9 Ice Cream Flavors That Quietly Left the Freezer Aisle

Walk down the ice cream aisle today and you’ll find flavors packed with cookie dough, brownie chunks, swirls of caramel and pieces of candy bars. There are dairy-free pints, high-protein pints and flavors inspired by breakfast cereal. It’s a dessert lover’s dream, and it changes every few months.

But some flavors that used to be everywhere have quietly slipped away. They were standards at ice cream parlors, birthday parties and family freezers for decades. Now you have to hunt for them at small creameries or old-fashioned shops, if you can find them at all. Here are nine ice cream flavors that have disappeared from most freezer aisles, and why so many older Americans still miss them.

1. Tutti-Frutti

Tutti-frutti, Italian for “all fruits,” was a vanilla ice cream studded with chopped candied fruit, often cherries, pineapple and citron, in bright reds and greens. It was a standard at soda fountains and ice cream parlors from the late 1800s through the middle of the 20th century.

Younger customers often find the candied fruit chewy and old-fashioned, which may be why the flavor faded. You can still find it at a few traditional creameries, but it has disappeared from most grocery store shelves. For many older Americans, though, it was the fanciest flavor at the counter.

2. Spumoni

Spumoni is a layered Italian ice cream, usually with stripes of cherry, pistachio and chocolate, often with bits of candied fruit and nuts. It was a popular dessert at Italian restaurants and in neighborhoods with strong Italian roots, especially in the Northeast.

Spumoni was once easy to find in grocery stores, often sold in brick form. Today, it’s mostly found at Italian restaurants and specialty shops. Many people who grew up with it remember it as a special-occasion dessert served after a big Sunday dinner.

3. Rum Raisin

Rum raisin ice cream was made with raisins soaked in rum, folded into a rich, custard-like base. It was a grown-up flavor that was especially popular in the mid-20th century. Despite the name, most commercial versions contained little or no alcohol.

The flavor has become harder to find in supermarkets, though some brands still make it seasonally. Fans say it’s a perfect pairing with holiday desserts and still deserves a place in the freezer aisle.

4. Butter Brickle

Butter brickle was vanilla or butter-flavored ice cream with crunchy bits of toffee mixed in. The name came from a toffee candy called brickle, and the flavor was a favorite at Baskin-Robbins and other ice cream shops for years.

Butter brickle has been overshadowed by newer toffee and caramel flavors. It’s now rare, though some creameries still make it. Many people who grew up with it say it’s the flavor that tastes most like their childhood.

5. Black Walnut

Black walnut ice cream had a strong, earthy flavor that’s very different from the mild English walnuts most people buy today. It was especially popular in the Midwest and South, where black walnut trees grew wild and families gathered the nuts in the fall.

The bold taste wasn’t for everyone, and black walnuts are hard to crack and process. Today, black walnut ice cream is a regional specialty that many younger people have never tried. To its fans, though, nothing else compares.

6. Frozen Pudding

Frozen pudding was a New England flavor made with rum-flavored ice cream and candied fruit. It was inspired by old-fashioned holiday puddings and was especially popular in Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

It’s still found at some New England creameries, but it’s practically unknown in the rest of the country. Many people who grew up in New England remember it as a holiday treat, especially at Christmas time.

7. Lunar Cheesecake

In 1969, Baskin-Robbins created Lunar Cheesecake to celebrate the Apollo 11 moon landing. It was one of many limited flavors that the company has created over the years to tie into major events and pop culture moments.

Baskin-Robbins has retired hundreds of flavors since it opened, and Lunar Cheesecake is among the most fondly remembered. It shows how ice cream makers have always used flavors to capture the spirit of the times.

8. Rainforest Crunch

Ben & Jerry’s Rainforest Crunch was a vanilla ice cream with cashew and Brazil nut brittle. It was launched in the late 1980s and was tied to efforts to support the rainforest. It became a cult favorite before being discontinued.

Ben & Jerry’s keeps a Flavor Graveyard for its retired flavors, complete with tombstones at its factory in Vermont. Rainforest Crunch is one of the flavors honored there, and fans still visit to pay their respects.

9. Wavy Gravy

Wavy Gravy was another Ben & Jerry’s flavor, named after the Woodstock-era entertainer and activist. It had a caramel cashew Brazil nut base with a chocolate hazelnut fudge swirl and roasted almonds. It was rich, complicated and loved by those who tried it.

It was discontinued in the early 2000s and also sits in the Flavor Graveyard. Its fans say it was one of the most creative flavors the company ever made, and they still hope it will return.

What Makes Ice Cream “Ice Cream”

Many of the old flavors came from a time when ice cream was made more simply, with cream, sugar and eggs. Federal rules still set a standard for what can be labeled ice cream. Under the federal standard, ice cream must contain at least 10 percent milkfat, which is why some cheaper products are called “frozen dairy dessert” instead.

Changes in tastes, costs and ingredients have all affected which flavors survive. Products with nuts and candied fruit are more expensive to make, and allergies have made some ingredients less popular.

Where to Find the Old Flavors

If you miss one of these flavors, your best bet is a local creamery or old-fashioned ice cream parlor. Many small shops still make classic flavors, sometimes seasonally. Some grocery stores also carry regional brands that keep old flavors alive.

You can also make your own at home with an ice cream maker, using vintage recipes. And if you want to try something new, these ice cream flavors are worth tasting. Which of these old flavors do you remember, and which one would you buy today if it came back?