Culver's to debut 6 new frozen custard flavors of the day (2024)

For the first time since 2012, Culver's will be dishing out new frozen custard flavors of the day.

The six new frozen custard combinations make their way into the rotation beginning May 10. The flavors and release dates are as follows (mark your calendars accordingly):

- Cappuccino Cookie Crumble, May 10. Frozen custard blended with cold brewed espresso and mixed with crushed sugar cookies and swirls of novelty chocolate.

- Blackberry Cobbler, June 10. Cinnamon granola crumble, blackberries and vanilla frozen custard.

- Chocolate Pretzel Crunch, July 10. Chopped Bavarian pretzels, novelty chocolate and salted caramel blended into the vanilla custard.

- Peanut Butter Cookie Dough, Aug. 10. Brand new peanut butter frozen custard mixed with roasted peanuts and chunks of chocolate chip cookie dough.

- Dark Chocolate Decadence, Sept. 10. The first-ever dark chocolate frozen custard at Culver’s made with a blend of four cocoa powders.

- Peanut Butter Salted Caramel, Oct. 10. Peanut butter custard, roasted peanuts and ribbons of salted caramel.

Culver's to debut 6 new frozen custard flavors of the day (1) Culver's to debut 6 new frozen custard flavors of the day (2)

Credit: Danny Damiani/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

Cappuccino Cookie Crumble, May 10. Frozen custard blended with cold brewed espresso and mixed with crushed sugar cookies and swirls of novelty chocolate.

Now, for those of you sticking with this story past the flavors listing, here's your reward: An inside scoop on how these flavors came about and tasting note highlights.

I made the trip to Culver's headquarters in Prairie Du Sac to talk — and taste — frozen custard with Quinn Adkins, the company's director of menu development.

All six flavors making the grade for this year's release were created, tasted, reformulated, tasted again and vetted by the Culver's menu development team before a Sweet 16 of finalists were tasted and scored by an independent panel of 150 potential guests.

PHOTOS: Culver's new Flavors of the Day

Danny Damiani/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

Cappuccino Cookie Crumble, May 10. Frozen custard blended with cold brewed espresso and mixed with crushed sugar cookies and swirls of novelty chocolate.

It's a process, says Adkins, that will allow Culver's to release new flavors more often. He's already focused on a new batch for next year.

It took 18 months of research and development to make Dark Chocolate Decadence, well, dark. Add dark chocolate cocoa to the custard mix before running it through the machine and you get a cup of gray frozen custard. It delivers the dark chocolate flavor, says Adkins, but not the color.

That's because the color we associate with dark chocolate develops at a lower temperature than serving temperature of frozen custard.

Culver's to debut 6 new frozen custard flavors of the day (15) Culver's to debut 6 new frozen custard flavors of the day (16)

Credit: Danny Damiani/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

Culver's new Flavor of the Day, Dark Chocolate Decadence, will debut September 10. 

Because frozen custard at Culver's is made in small batches, on-site, freezing the custard to develop the proper color wasn't an option. Nor was adding food dyes, says Adkins.

So he began experimenting with adding additional cocoas. When he landed on the right blend of four cocoas and gave a sample to company co-founder Craig Culver, Adkins was rewarded with a hug.

As a bonus, if you allow Dark Chocolate Decadence to melt and linger, you will pick up multiple layers of chocolate flavors. Originally I thought the Blackberry Cobbler was my favorite, but the more I think about it, Sept. 10 feels like a long wait to get another scoop of Dark Chocolate Decadence.

Culver's to debut 6 new frozen custard flavors of the day (17) Culver's to debut 6 new frozen custard flavors of the day (18)

Credit: Danny Damiani/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

Culver's new Flavor of the Day, Blackberry Cobbler, will debut June 10. 

In the interest of full disclosure, I usually prefer fruit and nut desserts like Blackberry Cobbler over the ooey-gooey, chocolate and candy-laden flavors, so it's no surprise that I took to that one. But the company's taste-testers also backed my impressions of this flavor. Blackberry Cobbler, says Adkins, had the largest reach among testers. Berry tartness blended with creamy vanilla sweetness. What's not to love?

A hint of cinnamon and crunch from the granola are nice touches. While it didn't take 18 months to develop, Adkins tried 15 different granolas before finding the perfect addition.

Chocolate Pretzel Crunch is built with some of Adkins' favorite flavors. Think dipping chocolate covered pretzels into frozen custard. They're some of my favorites, too. There are sizable pieces of Bavarian-style pretzels adding a savory layer to the salted caramel, and sweet custard.

Culver's to debut 6 new frozen custard flavors of the day (19) Culver's to debut 6 new frozen custard flavors of the day (20)

Credit: Danny Damiani/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

Culver's new Flavor of the Day, Chocolate Pretzel Crunch, will debut July 10.

Cold-brewed coffee gets blended into the custard mix, giving the Cappuccino Cookie Crumble a coffee-flavored base. The result is coffee flavor without any bitterness. Tiramisu inspired this combination and was named accordingly until the test panel gave the name a thumbs down. Thus the name change.

Culver's to debut 6 new frozen custard flavors of the day (21) Culver's to debut 6 new frozen custard flavors of the day (22)

Credit: Danny Damiani/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

Cappuccino Cookie Crumble, May 10. Frozen custard blended with cold brewed espresso and mixed with crushed sugar cookies and swirls of novelty chocolate.

Peanut butter lovers, you get two hits this year that's built on a new method that mixes the peanut butter sauce topping into the custard mix. Thus every bite delivers peanut butter flavor.

Adding roasted peanuts to both the Peanut Butter Cookie Dough and Peanut Butter Salted Caramel kicks up the peanut flavor.

Culver's to debut 6 new frozen custard flavors of the day (23) Culver's to debut 6 new frozen custard flavors of the day (24)

Credit: Danny Damiani/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

Culver's new Flavor of the Day, Peanut Butter Salted Caramel, will debut October 10. 

One last interesting takeaway from my afternoon of tasting and talking frozen custard with Adkins is that the local franchises have a lot of control over when to offer the new scoops and even how to make them. If you miss your shot at a new flavor on the release date, you'll just have to wait for your local franchisee to decide when and how often to mix it in as a flavor of the day option. And there isn't an exact recipe for making any of the flavors of the day. At each of the more than 650 locations across 24 states, the folks making your custard are following guidelines, making each scoop a unique tasting experience.

Culver's to debut 6 new frozen custard flavors of the day (2024)

FAQs

Culver's to debut 6 new frozen custard flavors of the day? ›

Brands vary, but vanilla ice-cream typically has about 10 per cent more calories than custard, as well as twice the saturated fat, less protein and half the calcium and potassium. However, ice-cream usually has less sugar and salt, too.

Is Culvers custard better for you than ice cream? ›

Brands vary, but vanilla ice-cream typically has about 10 per cent more calories than custard, as well as twice the saturated fat, less protein and half the calcium and potassium. However, ice-cream usually has less sugar and salt, too.

What is Culver's frozen custard made of? ›

Vanilla Frozen Custard [Milk, Cream, Skim Milk, Sugar, Corn Syrup, Egg Yolk, Guar Gum, Mono & Diglycerides, Locust Bean Gum, Carrageenan, Natural and Artificial Vanilla Flavor], Pecan Pieces [Vegetable Oil (Peanut, Cottonseed, Soybean and/or Sunflower Seed), Sea Salt], Salted Caramel [Corn Syrup, Sweetened Condensed ...

What is Turtle Dove custard at Culvers? ›

Creamy Vanilla Fresh Frozen Custard swirled with ribbons of old fashioned salted caramel, marshmallow creme, toasted pecan pieces and chopped Dove® Chocolate pieces.

Why does Culver's call their ice cream custard? ›

And it's different from other frozen desserts. In fact, the distinction is even written into law. Custard is made from a combination of milk, cream and pasteurized egg yolks, and in order to be true custard, it has to be at least 1.4 percent egg. Anything less than that, and it's just ice cream.

Is custard healthy than ice cream? ›

Custard contains fewer calories than ice cream, more protein, and calcium, but less fat and carbs. Custard must contain at least 1.4% egg yolk, while ice cream contains less than 1.4% egg yolk. Both custard and ice cream are high in calories, fat, and sugar, making them more of a treat than a healthy snack.

What is the most unhealthy thing at Culvers? ›

Worst: The Culvers Bacon Deluxe

With a whopping 57 grams of total fat and 22 grams of saturated fat in this order, you will meet your daily recommended allowance for calories from fat and saturated fats in your diet. This burger also packs 1,205 milligrams of sodium and just 1 measly gram of fiber.

Why is Culver's custard so good? ›

Culver's custard is made fresh each day in small batches

The restaurant's frozen custard is made in small batches and slow-churned to perfection, multiple times a day. No matter what flavor or custard treat you order, you know you are getting a product that has been made that very day.

Is frozen custard real ice cream? ›

The main difference between frozen custard and ice cream is that frozen custard is made with egg yolks and ice cream is not, giving the former a richer flavor and mouthfeel. Some ice creams are made with egg yolks, however, which would technically make them custards based on the USDA guidelines.

Does Culvers use real milk? ›

Fresh Farm Dairy

We only use real dairy from American family farms, with relationships that go back over 30 years.

Who owns Culver's? ›

In October 2017, Culver's sold a minority share to Roark Capital Group, a private equity firm based in Atlanta. The Culver family retains majority ownership. On March 29, 2021, Enrique 'Rick' Silva became the fourth CEO of Culver's. In July 2024, Culver's celebrated 40 years.

What cooking oil does Culver's use? ›

Canola Oil (fryer oil) - Canola Oil with TBHQ and Citric Acid added to preserve freshness and Dimethylpolysiloxane added as an anti-foaming agent.

What is Culvers Mooey Gooey Twist? ›

Mooey Gooey Twist is, well, a twist of vanilla and chocolate frozen custard that includes ribbons of salted caramel and chopped chocolate.

Does Culver's make their own custard? ›

In our restaurants, we take the milk produced by our trusted family farm partners and slow-churn our Fresh Frozen Custard in small batches all throughout the day. This way, you can always be sure that you're getting the highest-quality, freshest dessert possible.

How would you describe Culver's frozen custard to a guest? ›

Culver's Fresh Frozen Custard is supremely thick and creamy and is naturally richer than ice cream. It's made daily inside our restaurants using family farm-fresh dairy. Slow churning it in small batches all day long gives our custard its silky-smooth texture and irresistible taste.

What's the difference between soft serve ice cream and custard? ›

The main distinction is eggs: ice cream may have them, but custard always does. The FDA mandates that any product sold as ice cream must contain a minimum of 10% butterfat, and ice cream made without eggs is often called “American” style, though there's nothing especially American about the concept.

How much sugar is in Culver's frozen custard? ›

Calories in Culver's Frozen Custard - 1 scoop
Calories307.0
Total Carbohydrate30.0 g
Dietary Fiber0.0 g
Sugars27.0 g
Protein6.0 g
7 more rows

Is store bought custard healthy? ›

With milk as the main ingredient, custard is a good source of protein and contains calcium, which is good for bone health. But custard is a treat food because it can also give us extra energy, fat and sugar that we maybe don't want, or need.

Does custard have a lot of fat? ›

Rich and creamy, premium custard has a fat content of approximately 6%, regular custard is 1–3% fat and low-fat custard has a fat content of 0–1%. Made from full-fat milk (around 90%), sugar, thickener, flavourings, vegetable gum and colours. Long-life custard can be stored at ambient temperatures for long periods.

Can diabetics eat custard ice cream? ›

While there are some extra things to consider, ice cream can be included in a healthy meal pattern even if you have diabetes. It's best to eat ice cream in moderation and to choose an option with lower saturated fat, lower carbs and no or low added sugar.

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