The Old-School Healthy Cereal That Inexplicably Became An Iconic Ice Cream Flavor

When you imagine digging into your favorite ice cream, what flavor is that scoop? We wouldn't be surprised to hear anything from chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry, to mint chocolate chip, pistachio, or cookie dough. And if someone threw the twist in that it has to be cereal-related ice cream, we'd immediately think of Fruity Pebbles sprinkled over fro-yo, or the cereal milk ice cream Christina Tosi invented at Milk Bar. What we would not picture is any kind of "healthy cereal" — but we'd be wrong and discounting a longtime staple flavor in certain regions of the United States: Grape-Nuts ice cream.

Grape-Nuts is one of the most uncommon ice cream flavors across the U.S., but in the sense that it's unconventional, not unheard of. It's a nostalgic favorite available in shops in New England, parts of the Midwest, and the Carolinas. But how did a breakfast cereal not considered a sweet treat by any standards enter the ice cream arena? Like many puzzling food customs, the exact origins are hazy. The most accepted story is that in 1919, a chef in Nova Scotia named Hannah Young was fresh out of the fruit she usually served with ice cream, so she sprinkled in Grape-Nuts instead. Almost simultaneously, Grape-Nuts advertised itself as a more affordable swap for nuts as an ice cream topping. Combining the cereal and ice cream became enough of a tradition that it survived for decades and got picked up by ice cream shops, cementing its status.

Grape-Nuts cereal was introduced as a health food in 1897 by C.W. Post and never actually included either grapes or nuts. The name might come from the cereal pieces looking like the seeds — or "nuts" — of grapes. These faux seeds are made of malted barley flour, whole-grain wheat flour, dried yeast, and salt. Grape-Nuts has a signature malty taste that's appealing for ice cream. 

A relatively boring option, especially compared to newer products, Grape-Nuts has never really been a contender for the best breakfast cereals on shelves. But once it meets something cold, creamy, and vanilla, the results become one of the country's best ice cream flavors. This is thanks to that maltiness and the cereal's texture — it gives rich, sweet vanilla a balance of earthiness and roastiness, plus crunch. 

Grape-Nuts owes its popularity largely to Gifford's, a Maine favorite that's been serving up Grape-Nuts ice cream for decades. The brand apparently enjoyed the cereal on its own and in desserts, so put the ice cream on its menu. It distributes far and wide, which has established Grape-Nuts ice cream in its own New England as well as Indiana and North and South Carolina. Presumably due to people from these regions who travel or relocate, riffs on Grape-Nuts ice cream have popped up from New York City to Los Angeles and even Jamaica. But it remains delightfully niche, an if-you-know-you-know sweet treat that makes a healthy cereal shine.