nutribullet has named Protein Caramel Horchata Ice Cream its first-ever Flavor of the Year, capping a multicountry recipe campaign that pitted globally inspired frozen dessert creations against one another in a consumer vote. The Spanish-inspired entry — a dairy-free blend of cinnamon, dates, and caramel notes with an added protein boost — beat out contenders representing Canada, Poland, Thailand, and Australia/New Zealand, among others.
The Campaign Behind It
The selection emerged from nutribullet's "Scoops Around the World" initiative, which featured content creators from the U.S., Italy, the U.K., Mexico, and the Philippines developing regional recipes. The campaign was designed to generate engagement around the brand's new Chill™ appliance — its first dedicated frozen dessert machine — while testing consumer appetite for better-for-you frozen formats. The horchata recipe carries no refined sugar and is positioned squarely in the high-protein, permissible-indulgence segment that has reshaped grocery freezer sets and foodservice dessert menus over the past two years.
"Spain's Protein Caramel Horchata Ice Cream completely captured the hearts and taste buds of our community because it delivers everything modern food lovers want: nostalgic flavor, cultural storytelling, and better-for-you ingredients without sacrificing an ounce of creamy richness," said Mallory Jurich, VP of Marketing at Capital Brands.
The Appliance Play
The recipe is built around the nutribullet Chill™ Ice Cream Maker, the brand's entry into the countertop frozen dessert appliance category. The unit features proprietary 360DoubleCream™ Blade Technology — a double-sided blade with dual-direction rotation — and five one-touch presets covering gelato, ice cream, sorbet, frozen yogurt, and smoothie bowls. An insulated double-walled freeze bowl and dishwasher-safe parts round out the design.
For foodservice operators and retail-adjacent brands, the appliance launch signals continued consumer investment in at-home frozen dessert production — a trend with direct implications for ingredient suppliers and flavor developers targeting the better-for-you dessert segment. The protein-fortified, dairy-free positioning aligns with formulation priorities that have migrated from specialty retail into QSR and fast-casual dessert dayparts, where operators are under pressure to expand menu options for health-conscious and allergen-aware guests.
The full Protein Caramel Horchata Ice Cream recipe is available at nutribullet.com, alongside the broader Scoops Around the World collection.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
