14 Discontinued Häagen-Dazs Flavors We Probably Won't Get Back
Is there any treat better than ice cream on a hot summer day? This creamy, smooth, sugary dessert has been around for centuries in some form or another — and today ice cream is enjoyed all over the world, in a variety of flavors meant to satisfy even the pickiest connoisseurs. And while there are tons of brands on the market, one of the most popular is Häagen-Dazs. The company was founded in New York in the 1960s by Reuben and Rose Mattus, two Polish immigrants with a dream of crafting luxurious, velvety ice cream.
Since then, Häagen-Dazs has created hundreds of flavors, but not all of them stick around. As the company explains, "Sometimes creating the next extraordinary flavor means retiring an old one." Unfortunately, some of the ice creams that have been retired are fan favorites. Keep reading to discover 14 discontinued Häagen-Dazs flavors we probably won't get back.
Baileys Irish Cream
The Baileys Irish Cream flavor is one flavor fans have still not forgiven Häagen-Dazs for discontinuing. The flavor blended the smooth, vanilla creaminess of Baileys Original Irish Cream, a liquor that Baileys describes as "the sweetest meeting of fine Irish whiskey and spirits, Irish dairy cream, rich chocolate, and vanilla flavors." Fans likened the taste to a boozy milkshake, and at the time of its release, the flavor was unlike anything else on the market.
The product was discontinued in 2018, as confirmed by Häagen-Dazs on X (formerly known as Twitter). When fans demanded to know why the rich, indulgent flavor was no more, the brand explained, "Sometimes products aren't as successful as we anticipate and end up discontinued. We really do appreciate your feedback and will definitely let our team know that you miss it!"
Fans of the Baileys Irish Cream flavor aren't completely out of luck. Häagen-Dazs now offers a Spirits line, which includes the Irish Cream Brownie Ice Cream flavor. This ice cream includes chewy chocolate brownie pieces and chocolate swirls mixed into ice cream with hints of whisky, cocoa, and coffee. Craving more Irish cream in your sweets? Try whipping Baileys into store-bought icing for a fluffy, boozy twist.
Bananas Foster
Another slightly boozy Häagen-Dazs flavor was the Bananas Foster. This flavor was based on the dessert with the same name, which is made by cooking sliced bananas in a mixture of butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and cinnamon. Rum is added, then the dessert is flambéed. The fire burns off most of the alcohol and leaves a caramel mixture that's perfect over ice cream. The ice cream itself was made with real bananas and real rum and had swirls of brown sugar and cinnamon throughout.
The Bananas Foster ice cream was always meant to be a limited-time flavor, released first in 2010 and again in 2012 through a partnership with 7-Eleven. Häagen-Dazs never specifically addressed the discontinuation of the flavor — although it seems that as it was a limited edition, it was never meant to become a core flavor. One user on X (formerly known as Twitter) recently asked the company to bring the flavor back, but the brand only responded with, "While this is enjoying retirement, we'll let our team know you'd like to see this make a comeback!" not giving an indication either way if they intend to put the flavor back on shelves.
The brand doesn't currently have any other banana flavors in its lineup since it also discontinued its Banana Split flavor. However, if you're craving bananas foster, check out this bananas foster recipe or go a step further with this bananas foster king cake.
Blackberry Cabernet Sorbet
Continuing the trend of liquor-inspired flavors is the Blackberry Cabernet Sorbet. Sorbet is a frozen treat like ice cream — unlike ice cream, however, it doesn't usually include milk or eggs and is instead made from fruit. The Blackberry Cabernet Sorbet flavor was made primarily from blackberries and grapes.
The tanginess of the blackberries was blended with the rich flavor of cabernet grapes, the same type of grapes used to make Cabernet Sauvignon wine. This created a sorbet with a dark intense flavor and a warm purple hue. Despite the cabernet flavor, the sorbet didn't actually contain any alcohol.
The Blackberry Cabernet Sorbet was released around 2011 and retired sometime around 2015. Today, Häagen-Dazs only offers a few sorbets, including a mango sorbet and raspberry sorbet. They do have a few other fruit-flavored ice creams, although nothing that resembles the Blackberry Cabernet Sorbet. That doesn't mean you're out of luck with cabernet ice cream; you can do it yourself by topping your ice cream with red wine.
Blueberry Crumble
Blueberry Crumble was a limited-time flavor meant to taste like blueberry crumble, a decadent dessert made of juicy, sweet blueberries topped with a crumbly crust. It's usually served topped with ice cream, making blueberry crumble a natural choice for an ice cream flavor. The ice cream was made with real blueberries and had bits of cobbler crumbles mixed in.
This flavor was always meant to be limited edition, so despite the rich blueberry flavor and buttery crust crumbles, it was only on shelves from about 2011-2012. Although it was a favorite of many ice cream lovers, the brand has never made any indication that it intends to bring the Blueberry Crumble flavor back.
Häagen-Dazs does not currently have any other blueberry flavors in its lineup, but some other brands, like Halo Top, offer blueberry crumble-inspired flavors. Meanwhile, Häagen-Dazs still has several dessert flavors, like New York Strawberry Cheesecake and Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough.
Brownies a la Mode
Brownie a la mode is a popular dessert option in restaurants and diners across the United States. When used to describe dessert, a la mode indicates it comes with ice cream, so it's no surprise that brownie is a common addition in ice cream flavors. The Häagen-Dazs Brownies a la Mode flavor had soft, chewy brownie pieces and rich fudge swirls within a classic vanilla ice cream.
The Brownies a la Mode flavor was part of the company's 2016 limited-time Destination Series, which was made up of flavors from famous world destinations. Brownies a la Mode was for Chicago, and the line also offered flavors like Mayan Chocolate, Mango, and Belgian Chocolate. The Mayan Chocolate and Mango flavors weren't new, but were brought back for the Destination Series. However, the company has made no mention of bringing the series back.
Brownie lovers can still get their fix with other Häagen-Dazs flavors, like Coffee Chocolate Brownie and Irish Cream Brownie. You can also make your own brownies a la mode with some vanilla ice cream and one of our best homemade brownie recipes.
Crème Brulée
Crème Brulée is another Häagen-Dazs ice cream flavor you sadly can't find anymore. This flavor was based off the dessert of the same name, made of a decadent vanilla custard with a caramelized sugar topping. The ice cream flavor itself had swirls of caramel throughout a vanilla custard base.
Fans of the Crème Brulée ice cream were devastated when in 2016 Häagen-Dazs confirmed on X (formerly known as Twitter) that the flavor had been discontinued, with the brand saying, "Sadly, it's been discontinued. We'll let the right people know you want it back." However, there has been no mention of the flavor's return since then.
The social media team recommended Crème Brulée lovers try the Dulce De Leche, another caramel flavor, instead, but users replied that it wasn't the same. Other caramel-infused flavors from Häagen-Dazs still currently on the market include the Vanilla Caramel Pecan, Caramel Cone, Honey Salted Caramel Almond, and Dulce De Leche Churro.
Espresso Chocolate Cookie Crumble
While coffee and chocolate is a popular combination (just look at the mocha), there aren't a ton of coffee-flavored ice creams on the market. The Espresso Chocolate Cookie Crumble flavor from Häagen-Dazs filled a unique niche, with dark roast espresso ice cream blended with chocolate cookie chunks and swirls of chocolate espresso flakes. The coffee flavor wasn't too overpowering and blended beautifully with the chocolate.
The Espresso Chocolate Cookie Crumble flavor was released in 2017 and retired a few years later. Despite fans pleading for its return, the brand has not commented on the discontinuation of this flavor, nor have they indicated in any way that they plan to bring it back.
Those who love chocolate coffee ice cream aren't completely out of luck. Häagen-Dazs currently offers a Coffee Chip flavor, made of a coffee ice cream base swirled with crunchy chocolate chips, and Coffee Chocolate Brownie, a flavor that also uses the coffee ice cream base but is mixed with brownie pieces, espresso chocolate sauce, and espresso chocolate chips. The company also offers just the coffee ice cream with nothing else.
German Chocolate Cake
Häagen-Dazs has made some fantastic ice cream flavors based on classic desserts, and the German Chocolate Cake flavor was no exception. The sweet, airy cake isn't actually German, but is unique from other chocolate cakes thanks to its signature caramel-like frosting featuring shredded coconut and chopped pecans.
To recreate German chocolate cake as an ice cream, Häagen-Dazs used a chocolate ice cream base and swirled in caramel coconut pecans and bits of chocolate cake. The ice cream was always meant to be a limited-time flavor and was both released and retired in the early 2010s.
There aren't any Häagen-Dazs flavors that work as a direct replacement to the German Chocolate Cake; though the Vanilla Caramel Pecan does offer some of the same notes. However, other brands, including Baskin Robbins and Tillamook, offer their own take on the flavor. You can also make the dessert yourself with a German chocolate cake recipe and top it with ice cream for a delicious, indulgent treat.
Macadamia Nut Brittle
The Macadamia Nut Brittle ice cream flavor was another that took inspiration from a common sweet treat. Macadamia nut brittle is a crisp and sweet brittle similar to other types of brittle like peanut brittle and almond brittle. It's made by browning macadamia nuts in a sugary syrup and adding butter and baking soda for texture.
The concept of Häagen-Dazs's Macadamia Nut Brittle flavor was simple: creamy, classic vanilla ice cream mixed with macadamia nut brittle bites. Consumers loved it and subsequently were crushed when the flavor was discontinued. Oddly, the flavor is still available in other countries, but the company has stated on X (formerly known as Twitter) that it has no plans to bring the flavor back to the United States.
Message boards across the internet lit up with questions that the company has yet to answer — mainly fans were confused why Macadamia Nut Brittle wasn't discontinued everywhere. The leading fan theory is that sourcing macadamia nuts to the U.S. was either too difficult or too expensive to be profitable. While the brand doesn't make any other flavors with macadamia nuts, the Honey Salted Caramel Almond or Vanilla Caramel Pecan may be close enough for some.
Peanut Butter Pie
Continuing the trend of dessert-inspired flavors is the Peanut Butter Pie flavor. Peanut butter pie is a delightful, crowd-pleasing treat made of a whipped peanut butter filling inside a chocolate crust. Häagen-Dazs took the concept and ran with it, creating a peanut butter ice cream that featured smooth peanut butter ribbons and soft chocolate cookie pieces.
The Peanut Butter Pie flavor was released in 2013 to rave reviews. Consumers loved the smooth texture and the way the peanut butter flavor was strong but not overpowering and was balanced well by the chocolate cookie bits. Unfortunately, Peanut Butter Pie was always meant to be a limited-time flavor, and Häagen-Dazs has made no mention of putting it back on shelves.
There are no Häagen-Dazs flavors currently available that are quite like the Peanut Butter Pie. However, the brand does offer a few flavors with peanut butter, like the Chocolate Peanut Butter and the Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel flavors. Or, whip up your own peanut butter pie with this easy peanut butter pie recipe.
Sticky Toffee Pudding
The Häagen-Dazs Sticky Toffee Pudding flavor came with a bit of a backstory. In 2005, Häagen-Dazs partnered with the Food Network for a one-hour special called "Scoop!" The premise was simple: Ice cream lovers all over the world had submitted their ideas for a new ice cream flavor, and the top choices made it to the show, where viewers would vote on which would become the next limited-time Häagen-Dazs flavor. The top three choices were Cannoli, Toasted Coconut Sesame Brittle, and Sticky Toffee Pudding, with Sticky Toffee Pudding coming out the winner.
Sticky toffee pudding is a British dessert consisting of a moist sponge cake sweetened with brown sugar and finely chopped dates. The cake is smothered in a toffee sauce and often served with whipped cream or ice cream. To turn this into a flavor, Häagen-Dazs swirled ribbons of sticky toffee and bits of soft brown sugar cake into their classic vanilla ice cream.
Fans literally ate the flavor up, and although Sticky Toffee Pudding was meant to be a limited edition, it ended up being so popular that it joined the official Häagen-Dazs line up until it was eventually discontinued. The brand currently does not offer any ice cream with toffee in it, so fans have decided to get creative by using their own sticky toffee pudding recipe and blending it into vanilla ice cream.
Tres Leches Brigadeiro
Tres Leches Brigadeiro was an ice cream flavor released by Häagen-Dazs in 2015 as part of their limited-time Artisan Collection. The collection was a partnership between the brand and a handful of confectionary artisans from across the country to create new, elevated flavors that also included Applewood Smoked Caramel Almond, Chocolate Caramelized Oat, and Banana Rum Jam.
The Tres Leches Brigadeiro flavor was made with My Sweet Brigadeiro in New York City. Brigadeiros are traditional Brazilian desserts similar to bonbons or dessert truffles, and My Sweet Brigadiero makes a variety of flavors. The Tres Leches Brigadeiro ice cream was made from the confectioner's Happy Couple Brigadeiro, a Brigadeiro that is half chocolate and half traditional Tres Leches cake. The flavor featured a decadent chocolate sauce swirled into tres leches ice cream.
As the line was always limited-edition, it was eventually discontinued. The closest flavor currently available from Häagen-Dazs is the Rum Tres Leches, a rum-infused ice cream mixed with dulce de leche and bits of Tres Leche. Fans who want to try the original inspiration for the Tres Leches Brigadeiro flavor can still order the Happy Couple Brigadeiro from My Sweet Brigadeiro.
Vanilla Honey Bee
Honey bees are a hugely important critter for the planet; not only do they make delicious honey, but they help pollinate plants, keeping those plants alive and reproducing. As honey bee populations have been declining in recent years, several brands have stepped up to bring awareness to the situation, including Häagen-Dazs. For decades the company has made protecting bees one of their causes, and one of the ways they did this was through ice cream flavors like Vanilla Honey Bee.
Vanilla Honey Bee was launched in 2008 as part of the "Haagen-Dazs Loves Honey Bees" campaign. This campaign was meant to raise awareness, as each be-dependant ice cream had a honey bee label, and raise funds, with a portion of proceeds from these products going to support honey bee research. Vanilla honey bee was created specifically for this campaign, with real golden honey blended into the brand's classic vanilla ice cream.
While Vanilla Honey Bee has been retired, Häagen-Dazs is still working to save the bees. In 2020, it became the first major food brand to display the Xerces Society's Bee Better certified seal on its ice cream. The seal is displayed on flavors that use almond, including Honey Salted Caramel Almond and Rocky Road, to certify that the company sources their almonds in a way that's safe for bees.
Vanilla, Tangerine, and Shortbread
Along with Brownie a la Mode, Vanilla, Tangerine, and Shortbread was part of the Häagen-Dazs Destination Series of flavors. It was meant to evoke thoughts of British tea time, as shortbread is a traditional unleavened butter cookie from the United Kingdom. The ice cream itself had a classic vanilla base, swirls of tangerine curd, and chunks of shortbread cookies for a refreshing, balanced flavor that was neither too sweet nor too tart. One reviewer compared the flavor to an orange creamsicle.
The Vanilla, Tangerine, and Shortbread was only available for a limited time, like the rest of the Destination Series. Fans were crushed when the flavor left shelves, with one even creating a Change.org petition in 2021 to persuade the company to bring it back. Recently, a user on X (formerly known as Twitter) included the flavor in a roundup of flavors they'd like to see brought back, but the company only responded by saying they'd send the team the message.
There are currently no other flavors with tangerine or shortbread from Häagen-Dazs, but the brand does offer other fruity dessert flavors, such as New York Strawberry Cheesecake and Summer Berry Cake Pop. If you're desperate for a tangerine shortbread ice cream, try making it yourself with this shortbread cookie recipe, some tangerine curd, and a few scoops of vanilla ice cream, one flavor that's sure to never be discontinued.