Sunday, September 18, 2022

Godiva Ice Cream


[New for March 2022] Did you forget that Godiva put out an ice cream lineup this year? I know I did! It's definitely a symptom of the past few years as the only store to carry it right now is the one store that I've gone to the least (Shaw's Supermarkets). However, with a fresh reminder of the ice cream being out there, and with not a ton of other new things to test, let's dive in to...

Godiva Chocolate Strawberry Ice Cream
Godiva Caramel Embrace Ice Cream

The other five new (14oz faux pint) flavors are hazelnut crunch, praline cone crunch, salted caramel brownie, mint medallion, and midnight swirl. I would have actually brought the two non-nutty chocolate flavors home, but all of the chocolate ones looked like they had a rough life (some of the chocolate was on the outside instead of the inside). If these first two I try are good, I can always go back and try the others (though, they probably won't be a dollar off next time!).

It's sealed.... but also covered in ice cream... they should be more careful.


CS is strawberry ice cream with strawberry pieces,
dark chocolatey swirl, and dark chocolatey flakes

I start with strawberry (because strawberry) and it's not bad! The people who make this (Boardwalk ice cream), also make the Baskin-Robbins at home ice creams, so my expectations aren't super high. That said, a few quick bites does leave a positive impression.

CE is vanilla ice cream with milk chocolate,
caramel swirl, and chocolate caramel cups

I quick flip to caramel, take a bite, and wonder how this one is so much different than the strawberry flavor. The texture here is distinctly chalky. Has this one refrozen, or is the texture just not that good?

The highlight is the caramel cups (one is hiding on the left there). They are big enough to be noticeable, big enough to deliver a flavor blast, and big enough to be fun to chomp down on. I wish they were in a better base ice cream.

An hour or so later, I go back to the strawberry and it's still pretty good. The dark chocolate flakes are more like dark chocolate straticella, but that's not a bad thing! What is bad is that I'm starting to question if this one is a little chalky too.

On Second Scoop: I'm starting with the more likable strawberry flavor ofcourse. It's nice how there is sometimes a chocolate (swirl) flavored finish to the scoops. I just scooped up one of the bigger swirls (though still small), and the chocolate does have a lot of flavor to it. There's also a bit of thickness to the swirl, it's not just a thin syrup. That said, the swirl still kind of tastes like Hershey's syrup. I haven't hit any big strawberry bits either, though a big strawberry bit isn't my favorite either. Ok, if this one is on sale for $4 again, yeah, I can see giving this one another shot.

Ya know, it shouldn't be called "Caramel Embrace", it should be called something like... "Caramel quickly waving at you from the other side of a large room". Ok, that probably wouldn't fit on the label too easily, but at least it would be more accurate. You know I've always been a stickler for naming and packaging and all that. Don't get my hopes up with a caramel embrace if you can't deliver. Keep in mind that this problem is in addition to the fact that the texture is still off. Oh well.

Behind the scenes: Not sure how many others do this, but when I have concerns about freezer burn, I try to scoop to the center of the container to see if it improves at all. In this case, it did not.

Verdict?  meh
Buy Again?  strawberry maybe, also maybe the other flavors

click for nutrition facts and ingredients


11 comments:

  1. The hazelnut crunch is pretty good.

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  2. I haven't seen them anywhere, and it doesn't sound like I'm missing out.

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  3. I tried four of the Godiva flavors when they went on sale at Publix and they were all low-quality ice cream. It was priced as if it was premium ice cream, but it definitely is not.

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    1. Agree. Chalky tasting ice cream . Yuk. Very disappointed.

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  4. The brownie one is salty and chalky. It dries your mouth completely with every bite. But the praline crunch is amazing. Also had the hazelnut one and it's decent.

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  5. @Joe: I definitely wouldn't lose sleep over missing these :)

    @Mike: I should have mentioned in the review that they were $4.99 regularly and $3.99 on sale.

    @Anon2: you got that chalky vibe too? Booooooo

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  6. I've only tried the hazelnut one and I hate it. It's so overwhelmingly hazelnut. I like strong flavors but this is too much. You can't taste the vanilla or chocolate. It's like just eating scoops of hazelnuts, only less healthy.

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  7. Sorry godiva,not impressed. Tried the praline and the slated brownie. Honestly? Not good. Ice cream has improved tremendously with Jennis/McConels/Milk Bar/Van Lewins (not sure I spelled these correctly) etc. The bar has changed from Ben and Jerrys/Haggen Daaz being top notch. Godiva is definitely sub Ben and Jerrys. Kind of pissed I wasted money and calories on these two pints. Godiva, conduct some research and stop being cheap. Your customer base can see through the smoke and mirrors and deserve better!

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  8. I have tried two different flavors and the quality was not good. They both tasted like they had freezer burn. I asked my daughter to try them and she agreed that they were not good. I’ve had cheaper brands that tasted much better. Will not be buying again.

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  9. Total buzz kill. I had such high hopes for this ice cream…I tried the strawberry chocolate…..taste like its freezer burn …very very grainy….Godiva we expect much more from you - DO BETTER! #sad

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  10. Yes, they taste quite chalky or floury. Given what they cost, I won't be purchasing any more of them. When you pay that much for a half pint of ice cream, you're much better off with the Haggen Dazs. They're hard to find, but the Dove Ice creams are even better than these.

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