In a crowded space that has seen countless iterations of protein ice cream pints over the years, Cold Freak has come along to disrupt the market with protein ice cream sandwiches.
We’ve seen countless protein pints come and go, and we’ve seen many versions of protein ice cream bars, but we have never seen a protein ice cream sandwich like this.
There have been “healthier” ice cream sandwiches (or frozen dessert sandwiches, technically) like Skinny Cow and Yasso, but we have not seen a true high-protein ice cream sandwich.
Now, Cold Freak has come along and given us an ice cream sandwich with the macros of a protein bar.
200 calories, 11 grams of fat, 30 grams of carbs (4g fiber and only 3g sugar), and 20 grams of complete protein. That is legitimately more impressive than a lot of protein bars, and yet you get to enjoy the much more pleasurable experience of eating an ice cream sandwich.
For what it’s worth, 14 grams of allulose and 8 grams of erythritol per sandwich is quite a lot, so if you are sensitive to sugar substitutes, you’ll want to be careful here. Personally, I know that if I were to eat one of these every single night, it would create major problems for me.
Fortunately, that won’t be a problem. Unfortunately, it’s because these are quite pricey. To qualify for online shipping, you need to buy 3 boxes. At $7.50 per box, plus $8 shipping, you are spending $60 on ice cream sandwiches, which comes out to nearly $7 per sandwich.
You can get free shipping, but only if you purchase 6 total boxes, setting you back over $100. That’s a lot to pay for ice cream sandwiches, especially if you don’t know whether or not you’re going to like them.
I will say that these were shipped very thoughtfully and arrived fully frozen, so if you’re worried about ordering ice cream online, at least you can feel confident that you’ll get the proper experience,
Still, that price tag is rough. But that’s why I do these reviews: so you can decide whether or not it’s worth it.
My first impressions of Cold Freak Protein Ice Cream Sandwiches
When I opened up one of these sandwiches, two things stuck out:
- The sandwiches are a really great size.
- The cookies look significantly better than they do on the package.
The photo on the box, along with the company’s marketing materials, make these cookies look like rubbery, bland protein cookies.
The actual product looks like regular chocolate chip cookies.
I mean, just check out what I mean:
One of them looks like a whey protein pancake, and the other looks like a soft and chewy cookie.
Luckily for us, the latter is what you actually get.
The Cold Freak website recommends letting these sit for 2-3 minutes for the “perfect creamy bite,” but I can assure you that it will take much longer than that.
I let these sit for about 5 minutes before taking my first bite, and the ice cream was still quite firm and you could tell without a shadow of a doubt that it was protein ice cream.
The cookies had a fantastic chew, and I was thoroughly impressed by the texture given that they are protein cookies.
The ice cream does soften over time, but I found it takes a solid 10 minutes to soften up enough where it eats more like a regular ice cream sandwich.
2-3 minutes is certainly not enough, unless you prefer firm ice cream. Once it adequately softens, it improves the experience substantially and feels less like a “healthy” dessert. You’re never going to mistake this for a real ice cream cookie sandwich, and a skim milk-based frozen dessert is never going to eat exactly like creamy vanilla ice cream, but the experience becomes close enough, especially for the macros.
The Flavors Could Use Some Improvement
Cold Freak launched with two flavors: A HIIT of Vanilla, and French Press Bench Press.
Both flavors are lacking a bit, and I really wish they could punch up the flavor in these. Even if enhanced flavor meant an extra 20-40 calories per sandwich, it would improve this product tenfold and be totally worth it.
As it currently stands, vanilla is a pretty bland flavor. If you took a vanilla protein shake and blended it up in a Ninja Creami, that feels similar to what you get here. It’s lacking that true vanilla bean flavor that I was hoping for.
Many healthy pints have been able to nail an authentic vanilla ice cream flavor, so I have to imagine that v2 of these sandwiches will be able to get there. At least, that’s what I hope.
The French Press Bench Press version (coffee flavor) is definitely an improvement over the vanilla, because the added coffee flavor gives it a little more personality.
Still, it just feels like it’s lacking the punch I was hoping for. They do use real coffee, as evidenced by the fact that this sandwich contains 15-20mg of caffeine, but I really wish the coffee flavor was a bit deeper.
Right now, you do get some coffee flavor in there, but it’s not the same experience you get from coffee ice cream.
If the coffee ice cream were paired with a chocolate cookie instead of a chocolate chip cookie and could lean into the mocha flavor, I bet that would take this one to new heights.
In both cases, the cookies themselves hold their own quite well. Eaten on their own, they are very much protein cookies, but the chewy texture rivals the best protein cookies out there. The flavor won’t knock you off your feet, but the texture perfectly serves its purpose for these sandwiches.
Cold Freak: The Final Verdict
I really want to love these, because the idea of a protein ice cream sandwich with the macros of a protein bar is something I can absolutely get behind.
I’m rooting for the long-term success of these sandwiches, but this initial version isn’t quite there for me.
As much as I want to ignore the price tag and simply review this product for what it is, I can’t overlook the fact that these cost $5-7 per sandwich. When you compare it directly to a protein bar with the same macros, which typically cost $2-3, it’s really tough to justify.
You have to pay a premium for a product like this, especially from a small company, and shipping frozen products is undoubtedly expensive, so I can’t fault them for it.
But that does leave the margin for error extremely low when I view these as a consumer.
If Cold Freak were to release a v2 of these tomorrow with a soft ice cream that packs a punch in the flavor department, I would have no problem justifying the price. Not as a freezer staple, but as a product I would have no problem recommending everyone to try.
As it currently stands, I won’t say you need to try these, but if you love ice cream and you’re bored by pints, this is a really fun way to switch things up.
The overall experience is enjoyable, the macros are awesome, and the sandwiches are large. Those are enough positives to make it so you won’t regret the purchase.
But that’s only if you are willing to spend $60-100 on ice cream sandwiches. And I don’t know that a lot of people will be.
Side note: For what it’s worth, I sent my initial thoughts and feedback directly to Cold Freak, and they were extremely receptive to it. I can always tell when a company is going to be successful in the long run based on how they handle criticism. From their response:
This maps pretty closely to where we’re already heading in product R&D based on broader customer feedback. We’re definitely iterating, not standing still on product.
I love to hear that, and I am certainly rooting for them!
