Van Leeuwen, a boutique ice cream company that started in New York City in 2008, has based their business model on real, simple ingredients and French-style ice cream. The texture of all the flavors is incredibly smooth, creamy and decadent. Although the around $7 price tag is quite hefty, it lasts a while. They also offer a variety of vegan flavors along with dairy-based options. The high fat content and eggs create a luxurious experience that typically isn’t found with Philadelphia-style or “regular” ice cream. Here are some of Van Leeuwen’s popular and limited-time flavors ranked.
1. Honeycomb
Honeycomb was a favorite flavor, and though the name is a bit misleading, it was still very enjoyable. There was no actual honey, and the little pieces of caramel added a nice texture. The ice cream itself was creamy and smooth with a balanced amount of sweetness. The caramel pieces were also pretty small, so they easily melted into the ice cream while eating. This flavor would have complemented some of the other offerings, especially those that didn’t have any mix-ins.
2. Coffee Affogato
Though I’m not typically a fan of coffee ice cream, the Coffee Affogato was quite enjoyable. Though having never tried a traditional affogato — espresso over vanilla or plain gelato — it was quite enjoyable. Coffee-flavored ice cream is not typically a first choice, but this flavor was a standout. Rather than just being a coffee- or espresso-based ice cream, there was coffee alongside sweet cream, which made it taste more like actual affogato. That small touch added to the experience and to the taste, offering the opportunity to slightly customize the flavor. The texture was again very smooth and creamy.
3. Sicilian Pistachio
Sicilian Pistachio was not the best but certainly still good. Being pistachio, there was a robust nuttiness, but it could have been a little bit sweeter. It was not the most balanced, but it was still good. The Honeycomb could compliment it very well by balancing the sweetness and adding some texture. Though it wasn’t a favorite, it was still enjoyable and worth purchasing again.
4. You’re My Brown Sugar Cookie Butter
The You’re My Brown Sugar Cookie Butter flavor was one of the limited-edition love-language-themed flavors that was released for Valentine’s Day and only available at Kroger grocery stores. It was good but didn’t taste like cookie butter. The swirls were sweet and flavorful but more similar to caramel than cookie butter. The brown sugar ice cream wasn’t overpowering, and the texture was fantastic, but the name didn’t really match the flavor.
5. Let’s Hang Out S’more
Another love language-inspired flavor, Let’s Hang Out S’more was fine but not something worth purchasing again. The ice cream itself was good, and the chocolate and graham cracker pieces were pleasant, but the marshmallow element was lacking; the swirl was more akin to royal icing than marshmallow. It was almost overly sweet and the texture was not marshmallowlike at all.
6. Earl Grey Tea
Least favorite flavor: Earl Grey Tea. The bergamot notes were too strong; they overpowered the black tea and gave a bitter taste. There wasn’t enough sweetness to balance out the bitter notes, so it tasted like I was eating an essential oil-flavored ice cream. Overall, it was not very pleasant, but it has potential. If it had been a bit sweeter with less bergamot and the addition of vanilla and lavender, it would make a fantastic London fog ice cream. However, needing to come up with a new flavor idea loses it some points.
Though not all the flavors were personal favorites, almost every ice cream had an enjoyable element to it. The texture was consistent throughout each one and as pleasant as an ice cream texture could be. Though some were more enjoyable than others, Van Leeuwen offers a more unique and gratifying experience than many other ice cream brands, and its variety of complex flavor combinations bring a taste of whimsy and intrigue to the dessert scene.
Reach Aubree Miller at life@collegian.com or on social media @aubreem07.
