Ben & Jerry's Cannoli Ice Cream Review

[2023 Note] This flavor has dropped the fan favorite tag and appears to be a full time flavor.

[Returned as a fan favorite in 2020] 2020 had so many downsides, but one of the rare upsides was the return of Ben & Jerry's Cannoli ice cream. I picked this up over the summer and enjoyed it's tastiness as the filling in an ice cream sandwich... and now I am realizing that I should have bought more than one pint! Original review is after the break.

Ben & Jerry's Cannoli Ice Cream

Mascarpone Ice Cream with 

Fudge-Covered Pastry Shell Pieces & Mascarpone Swirls

[Limited edition for 2012 and 2013] Here we are just days away from our 4.5 year anniversary and I am starting up our 1000th post, how cool is that? I still cant believe I made it past 100, let alone to a 1000. Good times had by all, so let's celebrate with one of the hardest to find pints of 2012, the limited batch Ben & Jerry's Cannoli Ice Cream.

After weeks of searching, I finally found it! Why the excitement? Well, we've got Mascarpone Ice Cream with Fudge Covered Cannoli Pastry Shell Chunks & a Mascarpone Swirl. I really dug Perry's take on Cannolis and I'm hoping this is even better.

Looks like our new friend is playing shy

Oh yeah, that's much better!

The cannoli bits looks crunchy and very well coated though the swirl seems to be hiding except a small beige mark on the left side. I'm guessing we're not going to get a typical, ooey gooey, all encompassing swirl.

You know, I've been waiting all day for this.... heck, since yesterday when I found this. Let's start with the base first. kinda cheesy (sorry, couldn't resist). The Perry's cannoli gelato was definitely a much more delicate flavor. What's really funny is that as I easily spoon the base, I kind of miss the little chocolate chips from the Perry's version.

Let's get some shell bits on my spoon. Hmmm, not enough of them, let's get some real bits going on. There is definitely some crunch here and there --- ready, two chunks this time --- we've got varying degrees of crunchiness from kinda crunchy to fairly crunchy (no softies, but no hard crunches either). You know, there's  not a ton of chocolate flavor popping through. I almost wish there were little soft fudge nuggets spread throughout to enhance the chocolate coating vibe. I think it's a lot like Late Night Snack where you need to have several fudgy bits first to build up a nice chocolate coating on the taste buds before you proceed.

Ha! I just scooped some swirl. It's almost got a cookie dough consistency to it. Factor in that it's definitely not a strong flavor from the swirl and you realize it's a shame I cant find more of the it.

I'm definitely settling into the flavor. I was worried it was a little too strong at first, but I'm doing just fine now. It's an easy scooping ice cream and I'm thinking it's going to be a half pint night. In fact, if I didn't know better, I swear Ben & Jerry's has tweaked their formula to make a smoother (more gelato like) texture on this one. It's not a bad thing at all, it suits the flavor, but something definitely feels different here. It's funny because with that texture change, there are times when the flavor almost strikes you as a really rich vanilla bean flavor.

I guess my big thought here is that it's more of cannoli filling flavor then a straight up total cannoli package. The filling flavor is taking center stage while everything else is playing in the background. I know that all sounds like semantics, but since Ben & Jerry's is known for their mix-ins, I had hoped for a bit more in terms of shell flavoring. I guess it's one of those flavors where I wish there was two versions --- wait, awesome idea, next year's limited edition flavor should be Chocolate Cannoli, what do you think?

So as I sit here with my lingering non-ricotta cannoli aftertaste, let me say that you're going to want to try this I think. As I've gotten more in the customer of cycling through flavors, it's pints like cannoli that mix things up and give me a break from chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry. So, unless you've really got a thing against cheese, then there's no reason not to add this to the list of flavors you've tried.

On Second Scoop: I think there is a little bit of cheese shock for the first few bites, but it's one of those neat unique flavors where every bite inspires the next bite. That's the mark of a neat out-of-the-box flavor. I like it, I really do, and I think the key here would be to bring back this flavor every year in a new variety. For example, I was enjoying the second scooping and then it hit me, why not do like a cookie dough cannoli? It would be super unique and if it fails, hey, it's a limited batch, no worries.

Verdict?  A nice change of pace
Buy Again?  Yes

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1/2 cup (102g) Servings Per Container   4
Amount Per Serving
Calories  280	from Fat  140
	% Daily Value*
Total Fat  16g	25%
- Sat Fat  11g	55%
Cholesterol  65mg	22%
Sodium  60mg	2%
Total Carbohydrate  28g	9%
- Dietary Fiber   0g
- Sugars  23g
Protein  4g
Vitamin A   8%	Vitamin C   0%
Calcium   10%	Iron   2%