Ben & Jerry’s Leans Into Indulgence With New Bakery-Inspired Flavours
Ben & Jerry’s is doubling down on indulgence as it unveils two new ice creams inspired by classic bakery favourites: Ben & Jerry’s Churrifically Churros-y and Ben & Jerry’s Strawberry Doughnut-eee.
The launch is carefully calibrated to tap into a powerful consumer trend, with 31% of global shoppers now prioritising indulgence when it comes to snacking. These new SKUs are being positioned as the brand’s most indulgent to date, with each tub “fully loaded” with five distinct elements of chunks and swirls to maximise texture and flavour.
The flavour innovation centres on bakery nostalgia, starting with Churrifically Churros-y. This variant is crafted to evoke the familiar warmth of churros, combining caramel and sweet ice creams with cinnamon sugar pieces, gooey chocolatey swirls and churros-style chunks.
Together, these five elements are designed to recreate the comforting experience of a churros stand in frozen dessert form, bringing crunch, chew and sweetness into every spoonful.
Sitting alongside it is Strawberry Doughnut-eee, which takes its cues from jam-filled doughnuts and bakery counters piled high with treats. The ice cream blends strawberry and sweet ice creams with white ampersand chunks – a nod to the brand’s iconic logo – jammy strawberry swirls and doughnut-style dough chunks.
Once again, five elements combine to deliver a multi-layered bite: creamy, fruity, chewy and unapologetically indulgent.
Beyond flavour alone, Ben & Jerry’s is continuing to emphasise its ethical sourcing credentials. Both new SKUs are made with Fairtrade certified vanilla, sugar and cocoa, maintaining the brand’s long-standing commitment to fairer supply chains even as it stretches further into the indulgence space.
For shoppers who want to feel good about what’s in their tub – in every sense – that ethical assurance remains a core part of the proposition.
In the United Kingdom, the two new flavours are being framed as a growth engine for the brand. The UK Brand Manager at Ben & Jerry’s said they were thrilled to introduce two indulgent new ice creams, describing the launch as a bid to accelerate growth through innovation that levels up the company’s globally adored offering.
Internal consumer testing has played a crucial role in shaping the move. According to the brand, churros and doughnuts are particularly popular among younger audiences and score highly on purchase intent, especially among 18–34-year-olds.
That leaves the team confident these flavours will land well with a demographic that increasingly treats ice cream as part of an indulgent snacking repertoire, not just a dessert.
Distribution is already underway. Ben & Jerry’s Churrifically Churros-y and Ben & Jerry’s Strawberry Doughnut-eee have launched in Ocado with a recommended retail price of £5.75 per tub. Positioned at the premium end of the category, the new lines aim to justify their price point through complexity of recipe, generous inclusions and the promise of a fully-loaded, treat-yourself experience.
The product news, however, arrives at a sensitive moment for the brand and its parent company. Ben & Jerry’s has been at the centre of controversy following a clash with Unilever over its plans for a Palestinian-themed ice cream in support of Gaza.
The move reignited debate around the brand’s activist stance and the extent to which it can pursue independent political messaging under corporate ownership.
Tensions resurfaced again last month when Unilever’s ice cream division, Magnum Ice Cream, stated that Ben & Jerry’s chair no longer met the criteria to serve as a board member, underscoring the strain between the brand’s social mission and the governance framework of its parent group.
At the same time, Unilever has announced its intention to complete the demerger of its ice cream business by the end of the year. The carve-out will separate Ben & Jerry’s, Magnum and other frozen brands from the rest of the FMCG giant’s portfolio, creating a standalone ice cream entity.
For Ben & Jerry’s, that shift could reshape the context in which it balances flavour innovation, ethical sourcing and political activism in the years ahead.
In Conclusion
For now, the focus in the freezer cabinet is firmly on indulgence. With Churrifically Churros-y and Strawberry Doughnut-eee, Ben & Jerry’s is betting that bakery-inspired nostalgia, loaded textures and Fairtrade ingredients will resonate strongly with younger consumers who see snacking as a moment of unapologetic pleasure.
Yet the launches also sit against a backdrop of corporate tension and strategic change, as Unilever moves towards an ice cream demerger and continues to grapple with the complexities of managing an outspoken, values-led brand.
Taken together, the new flavours and the boardroom manoeuvring offer a snapshot of Ben & Jerry’s today: a brand still pushing boundaries in the tub, while navigating equally intense debates far beyond the ice cream aisle.
News Credits: Ben & Jerry’s taps into demands for indulgent treats
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