Trader Joe’s Cold Brew Coffee & Boba Coconut Frozen Dessert Review

Fro-yo girl here. Trader Joe’s knows about the boba ice cream trend! They recently introduced their own boba ice cream, Cold Brew Coffee & Boba Coconut Frozen Dessert. Yes, it’s vegan. One pint is $4.29. A product of Thailand, the main ingredients are coconut milk, water, and sugar.

Plant-based is on trend, and making it coffee flavored also makes it different from the brown sugar and tea-based boba ice creams on the market.

Trader Joe’s describes it as follows, “Among the things we’ve learned whilst working in the food business is that if it looks like ice cream and it tastes like ice cream... it isn’t necessarily ice cream. You see, to be ice cream, a frozen dessert must include that defining ingredient – cream. So, if your frozen dessert happens to be made with a non-dairy liquid base – say, coconut milk (itself a potentially controversial moniker) – it may taste familiar, but it’s not technically ice cream. What it is, in the case of Trader Joe’s Cold Brew Coffee and Boba Coconut Non-Dairy Frozen Dessert, is darn delicious. It begins with a smooth, rich, and yes, creamy coconut milk base – coconut milk is the first ingredient – yet it doesn’t taste even a bit like coconut. Instead, what you’ll taste is cold brew coffee, made from Thai-grown Arabica coffee beans. You wouldn’t guess it’s non-dairy; you will be reminded of your favorite cup of coffee. This is especially true if you’re a boba aficionado – each pint is loaded with the much-loved, chewy tapioca pearls so often found in specialty tea & coffee shops. Frozen Dessert and Boba may seem like an odd pair, yet somehow the partnership really pops. Grab a pint, secure a spoon, and find out for yourself. You’ll find this vegan treat in our freezers with the other ice cream (and ice cream-like) desserts.”

Cold Brew Coffee & Boba Coconut Frozen Dessert: The coffee flavor is super strong, like Vietnamese coffee strong. They actually put ground coffee beans in the frozen dessert. The coffee flavor is so strong that it overwhelms the other flavors – you can’t taste the coconut or appreciate the flavor of the tapioca pearls. The pearls are firm, sweet, and chewy, so they do add a pleasant texture. And the pearls are plentiful. One serving is 230 calories, 9g total fat, 37g total carbs, and 24g total sugars. I like coffee and coffee ice cream, but I found the coffee flavor to be too strong.

4 out of 5 stars.

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

Looking for more frozen yogurt news, discussion boards, and resources? Check out the International Frozen Yogurt Association website at http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/. The IFYA is the independent voice of the frozen yogurt industry.