‘Upcycled’ Ice Cream Gets New Flavors for 2025

Of all of the initiatives we’ve heard about to minimize food waste, one of the most delicious is certainly upcycled ice cream. That’s right – upcycled. “Upcycled” ice cream makes use of pure, fresh, and perfectly usable ingredients that would otherwise go to waste in the production process. Now the iconic West Coast ice cream brand Salt & Straw has brought back its “upcycled” flavor series for the third year in a row with all-new flavors.

Check out this towering cone of Salted Grapefruit Coconut Julep, Banana Parsnip Sherbet, and Coffee and Stone Fruit Marmalade (with whipped cream and sprinkles, of course).

What is Upcycled Food?

First question: What does “Upcycled” mean? According to the Upcycled Food Association, upcycled foods are foods that use perfectly edible ingredients that otherwise would go to waste. This could include today’s perfectly delicious bread or donuts that grocery stores can’t sell tomorrow as fresh. Or the pulp left over from nut, oat, or soy milk. Or even the whey left over from yogurt making.

In the past two years, Salt & Straw’s Upcycled series has rescued nearly 50,000 pounds of food waste. This effort aims to shine a spotlight on food waste and its role in our food ecosystem.

Two years ago, Jolly Tomato featured Salt & Straw’s debut flavors of upcycled ice cream. This year, we can’t wait to introduce the new ones.

What are This Year’s Upcycled Flavors?

This year’s Upcycled flavors from Salt & Straw include:

• Malted Potato Chip Cupcake: This flavor is a collaboration with Uglies Kettle Potato Chips and Renewal Mill to divert over 2,862 pounds of food waste. It features malty chocolate barley milk ice cream studded with hunks of chocolate-glazed cupcakes and chocolate-dipped Uglies potato chips. The finishing touch is a thick ribbon of caramel.

  

  Malted Potato Chip Cupcake Ice Cream

• Coffee and Stone Fruit Marmalade: This flavor is a collaboration with Atomo Coffee and Hello! I’m Ugly to divert over 1,657 pounds of food waste. It features robust coffee ice cream created with Atomo’s 50/50 beanless + Arabica coffee blend. Then they swirl in stone fruit marmalade crafted from Hello! I’m Ugly dried nectarines and apricots.

Coffee and Stone Fruit Marmalade Ice Cream

• Salted Grapefruit Coconut Julep: This flavor is a collaboration with Wheyward Spirit to divert over 1,191 pounds of food waste. A tropical take on the classic Derby cocktail, it blends coconut cream with tart and tangy cacao pulp. Next, they churn it with salted grapefruit ‘julep’ featuring ‘wheyskey’ from Wheyward Spirit.

  

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Salted Grapefruit Coconut Julep Ice Cream

• Banana Parsnip Sherbet: This flavor is a collaboration with Urban Gleaners to divert over 1,189 pounds of food waste. It features “rescued bananas” roasted with cinnamon and honey. Then they blend it with parsnips, cream, vanilla and a splash of bourbon.

  

  Banana Parsnip Sherbet

• Sourdough and Olive Oil Chocolate (vegan): This flavor is a collaboration with Evergrain to divert over 1,095 pounds of food waste. It’s essentially a riff on the quintessential French breakfast of pain au chocolate. It combines Arbequina extra-virgin olive oil blended into malty chocolate barley milk. Next they mix it with candied hunks of sourdough bread.

  

  Vegan Sourdough and Olive Oil Chocolate Ice Cream.

Added Earth-Friendly Benefits

Also this month, all Salt & Straw shops will also begin using 5-ounce certified compostable scoop cups. That effort will eliminate 28,000 pounds of paper waste without changing the portion size. A smaller cup means a lighter footprint, but the same amount of ice cream.

Last but not least, on April 22, Salt & Straw scoop shops will offer guests free waffle cones with the purchase of a single scoop. (Now that’s a great way to eliminate paper waste: Eat a cone!)

To check out Salt & Straw, find a scoop shop near you, or order online at Salt & Straw.

Blogger disclosure: Salt & Straw gave us flavors from its Upcycled series to sample. We did not receive compensation for this post, and all opinions are our own.