Haagen-Dazs Toasted Coconut Caramel (New for 2017)

"April is the cruellest month ..."

Spring in Minneapolis is a weird time. We're coming out of, let's be real, 6-7 months of winter. Everyone is absolutely sick and tired of the snow, the cold, the dark, the wet and there's a collective yet suppressed giddiness in the air. We're ecstatic that it's warm, and we wear shorts and tank tops and sit outside in the grass when it gets above 50 degrees Fahrenheit. On the other hand, we know we're not really out of winter's woods until June, so we don't want to show our excitement in case of a May snowstorm; in which case we say, "Aw jeez, looks like snow again, good thing I didn't put away my boots and winter clothes."

What does Haagen-Dazs Toasted Coconut Caramel Ice cream, described as sumptuous swirls of dulce de leche caramel and flaky hints of toasted coconut shine through each bite of this indulgent coconut ice cream, and Minnesota spring have to do with each other? Toasted Coconut Caramel is the quintessential summer ice cream and it made me very happy/sad. Happy because summer is just around the corner, but sad because there's still a chance it could snow again before we get there.


The coconut base was strongly flavored with coconut extract, giving it a cool, bright flavor. Imagine the inside of a Mounds or Almond Joy and you have the base. This might have been overwhelming were it not for the toasted coconut bits. I wouldn't really call these mix-ins because; they were so frequent that it was like they were part of the base. Kind of like how I don't consider the cookies in cookies and cream to be a mix in. The real, toasted coconut bits added a warm note to the flavor and helped tone down the brashness of the base.


The caramel swirl was the only not-totally-perfect element. It was good, but it was a pretty light caramel, so it faded into the background. I got hints, but never a full taste. A darker or, dare I say it, salted caramel would have been easier to taste, and the overall flavor would have benefited from a stronger caramel.

I'm giving it šŸ¦šŸ¦šŸ¦.5/4 cones. With a stronger caramel it would be a 4-coner for sure.

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