Haagen-Dazs Butter Pecan Ice Cream Review

Brand: Häagen-Dazs Name: Butter Pecan Product:   Super Premium Ice Cream Base Flavor:  Buttery Cream Swirl:  None Mix-ins:  Pecans X factor?  All Natural Sealed?  Yes Size: Faux Pint - 14oz

[By Nick] Dear Readers, I have come across some very disturbing information recently. Out of the hundreds of reviews on this site, none of them are of Butter Pecan ice cream. Sure Dubba covered a frozen custard once, while I reviewed a frozen yogurt but neither of them were real deal butter pecan ice cream. With my love of all things Butter Pecan, I knew this disservice could not last any longer. With this mindset, I went into the grocery store with intent to find a version of Butter Pecan that I’ve yet to taste. Low and behold there was one pint left of Haagen-Dazs Butter Pecan. Without hesitation I grabbed this pint before anyone else had the chance to.

Seeing as this is my first review of a Haagen-Dazs product, I thought I’d share my feelings about their packaging. I really enjoy the simplistic yet elegant approach they have going on. You have the pecans front and center in a messy pile, while the rest of the pint just gives you more of a refined feeling for it. 

I also like the addition of the flavor notes. Some companies nowadays don’t even give you a description but Haagen-Dazs is going all out and telling you what you should expect to taste on the beginning and end of your bite. With phrases like “toasty, buttery pecan” and “smooth, sweetened cream” you can’t help but salivate a little. They even take it a step further with their description of the flavor on their website, “the Häagen-Dazs passion for flavor excellence comes through in this American classic. spoonful after spoonful of buttery, roasted pecans is combined with pure, sweet cream”. Don’t ask me why they’re against properly capitalizing words but I think it’s time for me to get spoonful after spoonful of this stuff into my mouth.

We’re off to a good start because I can see the pecans through the protective seal. With the seal removed, you can see that the base is a tad bit off-white like it should be. None of that pure bright white vanilla stuff here. You can also see that the pecans vary in size from halves to completely obliterated. It kind of resembles the nut version of a cookies and cream ice cream.

I’m just going to say it, this is the gold standard when it comes to butter pecan ice cream. I can’t believe it took me this long to try the Haagen-Dazs version. Let’s talk about the base first shall we. Haagen-Dazs sets the bar high with their buttery base. I don’t think I’ve ever had anything so perfectly buttery in ice cream before. If they were to make that base alone I could actually see myself putting it on pancakes with maple syrup. It’s seriously that dead on. Now don’t go thinking it taste exactly like butter and that Paula Dean would buy it by the gallon because it is tempered a bit with the cream flavor almost giving it more of a milky vibe. It is Haagen-Dazs so you all know they’re one of the best when it comes to texture. It’s very creamy and dense like what we’ve come to know and love from them. 

Now let’s move onto the pecans. They truly were the star of this flavor and they should be. They added a pleasant and consistent crunch throughout the faux-pint. There was at least one chunk of pecan in every spoonful I had. The pecans also pack a good amount of that buttery goodness as well. Pairing them with the base, you now have a very addicting flavor on your hands. If you weren’t paying attention you could easily blow through the container without a second thought. Writing for the blog though, I have developed more self-control so I was able to stop after about a serving and a half. If it wasn’t for that though, I might’ve just consumed well over my daily limit of fat. If you’re looking for the greatest butter pecan that you can get in the supermarket, look no further my friend.

Verdict?  Buttery perfection
Buy Again?  Of course - I need to make up for all the years I’ve gone without it.