Hello, friends! Over the past few weeks, JtB Editor Abby Mallett and I have been doing the laborious work of eating pint after pint of Jeni’s Ice Cream.ย Our incredibly tedious work has resulted in our deepest thoughts on some of Jeni’s most popular flavors.
Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream was founded by Ohio-based Jeni Britton in 2002.ย You’ll find her innovative flavors in pints in loads of grocery stores across the US, online, and in Jeni’s scoop shops nationwide.ย Jeni’s Ice Cream is certainly far from the most economical ice cream choice but with grass-fed dairy and loads of mix ins…. well, it’s a luxury item and wow wow wow it’s a delicious one.
Abby and I each tried three famous Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream flavors and our thoughts are below.ย You can also find three years of Abby’s Jeni’s Ice Cream reviews in highlights on her Instagram page.ย They are an absolute DElight.
This post is not sponsored. We’re just two ladies who at eat a lot of ice cream on your behalf (well, it was for us too… and for science).
Joy Says:
โข Sweet Cream Biscuits with Peach Jamย – In order to tell you about this ice cream I first have to tell you about my favorite bite of peach pie.ย The best bite of peach pie comes after most of the pie has been devoured.ย It was all wonderful but the very best moment is when I have to tilt my dessert bowl to the side to scrape the last bits of lightly spiced peach pie juice onto a spoon with remnants of melted vanilla ice cream and the last few crumbs of pie crust.ย A pint of Sweet Cream Biscuits with Peach Jam is an entire pint of that last perfect peach pie bite.ย The buttermilk ice cream base adds a light tang to the ice cream while the ribbons of peach have me aching to make my first peach pie of the summer.
โข Strawberry Pretzel Pie (in collaboration with Dolly Parton)ย – As a child, my favorite flavor of ice cream was strawberry.ย Well… strawberry ifย bright blue bubble gum ice cream (with actual balls of bubble gum) was not an option. Jeni’s Strawberry Pretzel ice cream is a cream cheese base, pretzel streusel, and ribbons of strawberry jam.ย Do you remember back to the days when you were a kid, navigating how to eat your first ice cream come?ย Go with me on this. Jeni’s Strawberry Pretzel Pie tastes exactly like having my first strawberry ice cream cone.ย The cone inevitably melts faster than I can eat it so my mom places the whole messy and mushy strawberry ice cream and cone in a cup and hands me a spoon. This isn’t defeat because there’s still ice cream but the strawberry has seeped through the custard and the cone has become more chewy than crisp.ย A different sort of perfect. That is this ice cream exactly.
โข Everything Bagel – First question, who gave Jeni permission?ย Second question, are we willing to bend our brains enough to try this ice cream?ย Absolutely yes.ย Jeni’s Everything Bagel ice cream is a cream cheese base (duh, right?) with something called Everything Bagel Gravel – a crunchy, streusel-like mix in.ย Here’s the thing, you know what makes Everything Bagel seasoning so distinct and bagely?ย Onion and garlic flakes.ย To answer your inevitable question – yes there are prominent notes of onion and garlic in this ice cream.ย Yes it’s weird.ย Yes it works. Am I mad? No. Put me down for one scoop and one scoop only.
Abby Says:ย
โข Brambleberry Crisp – The most welcoming of the flavors. Itโs inviting and warm yet bright and brilliant. It beckons you to sit and stay a while. Chat. Would you like some tea? I was just putting on the kettle. Itโs as comforting as an oatmeal cookie and easily just as reliable. But the “brambleberry” (a mix of black currants and blackberries) offers a zingy complexity beyond apple or blueberry that makes you dig to find more ribbons. The crisp is still crispy finishing with a lingering brown sugar kiss. The combination is effortless and addicting. Getting this flavor will never disappoint you – just like pie and ice cream will never disappoint you.ย
โข Gooey Butter Cake – We will take this layer by layer. Dig into this and hit the cream cheese ice cream. Itโs not as sweet as the base in Brambleberry Crisp – thereโs a subtle tang there. And just as you settle in to a new taste a river of caramel floods your mouth. It overtakes your senses. Itโs everything a caramel should be rich and incrediblyย buttery and balanced and your mouth closes and there it is – the piรจce de rรฉsistance – CAKE. Deeply buttery, caramelized CAKE. The first time I had this flavor I ate the entire thing in one sitting. This is the flavor I recommend most to people outside of Sweet Cream Biscuits & Peach Jam (see above) and Middle West Whiskey & Pecans. This spans occasions – it can start and sustain relationships. Are you happy? Grab it. Crying? Get it. That monthly visitor? OHO. OH LEMME FIND IT. The serving size is a pint. It is not scientifically possible to eat a little and put it back in the freezer. Itโs a crime against humanity.
โข Texas Sheet Cake (dairy-free) –ย I tasted this flavor and immediately shouted, โDamn!โ The chocolate is so rich and deep you have to marvel at it. The balance of milky/coconut creme based chocolate and the dark stripe of fudge is perfection. If youโre a die-hard Jeniโs fan, she makes her fudge on the stovetop from cocoa, sugar and water. Iโd imagine this is what it tastes like – so purely chocolatey it borders on bitter. While this is reminiscent of a Texas staple, this immediately reminds me of a midwest one – Portilloโs Cake Shake. A chocolate shake mixed with an entire slice of their iconic chocolate cake (bless). You take a sip of your shake and are hit by creamy, chocolate ice cream, chocolate ganache frosting, and fudgey cake. Itโs not for everyone but it has held its ground here in Chicago at least.ย The coconut creme base of Texas Sheet Cake holds it’s ground but it’s not overpowering – it lends a familiar fudge bar consistency. This is a perfect dairy-free dessert.
You can find your own bundle of Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream here! Do you have your own favorite? Dish in the comments below. Have fun, friends!
34 Responses
Wasaaay too sugary. Hagen Daz canโt be beat. If I want junk in it Iโll buy Ben &jerrys!
It is not too sweet, it is not good at all.
The goody cake part was disgusting. The addition of the carmel ~nasty.
Traditional butter cakes do not have that crap in it.
The ice cream quality was nothing to brag about.
To pay 13 bucks a pint, utterly stupid.
Pass, ya’ got me once….but never again!
This is a new brand to me, but after reading this post and perusing their website, I must now find a pint of Savannah Buttermint!!
I actually bought myself a Jeni’s ice cream bundle as a Valentine’s gift (yay for indulging). The first ice cream I ate was the Gooey Butter Cake and I’m obsessed with it. Excited to try Texas Sheet Cake next.
Thank you for putting a search bar at the top of the page!! So much easier than before to find all the delicious JTB recipes I want to make ??
A two dipper – strawberry buttermilk and peach with biscuits, is mind-blowing! Makes you think about it for weeks after!
What is a two dipper exactly? Sounds yummy whatever it is!
one scoop of each flavor
You had me at Portilloโs Cake Shake!!
They have a goat cheese and cherries situation that is my favorite thing on the planet.
The first time I tried Jeni’s was a mind-blowing, life-changing experience. My favorite is the Atlantic Beach Pie (lemon pudding, crunchy saltines), but it’s a seasonal flavor. The churro flavor is also bomb.
My favorite was Claireโs Cabinet, the Outlander-inspired ice cream with wild berries, chamomile and cloves. I drove to my Juneโs and got about the last scoop of the limited run. I say โwasโ since I live in the UK now so no Jeniโs for me.
That Sweet Cream Biscuits with Peach Jam is the bomb! So lucky to have Jeni in Ohio :)
Jeni’s Browned Butter Almond Brittle is my absolute favorite! I had to get to LA from the Bay Area to get it until I discovered it in the grocery stores near me (hallelujah!)!
“The serving size is a pint.” – Abby, I love the way your brain thinks. This statement right here? Is perfection.
I LOVE Jeni’s. They opened up a shop in my hometown while I was living in Rhode Island, and every time I went home I had to go to Jeni’s as much as possible. I won’t say I moved back to Ohio just for Jeni’s…but it had an impact for sure.
Current favorites are Salted Peanut Butter and Blackout Chocolate Cake. Love Brambleberry Crisp and Brown Butter Almond Brittle, too!
ALSO, have either of you tried making the ice creams from her first cookbook? The Sweet Corn one is my absolute favorite, and they’re so easy to make!
Hello fellow Abby! I have her cookbook too and it’s the reason why I bought an ice cream maker! There’s a lot of prep set up but you’re right it’s crazy easy. Also Brown Butter Almond Brittle was my first love and never lets me down! :’) – xo
So fun to finally see/meet Abby! Hello ice cream loving ladies!!
Hello Kelsey!! :) it’s lovely to meet you as well!
Should you ever find yourself in a Jeni’s (at least in OH) order the Cherry Lambic. I’m certain I went through several gallons of it and also the strawberry cheesecake when I lived there.
Hello Nikki! I’ve had the cherry lambic exactly once when she opened her second shop in Chicago, and it was DIVINE, and then I never saw it again. I know it’s in her cookbook too, I have it bookmarked under “someday!”
Oh my goodness, so much to lovelovelove here! Abby, I have been vegetarian for 30 years and have lived away from Chicago for even more, but you brought me back to Portillo’s!!! (I can smell the hot dogs in the air!) I have shied away from ordering the Jeni’s b/c shipping and dry ice and…., but I am so tempted now (but scared that I would have to order one of each and every available flavor?!). Also: could you pretty please share with us where to find the gorgeous small gold spoons? They are perfect.
Bless Chicago’s food forever! I can tell you from ordering one too many boxes of Jeni’s their shipping process is perfection. You actually have to put it in the freezer after you receive so it can THAW. Isn’t that wild? Also the spoons… it’s a long story but they are by Bon Chef, which is a restaurant/hotel grade brand of flatware. I would tell you how much I paid for them but I am… ashamed. I love them like a child.
I just googled the spoons… yikes, but they are going on my wish list! They are beautiful! BUT, I also just google-discovered that I can purchase Jeni’s locally and I am wondering what I have been doing with my life up til now?! Jumping into the car to buy ice cream — bye for now!!! (thank you!!!)
Jeniโs is the bestโฆ.been eating since daughter went to school in 2004 it was so fun to go down to local Jeniโs and seeing what new favor was available?.
Graters is also a great ice cream from Ohioโฆ..French pot style with the biggest chocolate chunks to be found in an ice cream.
We have a Jeniโs in St. Louis. Itโs delicious. Salted Peanut Butter is my favorite. I also have one of her books, might have to make some this weekend.
The only things better than your wonderful descriptions of the flavors are the photos of you two gorgeous happy ladies. I feel like I had the privilege of hanging out with you during your ice cream extravaganza. Looks like there are a couple of stores near me that carry Jeniโs so Iโll be heading out today to try it for the first time.
Aw, you’re very sweet. Joy and I had a ton of fun making this one! I hope whatever flavor you try just rocks your whole world!
Aw, so many memories of living in Columbus and visiting Jeniโs in Easton Town Square. Absolutely delicious!
I love this. But, like, I CAN NOT believe that we didn’t get to SEE the ice cream. That’s the best part of food-reviews. SHOW ME THE ICE CREAM.
Oh my goodness I got to visit Columbus OH awhile back and went to Jeniโs EVERY DAY. Some favorites were secret breakfast (whiskey and cornflakes), butter mint (like the little candies your grandma had in a glass dish), crackerjack (?!), blueberry wine (for grownups), and ricotta toast with red berry geranium jam (because how could you not). I still dream of it. I got some friends a mailing of 6 flavors for Christmas last year and was probably more excited about it than they were. So I should probably do that for myself since you only love once.
Let me affirm you here, YES. Absolutely buy yourself 6 (or more) flavors because YOU. DESERVE THAT. Also pour one out for ricotta toast with red berry geranium jam. It was truly the most beautiful flavor :’)
I have made Jeniโs ice creams from her cookbook โJeniโs Splendid Ice Creams at Home.โ A family favorite is Roasted Strawberry and Buttermilk. My girls love Buckeye State and Milkiest Chocolate the best though. All of her recipes are sooo good!!
Hi Jen! I have page tags on almost all her cookbook recipes! I’ve made Buckeye State too and… my god. Just superb. The Ugandan Vanilla Bean was a staple at every holiday.