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Flaky, buttery pastry with a sweet, sugary glaze or filling. Sweet, creamy chocolate with just a dusting of sea salt. The dessert world thrives on innovative mash-ups. From classics like chocolate peanut butter cups and ice cream sandwiches — both of which were once novel creations — to more modern innovations like the cronut and cake pops, and hybrid desserts like red velvet cake merged with cheesecake, our most beloved snacks and confections just keep getting better and better.
Now, we introduce to you the latest in this long line of delicious — and perhaps unexpected — culinary pairings: New signature ice creams from Harry & David. These creamy, frozen marvels are inspired by, and loaded with, some of the company’s most popular desserts, including Moose Munch popcorn, chocolate-covered cherries, and more.
The inside scoop on this breakthrough ice cream
The saying “Good things come to those who wait” is very apropos to this launch, as the development of this new exclusive line of ice cream took more than 10 years. We asked Andy Whitticar, senior merchandise manager of specialty foods, to explain how it first came about.
“Working in product development, there was always this idea of somehow merging our most popular flavors and products into an ice cream,” he says. “For example, getting ice cream and popcorn and the flavors of Moose Munch to all work together and create this overly indulgent experience has been a big company goal for many years. But that kind of product development takes time.
“We played around with the pairings a lot over the years, trying to find just the right way to incorporate everything. We were almost there right before the pandemic in 2020, but then that delayed us another four years. Now, finally, after many testings and prototypes, we’ve got these proprietary recipes just right.” And right they are!
Seven decadent new flavors
The ice cream line features seven incredible flavors, each inspired by a classic Harry & David treat. There’s Chocolate Cherry; Rocky Rogue Valley (filled with nuts, marshmallow, and chocolate chunks, and named after the brand’s headquarters in southern Oregon’s Rogue Valley); Signature Toffee Crunch (a reinterpretation of the best-selling Holiday Blend coffee); and Chocolate Mini Mint, which combines the flavors of those two perennial dessert faves. Rounding out the line are three one-of-a-kind pairings of popcorn and ice cream: Moose Munch Milk Chocolate, Moose Munch Classic Caramel, and Moose Munch Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter, all of which draw flavor inspiration from Moose Munch popcorn and also contain actual crunchy, chocolate-covered popcorn — well, talk about innovation!
“The thing that makes all these flavors so unique is that they’re not only inspired by our iconic flavors,” Whitticar says, “but they’re also really over the top and decadent. Each flavor has some kind of extra inclusion to it, whether it’s extra swirls or full chocolate chunks, pieces of fresh cherries, and, of course, actual Moose Munch popcorn.
“Even better,” he adds, “all the ice creams are built around this incredible buttercream ice cream base. And we really worked hard to add something extra to each. They’re all just a little bit richer and a bit more vibrant than any ‘traditional’ ice cream you’d get from the grocery store.”
Another noteworthy difference over other ice cream brands is the way this ice cream is made.
“All our flavors are hand-crafted in small batches,” Whitticar says proudly. “We partnered with the same small, women-owned company that makes the Cheryl’s Cookies’ line of cookie-infused ice creams, and this new line is just as tasty and incredible, but also even more over-the-top indulgent!”
The unboxing
Even in the midst of a summer heat wave, the pints of ice cream I received came frozen brick hard thanks to the massive chunk of dry ice that accompanied each shipment. As a pleasant surprise, the slabs of old-school, environmentally wasteful Styrofoam I expected to see lining my shipping box were absent. In their place is what Whitticar describes as a “sustainable, denim-lined cooler insert” that is now standard for all Harry & David frozen deliveries, and which is also fully recyclable.
As for the ice cream itself, Whitticar’s description of the line couldn’t have been more accurate — or enticing. Each pint was indeed truly loaded with mix-ins. Instead of having to dig around for chunks of chocolate or nuts or swirls, every spoonful I ate was naturally packed with those flavorful goodies. There were so many add-ins, in fact, that they were actually hard to avoid. Moose Munch in every bite. Loads of rich chocolate chips. And a surprisingly hefty helping of cherries in the Chocolate Cherry ice cream, creating the most “cherry forward” and authentically “cherry” ice cream I’ve ever had the chance to enjoy. It’s a true standout!
And while popcorn in ice cream might seem like an unusual innovation, it couldn’t have been more delicious. Slightly salty, crunchy, covered with chocolate, and surrounded by rich, buttery frozen cream. But be forewarned: This is different from the ice cream you might already be in the habit of buying. It’s not the kind of snack you’ll sit down and devour an entire pint of while watching TV. It’s simply too good for that — too rich and indulgent to down in a single helping. Instead, this is ice cream to savor a few bites at a time. It’s a perfect snack when you want a little taste of something rich and creamy or when you’re jonesing for a bit of sugar to round out your meal of a hearty steak or grilled burger and savory sides.
Personally, I know that Chocolate Cherry and Moose Munch Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter will be staples in my freezer for the foreseeable future. They’re too good not to want to have on hand when a sugar craving strikes.
For Whitticar, he leans toward the Signature Toffee Crunch.
“I’m an old soul,” he says with a laugh, “so I love that butterscotchy, toffee flavor right from the tub. Outside of maybe whipped cream and a cherry, I don’t think you need to add any topping or sauces to any of these. They’re perfect as is. Just grab a spoon, sit down, and dig in!”
AUTHOR
Brian Good is a writer, editor, and project manager with more than 20 years experience in publishing. He's written for some of the country’s biggest magazine brands including Men’s Journal, Men’s Fitness, Shape, Men's Health, Muscle & Fitness, US Weekly, AARP: The Magazine, and websites including Mashed, Health Digest, DiversityInc and others. Good specializes on topics including lifestyle, travel, pop culture, health, food and nutrition, spirits, products, politics, and activism.