Editor's note: The above video is from the 2019 release of the Mardi Gras-inspired ice cream.
HOUSTON – Blue Bell is kicking off the 2020 Carnival season with its popular Mardi Gras King Cake Ice Cream.
The special edition flavor is so popular that in 2019 Blue Bell expanded its sales across Texas and other parts of the U.S.
"There is a parade marching down the ice cream aisle because Mardi Gras King Cake is back! Mardi Gras King Cake Ice Cream is a cinnamon cake flavored ice cream with tasty pastry pieces and a colorful cream cheese swirl with festive candy sprinkles. The flavor is available in the half gallon size for a limited time," writes Blue Bell.
By the way, you can thank a 2018 viral Facebook post for the expansion of the flavor:
“We have been making Mardi Gras King Cake since 2012, but the flavor has mostly been sold in areas known for the celebration such as Louisiana and Alabama,” said Carl Breed, corporate sales manager for Blue Bell. “Last year a grocery store in Louisiana posted about the flavor’s arrival on its Facebook page and we started receiving requests from all over the country. After that, we decided to share this festive flavor with everyone in our distribution area.”
The Mardi Gras inspired dessert is made with a cinnamon cake flavored ice cream, tasty pastry pieces and a colorful cream cheese swirl with festive candy sprinkles.
Blue Bell enthusiasts may remember that Mardi Gras King Cake is a combination of two previous flavors, Mardi Gras, introduced in 2004, and King Cake, first produced in 2006.
“We still receive requests for Mardi Gras and King Cake because our fans never forget a flavor,” Breed said. “But, you have the best of both worlds with our Mardi Gras King Cake Ice Cream.”