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Salt & Straw Rolls Out Upcycled Ice Creams
April 4, 2025, 3:10.27 am ET

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Salt & Straw is once again redefining how we think about dessert and sustainability with the return of its Upcycled Foods Series, launching April 4th in scoop shops and via nationwide shipping. Now in its third year, this Earth Month initiative is part of Salt & Straw’s larger mission to combat food waste in the U.S., where millions of pounds of edible food are discarded annually.

Co-founder and head ice cream innovator Tyler Malek has teamed up with seven forward-thinking partners to transform often-overlooked ingredients—like overripe bananas, dried stone fruits, and even sourdough bread—into imaginative, crave-worthy ice cream flavors. To date, the Upcycled Series has rescued nearly 50,000 pounds of food waste, turning trash into truly treasure-worthy treats.

Here’s a closer look at this year’s flavor lineup:

• Malted Potato Chip Cupcake
Partners: Uglies Kettle Potato Chips & Renewal Mill
Food Waste Rescued: 2,862+ lbs
What’s Inside: Malty chocolate barley milk ice cream packed with fudgy chocolate-glazed cupcakes and chocolate-dipped Uglies potato chips, finished with a thick ribbon of caramel.

• Coffee and Stone Fruit Marmalade
Partners: Atomo Coffee & Hello! I’m Ugly
Food Waste Rescued: 1,657+ lbs
What’s Inside: Robust ice cream made from Atomo’s 50/50 beanless + Arabica coffee blend, swirled with a jammy marmalade of dried nectarines and apricots.

• Salted Grapefruit Coconut Julep
Partner: Wheyward Spirit
Food Waste Rescued: 1,191+ lbs
What’s Inside: A tropical twist on a Derby classic featuring coconut cream, tangy cacao pulp, and salted grapefruit ‘julep’ churned with ‘wheyskey’ from Wheyward Spirit.

• Banana Parsnip Sherbet
Partner: Urban Gleaners
Food Waste Rescued: 1,189+ lbs
What’s Inside: Rescued bananas roasted with cinnamon and honey, blended with parsnips, cream, vanilla, and a splash of bourbon for a rich, velvety sherbet.

• Sourdough and Olive Oil Chocolate (v)
Partner: Evergrain
Food Waste Rescued: 1,095+ lbs
What’s Inside: Malty chocolate barley milk ice cream with Arbequina olive oil and candied chunks of sourdough bread—a sweet take on the French classic, pain au chocolat.

To sweeten the impact even further, Salt & Straw will offer FREE waffle cones on Earth Day (April 22) with the purchase of a single scoop.

And starting this month, the company will also roll out 5-ounce certified compostable scoop cups across all locations—reducing 28,000 pounds of paper waste annually without changing the portion size.

With its Upcycled Foods Series, Salt & Straw continues to prove that fighting food waste can be as delicious as it is impactful.



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