#frozen-desserts

#frozen-desserts

One thing you need to know before going to Olive Garden for the first time is that all of its desserts are shipped to stores frozen, then defrosted or heated before serving. This may not sound enticing, but many of the desserts don't suffer from this treatment - as long as they're reheated the right way. Unfortunately, the restaurant's tiramisu is served very inconsistently.

If you grew up in the '90s, you probably remember Jell-O Pudding Pops - one of the most iconic frozen treats of the decade. In my memory, they were impossibly creamy, perfectly sweet, and came in those magical swirls of chocolate and vanilla. Unlike regular popsicles, these weren't icy or crunchy - they were smooth and mousse-like, almost like pudding you could eat on a stick. In my house, they never lasted long; if you didn't grab one fast, the box was gone.

You walk into an ice cream parlor and face a wall of colorful choices: Will it be a decadently rich chocolate chip kind of day? Or will it be something fruitier, like cherry or tutti frutti? At a fancier spot, you might even venture into pistachio or salted caramel territory. No matter what you choose, every scoop has a backstory - some of which might be older (or newer) than you'd expect.

Interestingly, Marie Callender's also offers a box of mini desserts that do not have a large-sized counterpart: the Salted Caramel Cream Mini Pies. These individually-portioned treats consist of chocolate cookie crusts filled with a creamy salted caramel custard, finished with whipped cream and chocolate- and caramel-flavored chips. They are similar to other Marie Callender's ready-to-thaw pies that are meant to be served cool, such as Chocolate Satin and Key Lime. Each box comes with two pies that are about three ounces each.

It all starts with a cookie crust, which automatically makes this pie more interesting than the others in the lineup.

We independently select these products-if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing. It's already a scorcher this summer, which means frozen desserts are top of mind. You'll find at least one tub of ice cream in our freezers at all times. Sometimes they're freshly churned (with the help of our favorite ice cream makers); more often, though, they're straight from the frozen section at our neighborhood grocery stores.

The primitive form of ice cream has deep roots in Persian deserts dating back to at least 400 B.C., with clever engineering skills employed to create early frozen desserts.

Marie Callender's remains the best brand for frozen pies, offering both Dutch and Lattice styles of apple pie, each with unique toppings.

"While the world of frozen treats has long barreled past just ice creams and soft serves, not all frozen desserts are created alike."