Whatever Happened To Costco's Hand-Dipped Ice Cream Bars?
Have you ever loved a treat like it was the last time you'd eat it? Unbeknownst to many, this was the case with Costco's hand-dipped ice cream bars. This treat was a top contender for taste buds and hearts alike, so much so that when Costco snuffed it out, fans created a Facebook page named "Bring Back Costco Ice Cream Bars." It was a desperate attempt to restore what was snatched from their hands so abruptly.
Costco removed the ice cream bars from its food court menu without notice in 2013, and nobody's quite sure why. Fans have speculated. Costco has been quiet. But the internet has answers — many of which are mere speculation. We think the real reason was due to a price hike in dairy and almonds. Considering that Costco's ice cream bars were a generous dose of melty cream dipped in chocolate and covered in roasted almonds (or not, it was up to you), it's possible the price hike carried over to its beloved bars.
Per Victor Valley News Group, this was a business-related decision to protect Costco's profits — but nobody wants to hear it. After dosing them with this deliciously sweet treat, Costco's move left a bitter taste in fans' mouths. Even efforts to compensate for it with a brisket beef sandwich (which Costco also stopped selling) weren't welcomed. "Maybe we're not making enough noise," the Facebook page admin exclaimed. "No one wants your brisket, no one wants your burgers. Bring back the Ice Cream Bars!!"
Give us ice cream or give us answers
With no ice cream on the menu, zero acknowledgment from Costco, and no answers to go by, fans turned to speculation. One Redditor theorized that the bars were "a lot more labor intensive." Hand-dipped ice cream bars require that the server dip — maybe even double dip them in coatings before serving. So there's the unwrapping, dipping, dripping, and dipping again, before finally handing the ice cream bar to the customer. Compared to Costco's other food court items, such as a sundae, this included a tedious labor of love that was slow, time-consuming, and ultimately not worth it.
Another Reddit user's theory is that the supplier behind the ice cream may have discontinued the bars, be it Kirkland, Haagen-Dazs, or another unknown brand. If these bars were custom-made for Costco, we can see how this posed an issue. It would be difficult to come up with a vanilla ice cream bar that'd garner as many rave reviews as their original one did, all while allowing Costco to sell them at the incredibly low price of $1.50.
If any of this is true, can we blame Costco for its abrupt decision? Maybe partially, since some customers have gone all out offering to pay slightly more, even double the amount just to have their favorite ice cream dessert back on the menu. Whatever Costco's reasons, we, like its befuddled customers, may never truly know why it terminated this treasured treat.