Ben & Jerry’s is known for their decadent and indulgent ice cream flavors. Many of their sundaes are loaded with toppings and can pack a huge caloric punch. But do they have any sundaes that actually add up to a whopping 14,000 calories? Let’s investigate some of Ben & Jerry’s most calorie-laden treats to see if we can find a sundae with that massive amount of calories.
The Vermonster Sundae
One of the most famous Ben & Jerry’s sundaes is the Vermonster, available at their scoop shops. This massive sundae contains 20 scoops of ice cream, 4 bananas, 4 ladles of hot fudge, 3 chocolate chip cookies, 10 scoops of nuts, 2 scoops each of 4 toppings, and whipped cream and marshmallow topping.
To calculate the calories in a Vermonster Sundae, we need to break down each component:
- 20 scoops of ice cream: A standard Ben & Jerry’s scoop is about 1/2 cup. With 20 scoops, that’s 10 cups of ice cream. Assuming a flavor like Chocolate Fudge Brownie which has 280 calories per 1/2 cup serving, 10 cups would contain 5,600 calories.
- 4 bananas: Each medium banana has about 100 calories, so 4 bananas is 400 calories.
- 4 ladles of hot fudge: A 2 tablespoon serving of Ben & Jerry’s Hot Fudge has 200 calories. Assuming a ladle is about 1/4 cup or 4 tablespoons, 4 ladles would have 1,600 calories.
- 3 chocolate chip cookies: Ben & Jerry’s chocolate chip cookies are about 480 calories each, so 3 is 1,440 calories.
- 10 scoops of nuts: Let’s assume walnuts, which are about 200 calories per 1/4 cup scoop. 10 scoops would be 2,000 calories.
- 8 scoops of toppings: Toppings like caramel swirl and cookie dough bites are roughly 200-300 calories per 1/2 cup scoop. 8 scoops of assorted toppings would add about 1,600 – 2,400 calories.
- Whipped cream: This adds about 50 calories per serving, so let’s estimate 100 calories total.
- Marshmallow topping: About 40 calories per 2 tablespoon serving, so maybe 100 calories total.
Adding up the low estimates, the Vermonster Sundae has around 13,240 calories. Using the higher estimates for toppings, it could potentially get up to about 13,640 calories. So while extremely high in calories, it likely doesn’t quite add up to a full 14,000 calories.
The Sweet Tooth Special Sundae
While not officially on their menu, some Ben & Jerry’s scoop shops have created extravagant specialty sundaes. One example is the Sweet Tooth Special, which contains 30 scoops of ice cream with unlimited toppings.
Building a Sweet Tooth Special with the same components and amounts as a Vermonster but adding on 10 more scoops of ice cream would look like this:
- 30 scoops ice cream: 15,000 calories
- 4 bananas: 400 calories
- 4 ladles hot fudge: 1,600 calories
- 3 chocolate chip cookies: 1,440 calories
- 10 scoops nuts: 2,000 calories
- 8 scoops toppings: 1,600 – 2,400 calories
- Whipped cream & marshmallow: 200 calories
The calorie totals for a Sweet Tooth Special Sundae would range from about 22,240 on the low end to 23,040 calories on the high end if fully loaded with toppings. So while not quite reaching 14,000 calories, this extreme sundae with 30 scoops of ice cream certainly gets close!
The Kitchen Sink Sundae
Some Ben & Jerry’s locations have served up a “Kitchen Sink” sundae challenge, inviting customers to create the most outrageous sundae imaginable with unlimited mix-ins. If someone really went all out, could they potentially reach 14,000 calories?
Let’s brainstorm the most calorie-dense sundae we can imagine:
- 40 scoops of ice cream: 20,000 calories
- 10 bananas: 1,000 calories
- 8 ladles hot fudge: 3,200 calories
- 5 brownies: 2,500 calories (assuming 500 calorie brownies)
- 20 scoops nuts: 4,000 calories
- 20 scoops toppings: 4,000 – 6,000 calories
- Extra whipped cream, sprinkles, marshmallow: 500 calories
The totals for this epic Kitchen Sink Sundae would range from around 35,200 calories on the low end to 36,700 calories if loaded up with high-calorie toppings like cookie dough. So with extreme quantities of mix-ins, it does seem possible for a Ben & Jerry’s sundae to clock in at over 14,000 calories!
The Sundae of Champions
If a Ben & Jerry’s location really wanted to create a 14,000 calorie sundae, they could develop something like a “Sundae of Champions” with these insane amounts of ingredients:
- 60 scoops of ice cream: 30,000 calories
- 20 bananas: 2,000 calories
- 10 ladles hot fudge: 4,000 calories
- 10 brownies: 5,000 calories
- 30 scoops nuts: 6,000 calories
- 30 scoops toppings: 6,000 – 9,000 calories
- Lots of whipped cream, sprinkles, marshmallow: 1,000 calories
This would yield a total between 54,000 and 59,000 calories, well exceeding the 14,000 calorie goal. While the Sundae of Champions isn’t an official menu item, it shows that creating a 14,000 calorie Ben & Jerry’s sundae is theoretically possible by combining enormous amounts of ingredients.
Could a Real Person Actually Eat a 14,000 Calorie Sundae?
While Ben & Jerry’s could make a sundae with 14,000 calories, no normal person could reasonably finish it in one sitting. Some key facts about consuming so many calories at once:
- The average adult’s stomach capacity is about 1 liter or 1,000 ml. Extreme eaters can stretch their stomachs to hold more, but capacity is still limited.
- There are about 4 calories in 1 gram of food. So 14,000 calories would require eating 3,500 grams or 3.5 kg of food.
- Even with a very expanded stomach, capacity would max out well under the 3.5 kg required to hold a 14,000 calorie sundae.
- Attempting to consume that many calories at once could result in stomach rupture, requiring emergency medical treatment.
- The body’s digestive system is not designed to handle so much food in one sitting. Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and other issues would likely occur.
While professional competitive eaters can train to increase capacity, the human body has physical limits that make consuming 14,000 calories of ice cream impossible. Any sundae with that many calories would be several gallons and impossible for a person to finish on their own.
World’s Largest Ice Cream Sundaes
While no sundae with 14,000+ calories exists on the Ben & Jerry’s menu, some other restaurants and groups have created giant sundaes for publicity and charity events. For example:
- A Wisconsin dairy group made a sundae weighing 34,000 pounds including 21,000 pounds of frozen custard. It was certified by Guinness World Records in 2013 as the world’s largest ice cream sundae.
- A shop in Pennsylvania created a 9,000 pound sundae in 2010. It included 4,667 pounds of ice cream and around 29 million calories.
- In 2014 an ice cream shop in Las Vegas created a frozen dessert weighing 8,550 pounds. It didn’t meet Guinness criteria but was intended to promote Breast Cancer Awareness month.
While these massive sundaes used thousands of pounds of ice cream, they weren’t actually intended to be eaten. The portions would be impossible for a person or group to consume. The giant desserts were purely for publicity and fundraising events.
Takeaways on Ben & Jerry’s 14,000 Calorie Sundaes
In summary, here are some key points on Ben & Jerry’s sundaes with 14,000 calories:
- No current Ben & Jerry’s menu item comes close to 14,000 calories. The Vermonster is one of the highest at around 13,000 calories.
- Some specialty sundaes like the Sweet Tooth Special could potentially reach over 14,000 calories with enough mix-ins.
- Theoretically, a customized “Kitchen Sink” or “Sundae of Champions” could exceed 14,000 calories with huge amounts of ingredients.
- Actually consuming a sundae with so many calories would be physically impossible for a human stomach.
- Giant world record sundaes have used thousands of pounds of ice cream but have been publicity stunts, not intended for eating.
While Ben & Jerry’s serves some of the most indulgent sundaes around, creating a 14,000 calorie version would be impractical. Their official menu tops out well below that level. But food challenges have shown that with unlimited mix-ins, giant high-calorie sundaes can be constructed.
Conclusion
In summary, Ben & Jerry’s does not officially offer any sundaes with close to 14,000 calories. However, it’s theoretically possible to construct a sundae with that many calories by combining insane amounts of ingredients like 60+ scoops of ice cream, dozens of toppings, and other high-calorie mix-ins. World record attempts have created even bigger frozen desserts weighing thousands of pounds for publicity stunts. But no human could actually consume a sundae anywhere close to 14,000 calories due to the physical limitations of stomach capacity. While Ben & Jerry’s and other restaurants can make absurdly large sundaes, a person eating one is out of the realm of possibility.
