Cold Stone Creamery is a unique breed of ice cream shop. While anyone can walk inside and order a traditional ice cream cone, their real selling point is that they allow customers to create their own flavors. People can pick their favorite toppings, and the workers will mix them into the ice cream. I’ve been there a few times trying different mixtures, and even when I use the same ice cream and toppings, I’ve never had the same exact experience.
During the Christmas and holiday seasons Cold Stone Creamery releases a few unique flavor combinations. These signature desserts are only available during the holidays and disappear soon after. While they’ve had a few big hits, they’ve also had some misses as well. This year they released two signature ice cream desserts along with a holiday themed cake. The real excitement this year came from their two milkshake offerings. On a recent trip to our Cold Stone Creamery, a friend and I each tried one of the milkshakes so we could see what all the fuss is about.
First up is the Harvest Spice milkshake. This one is a combination of milk, cinnamon, pieces graham cracker pie crust, and pumpkin flavored ice cream. Of the two, this is the one I really wanted to like, but I just didn’t like it. The milkshake itself is fairly easy to sip, especially if you let it sit for a few minutes to soften. Its actually not possible to drink it like a milkshake though because of the pie crust pieces. The pumpkin flavor of the ice cream was a little dull, and didn’t taste as sweet as I would have liked. I also didn’t care for the addition of cinnamon. It seemed to overpower the milkshake to the point where all I could taste and smell was the cinnamon. My friend, who loves pumpkin pie, didn’t care for this one either. Her main complaint was the cinnamon, along with the weak flavor of pumpkin.
Next is the Midnight Snack milkshake. This one is a combination of Oreo cookie pieces, dark chocolate peppermint pieces, and milk. This one was the hands down winner at our table, and the one we ended up sharing while the Pumpkin Harvest sat forgotten and melting. I’ve never been a fan of dark chocolate, but I love the dark chocolate from Cold Stone Creamery. With each sip there was a slight hint of peppermint, not too overwhelming but still there. The peppermint and dark chocolate flavors combined together nicely, with the peppermint taking away some of the typical bitterness associated with dark chocolate. Then there were the Oreo cookie pieces, which added just a tiny bit of crunch to the shake. All in all, this one was a winner.
Each of the Christmas holiday ice cream milkshakes from Cold Stone Creamery are worth a try. I prefer the Midnight Snack over the Harvest Spice, but I can see why some would feel differently. If you’re interested in trying either version for yourself, these milkshakes are available for a limited time from Cold Stone Creamery.
