Taco Bell and Salt & Straw ice cream have partnered up to bring back Klondike’s Choco Taco, less than two years after the treat was discontinued.
Salt & Straw co-founder and head ice cream maker Tyler Malek revealed the collaboration at Taco Bell’s Live Más Live event earlier this month.
The Choco Taco, which Klondike discontinued after 40 years in July 2022, is expected to return this summer. Klondike said amid consumer outrage shortly after the Choco Taco was retired that the dessert could make a comeback “in the coming years.”
“We know this is disappointing – we’ve heard our fans, and we’re hoping to bring this favorite treat back to ice cream trucks in the coming years,” Klondike said in August 2022.
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Taco Bell and Salt & Straw partnered to create their version of the treat.
The new version will include a hand-pressed waffle cone filled with cinnamon ancho ice cream, dipped in chocolate and topped with toasted brown rice, Salt & Straw said in an Instagram post. The new Choco Taco will be served with custom sauce packets, including chocolate chili, cinnamon wild berry and mango jalapeño. The treat will also come with cheesecake dip.
The old version was also made with waffle cones, but it had vanilla ice cream with chocolate swirls and was dipped in chocolate and topped with peanut pieces.
Malek told The Oregonian that the collaboration began when he and Portland-based Salt & Straw’s other co-founder received a call from Taco Bell CEO Sean Tresvant. The outlet reported that Taco Bell has worked with Salt & Straw to develop an ice cream taco shell that does not get soggy.
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“There’s a lot of food science that we had to do,” Malek said. “They really have this army of both chefs but also food scientists.
The dessert will be available nationwide at Salt & Straw’s scoop shops and online for nationwide shipping. Salt & Straw has locations in California, Washington, Oregon, Florida and Nevada.
A specific date for the treat to return has not been announced. The treat will not be available at Taco Bell restaurants yet.