This Apple Cider Ice Cream Is the Only Dessert I Want to Eat on Thanksgiving (It’s THAT Good!)

When I was growing up, Martinelli’s Apple Cider was a staple of any Thanksgiving dinner. Usually, the large, textured glass bottle came out when coffee and dessert was served, and we’d sip it while gobbling down squash pie, roasted nuts, mini cheesecakes, and a variety of homemade Italian cookies. I loved the sweet, slightly tart flavor, which was much richer than regular apple juice.

Somewhere along the way, Martinelli’s disappeared from our Thanksgiving lineup, but this year, I’m bringing it back in a big way — in the form of ice cream. For the third year in a row, McConnell’s Fine Ice Cream has brought back its popular, limited-edition Martinelli’s Apple Cider & Cranberry Jam pints, which I’m stocking up on for our Turkey Day dinner. And truth be told, it’s the only dessert I want to eat on Thanksgiving. Here’s why.

Martinelli’s has been making “Gold Medal”-quality still and sparkling apple cider and juice since 1868. I grew up drinking regular apple cider, but the non-alcoholic sparkling version, which is housed in a fancy champagne-style bottle, is especially popular during the holiday season. It’s also the key ingredient in — and the inspiration for — the McConnell’s x Martinelli’s Apple Cider & Cranberry Jam ice cream.

Made from 100 percent pure apple juice, the sparkling cider forms the lively base of the ice cream, with tangy ribbons of cranberry jam rippling throughout. Pints of this limited-edition flavor are available at grocers nationwide, as well as McConnell’s website and brick-and-mortar scoop shops.

OK, first of all I love ice cream and eat it every day, all year round. While I don’t have one favorite flavor, I will say that McConnell’s x Martinelli’s Apple Cider & Cranberry Jam Ice Cream is exceptional! For starters, the ice cream base is rich and creamy, and tastes freshly churned. But that’s not all. It also tastes like sweet, fresh apples. As I ate it, I could swear there were actual bits of apple in each spoonful, but nope, that bright flavor comes from the sparkling apple cider. The cranberry jam is the perfect complement to the cider, giving the ice cream a hint of tartness. It’s so tasty, in fact, that I wish the pints had a bit more jam mixed throughout. 

But I’m not complaining. McConnell’s x Martinelli’s Apple Cider & Cranberry Jam Ice Cream is the ultimate festive flavor. If you’re looking for a holiday dessert that guests will melt over, grab a pint while they’re still in stock. But you better not touch mine, because I’m not sharing.

Buy: McConnell’s x Martinelli’s Apple Cider & Cranberry Jam Ice Cream, $12