6 Frozen Novelties Rejuvenating the Cooler Aisle

Frozen treats sold in the off season might not offer grocery chains the robust sales that they do in the summer, but new innovations help keep the segment churning. One example is GoodPop, which launched its first line of fudgy oatmilk-based frozen dessert bars in February.

The launch comes at a time when consumers are seeking dairy-free dessert options. According to Spins data, total dollar sales of plant-based frozen novelties (any treat on a stick, cone or sandwich) grew nearly 20% in 2022.

“We love reinventing classic nostalgic favorites with better-for-you ingredients, which means they have a much shorter, cleaner ingredient list and are allergen-friendly without sacrificing taste,” said Daniel Goetz, CEO and founder of GoodPop. “With our new frozen dessert bars, we saw an opportunity to recreate another range of classic ice cream favorites with better ingredients that are delicious and good for both people and the planet.”

To celebrate the launch, GoodPop hit the road in its vintage Lemont ice cream truck for a 1,500-mile “Stop, Pop & Roll Tour,” giving away thousands of pops on a road trip from Austin to Los Angeles. 

Click ahead for a sampling of six recent launches ...

Tony’s Chocolonely and Ben & Jerry’s collaborated on two new chocolate bar flavors and an ice an cream pint flavor. The pint is inspired by Tony’s Chocolonely’s milk chocolate caramel sea salt bar, and the bars are inspired by Ben & Jerry’s chocolate fudge brownie and strawberry cheesecake flavors. The dark milk chocolate brownie bar blends Tony’s Chocolonely’s dark milk chocolate and brownie pieces, while white chocolate strawberry cheesecake style bar features white cheesecake-style chocolate with strawberries and crumbly cookie pieces.

Haagen-Dazs ice cream brought its newest innovation to the U.S. market with its Butter Cookie Cone to cater to premium snacking devotees. Rainforest Alliance-certified, Butter Cookie Cone is made of a thick, crunchy butter cookie rolled into a cone—done for the first time in brand history. The cone is lined with chocolate inside and is filled with four top-selling Haagen-Dazs ice cream flavors: vanilla, strawberry, chocolate and coffee. Butter Cookie Cone is available in packaged four-count boxes.

GoodPop launched its first line of fudgy oatmilk-based frozen dessert bars in Fudge n’ Vanilla Crunch; Double Chocolate Fudge; Fudge n’ Caramel Crunch; and Mint n’ Fudge Chip flavors. The varieties are either dipped in chocolate fudge or include fudge chips and are non-dairy, gluten-free and Non-GMO Project Verified at 130 calories or fewer. Bars come in boxes of four for an SRP of $5.99.

Halo Top launched a new pint in Raspberry White Chip, a limited-edition variety featuring a creamy combination of light raspberry ice cream and sweet white chips. At 340 calories, Halo Top’s Raspberry White Chip is available throughout January and February for an SRP of $4.99.

Killer Creamery launched four sugar-free ice cream sandwiches. Products in the lineup are also gluten-free and Keto-friendly, with flavors such as Mint Chocolate Chunk Sammie, Chocolate Sammie, Salted Caramel Sammie and Vanilla Sammie.

GoodPop Organic Junior Pops are USDA certified organic and 100% fruit juice-based. With no added sugar, the popsicles come in a six-pack variety of three flavors: orange, cherry and grape. Each box has an SRP range of $4.99 to $5.99.