Magnum expands plant-based ice cream range and boosts texture with shell in tubs

13 Mar 2020 --- Tapping into texture and plant-based trends, Magnum Ice Cream has introduced three new ice cream varieties. Non-Dairy Sea Salt Caramel Bars, Double Pistachio Honey Tubs and Double Almond Brown Butter Tubs feature ice cream along with the brand’s signature cracking chocolate shell. The launch builds on the brand’s previous plant-based dairy launches and comes as vegan ice cream NPD is booming. In addition to the three new product varieties, Magnum ice cream is introducing a new cacao claim on its classic ice cream bars this year.

The packaging will indicate the cacao percentage in each product, similar to what is found on premium chocolate bars. Along with its indulgent messaging, consumers can also look forward to ethical sourcing claims on Magnum’s latest non-dairy release.

“At Magnum Ice Cream, we’re delivering a next-level bite,” says Leslie Miller, Director of Marketing, Ice Cream North America. “Caramel is Magnum’s most popular ice cream flavor in dairy bars and tubs, so it’s exciting to bring it to market in a Non-Dairy Bar. Our new Magnum Tubs varieties are inspired by popular ‘perfect pairings’ in desserts that we are thrilled to bring to ice cream.”

Magnum’s cracking shell goes plant-based
As the plant-based revolution continues, Non-Dairy Sea Salt Caramel Bars are joining Magnum’s line-up. The bars are positioned to deliver an indulgent taste with a non-dairy sea salt caramel base dipped in a cracking non-dairy chocolate shell. Certified-Vegan by Vegan Action, cocoa beans are sourced from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms and paired with a creamy vanilla base made with a blend of coconut oil and pea protein, a plant-based alternative to dairy.

Magnum Ice Cream tubs, first introduced in 2018, are the first ice cream wrapped in a chocolate shell according to Unilever North America, who owns the brand. Magnum Ice Cream reimagined the cracking shell into an indulgent, scoopable format. Consumers can squeeze the sides of the tub to break the chocolate shell and hear the “Magnum crack.” Then break into the thick, top layer of chocolate to indulge in a mixture of ice cream, milk chocolate shards, and sauce in every spoonful.

Two flavors new for 2020, both made with Belgian chocolate, include:

• Magnum Double Almond Brown Butter: Almond ice cream with swirls of brown butter sauce and milk chocolate shards in a cracking milk chocolate shell.
• Magnum Double Pistachio Honey: Pistachio ice cream with swirls of honey and milk chocolate shards, in a cracking milk chocolate shell.

Earlier this year, Magnum in the US launched a Ruby chocolate variant of its cracking shell. The move followed the US Food and Drug Administration’s approval of a Temporary Marketing Permit for Barry Callebaut’s to describe Ruby chocolate as the fourth type of chocolate, after dark, milk and white, in the US.

Edited by Missy Green