The Wacky Way Ben & Jerry's Used To Break Up Toffee For Its Ice Cream

Like most start-ups that evolve into sustainable operations, Ben & Jerry's has gone through some changes. From humble beginnings in an old, unfinished gas station to discontinuing ice cream flavors that sparked controversy, the path to becoming a beloved ice cream brand wasn't always smooth. One thing is certain: Ben & Jerry's has sought to bring delicious ice cream into the hands of consumers by working alongside socially-aware partners and choosing the best possible ingredients to mix into its unique flavors.

When the company announced the discontinuation of Heath Bar Crunch ice cream, citing reasons that Heath Bars aren't considered to be non-GMO ingredients, it shouldn't have come as a big surprise (per Brand Eating). Now known as Toffee Bar Crunch, the much-enjoyed flavor combination of vanilla and coffee ice cream packed with pieces of toffee is a solid seller. What is less known, however, is how the dessert duo first prepared candy chunks for inclusion into batches of frozen ice cream pints.

Entrepreneurial ambition

In honor of its 42nd anniversary, Ben & Jerry's listed 42 facts on the company website — one being a confessional of how the team made toffee pieces for the original pints of Toffee Bar Crunch ice cream. Leave it to Ben & Jerry's to take matters into its own hands. The company admits to taking an unexpectedly resourceful approach when creating pieces of candy to blend into its ice coffee cream blends. No fancy machines or hammers were used in the process; instead, Jerry himself dropped boxes of candy while standing on top of a ladder, breaking candy pieces upon impact.

We understand aspiring entrepreneurs often take inventive approaches while starting their businesses, but this is one technique we did not anticipate from the ice cream makers. We're only left wondering if Ben held the base of the ladder.

If this story has you feeling inspired to make frozen treats of your own, consider mixing chopped pieces of your favorite candy into our coffee gelato recipe.