Fox News recently spotlighted five 1970s ice cream flavors that have largely vanished from mainstream freezer aisles, and fans are still asking for them back. You don't have to wait for a brand to listen. Here are the five flavors, what they're about, and a simple way to get each one into a bowl at home with a store-bought vanilla or a no-churn base.
The five, per Fox News: Butter Brickle, rum raisin, pink bubblegum, heavenly hash and maple walnut.
Start With a Base That Works for All Five
You don't need an ice cream machine. A no-churn base takes about 10 minutes of hands-on time plus several hours of freezing.
Basic no-churn base
- 2 cups cold heavy cream
- 1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Whip the cream to stiff peaks (3 to 5 minutes with a mixer). Gently fold in the condensed milk, vanilla and salt until just combined. Add your mix-ins, pour into a loaf pan, cover, and freeze at least 6 hours. That's the whole method.
If you'd rather skip the whipping, soften a quart of good vanilla ice cream for 10 to 15 minutes, stir in the extras, and refreeze for 2 hours.
1. Butter Brickle
This one is all about buttery toffee crunch. The flavor is simple to rebuild because the star is a candy you can buy.
How to make it: Fold about 1 cup of chopped toffee bits into the base. Many baking aisles sell toffee bits, or you can crush a few chocolate-free toffee candies in a zip bag with a rolling pin. Add a tablespoon of melted butter to the condensed milk for extra butterscotch depth.
Tip: Stir in the toffee right before freezing. It softens a little as it sits, so a late addition keeps more crunch.
2. Rum Raisin
Rum raisin is the grown-up of the group, and it's the easiest to get wrong. Dry raisins turn icy and hard when frozen, so give them a soak first.
How to make it: Simmer 3/4 cup raisins with 1/4 cup water and 2 tablespoons rum (or 1 teaspoon rum extract plus extra water) for 5 minutes. Cool completely, drain, and fold the raisins into the base. A spoonful of the soaking liquid adds flavor, but keep it to 1 tablespoon, since too much liquid makes ice crystals.
Ingredient swap: No alcohol in the house? Use rum extract or soak the raisins in warm apple juice.
3. Pink Bubblegum
This is the most playful flavor on the list. Real bubblegum flavor is hard to reach with pantry staples, so treat this as a fun approximation.
How to make it: Add 1 to 2 teaspoons of bubblegum-flavored extract or syrup, if you can find it, and a drop or two of pink food coloring. Fold in a handful of colorful candy pieces if you like. Taste the base before freezing; frozen flavors dull slightly, so aim a touch stronger than seems right.
Tip: If you can't find bubblegum flavoring, a little strawberry and a touch of vanilla gives you a pink, sweet, kid-friendly scoop that scratches a similar itch.
4. Heavenly Hash
Heavenly hash is a loaded, everything-in-it kind of scoop, which makes it a forgiving beginner project. There's no strict formula here, so build your own version.
How to make it: Start with a chocolate or vanilla base and fold in 1/2 cup mini marshmallows, 1/2 cup chopped nuts and 1/2 cup chocolate chips or chopped chocolate. Swirl in a few spoonfuls of chocolate sauce at the end, without overmixing, so you get ribbons.
Tip: Mini marshmallows freeze chewy and soft in ice cream, which is part of the charm. Use roughly equal amounts of each mix-in so no single one takes over.
5. Maple Walnut
Maple walnut is the easiest flavor to make taste great from scratch, because the two main ingredients sit in most kitchens.
How to make it: Replace the vanilla in the no-churn base with 1/3 cup pure maple syrup, and reduce the condensed milk to about 1 1/4 cups if the mix feels too sweet. Toast 3/4 cup chopped walnuts in a dry skillet over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes, let them cool, then fold them in.
Tip: Use real maple syrup rather than pancake syrup. The flavor is the whole point, and a little goes a long way.
Why Retro Flavors Are Having a Moment
Fox News framed the list around "newstalgia," the mix of comfort, memory and novelty that fuels interest as brands revive retro snacks, diner staples and childhood favorites. Making these flavors yourself leans into the same idea: familiar tastes, with a small twist you control.
Make It a Tasting Night
If you want to try several, make a half batch of each in small loaf pans or freezer-safe containers. Freeze them overnight, then serve small scoops side by side and ask everyone at the table which flavor deserves to come back first. Your own freezer, at least, can be where the comeback starts.
Pick the one that sounds most like your childhood, mix up the base tonight, and you'll have it ready to scoop tomorrow.
