Pumpkin is a popular flavor for many fall foods and beverages. As temperatures cool down and leaves start to change color, pumpkin spice begins showing up everywhere – from coffee drinks to baked goods. One pumpkin treat that many look forward to is pumpkin ice cream. The creamy, sweet ice cream blended with pumpkin pie spice is the perfect dessert as autumn arrives. This leads to the question – does Blue Bunny, one of the largest ice cream producers in the United States, make pumpkin ice cream? Let’s take a closer look at what flavors they offer.
About Blue Bunny
Blue Bunny is an ice cream company founded in 1913 in Iowa. Originally called Helios Ice Cream Company, Blue Bunny became the brand name in the 1920s. Over the last hundred years, Blue Bunny has grown into one of the major ice cream manufacturers in the country. They produce more than 50 million gallons of ice cream per year and offer more than 100 different flavors. Their ice cream is sold in all 50 states under brands like Blue Bunny, Breyers, Good Humor, and Klondike. So they have the size and distribution capabilities to produce large amounts of pumpkin ice cream if they wanted to.
Blue Bunny’s Fall Flavor Lineup
As the weather cools down each year, many ice cream brands begin releasing fall-inspired flavors. This is when we see pumpkin, apple pie, maple, and other autumnal flavors hit freezer aisles. Does Blue Bunny partake in this seasonal tradition? They definitely have a lineup of flavors perfect for fall. Here are some of the options currently advertised on their website:
Caramel Apple Pie
This flavor combines the sweet taste of apples with brown sugar, cinnamon, and caramel swirls. It’s reminiscent of warm apple pie, which is a quintessential fall dessert.
Pumpkin Cheesecake
Cheesecake flavored ice cream blended with pumpkin puree and autumn spices like cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and clove. It has all the flavored of pumpkin pie in an ice cream treat.
Salted Caramel Brownie
Chocolate ice cream loaded with brownie bites and salted caramel swirls. The combination of chocolate and caramel makes this a perfect flavor for cooler weather.
Snickerdoodle
Cinnamon ice cream with cinnamon sugar cookie dough pieces stirred in. Snickerdoodle cookies are a popular fall baked good, making this limited batch ice cream ideal for the season.
Fall Harvest
A blend of pumpkin, carrot, and sweet potato ice creams. It’s like a harvest in a carton, with all the flavors of autumn.
Pumpkin Roll
Spiced pumpkin ice cream with yellow cake pieces and a crunchy cinnamon streusel swirl. Reminiscent of a pumpkin spiced cake roll.
| Flavor | Description |
|---|---|
| Caramel Apple Pie | Brown sugar, cinnamon, caramel apple flavor |
| Pumpkin Cheesecake | Pumpkin puree + cheesecake + autumn spices |
| Salted Caramel Brownie | Chocolate ice cream with brownies & salted caramel |
| Snickerdoodle | Cinnamon ice cream with cookie dough |
| Fall Harvest | Pumpkin, carrot, sweet potato blend |
| Pumpkin Roll | Spiced pumpkin with cake & cinnamon streusel |
As we can see, Blue Bunny has several flavors perfect for fall that contain pumpkin, apple, maple, cinnamon, and other seasonally appropriate ingredients. But there is no flavor simply called “Pumpkin” or “Pumpkin Pie” on their roster.
History of Blue Bunny Pumpkin Flavors
Just because Blue Bunny doesn’t currently have a pumpkin ice cream doesn’t mean they never have. Let’s take a look back at some of the pumpkin and fall flavors they have released over the years.
2010s Flavors
In the early 2010s, Blue Bunny had a flavor called Pumpkin Pie Twist that combined pumpkin ice cream with cinnamon and pieces of pie crust. They also had a Harvest Batch flavor with pumpkin and cinnamon streusel swirls. And Blue Bunny’s premium brand, Halo Top, released a Pumpkin Pie flavor made with real pumpkin.
2000s Flavors
During the 2000s, a few pumpkin ice creams were sold under the Blue Bunny brand. These included Pumpkin Pie Swirl and Fall Harvest, which had pumpkin as well as maple and caramel flavors. Prior to that, the brand offered Pumpkin Patch ice cream for a few years in the late 1990s.
1980s to 1990s
In the 1980s and early 1990s, Blue Bunny had a flavor called Pilgrim’s Pumpkin that contained pumpkin ice cream with graham cracker swirls. Advertisements touted it as “the perfect partner for your Thanksgiving feast.” This flavor was likely only available for a short time each fall season.
Why No Pumpkin in 2022?
Given Blue Bunny’s long background of releasing pumpkin-themed ice creams, why does their fall 2022 lineup lack a single pumpkin flavor without other mix-ins? There are a few possible reasons behind this:
Supply Chain Issues
Like many food producers, Blue Bunny may be facing challenges obtaining ingredients due to supply chain problems stemming from factors like the pandemic, weather, and the war in Ukraine. Pumpkin puree in particular may be harder to source this year.
Focus on New Flavors
Rather than repeat pumpkin flavors consumers have seen many times before, Blue Bunny may be focused on trying innovative new ideas this year like Pumpkin Cheesecake and Pumpkin Roll.
Regional or Timed Release
Blue Bunny could still release a pumpkin flavor later in the season, or have it available only in certain geographic areas. Limited run flavors build hype and anticipation.
Lack of Consumer Demand
If sales and feedback for basic pumpkin flavors have declined over the years, Blue Bunny may have decided to remove it from their nationwide fall lineup due to reduced customer interest.
Without an official statement from Blue Bunny, it’s impossible to know their exact rationale. But regardless of the reasons, pumpkin purists will have to look to other brands for their fix this fall.
Alternatives for Pumpkin Ice Cream
If you’re craving that pumpkin spice ice cream experience, here are some brands you can check out besides Blue Bunny:
Turkey Hill
Turkey Hill Dairy has two pumpkin options – Pumpkin Pie and Pumpkin Patch. They contain real pumpkin like Blue Bunny’s previous flavors.
Breyers
Breyers, which is owned by Blue Bunny’s parent company, offers Pumpkin Pie and Pumpkin Cheesecake under their seasonal flavors.
Ben & Jerry’s
Ben & Jerry’s has released pumpkin flavors before, including Pumpkin Cheesecake and Pumpkin Face. Available seasonally.
Häagen-Dazs
Look for Häagen-Dazs Pumpkin Pie or Pumpkin Spice ice creams by the pint. They also have pumpkin in their seasonal ice cream bars.
Ciao Bella
Ciao Bella has a gelato called Spicy Pumpkin Patch with real pumpkin and warming spices.
| Brand | Pumpkin Flavors |
|---|---|
| Turkey Hill | Pumpkin Pie, Pumpkin Patch |
| Breyers | Pumpkin Pie, Pumpkin Cheesecake |
| Ben & Jerry’s | Pumpkin Cheesecake, Pumpkin Face |
| Häagen-Dazs | Pumpkin Pie, Pumpkin Spice |
| Ciao Bella | Spicy Pumpkin Patch |
These are just a few of the pumpkin ice cream options out there from major national brands. Check your grocery freezer case to see what other local and seasonal flavors may be available.
DIY Pumpkin Ice Cream
If you can’t find the perfect store-bought pumpkin ice cream, it’s surprisingly easy to make your own at home. Here is a simple 4-ingredient recipe:
Ingredients
- 1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree
- 1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 pint heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- Whisk together the pumpkin puree, condensed milk, and spices.
- In a separate bowl, whip the heavy cream to stiff peaks.
- Gently fold the whipped cream into the pumpkin mixture.
- Transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze 4 hours until set.
This makes around 1 quart of easy homemade pumpkin ice cream. Feel free to customize with different spices, chocolate chunks, caramel swirl, or any other fall-inspired add-ins.
Conclusion
While Blue Bunny does not currently offer a plain pumpkin ice cream flavor, they do have several enticing fall-flavored options like Caramel Apple Pie and Pumpkin Roll on shelves now. In the past they sold pumpkin ice creams under names like Pilgrim’s Pumpkin and Pumpkin Patch Twist. Supply issues, a focus on new flavors, or reduced consumer demand may explain the lack of plain pumpkin this year. But ice cream lovers still have plenty of other brands and homemade options for getting their pumpkin fix this autumn. Hopefully Blue Bunny will bring back their signature pumpkin flavor in the future to satisfy all the fall ice cream cravings.