'Choco Taco' resurrected through Taco Bell, Salt & Straw partnership, brands reveal
Were you devastated by Klondike's retirement of the classic ice cream treat Choco Taco last year? If so, Taco Bell says it's coming to the rescue.
During the fast food chain's “Live Más Live” 2024 event on Friday, Taco Bell announced plans to partner with Portland ice cream company Salt & Straw to bring the frozen treat back to the public.
Salt & Straw, an ice cream chainlet with shops in a handful of states and even a few in Disney parks, has experience when it comes to creating taco ice cream treats, having sold them on and off throughout the years at different locations. It currently has a (sold out) version for order online called the Chocolate Tacolate, which is made with waffle cones shaped into taco shells and a cinnamon ancho ice cream filling with candied pecans, all of which is dipped in dark chocolate then sprinkled with sea salt.
Salt & Straw co-founder and head ice cream maker Tyler Malek told The Oregonian that he was approached first by Taco Bell with the proposition for collaboration when CEO Sean Tresvant cold-called Malek and his co-founder Kim Malek.
Malek told the outlet that Taco Bell's food scientists and chefs are working with Salt & Straw to perfect the upcoming Ice Cream Chocolate Taco, concocting a waffle shell that stays crispy and doesn't get soggy and weighed down by the ice cream.
Valentine's food deals:This Valentine's Day show your love with heart-shaped pizza, donuts, nuggets and more
Choco Taco could be available by this summer
Salt & Straw and Taco Bell both posted about the upcoming collab following Taco Bell's live announcement on Friday, describing the product as an ice cream taco "made with hand pressed waffle cones, fresh-made cinnamon ancho ice cream dipped in single origin chocolate, studded with toasted brown rice and complete with sweet sauces and dips."
In an Instagram post, Salt & Straw showed a preview of what the treat will look like, opening a box to reveal a chocolate-covered waffle cone, a cup of dip that they identified as "tangy cheesecake dip" and "three custom sauce packets" that were not named in the caption but appeared to be labeled in the video as cinnamon wild berry, chocolate and jalapeno.
Salt & Straw and Taco Bell didn't give an official release date for the dessert, though Salt & Straw said in a post we can expect to see it appear at all Salt & Straw locations and online for nationwide ordering this summer.
USA TODAY reached out to Taco Bell and Salt & Straw for comment.
Disclaimer: The copyright of this article belongs to the original author. Reposting this article is solely for the purpose of information dissemination and does not constitute any investment advice. If there is any infringement, please contact us immediately. We will make corrections or deletions as necessary. Thank you.
