You've already heard the news—Pop-Tarts has officially entered the freezer aisle. The beloved brand that had kids finally eating breakfast has reimagined its snacks as dessert, and we are here for it. The brand recently announced its foray into the big, wide world of ice cream, beginning with the launch of ice cream sandwiches and pints.
The ice cream flavors are inspired by Pop-Tarts' fan favorites, with pints including Frosted Brown Sugar Cinnamon, Frosted Strawberry, and Frosted S'mores. The ice cream sandwiches, which I already got my hands on, come in Frosted Brown Sugar Cinnamon, Frosted Strawberry, and Frosted Chocolate Fudge.
Now, don't get me wrong, I love me some Pop-Tarts. Call me crazy, but I liked the unfrosted Strawberry almost as much as the Frosted. And don't even get me started on the time AJ McLean from the Backstreet Boys let slip his favorite was Frosted Chocolate Chip, and I proceeded to have one every day for an entire year. And of course, you can never go wrong with the S'mores variety. So when I learned of the new dessert-centered Pop-Tart treat coming to stores, I knew I had to try it. However, I was a bit nervous. After all, any legit Pop-Tart fan knows that a serving size is one pastry...how could they possibly add ice cream to the mix?!
As it turns out, you don't need to sweat about the size—the treats have been pared down to more appropriately accommodate your pastry and ice cream hankering, in a size that won't overwhelm you. So, which flavor should you clear your freezer for? Let's get to it.
Frosted Brown Sugar Cinnamon Ice Cream Sandwich
This Pop-Tarts flavor is one of the top-ranking of all time, so the pressure was on. But I liked it a l0t more than I expected to. While it's not my personal favorite of all the traditional Pop-Tarts flavors, I do enjoy it, but I thought it might be too much in ice cream sandwich form. However, I was wrong. This bite tastes exactly like the Pop-Tart (shocking), with swirls of cinnamon and brown sugar flavor. I thought it might be too sweet or too cloying, but it actually works.
Frosted Chocolate Fudge Ice Cream Sandwich
As a chocolate lover, I was surprised to discover that this turned out to be my least favorite of the trio. While I liked this Pop-Tart flavor growing up, it's just not doing it for me as an adult. Although fudgy, it gives more of an artificial fudge vibe than real chocolate. However, if they swapped in the S'mores Pop-Tart for this one, I'd be SAT.
Frosted Strawberry Ice Cream Sandwich
Another classic beloved flavor gets a dessert makeover, and I'm happy to report that it pays homage to the OG successfully. Right away, I loved that this had those adorable colorful sprinkles on top. And I really loved the taste of this sando. The strawberry jam mixed in both the pastry and the ice cream drives home the nostalgic flavor of the sandwich, plus, you still get that crumbly, crusty exterior we all know and love. Overall, this made for the best translation from Pop-Tart to ice cream sandwich.
I do, however, have a few caveats. While the ice cream sandwiches were no doubt enjoyable, I did find the ratio of Pop-Tart to ice cream was actually a bit Tart-heavy. Since they are the star of the show, so to speak, that makes sense—but I did find myself wanting a bit more of the cold ice cream to refresh my palate and balance out the bread-y pastry. I also kind of missed that gooey center of the Pop-Tarts that you get when you pop them in the toaster. Overall, these are a fun treat that will bring you right back to those days of running through the sprinklers, doodling in your Trapper Keeper, and grabbing breakfast to go.
The Pop-Tarts ice cream sandwiches will be available this month at Walmart stores, followed by the release of ice cream pints later this summer at select retailers.
Expertise: Food Reviews, Trends, & Science
Education: B.A. in Psychobiology from Wheaton College, MA, and M.S. in Professional Writing from New York University
About Me: Amanda Mactas is an associate editor at Delish, where she works on feature and news stories, covering everything from the launch of Whoopi Goldberg’s Prosecco line to ranking Cheetos to reporting on the links between tap water and cancer. In addition to Delish, Amanda’s work has been featured in Eat This Not That, Time Out, Women’s Health, Global Traveler Magazine, and PureWow. She also serves as an expert panelist for USA Today’s 10Best Travel Awards. When she’s not dreaming or writing about food, she’s likely catching up on the latest true crime, watching horror movies, searching for a great matcha latte, or has her nose in a book somewhere (hopefully in another country).
