Review Of Haagen-Dazs Macaron Strawberry & Raspberry Ice Cream
Haagen-Dazs makes one of my favourite vanilla ice creams, but how well does it make more complex flavours?
In this review, I’ll look at their Macaron Strawberry and Raspberry Ice Cream 420ml tub. I’ll help you decide if it’s worth the money.
Quick overview
Haagen-Dazs Macaron Strawberry and Raspberry Ice Cream sits on supermarket shelves in the super-premium section. It competes with brands like Ben & Jerry’s, Connoisseur, and Murray Street Ice Creamery.
Artisanal tubs made by local producers also challenge them for much-prized retail shelf space.
The Macaron Range is a collaboration between Haagen-Dazs and Pierre Hermé, a French food maker. They make all the good stuff, like pastries, ice cream, chocolates, cakes, and macarons.
The release of this collab makes sense; they’re both firmly positioned as high-end food brands and have their production facilities in France.
Is this tub any good?
Macaron Strawberry and Raspberry Ice Cream is a mixed bag. On the positive side, its ice cream base contains a lot of cream and milk, resulting in 16% milk fat. That makes for smooth, creamy ice cream that’s rich and indulgent.
It would have been great ice cream if it had been left at that. But adding pools of raspberry sauce and sweet macaron pieces takes the ice cream too far.
Although the Macaron Yuzu and Lemon variant from this range offer a little tartness for balance, this ice cream is all about the sweet. Lovers of very sweet food will appreciate this tub, but many will find it too much.
The sweetness overload is bearable for the first mouthful or two but soon becomes a chore.
What I love most about Haagen-Dazs ice cream is its creamy texture. However, the macarons detracted from this and didn’t bring much to the table. They’re delicious, eaten on their own, but broken up in ice cream – well, it’s a no from me.
There are no other flavours remotely close to this in Australia. That meant it wasn’t possible to make competitor comparisons in this review.
This ice cream leaves out certain ingredients like stabilizing gums. This makes for better-tasting ice cream, but it also means the ice cream melts quicker than other store-bought brands. It refreezes with ice crystals once softened, so scoop out what you need and return it to the freezer immediately.
- The fruity ice cream base is excellent.
- With macaron shells and raspberry sauce added, it’s sweetness overload.
- The Haagen-Dazs Strawberries & Cream ice cream is much better.
- There are no similar supermarket ice creams sold in Australia at the time of writing this review.
If you enjoy creamy scoops, check out these reviews:
- Review of Haagen-Dazs Cookies and Cream Ice Cream.
- Review of Haagen-Dazs Strawberries and Cream Ice Cream.
Ingredients
Finding supermarket ice cream without extras like stabilisers and preservatives is a challenge. That’s what makes a tub of this Macaron Strawberry and Raspberry Ice Cream stand out.
Haagen-Dazs uses mostly real cream, milk, eggs, and sugar. In contrast, cheaper ice creams have higher water content and use inexpensive dairy replacements. This variant contains 27% fresh cream, more than most competing brands.
Ingredients list: Fresh Cream (27%) (Milk), Sugar, Condensed Skim Milk, Water, Raspberry Puree (5%), Strawberry Pieces (4%), Egg Yolk, Almond Flour, Cocoa Butter, Egg White, Lychee Puree, Maize Starch, Strawberry Puree (0.6%), Concentrated Raspberry Puree (0.4%), Flavours, Sweet Potato and Carrot Concentrate, Concentrated Lemon Juice, Gelling Agent (Pectin).
Nutrition information
No ice cream is good for you, so eat it in moderation. Haagen-Dazs Macaron Strawberry and Raspberry Ice Cream has 10.8g of saturated fat per 100g and 20.4g of sugar.
Servings per package: 5
Serving size: 77g
Nutrition table
| Quantity per Serving | Quantity per 100g | |
| Energy | 810kJ | 1050kJ |
| Protein | 3.3g | 4.3g |
| Fat, Total | 12.4g | 16.1g |
| -Saturated | 8.4g | 10.8g |
| Carbohydrates | 17.2g | 22.3g |
| -Sugars | 15.7g | 20.4g |
| Dietary Fibre | 0.2g | 0.3g |
| Sodium | 59.0mg | 77.0mg |
Pros
- A creamy, enjoyable fruit ice cream base.
- Made using fresh dairy, without additives.
- Easy to find in most supermarket freezers.
Cons
- Expensive.
- Not Australian-made.
What other flavours are available in the Haagen-Dazs range?
Haagen-Dazs has a wide range of pints and multipacks. Some of the range includes:
- Macaron Yuzu and Lemon
- Pralines & Cream
- Vanilla
- Belgian Chocolate
- Dulce de Leche
- Caramel Biscuit and Cream
- Mango and Raspberry
- Strawberries and Cream
- Caramel Brownie
- Salted Caramel
About the manufacturer
Haagen-Dazs is a renowned ice cream brand founded in 1961 by Reuben and Rose Mattus in New York.
Over the years, the company has expanded its product range to include ice cream, sorbets, and frozen yogurts. Its products sell globally, reflecting its widespread appeal and recognition as a top-tier ice cream producer.
Learn more about the reviewed product on this page here.
