To round off your Christmas drinks with a little frozen treat, opt for an assortment of mini ice cream sticks. If you’re looking to serve an individual dessert, consider recipes with a coating, sauce or added pieces. Either way, check the allergens on each box and keep the products frozen until you’re ready to serve.
If you’re serving ice cream after an apéritif that already includes several dishes, an assortment of mini ice cream sticks lets you offer different flavours without serving a full dessert. Magnum, for example, offers a box of six mini sticks in Classic, Almond and White Chocolate flavours.
If the ice cream is taking the place of dessert, compare the recipes rather than just how they’re positioned: Magnum describes a pistachio stick with added pieces, while Carrefour’s Double Chocolate combines ice cream with chocolate sauce and a chocolate coating.
Ingredients vary from one recipe to another. Before buying, check the allergens listed on each box and any ‘may contain’ warnings, particularly for milk, soya, peanuts and nuts.
First decide whether the ice cream will be a small treat or dessert to finish your Christmas drinks. Then choose a flavour, while keeping allergens and storage requirements in mind.
| Feature | What to check | Who is it for? |
|---|---|---|
| Format | Number of sticks, size of each portion and the flavours actually included in the assortment. | After several appetiser bites, I’d rather offer a small ice cream and let everyone choose their flavour. Format would be the priority for around 40% of consumers. |
| Recipe | Ice cream flavour, type of coating and whether it contains sauce or added pieces. | If the ice cream is replacing dessert, I’m looking for a recipe that suits my guests’ tastes. Around 30% of consumers would put the recipe first. |
| Allergens | Highlighted ingredients and any ‘may contain’ warnings on the box you buy. | If a guest has an allergy, I need to be able to choose based on the label of the box I’ll be serving. Allergens would be the top priority for around 20% of consumers. |
| Planning | Whether your chosen shop stocks the product, how many you need and keeping them frozen during the journey. | To plan the serving, I want to make sure I can get enough portions and keep them frozen until the right moment. Around 10% of consumers would put this planning first. |
Pistachio or almond recipes may contain nuts, while others list milk or soya. Some boxes also warn that other allergens may be present.
Ask guests with allergies what they need to avoid, then read the ingredients and any ‘may contain’ warnings on the box you’ve actually bought. Have an alternative ready if needed.
A mini assortment and a box of sticks intended for dessert serve different purposes in the menu.
Decide when you’ll serve the ice creams and how many portions you need before choosing a pack.
Portions that are too large for this point in the meal may go uneaten.
The DGCCRF stresses the importance of maintaining the cold chain and not refreezing a product once it has thawed.
Pick up frozen products last, use an insulated bag for the journey and put them in the freezer promptly, at the temperature shown on the packaging. Take them out as you serve them.
A product listed by a retailer may not be available in every store. E.Leclerc, for example, advises customers to contact their local store to check whether its TRIUM stick is in stock.
Check the range at your chosen shop or click and collect service, and have another recipe in the same format in mind.
Magnum offers both mini assortments and ice cream sticks with more elaborate recipes.
The range includes a Double Chocolate stick, suited to a more dessert-style serving.
This E.Leclerc range includes a vanilla stick coated in milk chocolate and almonds, sold in a box of four.
Auchan offers, among other options, a box of four vanilla and almond ice cream sticks.
Aldi offers ice cream sticks with a double coating under its MUCCI brand.
These products let you compare a mini assortment for a small tasting with recipes better suited to serving as individual desserts. Choose according to the format and flavours, then check the allergens on the packaging before serving.
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Serve a choice of flavours at the end of your Christmas drinks: an assortment of six mini sticks, 254 g per box.
Contains milk. Check the packaging for information about nuts and your guests’ allergies.
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Choose a pistachio recipe served as an individual portion rather than a mini assortment: four sticks with a white chocolate coating, 312 g per box.
Contains milk, pistachio and soya. Also check the packaging you buy for any ‘may contain’ warnings.
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For a finish to your Christmas drinks with white chocolate and biscuit flavours: three ice cream sticks, 270 g per box.
Contains milk. Check the packaging for any warnings about cereals containing gluten, soya and nuts.
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A caramel recipe for guests who prefer that flavour: 284 g per box. Check the number of sticks on the pack before planning portions.
The product description lists milk and possible allergens among the nuts, including pecans. Check the label on the box you buy.
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Offer a strawberry and white chocolate recipe: four ice cream sticks, 324 g per box.
Contains milk. Check the packaging for any warnings that traces of almonds or pistachios may be present.
Yes, if you serve it after the appetisers. A mini assortment is ideal for a small tasting and offers a choice of flavours. For a more dessert-like finish, look for sticks with recipes featuring sauce or a coating.
Check the ingredients and any ‘may contain’ warnings on every box you buy, as recipes vary. The products featured may contain milk, soya, almonds or pistachio, among other allergens. The DGCCRF states that allergens in the ingredients of prepacked foods must be highlighted on the label.
Carry them in an insulated bag, put them in the freezer promptly and follow the temperature shown on the packaging. The DGCCRF advises maintaining the cold chain and never refreezing a product once it has thawed, so only take the sticks out when you’re ready to serve them.