Real talk: Last night I came home from a grueling workout class at Soul Cycle’s new SoulAnnex in NYC, and all I wanted was ice cream. Like, the only cure to my throbbing legs and abs was going to be some delicious cookies and cream. Unfortunately, the drug store next door didn’t have anything I wanted, so I left and have been dreaming about ice cream ever since. And now, I wake up to this news: Ben & Jerry’s is launching three new low calorie flavors. Coincidence? I think not.
The New Flavors
According to Food & Wine, Ben & Jerry’s is launching a new line of of ice creams called Moo-phoria, and they have nearly half the calories of the OG stuff. Within the new line, they’re also releasing three new flavors: P.B. Dough, Chocolate Milk & Cookies, and Caramel Cookie Fix.
P.B. Dough is a chocolate ice cream with chunks of chocolate chip peanut butter cookie dough mixed in—an upgrade to the classic chocolate chip cookie dough we all know and love. Caramel Cookie Fix is exactly what it sounds like: vanilla ice cream with pieces of shortbread cookies and caramel. And finally, the one I find most intriguing, Chocolate Milk and Cookies is a mix of chocolate and vanilla ice cream with bits of chocolate chip cookies.
Comparing It to Halo Top (Because Obvi)
Although this is obviously a response to the rise of Halo Top, don’t consider this low-cal thing a complete clapback. The calories listed on the Moo-phoria pints are per half cup, and there are four of those servings in a pint. So in all, these ice creams actually contain 560-640 calories per pint. To compare, a full pint of Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough contains 1,120 calories—a significant difference.
If you’re set on comparing these to another brand, I would take a look at Breyer’s Slow Churned ice creams, which are made with non-fat milk. They’re Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Ice Cream has 120 calories per half cup (actually less than Ben & Jerry’s new flavor).
I should mention though that Ben & Jerry’s Moo-phoria is made with organic milk, skips out on the sugar substitutes the low-cal, high protein ice creams often use, and still clocks in with 60-70 percent less fat and less sugar than regular ice cream.
All in all, this is a step in the right direction for those who love finishing eating ice cream after a long day (or a long workout), but need a low-cal number to still “feel healthy.” And if Ben & Jerry’s other products tell us anything, these flavors are going to be delicious and well worth downing a whole pint.