Choco Tacos Are Officially Back
After Klondike discontinued the Choco Taco in 2022, the beloved ice cream treat is set to return thanks to Taco Bell and Salt & Straw.
The Choco Taco is getting a breath of new life. More than a year after Klondike upset fans by discontinuing the iconic ice cream treat, sparking a widespread movement to save the chilled dessert, Taco Bell has teamed up with Portland-based ice cream company Salt & Straw to bring the Chaco Taco back. Later this year, the two companies will roll out the Ice Cream Chocolate Taco, "an ode to the childhood treat everyone knows and loves."
A reimagination of the classic Choco Taco that is described as "revolutionizing the ice cream taco," the Ice Cream Chocolate Taco is made with hand-pressed waffle cones dipped in chocolate, just like the original. Where the Ice Cream Chocolate Taco from Klondike's Choco Taco is the ice cream filling, the new iteration of the dessert swapping the traditional ice cream for fresh-made cinnamon ancho ice cream. The treat is also toasted brown rice as opposed to peanuts and served with a variety of sweet sauces and dips, Taco Bell said. When Salt & Straw gave fans a first look at the upcoming menu addition on Instagram, the company teased a tangy cheesecake dip and packets of Chocolate Chili, Cinnamon Wild Berry and Mango Jalapeño, sauce.
Marking one of several partnerships between the fast food restaurant chain and other companies, the Ice Cream Chocolate Taco is set to debut more than a year after Klondike announced that it would be discontinuing the beloved Choco Taco in 2022. Addressing the unpopular decision at the time, the brand told USA TODAY that "over the past 2 years, we have experienced an unprecedented spike in demand across our portfolio and have had to make very tough decisions to ensure availability of our full portfolio nationwide." Among those tough decisions was the decision to ax the Choco Taco, which had been a staple for nearly 40 years, a move that sparked immediate upset.
Bringing a new version of the Choco Taco back was made possible after Taco Bell CEO Sean Tresvan approached Salt & Straw co-founder and head ice cream maker Tyler Malek and his co-founder Kim Malek. Malek told The Oregonian that Taco Bell's food scientists and chefs are currently working with Salt & Straw to perfect the Ice Cream Chocolate Taco, which, according to a statement from a Salt & Straw representative is "an ode to the childhood treat everyone knows and loves, reimagined through the Salt & Straw lens of using innovative flavors and ingredients."
Neither Taco Bell nor Salt & Straw have revealed when exactly the Ice Cream Chocolate Taco will hit Taco Bell menus. In its announcement amid its Live Más LIVE event in Las Vegas, Taco Bell teased that fans "should keep an eye out later this year for more details of when they can get their hands on a Taco Bell x Salt & Straw Ice Cream Chocolate Taco."