Aaah, ice cream. The perfect refresher on a hot summer day…well, let’s be honest: This is a perfect treat year-round. But, like everything else, the price of ice cream has shot up in recent years. As much as I enjoy a bowl every now and again, I’m not willing to spend $5 for a tub of the ‘name brand’ stuff, especially when there are some cheaper, and in most cases, equally delicious options out there.
Which brings me to Aldi. Ice cream, presented under the Belmont label, is definitely a hit-or-miss affair at the discount retailer, something that seems to have been yet another casualty of the oft-blamed recession. Once, their premium ice creams were filled to the brim with cookie dough, or cookie bits, or whatever the title implied was supposed to be contained within, and they were a steal when compared to the national brands. Now, however, their cookie dough ice cream has been reduced to a barren landscape of white with the occasional bite of dough; their cookies and cream ice cream also similarly lacking in cookies, but containing plenty of cream.
Belmont’s “Denali Original” Moose Tracks ice cream, however, is certainly the exception to what seems to be becoming a disappointing rule. Just from cracking it open, I was rewarded with the site of a couple fudge caves, and a few mini peanut butter cups that were almost begging me to dive right in. Flavorwise, it doesn’t disappoint: The fudge is enticingly sweet, without being overly so, and strikes a perfect balance with the peanut butter cups, which are also a perfect blend of crunchy milk chocolate and creamy peanut butter. This is one of those ice creams that, at least for me, once I get started, it’s almost impossible to stop.
The vanilla ice cream itself, while not as creamy or as indulgent as, say, an Edy’s, still packs a good flavor. And this brings us to the frozen dessert’s biggest flaw: There’s quite a bit of the white stuff. True, the ice cream has a good amount of peanut butter cups and fudge swirls, especially compared to the sad nature of Belmont’s other “premium” ice creams, but they all seem to be confined to the outer edges of the tub, leaving the entire middle to be little more than plain white ice cream with an occasional chocolaty treasure. This isn’t really a huge deal, as all in all there’s probably just as much as the ‘bigger’ brands, but it would seem a little more consistent if it were mixed throughout, rather than just left to collect around the outside.
Overall: 8/10. Belmont’s premium moose tracks ice cream contains enough crunchy peanut butter cups and fudge swirls to keep anyone with a sweet tooth happy. My only problem is that the cups and swirls seemed to gather only around the outside of the tub, leaving the middle to be little more than boring ice cream. It’s also not as rich or creamy as some of the bigger name brands, but its price manages to offset most of that. Definitely worth a look to anyone on a budget, as it manages to be one of the better options in the Belmont Premium ice cream line.
If you are going to indulge occasionally, why not do it right? The off-brands will never be as good. You get what you pay for. And American chocolate? Avoid at any cost.
The off-brands are often made by the very same companies in the very same factories that make the national brands. When you buy the big-name brands, in many cases, all you're paying for is the name. To me, indulging doesn't mean paying more just for the idea that I'm getting something better. If it's cheaper and just as good, I can just indulge more.
Recently bought Belmont Moose Tracks Ice Cream and was VERY disappointed. The contents looked nothing like the packaging. The ice cream was almost entirely vanilla with only one thin band of fudge and THREE little peanut butter cups in the whole carton!
That's a shame…but unfortunately I believe it. I used to get their cookies and cream ice cream all the time, because it was LOADED with cookies. Then one time it was just a few scattered cookie pieces. Been that way ever since (I would open cartons from time to time in the store to look, lol), and that was three years ago, so I haven't bought another one.
I haven't gotten their moose tracks ice cream since this review, either, so I can't say for sure if you just got a bad batch, or if they changed the recipe to save on money. But then again, as I've said in a potato chip review, getting a good product shouldn't come down to good or bad luck, as it often does with some of their products.
If you still have the carton, take it back! As you probably know, they have a satisfaction guarantee on everything. Honestly, I've never tried it myself, but I heard that even if the package is empty, they'll refund your money. I even read of someone returning a clearly-used electronics item a year after purchase, and they took it back with no problems. Just a thought. I'd hate to see you get gypped!
Biggest fail I have ever seen. That ice is a joke. Will never buy again.
OT: Love the snark about deleting the ice-cream pics to make room for the umpteenth dog pic … I can empathize with both of you: it would irritate the cob out of me to have a spouse delete photos I took and wanted to use, but OTOH, my phone is *constantly* running out of space no matter how often I shift material to my laptop, and I can never quite have too many pictures of my beloved pup. 😀 😀 Best to you both!
Haha, thanks! Since this review was posted, we've added a baby to the family as well…so now that's another million pictures monthly, lol.
I shop at Aldi's every time I go to Sanford or Apopka. We don't have one in our town. I was very disappointed in this moose track ice cream.
To whom this may concern at Belmont premium ice cream I love the moose tracks ice cream although is intermittent on your peanut butter cups one time I'll get the ice cream and it'll have an adequate amount of peanut butter cups another time it does not it has more vanilla ice cream then it does fudge or peanut butter cups I just thought I would bring this to your attention so someone can make sure that it's more consistent once again I love the ice cream and I buy it over toft
I see this is a very old thread, but 2022 is the first time I picked up ice cream at Aldi’s and just happened to choose the Moose Tracks. I’m glad I didn’t see these reviews first or I never would have bought it. But I was very pleased with both the taste and the amount of peanut butter cups and fudge it contained, all for $1.98
I agree. I think pretty much all Moose Tracks ice creams are the same, or at least the ones with the “Denali Moose Tracks” logo. Denali’s website even goes so far as to list every store brand they produce, something that’s unheard of for a “major” brand. I would venture to guess their formula is the same across every single brand for reasons of consistency.
Thanks for stopping by and glad you liked it!