Haven’t Been Won Over by Halo Top Yet? Their New, Creamier Formula Might Change Your Mind

I've always thought it was incredible the way Halo Top could make ice cream that tastes amazing, despite having half (or even less of) the calories of classic ice creams.

Over the years, however, I've found that's a pretty divisive opinion. Most people find the taste pretty good, but some just can't over the harder, fluffier texture and the fact that, even if you let it soften for a few minutes, it just doesn't scoop the way traditional ice cream does—and you can also feel that difference on the tongue.

While I understand the complaint, I've always figured that ice cream is ice cream, and the textural difference was more than worth the flavor, especially with the lessened calories. Still, when the team at Halo Top reached out to me and shared that they had a new, creamier recipe, I just had to try it myself. Keep scrolling to learn more—and discover the results of my taste test with their new Chocolate Cake Batter flavor.

Why Does Halo Top Have a Different Texture in the First Place?

Halo Top is world-famous for doing things a little bit differently when it comes to ice cream. Their ice creams have fewer calories, less sugar and higher protein than typical ice creams, with just 280 to 380 calories in every pint. However, sugar and fat are what typically give ice cream that mega-creamy, scoopable feel—which is why the texture can be a little light in comparison. The new recipe, however, includes ultrafiltered skim milk and other ingredients to get closer than ever to the classic—but has it paid off?

Also read about: You NEED to Try Halo Top's Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream

The Taste Test

So I could really taste and feel the difference, the folks at Halo Top sent me a pint each of their Vanilla Bean ice cream (with their older recipe) as well as a pint of their Chocolate Cake Batter ice cream, with the new and improved formula.

I took them both out of the freezer, gave them about five minutes to thaw and smooth out a bit, and then opened up the vanilla flavor to give it a taste. Even after warming up, the vanilla was still pretty hard, even breaking into little chunks as I scooped it up with my spoon. I can see how it would be hard to use an ice cream scoop to get one perfect scoop out, rather than multiple, smaller pieces. Even so, the flavor was phenomenal—light, sweet and creamy—making it everything you'd want in a vanilla ice cream, save that coveted melt-on-your-tongue texture.

(via Halo Top)

The smoothness and creaminess of the Chocolate Cake Batter flavor, however, were evident as soon as I sunk my spoon into it. There was zero resistance in the ice cream, and it just came up in a perfect little scoop in my spoon. The texture still didn't exactly look thick and rich—in fact, it's almost got a whipped consistency—but I think that actually worked in favor of this flavor. It's got a great dark chocolate flavor and is embedded with colorful sprinkles to make it extra fun—just like chocolate cake batter with all of the fixings—while melting in your mouth.

(via Halo Top)

Also read about: Our Definitive Ranking of Halo Top's Ice Cream Flavors

The Verdict

If you're one of the people who's not completely sold on the magic of Halo Top, I think it's definitely worth trying their new recipe. It's still not exactly what you might be looking for in ice cream, with an airy, almost whipped texture, rather than a thick and creamy one, but it's scoopable, soft and also remarkably delicious—especially for just 110 calories per serving.

Want to find out what other foods and drinks we're loving recently? Click HERE to check out the best eats we tried in April of 2022.