The Bland Cereal That Once Posed As A Hugely Popular Ice Cream Topping

These days, attention-grabbing ice cream toppings are hardly shocking — from olive oil to soy sauce (which won't be replacing your favorite ice cream topping anytime soon), it seems that a viral new sundae mix-in is in vogue every few months. However, one rather surprising cereal ice cream topping hit peak popularity long before TikTok existed: Grape-Nuts. Yes, the rock-hard wheat and barley breakfast cereal that contains neither grapes nor nuts. Grape-Nut ice cream typically consists of a vanilla ice cream base mixed with Grape-Nuts cereal before freezing, so that the cereal softens and infuses into the ice cream. This unexpected cereal ice cream mix was particularly popular in the early 20th century, and still enjoys a loyal following across parts of New England and the Caribbean.

Grape-Nuts on their own are rather polemic – some adore their crunchy texture and malty flavor, while less generous reviewers compare them to sawdust or burnt crackers. However, fans of this unique dessert combo claim that mixing the cereal into ice cream neutralizes some of its most controversial qualities. The Grape-Nuts soften while maintaining a gentle crunch, and their malty flavor is subtly infused throughout the ice cream.

As legend has it, Grape-Nut ice cream was first churned up by a Nova Scotian chef named Hannah Young in 1919. According to family lore, Young ran out of fruity ice cream mix-ins and decided to throw in some Grape-Nuts instead. Like most food origin stories, this one's a bit hazy – other histories suggest Grape-Nut ice cream recipes date back to as early as 1916. What is clear is that this surprisingly tasty cereal and ice cream combo enjoyed widespread popularity throughout the early 20th century. By many accounts, the cereal was seen as a budget-friendly alternative to traditional fruit or nut ice cream mix-ins.

The heyday of Grape-Nut ice cream is long past, and these days it's largely one of those vintage summer dishes you don't see anymore. However, the flavor can still be found across the New England region and parts of the Caribbean — interestingly, it's especially popular in Jamaica, possibly due to the history of British influence on the island. Luckily, if you can't get your hands on Grape-Nut ice cream but still want to try this unique flavor combo, you can easily mix it up at home (just remember to properly mix add-ins into your homemade ice cream).