Back in the day, parents would have to run the whole family to the local ice cream shop if the kids wanted something beyond the simple flavors–chocolate, vanilla, strawberry. Now, with the rise of brands like Ben & Jerry’s, Talenti, and Häagen-Dazs (and many smaller companies) the variety of ice cream flavors on the shelves seem to only be limited by imagination. Pretty much any cookie, cake, or pie has been mixed, and remixed, into out-of-this-world ice cream concoctions. And it doesn’t stop there. Bacon and other savory ingredients have made their way into ice cream as well.
However, these companies have a habit of retiring many of their wilder creations if they don’t sell well, despite any cult following that may have built up. Häagen-Dazs keeps a running list of past favorites and Ben & Jerry’s has an actual Flavor Graveyard, with headstones commemorating its “dearly departed” flavors. Read on to see which discontinued premium ice cream flavors you’ll never see again. Plus, don’t miss 11 Discontinued Fast-Food Burgers You’ll Never See Again.
This flavor combo–white-fudge-covered caramel popcorn, toffee-coated peanuts, and a caramel swirl, mixed up with caramel ice cream–sounds way too sweet, which may be why it was only in freezers for a year in 2000. Or, maybe it was just before its’ time.
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Fans of the creamy liqueur expressed their disappointment on Twitter when the brand discontinued the boozy flavor back in 2018, but sadly, it shows no signs of returning as they’ve added an Irish Cream Brownie flavor (but not Baileys brand) to the line-up.
This rich gelato mixed real oatmeal cookie pieces, dark brown sugar, cinnamon, and raisins into vanilla ice cream was introduced in 2015, and sadly, retired a few years later.
The cult-favorite brand is a little secretive about what flavors are coming and going, but one Reddit user noted they couldn’t find the sweet, floral flavor and emailed the ice cream maker, who supposedly said, “At this time our Supermoon is unavailable. However, at Jeni’s, we never say never when it comes to bringing back fan-favorite flavors. I’ll let the R+D folks know that you’d like to see it return to the lineup.”
One of the most mourned flavors from the brand, this one was sent to the Flavor Graveyard when the supplier of the ice cream’s signature oatmeal cookies stopped making them, and the ice cream makers couldn’t find a replacement that was up to their standards.
This fruity sorbet, based on blackberries and tart cabernet sauvignon grapes, was first spotted in freezers in 2011, but was unfortunately discontinued.
This classic summer pie flavor was a favorite from Turkey Hill through 2001, and was a strong contender to be brought back a few years ago, but Caramel Brownie Overload won the fan flavor vote.
The founders of the ice cream brand make no secret of their hippie roots, and one of their earliest flavors was a tribute to the Woodstock-era legend of the same name. The nutty caramel, cashew, and Brazil nut ice cream enhanced with roasted almonds and a chocolate hazelnut fudge swirl was in Ben & Jerry’s repertoire from 1993 through 2001, and briefly resurrected in 2005.
Häagen-Dazs retired this nutty, crunchy flavor in 2018, sparking the “Bring back Häagen-Dazs Macadamia Brittle” Facebook page, which attempted to push the brand to bring the flavor back. With under 700 likes though, the page wasn’t able to make it happen.
Sadly, this creamy custard ice cream with caramel swirls was retired from stores in 2016, and there’s no sign of it returning.
Fro yo fans lost a great flavor when the ice cream maker shelved this flavor, due to their claims that it just wasn’t that great. We disagree.
Maine blueberries are inarguably the only blueberries worth eating—if you’ve ever plucked one and popped it in your mouth at Acadia National Park, you’ll agree. This beloved flavor, retired in 1993, was packed with them—blueberry ice cream blended with blueberries and swirls of blueberry puree.
If you’re a regular consumer of Ben & Jerry’s famous flavors, you know they often retire flavors, and one of the most mourned is the Dublin Mudslide (2005-2007). The concoction of Irish Cream liqueur ice cream packed with crushed chocolate-chocolate chip cookies and a swirl of coffee fudge first appeared in limited quantities in 2004.
A flavor we personally miss a lot, this ice cream featured swirls of salted fudge and the crunch of chocolate-covered peanuts blended with smooth peanut butter ice cream for a perfect balance of salty and sweet.
Vanilla ice cream was swirled with apples, crumbly crust, and cinnamon-flavored caramel to create this Americana-steeped flavor back in 2006. Sadly, the flavor has been retired, but the newish Inside Out Apple Pie flavor sure sounds similar.
Enjoy all the amazing ice cream flavors out there—in moderation—because one day they might be buried in a flavor graveyard.
A previous version of this article was originally published on March 2, 2022.
Tanya Edwards
