Sweet Scoops Pumpkin Frozen Yogurt

Shortest. Hiatus. Ever.

Ya... I've got a steel will don't I? I went all of a few days before walking by a frozen pint and going "I gotta get that!" Ok, it's a little more complicated than that, so we will start at the beginning.

So, there I was, hungry, but tired of sandwiches from home and in no mood for another fast food burger. Sure, I could go the foo foo route, but I haven't been to Roche Bros grocery store in a while, so I think it's time for another visit.

I head into the store and instead of going straight, I break left and discover a giant section of meals ready to eat! Jackpot! I go with the steak "tips", corn, and (disgusting) rice florentine. Next, I grab myself a fat free chocolate Nesquik (which I won't do again any time soon) and then decide to head for the freezer aisle.

Now hopefully no one noticed, but I stopped for a second, took a deep breath, and then slowly began to wander down the freezer aisle. No rushing, just gingerly looking at each and every pint. I tried to focus on what I was really in the mood for since I haven't actually had any ice cream since, well, last Friday, and technically that was froyo (in my world, that's an eternity).

Hmmm, that B&J Creme Brulee might be interesting. I could go H-D but they don't have anything catching my eye. Ok, well, they do have an assortment of more local flavors.  This might work. You know, I always see Sweet Scoops at Whole Foods. Oh wait, it's frozen yogurt? I totally forgot that.

Mint? nah.

Madagascar Vanilla? ehhhhh.

Black Raspberry? that could work.....

PUMPKIN?
PUMPKIN FROYO??
LIMITED EDITION?

Oh yeah, time to man up and give this one a shot!

Here it is, and as you can see, some nice orange highlights help this pint catch your eye. Sweet Scoops All Natural Limited Editon Pumpkin with other natural flavors sounds like it could very well rock. "Pumpkin Puree, molasses, and spices make this flavor a seasonal best seller. Imagine grandma's pumpkin pie without the crust". Wait, no crust? Iunno, I do love my crust pieces, but I'm going to give this a try anyway.

Well, I'll try it as soon as I get this silly plastic seal off (it lacks a perforated section for me to break)

Ok, it certainly looks good! Check out all the neat little pumpkin and spice bits floating about. Signs of real flavor are always a welcome sight. It smells good too with it's gentle pumpkin scent.

The first bite of a "pumpkin" flavored treat is always a little scary for me since it can really get messed up, but Sweet Scoops seems to understand that when I buy pumpkin ice cream, what I really want is to be reminded of icy cold pumpkin pie. Well, they have indeed pulled that off. It's fairly mild, but that's the way pumpkin should be. It's not artificial or overpowering, it's just a nice, clean, pleasant flavor.

So it's got a nice flavor, but texture is the other half of the battle. My first several bites are actually kind of an icy texture. After I get about a half inch down, I'm faced with a less icy but more gummy texture. It's not quite as creamy as they claim, but overall, I can deal with this. A unique flavor can compensate for an iffy texture, and vice versa. I've definitely had worse but still I am surprised at finding any gumminess in this "creamy" treat, especially considering that it's a bit fattier than the competition... I know, I know, I always say that, but to me a froyo is say 5% total fat, 8% sat fat for the day. Now maybe this pint was a fluke, so at some point I will grab another flavor for comparison.

Closing thoughts? Right off the bat this one has a leg up as the only pumpkin froyo I've ever seen. I'm glad they shot for pumpkin pie, but I will admit that after the DQ Pumpkin Pie blizzard, my tastebuds do expect that graham cracker break that goes so well with pumpkin. Sure, I still enjoyed my servings, but when I was done, I popped a few pretzels to balance it all out.

Verdict?  A neat little seasonal treat
Buy Again?  maybe (at the very least, I will try the other flavors)

Company Notes: When I first spied Sweet Scoops, I mentioned it was started by the same guy who started Columbo yogurt. This info is no longer available as www.sweetscoops.com is more of a blog than a corporate website now. Sweet Scoops is based in Portsmouth, NH, but if you are interested in this flavor, I believe you should be able to find it as far south as New York City.

Pumpkin Rankings:
1) DQ Pumpkin Pie Blizzard
2) Sonic Pumpkin Pie Shake
3) Sweet Scoops Pumpkin Froyo
4) B&J Pumpkin Cheesecake (sorry, too cheezy for me)
DEAD LAST: Edy's Pumpkin Pie Stuff

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1/2 cup (78g) Servings Per Container  4
Amount Per Serving
Calories 140	from Fat 50
	% Daily Value*
Total Fat 6g	9%
- Sat Fat 3.5g	18%
- Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 20mg	7%
Sodium 50mg	2%
Total Carbohydrate 20g	7%
- Dietary Fiber  0g	0%
- Sugars 16g
Protein 3g
Vitamin A 15%	Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 10%	Iron 0%

Contains Live Cultures: L. Bulgaricus and S. Thermophilus