Frequently Asked Questions
For the Nutritional FAQ, click here.
Carvel FAQ
How long is a Carvel ice cream cake good for in my freezer?
Carvel ice cream cakes are made fresh everyday. The quality of all brands of ice cream stored in your home is dependent on the design of your home freezer. Over time, ice crystals form in ice cream which diminish the smooth texture and delicate flavors we all enjoy in ice cream products. While ice crystals are not harmful, we recommend you enjoy your Carvel ice cream cake within 7 days of purchase to ensure the highest quality in our products.
Can I get a Carvel ice cream cake custom made?
Carvel cakes can be custom ordered to your specifications at your local Carvel retail store. Custom flavors cannot be ordered through a supermarket, however many supermarket bakeries allow customers to bring a Carvel ice cream cake to the bakery to have it inscribed or decorated with a popular image or theme. Our branded supermarket freezers are stocked with a variety of our most popular cakes, which are made with layers of vanilla and chocolate ice cream and a layer of our famous chocolate crunchies. Other ice cream flavors can also be found in your local supermarket. For more information on available products, please visit our Carvel Products page.
Are Carvel products kosher?
Yes, all ingredients in Carvel products are kosher. Furthermore, all Carvel products available in supermarkets have been manufactured in a kosher certified facility. If you would like to know if your local Carvel store is kosher certified, please call the store directly and inquire if they hold a current certificate.
How much time do I need to place a special order for a Carvel ice cream cake?
Carvel stores are independently owned and operated, and policies may vary from store to store. Most Carvel stores can have your special order ready within 48 hours. Some stores may require a deposit when the order is placed.
Does Carvel make wedding cakes?
Some Carvel stores make wedding cakes. Inquiries on sizes, styles and prices should be directed to your local Carvel store. Wedding cakes are not available through supermarkets that carry our products.
Where can I purchase Carvel gift certificates?
Gift certificates can be purchased from participating Carvel locations or online through our web site.
Is it possible to tour a Carvel store or facility?
Policies and participation may vary between locations. A tour of your local Carvel shop should be arranged through the store owner or manager. Public tours of our Production Facilities are not available for sanitary and quality reasons.
Where can I purchase your famous Fudgie the Whale®, Hug Me the Bear® or Cookie Puss® cakes?
These cakes spark a fond memory for many people familiar with Carvel products. They are not currently available through supermarkets that carry our products, but many Carvel stores still make these famous character cakes. While these cakes may not be stocked daily, many Carvel stores have the ingredients and materials available to make this cake upon customer request. You may want to call ahead to determine if the product is available or can be made in time for your occasion.
Nutritional Frequently Asked Questions
Aspartame
Aspartame is only found in our no sugar added flavors.
Alcohol in Products
Most of the flavors added to our ice cream mixes contain alcohol. Alcohol is a common carrier for flavors and in the finished product is a very low level. The processing of our ice cream causes most of the alcohol to dissipate but we cannot guarantee that our products do not contain alcohol.
Allergens
Our products can contain peanuts and tree nuts (almonds, pistachios, walnuts, pecans) as well as egg, wheat, soy, and milk products.
Animal Products
The only animal products are milk and eggs. The mono and diglycerides are derived from soy, not from an animal source.
Corn Syrup
There is corn syrup in our chocolate and vanilla ice cream but it is not high fructose.
Eggs
Our vanilla ice cream contains egg yolks. The sherbet, chocolate, low fat chocolate, low fat vanilla, and no sugar added/low fat ice creams do not contain eggs but we can not guarantee that these are 100% egg free as they are made on the same equipment as the vanilla ice cream. We suggest you call one of our Carvel stores and ask what type of flavors of ice cream they can substitute for the vanilla ice cream. We have a variety of flavors that can be chosen depending on the store. Pasteurized eggs are also found in our Cupcakes, Brownies, Pound Cake and Lil' Rounder Cookies (Chocolate Chip, Double Chocolate Chip, Sugar)
Gluten?
Most of our ice creams are gluten-free. However, the chocolate crunchies that are found in our ice cream cakes are not gluten-free. If you contact a Carvel retail store nearest you, they will be more then happy to substitute the crunchies for something else, such as fudge.
The following items are Gluten Free:
- Almonds, diced
- Banana Pudding (used to make banana ice cream)
- Bittersweet Fudge
- Black Bordeaux Cherries
- Black Raspberry Puree
- Brown Bonnet
- Butter Flavor
- Butterfinger, ground
- Butterscotch Topping
- Caramel Fudge Topping
- Carvella Flavor
- Cheesecake Base Flavor
- Cherry Bonnet
- Chocolate Chips
- Chocolate Ice Cream
- Chocolate Pieces
- Chocolate Pre-Pak
- Chocolate Sprinkles
- Chocolate Syrup
- Citric Acid
- Coconut, toasted
- Coconut, white
- Coffee Flavor
- Confetti Sprinkles
- Edible Images
- Egg Nog Base
- Heath Bar, ground
- Lemon Sherbet Flavor
- Lime Sherbet Flavor
- Low Fat Chocolate Ice Cream
- Low Fat Vanilla Ice Cream
- Maple Flavor
- Maraschino Cherries, ½'s
- Maraschino Cherries, whole
- Marshmallow Topping
- Milk Fudge
- Mini M&M's
- Mint Flavor
- No Sugar Added Vanilla Ice Cream
- Orange Sherbet Flavor
- Peaches, diced
- Peanut Butter Topping
- Peanuts, granulated
- Pecans, chopped
- Pineapple Cubes
- Piping Gel
- Pistachio Flavor
- Praline Pecans
- Pumpkin Puree
- Rainbow, Sprinkles
- Reese's Peanut Butter Cup, ground
- Reese's Pieces
- Rum Flavor
- Sherbet
- Simple Syrup
- Strawberries
- Strawberry Pre-Pak
- Strawberry Puree
- Vanilla Ice Cream
- Walnuts, chopped
- Whip
- Whipped Cream
- White Bonnet
The following items contain gluten:
- Brownies
- Cake Cones
- Cake Mix Ice Cream
- Chocolate Crunch
- Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cereal (used in the
- Fried Ice Cream and Fried Ice Cream Arctic Blender)
- Cookie Dough Ice Cream and Topping
- Cookies and Cream ice cream and topping
- Cupcakes
- Flying Saucer Crackers
- Lil' Rounder Cookies (Chocolate Chip, Double
- Chocolate Chip, Sugar)
- Oreo Wafer Cookies (Introduced in the fall of 2009)
- Pound Cake
- Sugar Cones
- Vanilla Crunch
- Waffle Cone Dip
- Waffle Cones
Guar Gum?
Guar Gum is derived from a bean. It has the same qualities as corn starch but about 10 times as powerful.
Milk product
The milk found in all our ice cream is pasteurized and in a liquid form.
Mono and Diglycerides
Mono and Diglycerides are fats (oils) made from plant sources (soybean, cottonseed, sunflower or palm oil). The Mono and Diglycerides found in our ice cream is Refined, Bleached, and Deodorized soybean oil (RBD Soybean Oil).
Nuts Question
Our stores are not nut free.
The following products contain nuts:
- Almonds, diced
- Peanuts, granulated
- Pistachios
- Heath Bar, ground
- Walnuts, chopped
- Reese's
- Peanut Butter Cups ground
- Peanut Butter Topping
- Pecans, chopped,
The following items contain traces of nuts or are made in a plant that also produces products that contain nuts:
- Lil' Rounder Cookies
Sherbet
Sherbet does contain milk.
Italian Ice
Our Italian ice does not contain milk.
Sorbitol
There is Sorbitol in our regular ice cream. Polysorbates 65 and 80 are derived from Sorbitol. Sorbitol is obtained from direct hydrogenation of corn (maize) sugar.
Soy
Soy is found in many of our products in the form of soybean oil, soy lecithin, and mono & diglycerides.
The following items contain soy:
- Banana Pudding (used to make banana ice cream)
- Bittersweet Fudge
- Brown Bonnet
- Brownie Bites
- Butterfinger, ground
- Butterscotch
- Cake Cones
- Cake Mix Ice Cream
- Cherry bonnet
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
- Chocolate Crunch (Crunchies)
- Chocolate Drops
- Chocolate Flakes
- Chocolate Flavor Syrup
- Chocolate Ice Cream
- Chocolate Sprinkles
- Chopped pecans (roasted in soybean oil)
- Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cereal (used in the Fried Ice Cream and Fried Ice Cream Arctic Blender)
- Confetti Sprinkles
- Cookies and Cream, ground
- Cupcakes
- Flying Saucer Cracker
- Heath Bar, ground
- Lil' Rounder Cookies (Chocolate Chip, Double Chocolate Chip, Sugar)
- Low Fat Chocolate Ice Cream
- Low Fat Vanilla Ice Cream
- M&M's, mini
- Milk Fudge
- No Sugar Added Ice Cream
- Oreo Wafer Cookies (Introduced in the fall of 2009)
- Rainbow Sprinkles
- Reese's Pieces
- Sherbet
- Sugar Cones
- Vanilla Crunch
- Vanilla Ice Cream
- Waffle Cone Dip
- Waffle Cones
- Whip
- White Bonnet
Sugars in our No Sugar Added/Low Fat Ice Cream
The sweeteners used in Carvel No Sugar Added/Low Fat ice cream are Lactitol, Acesulfame Potassium, and Aspartame.
Sugar Free
We do not have a Sugar Free product. We do have a No Sugar Added Vanilla that our Carvel retail stores can make different flavors with. But it is NOT Sugar free, it has natural sugars in it from the milk.
Questions? Comments?
Call us toll free Monday through Friday, 8-5 eastern- standard time at 1-800-322-4848, or email us at custsvcs@focusbrands.com