Ben&Jerry's Cookie Dough ice cream

After the great feedback on the previous Ice cream review, I decided to do another on a different type from the same brand. If you are less of a chocolate fiend, this one may be for you. But that's not to say it's not  richly sweet and just as moreish.

Ben & Jerry's cookie dough is probably one of their most, if not THE most iconic flavour to come from the famous American ice cream duo. Usually when you think of cookie dough ice cream, this is the first brand that springs to mind, for me anyway. Tons of other brands have branched out and replicated this variety, but this for me is the iconic original.

Described as 'Vanilla ice cream with chunks of chocolate chip cookie dough', this pretty much is what it says on the tin (tub). Interestingly, it sounds as if the company has tried not to play around too much with a fancy flavoured base, or any interesting toffee or marshmallow swirls. I think by doing this, they're hoping that the sweetness of the cookie dough provides the extra taste and texture hit you need, without there being any overkill. It's also Fairtrade certified, which is great as it helps farmers in developing countries who grow some of the ingredients for this ice cream get a fair profit when their ingredients are bought.

Like other Ben and Jerry's ice creams, this one is packed to the brim, which can be both irritating and good at the same time. It's good because you get the full 500ml of product, but annoying-as when the ice cream starts to melt it can start leaking over the edge of the tub and down the sides. I would like to see an improvement on the size of the packaging- maybe a taller tub would solve the problem I've heard so many people talk about.

The label design is okay. It's not the most colourful offering I have seen from Ben & Jerry's, but it's pretty iconic and recognisable. It's basically a scene of cows in a field, and a bowl of cookie dough chunks. I'm sure it has changed over the years, as when I was younger I do remember the label adopting a more speckled beige colour scheme, which fitted in with the cookie-dough colour theme.

As for the taste; The vanilla base is pretty unoffensive and not really rich- definitely not anything like one of the high-end vanilla flavours that contain vanilla pods. It's not the best vanilla I have tried, however it's pleasant enough and I am guessing a blander vanilla has been used so it doesn't overpower the buttery taste of the cookie dough chunks included. These are definately the best bit of the ice cream and you will soon find yourself foraging through the tub with a spoon, picking the miniature cookie dough slabs out from the ice cream.

The taste of these is great- irresistible grainy, fudgey chunks of chocolate chip cookie dough. Because they are kept cool, they retain a little more texture, and the chocolate chips inside make a welcome surprise and contrast in texture from the smooth ice cream and chewy dough. I still feel this ice cream is missing a little something, though. Maybe using chocolate ice cream instead would work better, or adding something to provide another texture, like a caramel swirl or marshmallows.



Like all Ben & Jerry's ice creams, this is on the higher-end of the price scale, coming in at around £3.50 on average. However, it can be picked up on special offer quite a lot, but avoid buying it from takeaways and convenience stores, as they can charge up to £6 for a 500ml pot.

Overall, I do know why this ice cream has remained so popular over the years, and it is pleasant if you want something sweet, but not sickly and total overkill. However, there are varieties I prefer to this, and if I'm spending quite a bit of money on premium ice cream, I would generally pick something I liked more.

7/10