Yuck or Yum? Here's the Verdict on Jeni's Controversial Everything Bagel Ice Cream

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’re well aware that the esteemed Jeni’s Ice Cream has recently shocked the internet with their new everything bagel flavor. As my regulars readers know, I am the ultimate ice cream and bagel lover (and self-proclaimed expert), so naturally, I had to put my investigation cap on and taste this perplexing and controversial flavor.   

On the way to my local Jeni’s, I got into a heated debate with my friends about whether it’s possible for Everything Bagel ice cream to taste good. In the past, I’ve had several unusual flavors such as cheddar cheese, avocado, and wasabi to name a few, but something about Jeni's Everything Bagel ice cream felt especially bizarre. How could savory seasonings like garlic and onion possibly taste palatable when combined with sweet cream cheese? None of my favorite bakeries and restaurants have ever utilized garlic and onion in my desserts. However, I’ve learned in the past that I should never doubt Jeni’s. Some of their most conventionally odd flavors are my absolute favorites, such as their Goat Cheese with Red Cherries, and their Wildberry Lavender pint. 

THE TASTE TEST

Before driving a total of 40 minutes to find this intriguing flavor, several of my friends kindly agreed to help me evaluate it in terms of texture, appearance, smell, and of course, taste. Upon first glance I was impressed: the ice cream was easily scoopable, a clear indicator of high quality ingredients and ideal churn rate (the slower you churn ice cream, the more susceptible it is to forming ice crystals, which leads to rock hard ice cream). It smelled like sweet cream cheese with only a faint scent of garlic and onion. 

My first spoonful was a pleasant surprise. The base, sweet cream cheese, is undeniably delicious and I didn’t find the everything bagel seasoning to be overwhelming. In fact, I felt that the two flavors complimented each other rather well. As I continued to stuff my face with the ice cream, the overall flavor of the everything bagel seasoning, especially the garlic and onion, began to clash with the sweet cream cheese base rather than continue to compliment it. Nevertheless, the poppy and sesame seeds did not significantly affect the taste. The salt, however, was especially prominent. I certainly needed to quench my thirst afterwards.

I appreciate Jeni's unrelenting effort to unapologetically make this flavor taste like everything bagel seasoning, as they even included (what appeared to be) small bagel bites within the pint. They were quite delicious, and reminded my friends and I of the small cookie dough bites that are standard across the ice cream aisle. 

THE VERDICT

After much analysis and conversation with my friends, I have decided to rate this ice cream flavor a solid six out of ten. Am I glad I tasted it? Yes (despite the 40 minute car ride and whopping $12 price tag for a pint). Will I order a full scoop of Jeni's Everything Bagel Ice Cream in the future? No. If a friend were to order their own scoop, will I ask for a bite? Absolutely.

First and foremost, I want to commend Jeni’s for taking on this difficult task. I think they did the best job they could considering the challenges that come with combining my favorite Sunday bagel seasoning and my favorite Sunday dessert. While I’ll continue to keep these meals separate, I recommend that everyone give this flavor a try. Now that I have, I’ll stick to my absolute favorite Jeni’s flavor: Salted Peanut Butter with Chocolate Flecks.