Reviewers Were Surprised by Mac and Cheese Ice Cream

Many people's initial reaction to the Kraft Mac and Cheese ice cream released in honor of National Mac and Cheese Day on Wednesday was a hard "no"—but reviewers say the combination is a lot tastier than they expected. Amy McCarthy at Eater says the "unhinged" mix of two comfort foods from New York creamery Van Leeuwen is "nothing short of magical." She calls the salty-sweet flavor "uniquely compelling." " The cheese powder combines with Van Leeuwen's rich base, made with milk, cream, and sugar, to produce a buttery flavor that’s only slightly cheesy," she writes.

The recipe includes the cheese powder from Kraft's famous blue mac and cheese boxes—but there are no chunks of macaroni in it. At the Takeout, Marnie Shure and Lillian Ston, who were initially very skeptical, declared the flavor "delightful" and gave it an "A." "It truly tastes like cheesecake to me," Stone says. When the flavor was announced, there was a "public outcry on social media," but it still ended up selling out quickly, NPR reports. Van Leeuwen's website says the limited-edition flavor is now out of stock. (More ice cream stories.)