’s website. If you live in or near New York City, you can try the concoction tomorrow by visiting the Van Leeuwen ice cream truck stationed around Union Square between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m.
