Look, Ben & Jerry's has been pulling some serious moves lately. While everyone was busy arguing about whether pineapple belongs on pizza, these Vermont wizards were quietly dropping flavor bombs that would make your taste buds question everything they thought they knew about ice cream.

I've spent the better part of 2024 and 2025 excavating my way through their latest offerings, and let me tell you—some of these flavors are so good they should probably come with a warning label. Others? Well, let's just say they exist and leave it at that.

Here's the unvarnished truth about the newest Ben & Jerry's flavors that are actually worth your hard-earned cash and freezer space.

Chocolate Covered Strawberry: Finally, Someone Gets It Right

About damn time someone figured out how to capture the essence of chocolate-covered strawberries without making it taste like artificial everything. This one hits different. We're talking strawberry ice cream that actually tastes like strawberries—not the chemical approximation that usually passes for fruit in frozen desserts.

The strawberry jam swirl adds this tangy punch that cuts through the sweetness, while the fudge flakes provide little moments of bitter chocolate intensity. It's summer romance in a pint, except it won't ghost you after three weeks.

What makes this work is the restraint. They didn't go overboard trying to cram every possible strawberry-adjacent ingredient into one container. Sometimes less really is more, especially when you're dealing with flavors this delicate.

Cookie Vermont-ster: Milk & Cookies Got an Upgrade

This is what happens when someone takes the classic milk and cookies combo and decides to get fancy with it. The Cookie Vermont-ster sundae format means you get actual layers of goodness—not just chunks floating around in vanilla ice cream pretending to be interesting.

The whipped cream topping is surprisingly substantial, not that airy nonsense that disappears the moment you look at it wrong. And those cookie pieces? They maintain their crunch even when frozen, which is basically ice cream engineering at its finest.

It's comfort food without the guilt trip about your childhood eating habits. Though let's be honest, if you're eating ice cream at 10 PM, you've already made your choices.

Dulce De-lish: Latin Flavors Done Right

Finally, a dulce de leche flavor that doesn't taste like someone dumped caramel syrup into vanilla and called it a day. This one has actual depth—that rich, slightly burnt sugar complexity that makes real dulce de leche so addictive.

The execution here is flawless. The caramel isn't just a swirl; it's integrated throughout the ice cream base, creating these pockets of intense sweetness balanced by creamier sections. It's sophisticated without being pretentious, which is more than I can say for most artisanal ice cream shops charging $8 for a single scoop.

You could serve this at a dinner party and people would assume you actually know what you're doing in the kitchen. Sometimes appearances matter.

Choco-lotta Cheesecake: When Dessert Meets Dessert

This sundae format is pure genius. They've managed to capture the essence of chocolate cheesecake without making it taste like frozen cream cheese—a feat that shouldn't be underestimated. The cheesecake flavor comes through in the ice cream base itself, subtle but unmistakable.

What sells this flavor is the whipped topping situation. It actually tastes like something you'd find on a real cheesecake, not that artificial fluff that usually passes for whipped cream. The chocolate elements add richness without overwhelming the delicate cheesecake notes.

It's indulgent without being cloying, which is a narrow line to walk when you're essentially making dessert out of dessert.

Turtle Sundae: Pecans Are Overrated Anyway

Here's where things get interesting. Traditional turtle desserts rely heavily on pecans, but Ben & Jerry's went rogue and used almonds instead. Controversial? Maybe. Brilliant? Absolutely.

The almond pieces provide this satisfying crunch without the sometimes bitter aftertaste that pecans can bring. The caramel and chocolate elements are balanced perfectly—neither one dominates the flavor profile. Plus, that pretzel swirl adds this unexpected salty note that elevates everything else.

It's turtle candy reimagined for people who actually want to enjoy eating it, not just remember their childhood candy shop experiences.

Fudgy Flan: The Sleeper Hit

This one flew under everyone's radar, and that's a tragedy. Flan isn't exactly the most exciting dessert to most Americans, but Ben & Jerry's somehow made it work in ice cream form. The base captures that custard-like richness of real flan, while the fudge elements add depth and texture.

The caramel notes are subtle but persistent, weaving through the ice cream in a way that feels natural rather than forced. It's exotic enough to feel special but familiar enough that you won't spend the entire pint wondering what you're actually eating.

Sometimes the best flavors are the ones that don't scream for attention.

UltraViolet: Scoop Shop Exclusive Worth the Trip

Available only at Ben & Jerry's scoop shops, UltraViolet is their attempt at capturing something ethereal in ice cream form. The purple color alone makes it Instagram-worthy, but the flavor delivers beyond the visual appeal.

There's this floral note that's barely detectable but adds complexity to what could have been just another vanilla variant. It's subtle and sophisticated in a way that makes you feel like you've discovered something special.

The exclusivity factor makes it feel like a treasure hunt reward, which honestly adds to the overall experience.

Mochaccino Chip: Coffee Shop in Your Freezer

This non-dairy option proves that plant-based doesn't mean flavor-compromised. The coffee notes are bold without being bitter, and those chocolate chips provide textural contrast that keeps things interesting spoonful after spoonful.

What impresses me most is how clean the coffee flavor tastes. No artificial aftertaste, no weird oat milk funk that sometimes plagues non-dairy frozen desserts. It's just good coffee flavor in ice cream form.

Perfect for people who want their caffeine fix and their ice cream fix simultaneously.

Strawberry Swirl: Simple Perfection

Sometimes the best innovations are the simplest ones. This non-dairy strawberry manages to taste more like actual strawberries than most dairy-based versions. The swirl creates these ribbons of concentrated strawberry flavor that pop against the creamy base.

It's clean, bright, and refreshing—everything strawberry ice cream should be but rarely achieves. No artificial coloring needed when the flavor actually matches the expectation.

Caramel Cookie Graham: S'mores Energy, Different Execution

This non-dairy option captures that campfire nostalgia without relying on the obvious s'mores combination. The graham cracker pieces provide crunch, the caramel adds richness, and the cookie elements tie everything together.

It's familiar enough to trigger those comfort food feelings but different enough to feel fresh. Plus, being non-dairy means you can eat it without the dairy-induced regret some of us experience.