In 2019, everything seems to be in a jar. Salads, chia puddings, quick, on-the-go parfaits, you name it, it’s probably pinned on someone’s Pinterest board in jar form. Just when you thought these aesthetically pleasing jars couldn’t get any prettier, a new player has entered the game—and is changing it. Entering the ring, welcome Talenti Gelato.
This past month, the renowned gelato brand expanded its creative portfolio by launching a new and innovative collection: Talenti Gelato Layers. The new range of Talenti jars features seven unique, hand-crafted recipes, guaranteed to reinvent the gelato experience and amplify its flavor profile. Each jar is filled to the brim with five aesthetic layers consisting of Talenti’s best-selling gelato, quintessential sundae toppings, and decadent sauces.
Black Raspberry Vanilla Parfait
Ranked first on my hit-list is Talenti’s Black Raspberry Vanilla Parfait. Churned in decadence, this flavor offers an artisanal twist on the classic breakfast staple, the yogurt parfait, by using locally sourced ingredients to create a vibrant and well-balanced dessert. Upon opening this pint, I was greeted by a layer of creamy black raspberry gelato freshly flavored from a hand-crafted black raspberry puree made on the grounds of a family farm in the Pacific Northwest.
The smooth and fruity flavor of the gelato seamlessly transitioned into the next layer: oat crisps. Like granola to yogurt, the oat crisps here are essential, offering a complementary crunch to the swirls of gelato that goes unmatched. But, the fun doesn’t stop there. After all, this isn’t your standard and often boring, morning cup of yogurt.
The pint gets more complex and rustic in its roots as my spoon submerged one layer deeper, entering the sweet territory of an All-American blueberry sauce. The sauce is strategically placed on top of Talenti’s best-selling Madagascan Vanilla Bean Gelato which cohesively linked all of the flavors and textures together to create a perfectly-balanced bite.
To follow the structure of the standard yogurt parfait and round out all of the flavors, Talenti includes a final layer of oat crisps, which somehow remarkably maintains their crispy texture despite sitting at the bottom of the jar.
Unlike other layered frozen desserts, Talenti Gelato Layers does an excellent job of crafting a meticulously balanced bite. By simply submerging the spoon into the pint, I was effortlessly able to get all five layers in one sensational bite, maximizing the total flavor profile.
Flavor Rating: 9/10
Not Enough Gelato in the Jar Rating: 11/10
Vanilla Fudge Cookie
One of the best and most beautiful things about living in 2019 is how mobile everything has become. Just as you can play Fortnite or watch your favorite Netflix series on-the-go, you can now indulge in one of your favorite desserts on-the-go (or if your Chrissy Teigen on the couch in front of the fireplace) without the mess! Introducing Talenti’s take on a brownie sundae, also known as peak innovation.
While the flavor name “Vanilla Fudge Cookie” screams off-brand Oreo, the chocolate cookie chunks, rich chocolate sauce, and vanilla bean gelato actually invoke a deconstructed brownie sundae. Let me break it down.
Talenti blessed us by featuring two of their best-selling gelato flavors in one pint: Double Dark Chocolate and Madagascan Vanilla Bean. Sandwiched between these rich and creamy gelato layers sit crunchy chocolate cookie chunks and an indulgent layer of chocolate sauce. This decadence situates itself atop a layer of crunchy chocolate covered waffle cone pieces, rounding out each bite with a satisfying, ASMR-inducing crunch.
Once again, the layers are genius. Rather than fighting with friends and family over the single scoop of vanilla ice cream on your brownie sundae, a bite is guaranteed for everyone in this pint (well.. unless you’re like me and clear the whole thing in one sitting before your family gets home). With the layers, you get cookies, chocolate sauce, and gelato in each bite like a never-ending brownie sundae. Ugh. So good. We stan.
Flavor Rating: 8.5/10
Not Enough Gelato in the Jar Rating: 11/10
Salted Caramel Truffle
A revamped take on Talenti’s best-selling Sea Salt Caramel gelato, Salted Caramel Truffle is a caramel lover’s dream. When twisting off the lid, I was greeted by a layer of Talenti’s creamy Sea Salt Caramel gelato, followed by a layer of chocolate cookie chunks, a smooth dulce de leche sauce, creamy vanilla gelato and finally, a pool of decadent chocolate truffles stuffed with caramel.
Personally, I was disappointed by this flavor. As a caramel fiend, I was looking forward to something rich, sweet and smooth. The main issue—a lack of cohesion. The sea salt caramel gelato tasted like those stale Werther’s originals that sit at the bottom of your grandmother’s cluttered purse, and the cookies were just plain confusing. The flavor wasn’t bad, invoking plenty of genuine caramel flavors. Rather, it was overly sweet and far less balanced than the other two. The truffles at the bottom of the pint were a nice surprise, and I was quick to fish all of those out.
Flavor Rating: 5/10
Truffle Rating: 7/10
The Spooneasy
On March 20th and 21st, Talenti unveiled the new Layers products at the Talenti Spooneasy—a hidden gelato speakeasy in New York City. The place was purely magical. A twist on the classic speakeasy, the Spooneasy featured signature-crafted cocktails, innovative desserts featuring the new layers desserts and even an exclusive tasting of the collection.
In addition to the three flavors listed above, Talenti also expanded their portfolio with four more flavors.
1. Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake: Cheesecake gelato with semisweet chocolate flakes, tart black cherry sauce, more cheesecake gelato—because one layer just isn’t enough—and graham cookie pieces. The Cheesecake Factory is quaking.
2. Dark Chocolate Cherry:One of the sexier flavors on the line, Dark Chocolate Cherry features Talenti’s Double Dark gelato, chocolate flakes, black cherry sauce, another layer of Double Dark gelato and fudge truffles. Yes, my jaw dropped too. Are you drooling yet?
3. Mint Fudge Cookie: As a mint chocolate chip fiend and the first one to buy out all of the Thin Mints from my local Girl Scout Troop, I’m ready to storm the shelves for this flavor. Get ready for a dangerously good combination: Talenti’s infamous Mediterranean Mint gelato, chocolate cookies, hot fudge, more Mediterranean Mint, and more chocolate cookies. It’s like a Thin Mint ice cream sundae in a jar…incredible.
4. Peanut Butter Vanilla Fudge: For all my fellow Reese’s enthusiasts out there, this one’s for you. Get ready for one of the most highly anticipated and indulgent jars in the line. It all starts with a layer of smooth salted peanut butter gelato, followed by layers of creamy peanut butter cups, rich hot fudge sauce, vanilla gelato and a final crunch of peanut butter cookie pieces, or heaven in a jar for short.
The Gelato Layers collection is now in stores so don’t walk, run to your nearest Talenti-providing supermarket. If you are unsure of where to grab the newest flavors, use the Talenti store finder here.