Review: Jeni's Fall Ice Cream Flavors Offer Mouthwatering Combinations You Need To Try

Jeni's Ice Creams creates a myriad of interesting and incredible ice cream flavors, offering a mix of new and returning options for fans to enjoy through the seasons. This fall, you can expect the new Caramel Apple Crumble as well as returning favorites: Miso Butterscotch Brownie, Bay Leaf Cheesecake, Burnt Orange Dreamsicle, and Cookies in Cream. Whether you like more well-known flavors or funky combinations, Jeni's offers a mix of both with an air of craftsmanship and creativity to set it apart from other products in the freezer aisle.

Since autumn is just around the corner, I wanted to get a head start on preparing for the seasonal shift. I sampled all the above flavors to give my thoughts on them as an ice cream lover, professional foodie, and self-proclaimed certified autumn aficionado. I'll walk you through each flavor and its profile, as well as my thoughts. Bring out your favorite spoon because I'm going to give you the scoop on these moreish morsels.

Some recommendations are based on firsthand impressions of promotional materials and products provided by the manufacturer.

Let's start with the newest addition to Jeni's lineup: Caramel Apple Crumble. It has an apple ice cream base, dark caramel sauce swirled throughout, and then a brown sugar oat crumble. If you like caramel apple pie, then you will like this ice cream. It's like an extra chilly version of the fun, decadent, fruity pie that brings a hint of whimsy to your freezer.

We have apple puree, apple juice concentrate, and apple essence as the fruit components of the treat. Then, you have an oatmeal cookie crumble made from oats, buckwheat flour, brown sugar, and other ingredients. It tastes pretty much as you would imagine — a mix of apple and caramel that reminds me of those scrumptious green caramel apple lollipops. 

The caramel flavor comes in the strongest for me, though; it's sweet from the moment it hits your tongue and stays well after you swallow. There's a mesh of apple flavor and the creaminess of the ice cream base, but I craved added fruitiness to balance it. Although I want a bit more apple flavor, as a whole, it's a well-executed ice cream when you want something sweet. It's not my top pick from these five flavors, but it still tastes very good.

Cookies in Cream is like your put-together aunt that you see at parties. The ice cream isn't flashy, but you can tell it's well-made, tailored, and unique. It doesn't need to be ostentatious or boast uncommon flavor combinations to get your attention; it is what it is in the best way. In this case, it's a cookies and cream ice cream that uses a vanilla ice cream base (made with Madagascar bourbon vanilla extract), white chocolate bits, and dark chocolate cookies that are made from scratch.

I like the crunchiness of the white chocolate and the thoroughly incorporated cookie bits. It offers a mild grittiness to provide a not-so-creamy mouthfeel. This is a classic elevated staple for those who don't really want anything unexpected. Although cookies and cream isn't my top pick of ice cream in general, I can admit this is beautifully made and delicious. The more I tried it, the better it got. If you want an excellent cookies and cream ice cream, get this because it's a terrific "treat yo'self" type of flavor to keep in the freezer.

I love an orange soda, or better yet, an orange cream one. It's crisp and creamy, an utterly epic combination. If you, too, are a fan, then you can enjoy the citrus-cream duo in a frozen version with this ice cream. It contains orange puree, sugared orange zest, orange juice concentrate, and orange pulp to give it that fragrant and flavorful fruity burst. It smells as bright as it tastes. 

It delivers on those creamy and citrus notes that you'd anticipate, but I want a bit more caramel here, as a way to break up the texture. Also, this seems more summery than fall-esque, especially as it was part of Jeni's summer selection. I don't pick up on the "burnt" aspect of the name, which I assume is what makes it more autumnal than your average orange. I genuinely liked all of these ice cream flavors (this one included), but I wouldn't really want to eat a full pint of Burn Orange Dreamsicle, if that makes sense — especially when a couple others on the fall lineup are a bit more multi-dimensional with the flavor and texture. I'd eat this with joy, but I'd turn to others in my freezer first when I want a treat.

Wow, the Bay Leaf Cheesecake ice cream is a burst of fresh air, ideal for those who want to try something out of the box but not too bizarre. The herbal profile is light but noticeable — a just-right combo. You really don't want it to overtake the richness of the cream cheese ice cream. It's there in every bite, complementing the creaminess in an uplifting way. Jeni's describes the bay leaf as having notes of eucalyptus, pine, or thyme. I'd reckon that if you like basil in your sweet treats (like a basil citrus granita), then you may want to give this dessert a whirl.

The ice cream base has a blend of herbaceousness and vanilla that's not too sugary. However, you get a wave of sweetness from the graham cracker crust bits — one of the best parts of cheesecake, in my opinion. The graham crackers, molasses, and honey create a mouthwatering masterpiece. It's everything I want in a pie crust: crisp, rich, a pure joy. The pieces vary in size, but I found one that was bigger than a quarter and happily ate it. I'd prefer if they were more thoroughly incorporated, though, to enjoy a bite of the cheesecake ice cream and a smidge of crust in each bite. Bay Leaf Cheesecake is for the adventurer — someone who likes to try new things and do so with joy.

Let me preface by saying I can be a bit of a weirdo with flavor profiles; I've been known to eat savory, umami things like miso or the Australian spread, Vegemite, straight from the container (with or without a spoon). So, I had a feeling the Miso Butterscotch Brownie could be a favorite, and it is indeed a true delight. It beautifully blends sweet and savory without being too jarring. It has a cream base of toasted sugar, salty caramel, and dark chocolate brownie bits.

Even with my funky flavor preference, I think this is quite palatable for many people (not all, of course). Customers seem to like it because it is a returning flavor. If you ate it without knowing the miso component, you might think that yes, there's a savory element, without being able to place it specifically. Jeni's does a good job incorporating the saltiness in the same way one might like salted caramel sauce. It isn't too strange, but you do have to like the sweet and salty combos: think feta and watermelon, prosciutto and cantaloupe, or bacon-wrapped dates. The brownie bits, creaminess of the ice cream, and the salty notes swirl in your mouth in perfect harmony. I'd prefer slightly larger brownie bits to give it a textural edge. However, it may just become a staple in your freezer — well, while it's seasonally available, that is.

I thoroughly enjoyed all the flavors, and the ones I like the most are based purely on personal preference — a love of dark chocolate and captivating combinations. There's definitely a market and a fan for each of these flavors. The Bay Leaf Cheesecake and the Miso Butterscotch Brownie stand out to me purely because of the unique ingredient in their names, but both are quite pleasant and palatable, particularly the latter. Bay Leaf Cheesecake does have a distinct herbal note that may not be to everyone's liking. 

The more I sampled the Cookies in Cream, the more I came to like that flavor, too; it just tastes good with those little white chocolate flecks to add a tiny crunchiness into the mix. I initially considered Miso Butterscotch Brownie to be the standout, but it didn't seem as far-out the more I tried it. It's like a salted butterscotch brownie ice cream — with a heavy dash of salt, that is. The Burnt Orange Dreamsicle, while totally enjoyable, isn't something I'd frequently reach for, while the Caramel Apple Crumble borders on cloying. I'll deem Bay Leaf Cheesecake as my favorite and Caramel Apple Crumble as my least favorite. I can say with certainty that I am a big Jeni's Ice Cream fan and hope to try more seasonal offerings as they come; they're alluring, masterful, and outright delicious.