Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip (Graeter’s)

Graeter’s Review No. 7: Any tennis fans here? Watching Carlos Alcaraz thrash an opponent in a final the other night while eating some Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip — he’s unmatched with a tennis racket, but I am equally dexterous with an ice cream spoon — I couldn't help but draw a parallel. Graeter’s is like the Alcaraz of ice cream brands — the best in the world when they are at the top of their game. To continue this tortured analogy a bit longer, Alcaraz has his serve +1 — the shot he deploys to win the point after a rival’s return. In his case it’s often a sizzling forehand. For Graeter’s, they follow their formidable serve (the dense, luxurious base) with a powerful +1 of signature chocolate, melted and poured into the churning French pots so it immediately congeals into irregularly sized chunks. It’s a winning formula for so many of their flavors: Black raspberry, black cherry, banana, salted caramel, mocha, even their basic vanilla and chocolate are immediately elevated. So what about peanut butter? I think they could have taken one more swing on this one and it would have gone from very good to great.

What I liked: As a peanut butter fan, I’m always happy to see it as the base and not a swirl. Chocolate works better as the sidekick to accentuate this sweet-salty-nutty goodness. There aren’t many peanut butter bases I couldn’t happily eat, and this one is lovely with a mellow peanut flavor.

What could be better: That base is a bit too mellow. I am wondering if already fatty peanut butter is getting washed out a bit too much by the high butterfat of the ice cream? I just wanted that flavor dialed up about 25% more. Make no doubt, it’s very good but I have other PB bases that I crave more, and many of them have more interesting mix-ins. That’s where the extra swing comes in. Adding peanut butter cups (mini or chopped up) is a way to instantly elevate a peanut butter base with added pops of flavor and texture. The other thing that would have been very welcome here is a nice hit of salt.

How it compares: For a strict comparison of peanut butter base plus chocolate accent, I prefer Jeni’s Salted Peanut Butter with Chocolate Flecks. While the texture is bit better on Graeter’s, Jeni is no slouch, but you get so much more roasted peanut flavor and that salt I wanted. The chocolate there is almost more textural than flavorful, though, so it’s a peanut-focused flavor. If you do want more of an equal billing between chocolate and peanut butter, go for Graeter’s. Or get them both and try them side by side! A few good PB flavors with fun mix-ins: Häagen-Dazs’ wonderful new Peanut Butter Brittle and Van Leeuwen’s Peanut Butter Brownie Honeycomb. My favorite peanut butter cup ice cream is a Northwest one. If you have a New Seasons Market nearby, check out that flavor. It’s made by Washington’s Lopez Island Creamery.

Possible pairing: Graeter’s’ Buckeye Blitz, a more chocolate-forward take on this combo, with chocolate peanut butter ice cream, peanut butter cookie dough and, you know it, the chocolate chunks.

Final thought: This one is not going to score above a 9 like most of those superior Graeter’s +1 chocolate chip winners do. In tennis, you want to avoid love (that means you haven’t scored a point in a game), but not in ice cream. And while I could get to love with this pint should Graeter’s ever add some peanut butter cups, or even some more peanut flavor, right now it’s just a strong like.

Score: 8.7/10