Publix Rum Nut Bread Pudding Ice Cream Review
Author’s Note: These are my own silly opinions. I have no affiliation with Publix. Obviously. This is not a paid review.
“But WHY is all the rum gone?”
I adored the Santa’s White Christmas Ice Cream from Publix. I raved about it in my review. It was stupendous. I want more of that.
By contrast, this Publix Rum Nut Bread Pudding Ice Cream is “just OK.”
Weirdly strong flavor
It’s strongly flavored, but not exactly natural-tasting. If flavor was a neon-colored flashing light, that’s what this tastes like. Sort of like trying to eat a cinnamon-scented candle from Cracker Barrel (don’t ask me how I know). It tastes TOO much. Shockingly strong.
I’m a fan of rum flavor. But I really couldn’t discern it here. This made me sad. The flavor is much more like, I don’t know, “praline cinnamon,” perhaps? More caramelly than “rum.” The lack of rum turned me into a disgruntled pirate. ARRRRR. Where is Captain Jack Sparrow when you need him?
How sweet is it?
If you’re a lover of very sweet desserts, I have good news for you: this ice cream is super sweet. One of the things I loved about the Santa’s White Christmas flavor was the restrained sweetness that let the flavors and textures do the talking. That’s not the case here. The sugar dominates. Bossy, bossy sugar! In fact, this Rum Nut version has a substantial 25 grams of sugar per serving, compared to only 18 grams in the Santa’s White Christmas version. Hmmph! More about the Nutrition Facts later.
Sticky chunks of something
There are odd sticky chunks, which I think are supposed to be the “bread pudding.” I looooove bread pudding, but this isn’t “it.” These blobs are weirdly dense and syrupy, without having anything fluffy, buttery, or bread-like. I ended up eating around these and throwing them away. (edit: the description on the Publix website calls these “blondie brownie chunks.” Which makes no sense for a “bread pudding” ice cream. And also, these mysterious blobs do not taste anything like “blondie brownies.” But nobody asked me, did they? No.)
Candied pecans
I liked the soft, lush texture of the caramel syrup (“cinnamon creme”) that is swirled throughout the ice cream. There are small bits of candied pecan nuts, which are also “nice.” Unfortunately, there aren’t enough of these magical nuts to go around. I plundered my tub of ice cream for all the treasures, and left the unwanted bits behind. I know this is potentially monster-level behavior. But I’m the only person at my house. So we’ll let it slide. Won’t we.
Ingredients in Publix Rum Raisin Bread Pudding Ice Cream
Here are the ingredients:
Milk, Cream, Sugar, Cinnamon Creme Variegate (Corn Syrup, Sugar, Water, Sweetened Condensed Milk [Condensed Milk, Sugar], Cornstarch, Cinnamon, Natural Flavor, Salt, Potassium Sorbate [Preservative]) Vanilla Pudding Base (Corn Syrup, Sweetened Condensed Skim Milk [Skim Milk, Sugar], Water, Sugar, Butter [Cream, Salt], Cornstarch, Natural Flavor, Soy Lecithin, Locust Bean Gum), Blondie Brownie (Brown Sugar, Wheat Flour, Pasteurized Whole Eggs, Butter [Cream, Salt], Soybean Oil, Vanilla Extract, Baking Powder [Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Sodium Bicarbonate, Cornstarch, Monocalcium Phosphate], Salt), Rum Raisin Base (Corn Syrup, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Brown Sugar, Water, Cornstarch, Natural Flavors, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Benzoate [Preservative], Potassium Sorbate [Preservative]), Corn Syrup, Praline Pecans (Sugar, Pecans, Butter [Cream, Salt], Corn Syrup, Salt), Carob Bean Gum And Guar Gum.
So, the bad news is that there are preservatives in this ice cream, including Potassium Sorbate and Sodium Benzoate. There’s also corn syrup (listed 5 different times) AND high fructose corn syrup. The good news is, there are no artificial flavors. More bad news: there are “natural flavors,” which aren’t necessarily healthier than artificial flavors. I’d rather just have flavor from just, you know, regular ‘ol food.
More information from the label:
- Contains bioengineered ingredients
- Allergens: Contains Milk, Pecans, Eggs, Soy, And Wheat
- Kosher Dairy
- Natural Flavor
Nutrition Facts
A serving is 2/3 cup and contains 240 calories. You get 10 grams of fat (6 grams saturated fat) and 3 grams protein. There are 32 grams total carbohydrates, of which 25 grams are sugars (21 grams “added sugars”). You’ll be getting 13% your daily value of cholesterol, and only 3% your daily value of sodium. And 8% calcium.
Price and Servings
A half-gallon tub cost $6.59 at my local Publix. Since there are 12 servings per container, each serving costs 55 cents. Not a terrible price overall.
This is a “Publix Premium” store-brand product, and is available seasonally around the Holidays. My local store stocked this as early as September, however.
Shelf Life
My package had a “best by” date that allowed approximately 8 months to consume.
Dramatic Conclusion
This ice cream wasn’t “bad,” but it isn’t something I’d buy again. In fact, I didn’t finish the tub I bought. I’m sure there are people in the world who vibe with this flavor, but it’s not for me.
On my highly accurate “Awesome-o-Meter,” this ice cream rates a cranky “Meh.”
The End.
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