10 Unique ICEE Flavors That You've Probably Never Heard Of

There is nothing more refreshing on a hot summer day than cooling off with the cold and sugary concoction known as the ICEE. Invented in Kansas by accident in the late 1950s -- Dairy Queen owner Omar Knedlik was simply trying to quickly cool a soda can when it came out as slush. The reason for the slushie drink can be explained by chemistry. The drink is a supercooled liquid. Knedlik and his customers liked the slushy beverage so much that he cobbled together a makeshift ICEE machine using a car's air conditioning.

In 1965, 7-Eleven licensed the ICEE machine, renamed the drinks as Slurpees and the frosty beverage grew even more popular. But we aren't here to talk about Slurpees. Instead, we are taking a look at some of the wild and unique ICEE flavors concocted by the ICEE Company that have come and gone over the years. The ICEE Company boasts more than 150 unique flavors but only about 30 flavors are available at any given time. We've rounded up 10 of the most interesting flavors that may or may not be available at an ICEE machine near you.

Read more: 12 Popular Ice Cream Brands, Ranked Worst To Best

1. Froot Loops

In the summer of 2024, the ICEE Company announced a new flavor that perhaps nobody was looking for, a cross between the sugary kid's breakfast cereal Froot Loops and the ICEE. Laura Newman, Vice President of Brand Marketing at WK Kellogg Co. said in a press release, "This partnership is more than just a fusion of the fruity flavors in a new format: it's a trip down memory lane with two nostalgic brands. Fans of ICEE and Froot Loops will love every sip of this iconic flavor."

The food blogs Snackolater and Cereal Life revealed on Instagram in May 2024 that the new flavor would be debuting soon. Comments ranged from the intrigued to the doubtful with one person stating, "This looks refreshing," while another commenter said, "This could either be really good or really bad." In June, the new flavor was out for the food blogger Snackolater to get his hands on and he called it "an interesting one." He described that at first, you can taste the sweet Froot Loops flavor, but this leads to a slightly bitter aftertaste. Overall, Snackolater seemed to enjoy it saying, "I thought this was definitely worth trying and I hope @theiceecompany keeps bringing out these new collabs -- I am already thinking of what could be next and I hope there are more to come!"

2. Mischievous Mini-Puft

The Mischievous Mini-Puft was another collaboration for ICEE, but this time with a movie franchise. This limited-time flavor was one of four "Ghostbusters"-themed beverages inspired by "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire." Other flavors weren't new but were three classics renamed; Slimer's Back, Boo Raspberry, and Red-1/Cherry-1. Kimmra Hingher, Vice President of Marketing for The ICEE Company explained in a press release that the Mischievous Mini-Puft, "is a completely new flavor profile for us, so fans of all ages can let the kid out with this playful addition."

The press statement described Mischievous Mini-Puft as tasting like a classic fluffy marshmallow with a hint of vanilla, but what do fans think? One review on TikTok was positive, stating that it reminded the reviewer of a cherry-flavored cream soda with a hint of marshmallow. While another TikTok reviewer described the flavor as "plain" and "too sweet" to drink the whole entire thing.

3. Baby Narwhal

Next on our list is Baby Narwhal, a unique ICEE flavor that doesn't give anything away by its name. Although Baby Narwhal is another limited-time flavor, fans clamoring for more are in luck. The ICEE Company sells ICEE frozen tubes of Baby Narwhal and Mermaid flavors, available at grocery stores. However, the packaging also gives no clues to the flavor of either Baby Narwhal or Mermaids, but says they are "mystery flavors."

We took to Reddit to find the answer to the burning question, what is the flavor of Baby Narwhal? The consensus was a sweet and a little bit tart cotton candy flavor. Although one Reddit commenter joked, "It's baby narwhal flavor, obviously. 100% pure, liquified narwhal." As for the Baby Narwhal frozen pops, Walmart reviewers seem to like it overall, describing the flavor as "strawberry banana" and "strawberry cotton candy." Although not everyone liked the flavor, with one Walmart customer stating it tasted "artificial."

4. Dinosaur

Now we come to Dinosaur, yet another ICEE flavor that gives us no clues in the name. We have little information on the Dinosaur ICEE except for a Facebook post by the company depicting a lime green-colored ICEE mixed with a bit of a blue frozen drink and topped with an adorable green dinosaur. One commenter asked, "What does Dinosaur taste like?" but there were no replies from the company.

A bit of research showed us that the Dinosaur flavor seems to come and go, first appearing on the company's Facebook page in October 2019. However, there is very little information on the flavor beyond the picture, leaving us with still no clues about its taste. Not to be dissuaded easily, we continued our search for answers and found on Instagram the ICEE Company posted an image of the Dinosaur flavor in a machine on March 2023. One commenter on the post asked if it was the green apple flavor. The company did not respond, but another commenter agreed that it was, indeed green apple.

5. Shark Bait

The Shark Bait ICEE flavor comes from a collaboration between the ICEE Company and Golden Corral Restaurants to celebrate Shark Week. Showing up in the all-you-can-eat buffet chain during the summer of 2023, the Shark Bait ICEE was a limited edition flavor used as the base of a Golden Corral dessert. The Shark Bait flavor is not new, but really just the existing Fanta Blue Raspberry ICEE. Golden Corral lets guests build their own desserts, using the ICEE as a base, topping it with soft-serve vanilla ice cream, gummy sharks, and a drizzle of strawberry sauce.

If this sounds like a sugary dessert perfect for kids, you'd be right, although it's a fun treat for kids of all ages. According to a statement by Natalie Peterson, Vice President of Marketing at The ICEE Company, "For those looking to feel like a kid again during Shark Week, this sweet, tasty treat is the perfect dessert to sink your teeth into."

6. Banana

This is one of those obscure flavors that remain hard to find, yet it is one of the 30 current flavors according to the ICEE website. The banana-flavored ICEE may not show up everywhere, but it can sometimes be found at movie theaters and has also been reported at SeaWorld in Orlando, Florida. A couple of years ago, AMC offered banana-flavored ICEEs to promote the latest "Minions" movie.

Redditors report the banana ICEE tastes similar to banana-flavored Laffy Taffy. Interestingly, today's artificial banana flavoring tastes closer to what real bananas used to taste like than today's modern bananas. Bananas from a few generations ago were the Gros Michel variety, but disease wiped them out. Today, nearly every banana found commercially is the milder-tasting Cavendish. Banana artificial flavoring was based on the Gros Michel, so when you slurp a banana ICEE, you're getting a more authentic banana flavor than you may realize.

7. Mermaid

The Mermaid ICEE is another unique "mystery" flavor in which the ICEE Company does not reveal its secret. Capitalizing on the popularity of mermaids, in 2022, the Mermaid ICEE debuted at amusement parks and Target stores. When released at Target, the drink was a pretty vibrant blue and topped with pink and blue sprinkles. The frosty beverage came in a clear novelty mermaid-themed cup with a multi-colored mermaid tail. As for taste, one food blogger shared that the flavor is a combination of strawberry, raspberry, and blueberry.

Although we can't guarantee what store might be selling a Mermaid ICEE at any given time, you can always get yourself a mixed box of the frozen tubes at Walmart in Mermaid and Baby Narwhal flavors. A review on YouTube shared that the Mermaid flavor ice pop tasted like a combination of blue raspberry and cotton candy, and was much sweeter than its Baby Narwhal counterpart.

8. Elf Cherry Lime

This cheerful, festive flavor is only available for a limited time during the holiday season. The Elf flavor is really just the original cherry lime flavor renamed during the Christmas season. Although the flavors, cherry and lime, aren't typical holiday flavors, the bright green color of the ICEE has a holiday flair. The frozen concoction has been known to start appearing in Target stores anywhere from August through November. Some ICEE fans don't seem to mind when the Elf ICEE appears early in the season with one commenter on Instagram stating, "I usually don't feel this way, but I'm all for early Christmas this year."

If you're craving an Elf-themed ICEE, you can always just make your own any time of the year with ICEE brand Cherry Lime syrup which can be bought online. Otherwise, you'll have to keep an eye out in Target stores starting in October.

9. White Cherry

White Cherry ICEEs are a coveted flavor that can be hard to find. If you're on the hunt for a White Cherry ICEE, your best bet may be at the movie theater. When people do find this elusive flavor, they give it high reviews with one person stating on Influenster, "My favorite flavor is the white cherry. I used to buy it at the movie theater pretty often. However, I can no longer seem to locate it." Another person on Reddit described their search for the flavor posting, "I tried every Target, theater, corner store, and gas station, and I could not find a single store with the white cherry flavor."

However, one lucky commenter on Reddit posted a picture of a large case of the White Cherry flavor stating, "My work just got White Cherry Icee and it's all for me." Fans agree the regular Cherry flavor is not a good substitute for the White Cherry version.

10. Sugar Plum

Another fan favorite, the Sugar Plum ICEE can sometimes be found at Target during the holiday season. Sugarplums are iconic holiday treats that have been around for hundreds of years. Made famous by the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy in Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker ballet, these sweet confections were sometimes made from dried fruit and covered in sugar, but traditionally only needed to be sweet and round to be called a sugarplum. You can find plenty of recipes for traditional sugarplums online which usually contain dried fruits and nuts and are covered in sugar.

The Sugar Plum frosty beverage is not plum-flavored. This pretty drink with its delightful pinkish hue is perfect for an Instagram pic. But what is the flavor? An ICEE spokesperson described it to the Daily Meal as "a wintery berry blend with a citrus twist." Although one X, formerly known as Twitter, user posted that the drink tasted like bubblegum, while an Instagram user said the drink was, "crisp, bubbly, and effervescent with the perfect sweetness." Be sure to check out the ICEE machines at Target during the holiday season to see if you can get your hands on this whimsical holiday drink.

Read the original article on Mashed.