Leftovers: Kellanova scoops up Eggo, Rice Krispies Treats desserts | Cincinatti companies bring chili flavor to ice cream

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Kellanova scoops up licensing deals for Eggo, Rice Krispies Treats

The ice cream category is full of established household-name brands, including Breyers and Talenti. But a new set of entrants will be instantly familiar to consumers.

Kellanova is partnering with Golden West Food Group on ice creams from its Eggo and Rice Krispies Treats brands.

The Eggo lineup includes both pints and sandwiches of Buttery Maple, Chocolatey Chip and Blueberry ice cream. The sandwiches are made with two waffle cookie layers with ice cream in between. The Rice Krispies products feature a pint of original-flavor ice cream. It also includes three sandwiches with original, strawberry and triple chocolate ice cream placed between two crispy marshmallow squares.

“[Golden West] brilliantly captured the unique essence of each brand and crafted delicious, on-brand treats that bring these beloved classics to life in an exciting new way that consumers will love,” said Frances Alvarez, the senior vice president of brand management at Beanstalk, the agency that brokered the deal.

The ice cream treats will be available at stores such as Walmart, Kroger and Albertson’s.

The dessert aisle is prime real estate for CPG brands looking to expand their products into new categories.

In 2022, Mondelēz International brought Oreo into frozen treats with ice cream pints, bars and cones. That same year, confectionery giant Mars Wrigley placed its own bet on the space by launching ice cream products from its Snickers, M&M’s, Twix and Kind bar brands.

The ice creams mark the latest effort by Kellanova to expand the reach of its popular Eggo brand. The iconic waffle also has made its way into coffee and boozy Sippin’ Cream liqueur in recent years.

— Chris Casey

Ice cream launch aims to bring heat

Graeter’s Ice Cream and Skyline Chili are partnering on a flavor the Ohio companies hope will spice up the frozen treat.

The Cincinnati-based brands are launching Skyline Spice Ice Cream which will be sold in Graeter’s shops, Skyline restaurants and select Kroger stores. The flavor combines Graeter’s handcrafted French Pot ice cream with crunchy oyster crackers and Skyline’s signature chili spice mix. The snack is described as sweet and savory.

“Everyone who knows chili knows Skyline and, as longtime fans ourselves, we were eager to collaborate on a one-of-a-kind, must-try flavor,” said Richard Graeter, fourth-generation president and CEO, Graeter’s. “Last year, speculation about our unconventional and somewhat polarizing partnership started a social media frenzy. We spent months perfecting the recipe.”

A 2024 survey published by NC Solutions found 62% of all consumers surveyed indicated they are more likely to buy a food or beverage item if it is advertised as spicy. 

It’s a big reason why everything from Kraft Heinz ketchup to Pop-Tarts have dabbled in the spicy category in the last few years. PepsiCo even established Flamin’ Hot as its own brand to make it easier for consumers to identify the products.

Ice cream has proven to be a valuable platform for companies to roll out unique flavors. Molson Coors-owned Blue Moon has introduced a beer-inspired ice cream, while Diageo collaborated with Tipsy Scoop on a limited-time Guinness ice cream product.

Van Leeuwen is especially active in bringing new twists to the category. The premium ice cream brand has debuted a savory-sweet flavor in collaboration with Hidden Valley and worked with Kraft Heinz on an ice cream that tastes like Kraft Macaroni & Cheese.

— Christopher Doering