This Ben & Jerry's Flavor Was Discontinued For An Eco-Friendly Reason (But Fans Still Want It Back)

Fans won't let one Ben & Jerry's flavor rest in peace — despite it being literally laid to rest in the physical Ben & Jerry's Flavor Graveyard. Ben & Jerry's Fossil Fuel ice cream remains a clear fan favorite regardless of its short-lived existence from 2005 to 2010. A sweet cream ice cream with chocolate cookies, fudge dinosaurs, and fudge swirls, Fossil Fuel was a sweets-lover's dream. "I've visited the graveyard and wept over Fossil Fuel's tombstone," said one devastated Ben & Jerry's customer on Reddit. But if the discontinued pint is still so heavily yearned for, why is it just a fond memory?

The reasoning for Fossil Fuel's termination coincides with Ben & Jerry's politics and strong moral values. In a statement shared on the Ben & Jerry's website in 2016, the company explained, "We made the decision to lay it to rest in the Flavor Graveyard because we believe that fossil fuels, whether ice cream or the real thing, belong in the ground!" Fighting climate change is one of many sociopolitical issues the corporation has publicly advocated for — other causes include children's aid, voting rights, and economic equality.

Some folks on Reddit question why Ben & Jerry's doesn't rebrand the flavor with a new name and message. This idea has actually been considered by the company — the poem on the tombstone includes these punny lines: "A flavor re-design might be do-able, but Fossil Fuel is non-renewable" (via Ben & Jerry's). The beloved ice cream brand is no stranger to bringing back longed-for favorites, yet this may be one of dozens of discontinued Ben & Jerry's flavors we'll probably never eat again.

Ben & Jerry's fans jump for joy when the company re-releases a seasonal fan favorite, Pumpkin Cheesecake, each fall. A pumpkin cheesecake ice cream with graham cracker swirls, this seasonal treat is "everything fall in frozen form," according to one Ben & Jerry's ice cream reviewer. The ice cream is typically only sold between October and December before going into hibernation until the following year. If Ben & Jerry's can cease and re-release this flavor, who's to say it can't do the same for others?

At the time of writing, the Ben & Jerry's Flavor Graveyard catalogs 35 "de-pinted" ice creams, all of which are highly unique. Some names are straightforward in telling you exactly what you'd get — such as Peanut Butter and Jelly, Wild Maine Blueberry, and Crème Brulee — but others are more mysterious. Fossil Fuel has an arguably controversial name, as do other retired flavors like Economic Crunch, Schweddy Balls, and Turtle Soup — yet one thing that's not up for debate is Ben & Jerry's incorporation of lighthearted humor.

Reddit has several opinions about the discontinued delicacies. The site is full of Ben & Jerry's fanatics begging for the company to bring back gone-but-never-forgotten flavors. Of course, Fossil Fuel is one of the popular Ben & Jerry's ice cream flavors that comes up, but others mentioned include White Russian, Wavy Gravy, Bovinity Divinity, and Rainforest Crunch.