Scoop of Innovation: Bubbies Ice Cream VP of Marketing Talks Portfolio Expansion

Bubbies Ice Cream recently expanded its portfolio of frozen novelties with the addition of Mini Ice Cream Cookie Sandwiches, bringing the brand beyond its flagship mochi product.

Offered in two flavors at launch – Key Lime Pie and Strawberry Shortcake – the frozen treat is crafted with Bubbies’ signature family ice cream recipe with soft, golden cookies. Both varieties are exclusively available at Sprouts Farmers Market nationwide and carry a SRP of $6.99-$7.99 per 6-count box.

Ice cream and frozen novelties are the most purchased frozen categories in the U.S., according to Conagra Brands’ report, “The Future of Frozen Food 2025.” We sat down with Katie Cline, VP of Marketing at Bubbies Ice Cream, to learn more about the new product launch and how it fits into the 40-year-old brand’s broader growth strategy.

How did you know the time was right to expand your product line?

We’ve been wanting to take the brand outside of mochi in the retail space for a while. Since the brand’s inception in 1985 our core has and always will be super premium ice cream, and our mission is to deliver new paths to ice cream paradise, and we believe this is a natural way to do that with unique flavors and smaller formats.

We wanted to go beyond the traditional flavors in the sandwich space, which is driven by chocolate and vanilla. We see fruit-forward flavors on the rise, along with nostalgic flavor combinations mimicking some of our favorite desserts.

Can you walk us through the R&D process for the Mini Ice Cream Cookie Sandwiches? How long did it take and what were the key factors in the decision-making process?

It took more iterations than we would have liked, but sometimes the best things are worth the wait. Our competency is super premium ice cream, so that was the easy part. What we set out to do was create the best-tasting cookie that doesn’t overpower the ice cream but complements it with the ability to emulate nostalgic flavor profiles.

We had to get the texture right, not too soft, not too crunchy. So, after some trial and error, as cookies change in taste and texture over time as they sit next to the ice cream, we finally found the right formula. Once that was done, the rest was easy.

Why was Sprouts the right launch partner for this product? Additionally, were your retail partners asking for more innovation?

Along with many retail partners, we’ve been extremely fortunate to have such a great relationship with Sprouts over the years. We’ve seen so much success with our brand in their store; it was a natural fit to introduce our mini ice cream sandwiches on their shelves.

We had several retail partners ask us for more innovation, and we’re excited to be able to provide options in both new flavors and formats. We have a robust pipeline of innovation in the works and are very strategic and methodical on when and where we launch as we continue to also focus on growing our core portfolio.

How does the brand plan to stand out in the crowded ice cream sandwich category, especially against legacy players?

Flavor and taste win in this category, and we think we’ve done a great job delivering that. We are differentiating our product offering by size and flavor, texture and taste at the forefront. Our “super premium” ice cream is more than just a marketing descriptor; it’s a definition in the ice cream industry based on overrun (air in the ice cream) and butterfat.

Our high butterfat and lower overrun delivers a creamy, decadent taste and texture, and with our high-end ingredients like leveraging real fruit puree, we think our product will stand out even against the largest players in the space.

How will you continue to nurture and support the growth of your core mochi ice cream line while also promoting these new products?

We see our new line as being incremental to our portfolio and also providing another entry for consumers to the brand, including those who may have been hesitant to try mochi.