Plus, pizza and hot honey flavors are joining Van Leeuwen’s lineup of ice creams coming to the freezer aisle.
At a time when most are in search of viral success, stunt products became commonplace as superstar brands seek to “break the web .” Recent examples include a Flamin’ Hot version of Mountain Dew, a pumpkin spice sort of Cup Noodles, and, earlier in the week , taco truck-inspired jelly egg flavors from Brach’s.
With that in mind, the “crazy” concept Kraft would team with the Brooklyn-based creamery Van Leeuwen to make a Kraft Mac & Cheese frozen dessert isn’t that outside of the standard . But here’s what’s unexpected: the flavour was so good then popular that it just received a nationwide launch at Walmart.
First, a fast recap. Kraft Mac & Cheese frozen dessert launched this past July, primarily as a promotional stunt by Kraft to honor National Macaroni & Cheese Day. But the initial 6,000 pints sold call at an hour, and therefore the frozen dessert was lauded with praise as a genuinely enjoyable dessert. And so, by August, Van Leeuwen was back with a self-professed “lot more” pints to sell.
But clearly then second round, demand was still high because in the week , Van Leeuwen has announced a deal to bring seven of its flavors exclusively to Walmart stores altogether 50 states — and lo and behold, Kraft Macaroni & Cheese frozen dessert leads the pack, meaning a bit like Kraft Mac & Cheese itself, the frozen dessert it inspired is now available for the masses.
“We knew Kraft Mac & Cheese would be successful after tasting it, but we never expected it to be available in Walmart nationwide,” Ben Van Leeuwen, co-founder and CEO of the namesake creamery, told me via email. “Before creating it, we saw how fascinated smaller artisanal food producers, particularly chefs and restaurants within the US, were with nostalgic American food culture. this is often a play thereon , and now consumers will have quick access thereto across the country.”
Emily Violett, senior associate brand manager for Kraft Macaroni & Cheese, also believed this unlikely duo captured a particular zeitgeist. “The combination of those two iconic comfort foods deliver a delicious and unforgettable experience and we’re thrilled the frozen dessert has become a lover favorite,” she told me.
But if you continue to haven’t tried this cheesy, pasta-less frozen dessert , don’t necessarily sleep on heading to Walmart. These seven flavors — which also include Planet Earth, Pizza, Hot Honey, Royal bridecake , Bourbon Cherries Jubilee, and Wild Blueberry Shortcake — are going to be a part of a “10-week” rotation Van Leeuwen plans to “refresh” over the summer, meaning they still could only be around for a limited time.
But why Walmart? within the official announcement, Ben Van Leeuwen addressed that also . “What inspired us to start out making frozen dessert was the thought that good food, and good frozen dessert , made up of good ingredients, should be widely available on the market,” he said. “We made these seven exclusive flavors using an equivalent artisanal processes and ingredients that we’ve been using to form our frozen dessert for the past 15 years. we’ve created a set of classic flavors using thoughtfully sourced ingredients, from local jam makers to wild blueberries from Maine, to cookie bakers with a social mission.”
Here’s the official rundown on all seven flavors which incorporates additional oddities like pizza frozen dessert and another colorful variety that uses blue spirulina (with descriptions courtesy of Van Leeuwen):
- Kraft Macaroni & Cheese: If this reminds you of the frozen dessert you grew up with, you would possibly be out of your mind. If this reminds you of the comforting bowl of Kraft Macaroni & Cheese you grew up with, you’re getting warmer. Because did we make this frozen dessert thereupon buttery, sweet iconic cheese? and how .
- Planet Earth: This flavor is actually out of this world. Well, not technically because it’s Planet Earth but, flavor-wise, it’s otherworldly due to the blue spirulina almond frozen dessert and pieces of matcha tea cake.
- Pizza: forgot any notion that you simply can’t have your pizza and frozen dessert together in one crazy, but crazy delicious, flavor. Delicious cheese and mozzarella frozen dessert with a tomato jam swirl and basil crust cookies!
- Hot Honey: If you’ve never drizzled hot honey onto your frozen dessert , raise your hand… Vanilla frozen dessert with honeycomb and swirls of hot honey.
- Royal Wedding Cake: Inspired by the cake served at a particular royal wedding in 2018, this is often the closest you will get (and they’ll get) to feeling sort of a royal. Floral, sweet cheese frozen dessert with chunks of lemon cake with layers of elderflower frosting.
- Bourbon Cherries Jubilee: Not a flame went near this sweet cream frozen dessert but we did blend in swirls of bourbon cherry compote so this flavor remains lit.
- Wild Blueberry Shortcake: There was no taming these wild blueberries, who were out late in the dark stepping into trouble. We allow them to run wild before using them to make a swirl then blending it into the vanilla frozen dessert and adding chunks of shortcake.
The above flavors begin rolling out at Walmart stores Nationwide on March 14.
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