Frosted Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop-Tarts Ice Cream
Jeni’s new flavor stirs nostalgia
Taste and smell provide powerful memory stimulation. Favorite foods and flavors from childhood stir nostalgic thoughts of simpler times. Two of my cherished childhood foods were Frosted Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop-Tarts and ice cream. When I heard that Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams was launching a frozen dairy dessert made with my beloved breakfast treat, I was thrilled beyond all adult reason.
The memories
In 1963, Kellogg chairman Bill LaMothe had the idea of a toaster-ready to-go breakfast, a riff on toast and jam. The first name, “Fruit Scone,” was soon replaced with a name inspired by the pop culture movement: “Pop-Tarts.” In 1964, the pastries launched in Cleveland, Ohio, with four flavors, Straawberry, Blueberry, Brown Sugar Cinnamon, and Apple-Currant. The nationwide launch followed in 1965. Frosting topped select Pop Tarts beginning in 1967, with sprinkles added a year later. By 1973, Kelloggs offered 19 flavors (though many eager eaters discovered their faves and maintained a mostly monogamous relationship with the chosen one).
The pastry’s popularity and ease of preparation and eating made them a favorite among many baby boomers. New forms (such as Bites and cereal) and flavors (like Frosted Banana Bread and Apple Jacks Frosted Apple Cinnamon) keep interest in these iconic treats alive.
For me, Pop-Tarts were a beloved breakfast treat through much of childhood – and into adulthood – with Frosted Brown Sugar Cinnamon as my favorite flavor. Despite years of starting my mornings with Pop Tarts, one memory stands out. My family would often visit my Aunt Norma and Uncle Jim and their two kids in Detroit. On these relaxing vacations, I would fix myself a leisurely breakfast: a lightly toasted Frosted Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop-Tart – gently warmed through, with a smidgen of brown crispiness on the edges – spread immediately with butter covering the non-frosted side, melting into the perfectly soft pastry and the smooth filling.
As for ice cream, one could speculate that it’s part of my DNA. Appreciation for the frozen concoction was passed down through the Tobey family, especially as a pre-bedtime ritual. I still consider ice cream as my dietary weakness: when my hunger to eat sweets overpowers my self-discipline, ice cream is my vice of choice!
A combination young boomers could only dream of
On June 22, 2023, Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams launches Frosted Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop-Tarts.
I was enthralled when I first learned about the heavenly pairing. Then when I read the official company description of new flavor, I was confident that Jeni’s recipe creators understood the perfect possibilities:
As far as Jeni’s is concerned, the definitive Pop-Tarts experience is as follows: it has to be Frosted Brown Sugar Cinnamon—and it has to be served buttered, warm, soft, and gooey right out of the toaster. With the Frosted Brown Sugar Cinnamon flavor, Jeni’s has taken that exact time-stopping moment and suspended it in ice cream. But rather than simply adding crushed Pop-Tarts to the pint, Jeni’s recreated the experience of the toaster pastry with homemade buttery crumbled pastry pieces and a cinnamon-caramel swirl in brown sugar and cinnamon sweet cream.
The new flavor launches on June 22 at Jeni’s scoop shops (scooped or in pints), in grocery stores nationwide, and for delivery. Check the website for locations and online delivery options.
If you want to take the fun flavors even further, check out Jeni’s Double Crust Pop-Tarts Terrine, a recipe using Pop-Tarts and the Pop-Tarts ice cream for a cookie/cake-like base topped with ice cream and a brown sugar cinnamon streusel-like topping.
Besides coming up with creative flavor combinations, Jeni’s simply crafts delicious ice creams: smooth and rich, with a masterful ratio of cream to added flavors. I do honestly consider them one of my favorite ice cream makers – and as the Tobey family claims, we’re ice cream connoisseurs!
