It’s time to confess my shame. When Van Leeuwen released its showstopping Kraft Mac & Cheese Ice Cream earlier this summer, I was hesitant to try it. I was younger then, and feeble-minded, and totally unaware of the Filipino tradition of queso/keso ice cream, which is prepared using cheddar cheese. After a few bites of my Van Leeuwen pint, I knew my hesitation had been horribly, horribly wrong.
The stuff was incredible. Creamy, complex, and pleasantly tangy, it further solidified my love for savory-sweet ice cream (a love that began earlier this year when Jeni’s debuted its limited-run Everything Bagel ice cream). The only downside? Every single pint of the mac and cheese ice cream sold out within one hour of going online. But now, it’s back for a limited time—starting today at 12 PM EST. Start your engines.
If you somehow missed the cheesy discourse, here’s a description of the Kraft Macaroni & Cheese Ice Cream according to a press release sent to The Takeout:
This summer, Kraft Macaroni & Cheese is bringing together two of life’s greatest pleasures: ice cream and macaroni & cheese. For the first time ever, Kraft Macaroni & Cheese will launch a limited-edition ice cream in partnership with Brooklyn-based Van Leeuwen Ice Cream, the cult favorite brand known for making decadent and delicious ice cream and vegan ice cream with just a few ingredients. The brands collaborated to turn the comfort of Kraft Macaroni & Cheese into the ultimate summer treat with no artificial flavors, preservatives, or dyes.
To create the creamy treat, Van Leeuwen churned the familiar, cheesiness of Kraft Macaroni & Cheese into their ice cream made with only a few ingredients. The result? A cool, creamy scoop of ice cream that brings that comforting, nostalgic feeling from a warm bowl of Kraft Macaroni & Cheese.
Incredible. Delicious. Not to be missed. With that in mind, please set an alarm on your phone: the cheesy ice cream is slated to return today, August 31, starting at 12 p.m. EST on the Van Leeuwen website. 12 PM EST. That’s less than one hour from now.
Per a press release sent to The Takeout, the pints will ship nationwide starting at $12 each plus shipping. If the previous sellout is an indication, these puppies will go fast. If you’re too late, you can always pop into an Asian grocery and score some bonafide queso ice cream for yourself—like Magnolia Mais Queso. (Hat tip to Bon Appetit editor Bettina Makalintal for this suggestion.) It might seem unusual to some of the North American palate, but I promise you won’t regret it.