Hey there, Disney snack friends! Even though we’re well into the swing of drooling over Fall flavors and everything pumpkin spice, the newest range of ice cream flavors at Downtown Disney and Disney Springs has something a little more traditional in mind for us first.
A trip to either of these dining and entertainment districts is never complete for my family without a stop at our favorite ice cream location, Salt & Straw. It’s one of those places where I reserve the right to indulge in a little deliciousness, knowing that I’m probably going to burn off at least some of those calories with a dramatically increased step count later!
So, of course, I’m always keeping an eye on the new monthly flavor offerings and dreaming about which delicious combination I’m going to try next. And while I’ve been busy putting together my Fall flavor wish lists with all the new seasonal menu options popping up across the Disney Parks, I’m excited to see that apples are taking center stage in the ice cream stakes with five limited-time flavors.
Now comes the difficult part. How on earth am I supposed to choose just one? I want to try every single one. Let’s take a look!
Apple Cider Donut
Imagine an afternoon spent apple picking. You grab a bag of warm apple cider donuts fresh from the farm stand, and lick the sugar from your fingertips. This is the feeling Sidecar Doughnuts captures in every bite of their soulful apple cider cake doughnut. Our longtime friends lent us their recipe to bring you fall festival vibes in ice cream form. Stripes of cinnamon-spiced vanilla caramel run thick through royal icing-inspired ice cream, dotted with hunks of sugar-and-spice, streusel-topped doughnuts for a pint you’ll be tempted to take home by the dozen.
Apple and Cheddar Cinnamon Rolls
Back by popular demand, it’s our apple-infused take on cinnamon rolls. Stuffed with gobs of rich, gooey cinnamon and spiced apple pie filling, the pillowy cinnamon roll dough is baked until soft and bursting with flavor. We dice up the sweet rolls and scatter them throughout a tangy Beecher’s Flagship Cheese ice cream. With its subtle sharpness, the ice cream evokes a classic cream cheese frosting oozing over the freshly baked bread. To tie it all together, more ooey-gooey cinnamon swirls throughout, creating a scoop that could only be made better with sips of apple cider between bites.
Salted Caramel Apple Pie
A cozy, autumnal mashup of everything you love about pie night—minus the oven. Our rich salted caramel ice cream gets a gentle whisper of fresh apple running throughout, then takes a turn through ribbons of warmly spiced apple filling, thick with notes of cinnamon and nutmeg. Folded in are buttery, flakey pieces of pie crust, adding that essential crumbly bite you’d expect from the perfect slice. A touch of sea salt ties it all together, balancing the sweetness for that classic salty-sweet finish in every scoop.
Vanilla Apple Custard Tart
Peak fall, made doubly decadent. We started with a French classic: Tarte Normande. Silky, rich custard layered with tart Granny Smith apples, all nestled into a housemade cinnamon shortbread crust. Baked until golden and gloriously jiggly, then folded, bite by bite, into a dense vanilla custard ice cream spiked with apple cider. Yes, that’s custard inside custard, wrapped in warm spices and unapologetically indulgent. Très extra.
Hoppy Apple Cider Sorbet (v)
A celebration of a single, fermented cider from Finnriver, the cidery leading the Pacific Northwest’s hard cider renaissance. Washington dessert apples are juiced, fermented to dry, then steeped with Cascade hops for up to three days, resulting in a crisp, refreshing cider layered with floral and citrus notes. We set out to capture its bright, grassy character in a scoop, churning gallons of the cider with sugar and amplifying it with additional Centennial and Amarillo hops. The result: an homage to the region’s annual apple and hop harvests—and one very special sorbet.
How do you even narrow that down? All I know is that I am starting with the Salted Caramel Apple Pie and working my way through from there. You can find Salt & Straw at the Disney Springs area of the Walt Disney World Resort and the Downtown Disney area of the Disneyland Resort.
