Sprouts Pistachio Gelato Bomb Review
Author’s Note: Not a paid review. These are my own weird little opinions. I have no affiliation with Sprouts Farmers Market.
If a snowball had a love child with a confused cupcake.
I am supposed to be vacuuming my house right now. But, instead, I’m eating a pistachio gelato bomb. I bought it during my Sprouts Farmers Market Grand Opening escapade two months ago. And I’m just now tasting the spoils.
It’s actually better than I expected. And that’s saying something, because it already looked wicked-good. It’s basically a round snow-ball of gelato, covered in pistachio cake crumb-dust, and filled with a soft paste center.
Each gelato bomb is packaged in a small, domed plastic cup, with an inner paper cupcake liner — so you can easily lift it out onto your own dish for elegant serving. The sealed plastic container kept mine very fresh, and free of freezer burn or weirdness. I was worried about this, because it nearly melted while I dawdled and gawked at the Grand Opening.
Although not huge, this is a generous fist-full of gelato. Baseball-sized. Not a gluttonous portion, but not miserly, either. I’m a fan of layers and texture contrasts, especially in my desserts. So, the strata of this treat delighted me.
The gelato base is richly “creamy,” although I was disappointed to see it is primarily made with “rehydrated skim milk.” Ew, what? It has a gentle sweetness, which thrilled me. I am a frequent whiner when it comes to “overly sweet” desserts. And this one is “just right.”
There’s also a slight “crystalline” texture mixed into the gelato base — tiny, crunchy crystals of some kind. I won’t call it “gritty,” because it’s not unpleasant. Maybe this is the “pistachio grain” from the ingredients? Not sure. More about those ingredients later.
I love the texture change from the soft, cake-like crumb coating to the frothy smooth interior. The crumb coating is substantially sweeter than the other layers, but there’s not enough of it to feel overwhelming. The pistachio flavor is distinct, but not fake tasting. There are also tiny chopped pistachio nuts encrusted over the surface.
The paste center is interesting. I don’t dislike it. It reminds me of almond paste — marzipan, perhaps. In fact, the ingredients DO list almond paste AND hazelnut paste. But also pistachio paste. So, three nuts. This nutty filling has a slight pistachio hint, but the almond flavor is much more noticeable.
Anyway. I only got a small dollop of this hybrid-nut-paste filling. Mine had a thick, slightly gritty texture. Honestly, it looks nothing like the smooth, deep green, slippery liquid filling on the product photo. Hmmph! But, it’s definitely an exciting discovery, once your spoon hits it. Even if you knew all along it was there.
(The paste reminds me of the nutty filling in these Almond Croissants from Costco. Here’s my review, if you’re curious.)
Although eating a whole gelato ball felt like a naughty indulgence, I was pleased to see there are only 280 calories per “bomb.” More about the Nutrition Facts later.
According to the propaganda product label, these gelato bombs are “hand-sculpted” and imported from Italy. The balls are actually coated neatly in the green pistachio crumbs all the way around, even on the underside. Extra nice. If I had a sleek parfait dish, or even sundae dish (or a stemmed coup glass?), I would serve these snowballs in style. But I do not. So, I’ll be eating them off this little plate. Alas. But they definitely have “elegant dinner party” potential.
Ingredients in Sprouts Pistachio Gelato Bomb
It’s great to see the spirulina, turmeric, apple juice, and olive extract used as natural color, instead of icky green dye. I’m also pleased by the coconut oil used in the cookie crumble coating. Of course, I’m disappointed by the “rehydrated skim milk” as the first ingredient. Powdered milk? Really? My cream-loving heart is screaming in agony.
Nutrition Facts
A serving is one gelato bomb and contains just 280 calories. You get 14 grams of fat and 4 grams of protein. Unfortunately, these are fairly sugary with 27 grams total sugar (of which 26 are “added sugar”). That’s more than half your “daily value” for added sugar, FYI.
But, hey. I’m not the Sugar Police.
Price and Servings
A package of two gelato bombs costs $7.99 at my local Sprouts Farmers Market. Per “bomb” that is $4. That’s more expensive than I would normally consider for a dessert, but it is fine for a fancy-pants splurge. Especially a splurge imported from Italy.
Unfortunately, there is only one other Sprouts flavor option for these gelato bombs: chocolate! I could really go for a berry-version of this treat. Or caramel. Or coffee. Make it so.
As a side note, I looked around online for other retailers selling “gelato bombs,” and there were very few options out there, and none available near me. So, unless something changes, Sprouts has a nice little corner on this market.
Dramatic Conclusion
Although these gelato bombs are far more expensive per serving than I would normally consider, I’d definitely buy them again. They are elegant and fun desserts, and worth the price for a special treat. The convenient individual packaging makes them perfect for date night. OR, a guilty late-night-vacuuming-avoidance-fest for one.
The End.
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