I’m not into ice cream. I know, I know — it actually makes many of my friends angry. I have sensitive teeth and an aversion to things that are overly sweet and mono-textured, so scoops of ice cream are just not a favorite.
It’s a problem for hosting, too. Standing in the fluorescent glow of the freezer aisle, I experience decision fatigue — there are just too many flavors to choose from, which makes it near impossible to guess which might be the most crowd-pleasing. Plus, I have to buy toppings and do more dishes unless I’m willing to go the less sustainable route of disposables. For all of these reasons, I rarely ever buy cartons of ice cream.
However, there’s one specific, fuss-free, and perfectly delicious and balanced ice cream I love to serve (and eat!) when I’m entertaining any time of the year: Bubbies Mochi Ice Cream.
What’s So Great About Bubbies Mochi Ice Cream?
For those unfamiliar with mochi ice cream bites, imagine a two-inch-wide, roughly 3/4-inch-thick puck of rich, creamy ice cream encased in a subtly sweet, chewy wrapper made of mochi rice dough, which is pliant and stretchy for textural contrast. While this Japanese dessert has become mainstream enough that you can easily find it in nearly any conventional supermarket across the United States, there’s no other brand but the Hawaii-founded Bubbies for me. I’ll tell you why.
Bubbies nails the mochi-to-ice cream ratio. This is important because if the dough is too thick, it never gets to the nice, chewy, stretchy stage; if it’s too thin, it can rip and turn messy in your hands.
With Bubbies, the mochi casing perfectly protects the ultra-premium ice cream from melting too quickly from the heat of your fingers. As someone with sensitive teeth, I particularly appreciate the room-temperature buffer to ease into the coldness.
They’re also ready to eat nearly immediately (no prep at all!), and easy to pass around the table. They’re a go-to on casual game nights because they’re gone in a few bites, which keeps the group from getting anything sticky or dirty.
Bubbies mochi ice cream bites are gluten-free, kosher, come in a huge range of dairy-free and plant-based flavors, and generously portioned. All of these points make them a solid choice for any number of guests.
They’re also free of artificial ingredients; instead, they use fruit and nuts to achieve their spot-on flavors. The Passionfruit keeps its little bit of tang, and the Alphonso Mango tastes fresh-picked. For some, there’s even a textural surprise, like roasted peanuts in the Chocolate Peanut Butter and crackling chocolate chips in the recently released Mint Chocolate Chip. (My boyfriend also can’t resist the smooth Churro one, and the Pistachio is almost always in my rotation.)
Additionally, I love the varieties of flavors like Ube, Matcha Green Tea, Milk Tea, and now Dragonfruit Lemonade. It can be a great introduction to different ingredients and flavor combinations. In fact, my first experience with both ube and matcha were with Bubbies, which inspired me to try them in other things.
What’s the Best Way to Enjoy Bubbies Mochi Ice Cream?
Pull the tray out of the freezer and let them sit on the counter for a minute or two. They’re laid out neatly in two rows of three and presented attractively in their new eco-friendly, home-compostable cardboard trays, so you can pass them around or pop them on a plate. Just don’t let them touch; they’ll stick to each other!
Once there’s a wee bit of give when you poke them, just pick them up with your fingers and dig in.
