16 Discontinued Premium Ice Cream Flavors You'll Never See Again
Back in the day, parents would have to run the whole family to the local ice cream shop if the kids wanted something beyond the simple flavors like chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry. Now, with the rise of brands like Ben & Jerry's, Talenti, and Häagen-Dazs (and many smaller companies), the variety of ice cream flavors on the shelves seems to only be limited by imagination. Pretty much any cookie, cake, or pie has been mixed and remixed into out-of-this-world ice cream concoctions. And it doesn't stop there. Bacon, garlic, and other savory ingredients have made their way into ice cream as well.
However, ice cream companies have a habit of retiring many of their wilder or more unique creations if they don't sell well despite any cult following that may have built up. Häagen-Dazs keeps a running list of past favorites and Ben & Jerry's has an actual Flavor Graveyard with headstones commemorating its "dearly de-pinted" flavors. Read on to discover some of the most popular discontinued flavors.
Starbucks Java Chip
While you can still snag a Java Chip Frappuccino on your next Starbucks run, the coffee giant's ice cream line is no more. Starbucks first started selling ice cream in 1996 and later joined forces with Unilever to debut a premium ice cream line in 2009. By 2013, America's largest coffee chain did away with its ice cream to "focus on different products," according to a comment on Facebook post.
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Edy's/Dreyer's Chocolate Malt Frozen Custard
Edy's/Dreyer's launched a frozen custard line featuring six flavors back in 2015. By 2016, the popular ice cream brand eighty-sixed the line altogether, making its "extra thick and creamy" custard nothing but a memory.
Ben & Jerry's Peanuts! Popcorn!
This flavor combo—white-fudge-covered caramel popcorn, toffee-coated peanuts, and a caramel swirl, mixed up with caramel ice cream—sounds way too sweet, which may be why it was only in freezers for a year in 2000. Or, maybe it was just before its' time.
Häagen-Dazs Baileys Irish Cream
Fans of the creamy liqueur expressed their disappointment on Twitter when the ice cream brand discontinued the boozy flavor back in 2018. Sadly, it shows no signs of returning, but Häagen-Dazs has added an Irish Cream Brownie flavor (but not Baileys brand) to its lineup.
Talenti Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Gelato
This rich gelato consisted of vanilla ice cream mixed with real oatmeal cookie pieces, dark brown sugar, cinnamon, and raisins. Initially launched in 2015, the flavor didn't last long on the shelves and unfortunately retired a few years later.
Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream Supermoon
The cult-favorite brand is a little secretive about what flavors are coming and going, but one Reddit user noted they couldn't find the sweet, floral flavor and emailed the ice cream company. According to the Redditor, Jeni's responded by writing, "At this time our Supermoon is unavailable. However, at Jeni's, we never say never when it comes to bringing back fan-favorite flavors. I'll let the R+D folks know that you'd like to see it return to the lineup."
Ben & Jerry's Oatmeal Cookie Chunk
As one of the most mourned Ben & Jerry's flavors, Oatmeal Cookie Chunk was sent to the Flavor Graveyard in 2012 when the supplier of the ice cream's signature oatmeal cookies stopped making them. Despite its search for a replacement, Ben & Jerry's couldn't find one that was up to its standards.
Häagen-Dazs Blackberry Cabernet Sorbet
This fruity sorbet, which featured flavors of blackberries and tart cabernet sauvignon grapes, was first spotted in freezers in 2011, but was unfortunately given the axe.
Turkey Hill Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
This classic summer pie flavor was a Turkey Hill favorite from 1996 to 2001, and it was a strong contender to be brought back a few years ago. However, Caramel Brownie Overload ended up winning the fans' flavor vote.
Ben & Jerry's Wavy Gravy
The founders of the ice cream brand make no secret of their hippie roots, and one of their earliest flavors was a tribute to the Woodstock-era legend of the same name. The nutty caramel, cashew, and Brazil nut ice cream enhanced with roasted almonds and a chocolate hazelnut fudge swirl was in Ben & Jerry's repertoire from 1993 through 2001, and was briefly resurrected in 2005.
Häagen-Dazs Macadamia Brittle
Häagen-Dazs retired this nutty, crunchy flavor in 2015, sparking the "Bring back Häagen-Dazs Macadamia Brittle" Facebook page, which attempted to push the brand to revive the flavor. With less than 750 likes though, the page wasn't able to make it happen.
Häagen-Dazs Crème Brûlée
Sadly, this creamy custard ice cream with caramel swirls was retired from stores in 2016—and there's no sign of it returning.
Ben & Jerry's Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Frozen Yogurt
Froyo fans lost a great option in 2001 when the ice cream maker shelved this flavor due to its claim that it "just wasn't as great as expected." We disagree.
Ben & Jerry's Wild Maine Blueberry
Maine blueberries are inarguably the only blueberries worth eating—if you've ever plucked one and popped it in your mouth at Acadia National Park, you'll agree. This beloved flavor, retired in 1993, was packed with them, consisting of blueberry ice cream blended with blueberries and swirls of blueberry puree.
Häagen-Dazs Peanut Butter Salted Fudge
A flavor we personally miss a lot, this ice cream featured swirls of salted fudge and crunchy chocolate-covered peanuts blended with smooth peanut butter ice cream for a perfect balance of salty and sweet.
Baskin-Robbins Apple Pie À la Mode
Vanilla ice cream was swirled with apples, crumbly crust, and cinnamon-flavored caramel to create this Americana-steeped flavor back in 1976. Sadly, the flavor was retired in 2010, but the newish Inside Out Apple Pie flavor sure sounds similar.
Enjoy all the amazing ice cream flavors out there—in moderation—because one day they might be buried in a flavor graveyard.
A previous version of this article was originally published on March 2, 2022. It has been updated to include new information.
