Trader Joe's Maple Ginger Cookie Swirl Ice Cream

Seasons come and go. Ice creams even come and go (like the matcha ice cream I never got to try because it got recalled for having pieces of metal in it?). But Trader Joe's has managed to maintain a very high quality of private label ice cream. I have yet to try a TJ's ice cream that I find entirely deplorable. Then again, I haven't tried any of the "ice cream alternatives" (by that I mean non-dairy, keto, etc.). Not that they would be deplorable, just different. Anyhoo - shoutout to Trader Joe's for being more inclusive of non-pumpkin spice fall items. 

Happy belated Canadian Thanksgiving to our neighbors of the North! Consider this post a small and wholly inadequate consolation for the fact that TJ's does not populate the north. It's quite funny we consider maple a "fall item" when in fact maple season is February - April. But since it makes us feel warm and cozy and "in the spirit of fall," why not appropriate it? :P

From the start, I know this ice cream will be creamy and sweet as I've come to expect from pretty much all Trader Joe's ice creams. Cream and sugar top the ingredients list.

There is a ton of added sugar in this product - it constitutes 56% of the recommended amount of your daily sugar consumption, so it's definitely a treat. Also keep in mind that the "maple flavored swirl" is made of maple syrup, sugar, and "natural flavors," which is code for something artificial. I know people think that TJ's has a rep for being healthier, and they do use better ingredients generally speaking, but "natural flavors" could mean anything.

1) As expected, this ice cream is very creamy and very sweet. If you like sweet things, there's a good chance you might like this ice cream. If you don't like sweets, there is an equally good chance that you won't like this ice cream.

2) For me, the overall flavor is creamy with cheap pancake syrup vibes. We're talking IHOP or Aunt Jemima.

3) Where are the ginger cookie pieces??? This is like borderline false advertising...I've been digging around in the pint searching for them (much as one might hunt through a pint of cookie dough ice cream  looking for the pieces of cookie dough because it's so delicious), and I can't seem to find them. They seem to be present in little flecks rather than substantial pieces, which is a shame. This ice cream definitely needs more actual ginger cookie pieces for the crunch and the spice to cut through the sweetness.

4) As is, it's a flavor I think kids and people with huge sweet tooths might enjoy, particularly if you are the type to eat your maple syrup with a side of pancakes. But for me, this product is lacking a good balance of flavors. The word "spice" is noticeably absent from the product title, which means it doesn't need to have any spice technically speaking, but it does have the word "ginger," so to have an ice cream that lacks any spiciness is strange.

5) It's one thing if a product CAN be doctored to taste even better. It's another thing if a product SHOULD be doctored to taste better. Points off for that. That said, I'd recommend adding crumbled ginger snaps or even speculoos cookies to make it taste better. Or make your own speculoos cookie ice cream sandwiches with this ice cream. Any of those options would make this taste better IMO.

6) $2.99 per pint. Typical pricing for TJ's, not a bad one at that.

7) As far as seasonal flavors go...I almost prefer a pumpkin pie spiced ice cream over this. Shocking, I know.

TL;DR: Trader Joe's Maple Ginger Cookie Swirl Ice Cream. A creamy and sweet, cheap pancake syrup-flavored ice cream with absentee ginger cookie pieces. 6 out of 10. Mantou Joe repurchase? No thanks. Thank u next.