Cold Stone Is Launching a Spin on the Discontinued Choco Taco
In June 2022, Klondike shocked and devastated ice cream lovers across the nation upon announcing that its beloved Choco Taco had been discontinued after a nearly 40-year run. Now, a new spin on the retired treat is about to make its grand debut—but you won't find it at ice cream trucks or in grocery store freezers.
Cold Stone Creamery just announced that it will debut a new Waffle Ice Cream Taco ahead of Cino de Mayo on April 30 at stores nationwide. For the uninitiated, the classic Choco Taco featured a taco-shaped waffle cone with vanilla ice cream, fudge, peanuts, and a chocolate coating. Cold Stone's version is very similar to the nostalgic treat, consisting of a freshly made waffle taco shell that's filled with Sweet Cream Ice Cream, dipped in chocolate, and sprinkled with crunchy peanuts.
Customers interested in sampling the new Cold Stone ice cream tacos shouldn't wait too long before snagging one since they'll only be available for a limited time through May 5. However, the ice cream chain sometimes brings back popular limited-time menu items following their initial debut, so fans can hope that the Waffle Ice Cream Taco will return for an encore sometime in the future.
Cold Stone isn't the only chain that has concocted its own version of the Choco Taco since the classic treat was discontinued. During its Live Más Live event in Las Vegas in February, Taco Bell announced that it had partnered with the famous Portland, Ore.-based ice cream chain Salt & Straw to develop a new Ice Cream Chocolate Taco.
It features a hand-pressed waffle cone that's filled with fresh-made cinnamon ancho chili ice cream, dipped in single-origin chocolate, and studded with toasted brown rice. It's also served with a tangy cheesecake dip and three custom sauces: Chocolate Chili, Cinnamon Wild Berry, and Mango Jalapeño.
It could be quite some time before the Ice Cream Chocolate Taco becomes available in Taco Bell restaurants because the chain said it's still in the "testing pipeline."
However, Salt & Straw announced on Instagram in February that it plans to offer the treat at all of its 25 ice cream shops across Oregon, California, Washington, Florida, and Nevada this summer. The ice cream taco will also be available for nationwide shipping, though Salt & Straw hasn't revealed the exact timing of the launch yet.
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