Jeni’s Ice Cream Teamed Up With Dolly Parton and the Results Are a Southern Sensation

I am a firm believer that Dolly Parton can do pretty much no wrong, so when I learned that she was collaborating with Jeni's Ice Cream on a new flavor, I was downright delighted. Ice cream approved by the Queen of Country, and inspired by her Southern roots? Sign me up, please.

Fortunately, I didn't have to wait very long to try out Jeni's latest flavor. The ice cream company was kind enough to send me Dolly's collaboration, which, appropriately, was called Strawberry Pretzel Pie, Specially Made for Dolly Parton.

For those who haven't tried the potluck favorite dessert, it consists of a buttery pretzel base, a cream cheese and whipped topping filling in the middle, and a fruity topping. It's a big deal in Tennessee, where Dolly is from, so it's no surprise that the "Jolene" artist chose to recreate it in ice cream form.

(via Jeni's Ice Cream)

As for Jeni's take on the dessert, it's basically a pie in a pint. The base is a cream cheese ice cream, which fans of the brand's iconic Gooey Butter Cake flavor will no doubt appreciate. Mixed in with the cream cheese is a salty pretzel streusel as well as a heavy amount of strawberry jam. It's salty, it's sweet, and it may just be my new favorite Jeni's flavor, knocking GBC into second place. (That's a very big deal for me!) 

There's little not to like about Dolly's new ice cream, which also comes in a delightfully charming, pink pint that's perfectly Instagrammable. And, like so much of what Dolly does, this ice cream also works towards a good cause: Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, a book gifting program that gives free books to children from birth to age 5.

Now, here's the tricky part: Jeni's is already expecting the ice cream, which drops on April 8 in stores and online, to be a major smash hit. That means it's not exactly the easiest thing to get your hands on in the dessert world. According to the Jeni's website, "If you prefer to buy the flavor from your neighborhood shop, we recommend getting there early (like before open) on release day. Otherwise, your best bet will be to buy it online at noon the day it drops."

Good luck, and Godspeed—this flavor is deliciously worth the trouble.

 

Want to read more about ice cream? Click HERE to read our review of Jeni's Everything Bagel ice cream.