Monday Munchies – Ben & Jerry’s Candy Bar Pie

I love New York.  I really do.  But one of the things I don’t dig is that limited access to ice cream flavor.  My grocery store, Pathmark, never stocks up limited edition flavors and rarely gets any new flavors.  It’s frustrating. 

Fortunately I’m visiting family for the holiday, which means I’ve got access to a wider selection of Ben & Jerry’s flavors, including the limited batch Candy Bar Pie.

Candy Bar Pie is described as Peanut Butter ice cream with fudge flakes, chocolate nougat and sweet and salty pretzel swirls. 

For me a couple things stick out.  The pretzel swirl sounds very appealing, as does the chocolate nougat.  I got sold on nougat late in life, like within the past decade.  As a kid I had zero use for a Milky Way or Three Musketeers, but I’ve since become a genuine fan of both.

With a name like “Candy Bar Pie” you think it’s going to be sweet, possibly unbearably sweet.  But here’s the secret about peanut butter flavored ice cream; it’s not really all that sweet.  It’s a powerful flavor, sure, but it’s not something that will make your teeth hurt. 

And Candy Bar Pie as a whole isn’t as sweet as it’s name would imply.  The fudge flakes and standard Ben & Jerry’s issue.  The chocolate nougat adds a punch of flavor.  The sweet and salty pretzel swirls while difficult to conceive do actually exist and bring a unique profile to the flavor. 

It’s really refreshing to get a bite of ice cream expecting to be overwhelmed by sweetness only to be greeted by nuance.  The fudge flakes provide the most texture, but they aren’t big or plentiful enough to be distracting.  The nougat and pretzel swirl ensure that you always have a flavor to balance out with peanut butter ice cream. 

Candy Bar Pie isn’t a flavor that I’d seek out, but it’s also not a flavor that I’d swear off.  It’s pleasant enough that it’s something I’d grab off the shelf when I’m in a peanut butter mood.  If I had access to it.