We Tried Taco Bell's New Desserts And 2 Are Definitely Worth A Taste
Every year at the beginning of February, the two best teams in the NFL face off in the biggest game of the season: The Super Bowl. This year it was in Las Vegas, and while most of the world focused their attention on Allegiant Stadium, I was in Sin City for another reason — to experience Taco Bell's inaugural Live Más LIVE.
While there were plenty of food events filled with delicious dishes and celebrity sightings that weekend, Live Más LIVE was all about the fans. The Mexican fast-food giant felt the Live Más community deserved some heartfelt appreciation, and so treated them to an early taste of all the new and exciting innovations coming out over the next 12 months. There may be a new Cheesy Chicken Crispanada and a brand new Cantina Chicken menu, but it was the desserts that I was most excited about.
Taco Bell isn't just bringing back its Baja Blast gelato, the fast-food chain will also turn the turquoise soda into a pie and make our childhood dreams a reality by recreating the classic Choco Taco. If your mouth is watering, you're not alone, I couldn't wait to dive in. Read on to see which desserts you should "run to the border" for and which ones you can leave on the shelf.
Some recommendations are based on first-hand impressions of promotional materials and products provided by the manufacturer/distributor/etc.
Baja Blast Gelato and Pie
When it comes to dessert, gelato and pie are definitely in my top five. So, when I heard that Taco Bell was turning Mountain Dew's Baja Blast soda into both a gelato and a pie for the drink's 20th birthday, I wanted to be first in line. Stunning to behold, both were the same bright turquoise of the soda.
The gelato comes in a little white cup that reminds me of those mini grab-and-go ice creams you get at convenience stores making it super easy to take with you. It even comes with a plastic spoon inside the lid. Then I tasted it, and my excitement fizzled. While the flavor was full of that delightful mouth-puckering tartness I expect from the Baja Blast, the texture baffled me. See, when I think of gelato, I think of a thick, velvet, almost dense jam that blankets the tongue. Instead, what I got was chalky and reminded me more of a sherbet than the rich gelato I was expecting.
Luckily the pie was everything I hoped it would be. This time the soda has been turned into a dense, buttery curd, full of that wonderful sweet-tart flavor we expect. The texture was smooth as silk, and the dollops of whipped cream and lime zest covering the top cut the sweetness while making the dessert even more luscious. It was so good I couldn't help but devour it. Don't tell anyone, but I may have had a second slice.
Ice Cream Chocolate Tacos
While Taco Bell has always been known for its savory tacos, it's about to add a sweet option to its menu with the Chocolate Taco. Yes, it's exactly what you think: A waffle cone taco filled with ice cream and then dipped in chocolate. But I'm not talking about some generic vanilla ice cream. No, the ice cream inside this sweet waffle shell is a cinnamon ancho chili ice cream from the brilliant minds behind Salt & Straw.
As the girl who always sprinkles cinnamon over my hot chocolate and gets ice cream in a chocolate-dipped waffle cone, I couldn't wait to take a bite. It was everything I dreamed it would be. The waffle taco had a subtle sweetness and a delightful crunch that revealed a rich, creamy ice cream full of cinnamon and chilis — flavors that tickled my taste buds and brought endless joy. But when combined with the chocolate crunch from the taco, I had the perfect dessert. Or so I thought.
Accompanied by four different sauces, this dessert taco only gets better. While the mango jalapeño and cinnamon wild berry sauces provide a subtly spicy tartness that compliments the sweetness of the ice cream, the cheesecake, and chocolate chili sauces give the taco a decadence worthy of a fine restaurant. Out of the four options, my favorite was definitely the chocolate chili, thanks to its rich bitter-sweet chocolate flavor.
Final Thoughts
Only knowing Taco Bell for its savory tacos and chalupas, I was thrilled to sample these new desserts. While other fast-food chains have shakes and the occasional sundae, Taco Bell's twists on ice cream and pie were fun, unique ideas that were created with so much love and care, it's no surprise most had me drooling from start to finish.
While I appreciate Taco Bell taking the time to turn one of its most popular drinks into a few desserts, the outcome was less than spectacular. Even though the gelato is rumored to be released this summer, I'll be looking elsewhere for my ice cream fix. The pie, however, which Chief Marketing Officer, Taylor Montgomery, hopes will be out around Thanksgiving, is a pie I would absolutely add to my holiday table. Not only will it make a nice alternative to the classic chocolate or apple pies, but that color is so festive that it will definitely make everyone's spirits bright.
The dessert that I will be running to the border for every chance I get, though, is hands down the Chocolate Taco. The partnership with Salt & Straw to create a dessert taco is brilliant. This taco doesn't just scratch that ice cream itch, it will bring a little nostalgia with every bite. There's just one downside to my favorite Taco Bell dessert. As of now, there's no official release date, only that it will be sometime in 2024. I really hope Taco Bell doesn't wait too long.