If I Could Eat Just One Ice Cream for the Rest of My Life, It’d Be This “Decadent” Flavor (Even Oprah Loves the Company!)

published Oct 25, 2024
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Woman making cup of ice cream
Credit: Nico De Pasquale Photography / Getty Images

I have eaten a lot of ice cream in my life — so much, in fact, that I have always struggled to pick a favorite flavor. But that all changed a couple of weeks ago when a set of holiday flavors from one of my favorite St. Louis ice cream shops showed up at my apartment. 

Clementine’s Naughty & Nice Ice Cream — a spot loved by both Oprah Winfrey and native St. Louisans (like me!) — just dropped its holiday flavors for the year. I tried them all, and I can tell you they’re all delicious in their own right — but one flavor in particular absolutely blew me away. And ironically, it was the flavor I was originally the most unsure of. I’m talking about the Smokey Italian Fig flavor — and luckily for all of us, it’s available in a holiday bundle on Goldbelly for under $100. If you and your family love ice cream, whatever the weather outside is like, then this ice cream definitely deserves a coveted spot in your freezer this holiday season.

What Is the Smokey Italian Fig Ice Cream?

This ice cream is the embodiment of holiday decadence. It has a smooth, creamy cookie butter base infused with rich smoked maple syrup that lends a light, comforting campfire flavor to the mix. And honestly it would’ve been plenty good just like that, but they take it a step further with swirls of sticky-sweet fig jam. Altogether, these elements make for the most interesting and flavorful ice cream I have had in a long time … maybe ever. Plus, they don’t skimp on the swirls of fig jam, which meant I found myself going back bite after bite (after bite) to get even more. But don’t just take my word for it: The North American Ice Cream Association dubbed it the Flavor of the Year in 2023.

Smokey Italian Fig is one of four flavors included in Clementine’s Holiday Assorted Ice Cream Bundle on Goldbelly; you’ll also get Vegan Sugar Cookie, Coquito, and Peppermint Candy along with it. I’ve tasted all of these options, and I enjoyed them as well. The Vegan Sugar Cookie was my second favorite after Smokey Italian Fig. It’s made with a coconut cream base that almost has a nutty flavor, complete with crunchy rainbow sprinkles. 

And if you were wondering what the “Naughty & Nice” in the store’s name means, it alludes to the fact that they sell boozy ice cream. Coquito is the only boozy ice cream in this pack, but it would make for such a fun base for a milkshake or affogato at a holiday party.

Credit: Micki Wagner

Why I Love the Smokey Italian Fig Ice Cream

The first thing you need to know about me is that I am well and truly obsessed with all things cookie butter. So I was super excited to see that warm, spiced cookie butter flavor I love featured so heavily in this pint. But I had never thought to pair it with figs, which works so well. The bite you get from this pint has that cozy holiday feeling, like you’re curled up next to a warm fireplace looking out onto your snow-covered yard. You get that deep, almost date-like sweetness from the fig jam (along with some chewy bits that add great texture to an otherwise creamy dessert), along with some smoky richness from the addition of the smoked maple syrup and, of course, that comforting cinnamon-brown sugar warmth from the cookie butter. 

Beyond its divine flavor, I also really loved the texture of this ice cream. I had it in my freezer for a little over a week (I exhibited incredible self-restraint here, given I absolutely could’ve housed this pint in one sitting). It never became icy the way I’ve found some grocery store pints do; it remained beautifully creamy, almost mousse-like, for the entire time I had it. 

I’m about to make a very bold statement: If I could only eat one ice cream for the rest of my life, it would be this one. It brings together some of my favorite flavors: cookie butter, fig jam, and smokiness (I adore smoked foods in all forms). And while I love classic holiday flavors, the more left-of-center Smokey Italian Fig is something I think everyone needs to try this holiday season (but don’t worry — the bundle includes plenty of holiday classics, too). 

Buy: Clementine’s Naughty & Nice Ice Cream Holiday Assorted Ice Cream Bundle, $89.95

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