TikTokers left Nestlé Drumstick style ice cream cones sitting out at room temp for 24 hours, waiting for them to turn into a melty mess. The results were baffling. Allegedly, those treats refused to fully liquify! Cue the viral conspiracy theories and weird sci-fi music - just what ARE these frozen desserts made of if they don't deconstruct under higher temperatures? TikTok is having an ice cream meltdown trying to get answers.
It's not just Drumsticks, either. Videos show cone-based treats from Trader Joe's, Target, and more pulling the same unmelted stunt after spending a day outside the freezer. The culprits seem to be novelty ice cream cones and ice cream sandwiches Whereas tub ice creams turn into soup when neglected, these portable treats keep their structural integrity far longer than expected.
Before you throw away those treats in horror, the experts are here to calm your brain freeze. Dietitians say it all comes down to stabilizers and emulsifiers - additives that help these treats keep their shape while in a cone. It's still real ice cream, but with a few extra ingredients to maintain structure when transported from cone to mouth. The "frozen dairy dessert" label is a clue that these have a slightly different ingredient list than plain old ice cream from a carton.
So breathe easy and keep reaching for those portable ice cream snacks! Just know there's some food science behind why they don't devolve into a drippy puddle immediately.
@kaitlinspoon This is not ice cream! #nestle #drumstick ♬ original sound - Kaitlin Spoon