Last Updated on August 2, 2022 by Jim Edwards
Have you heard of Smize Cream and do you know the scoop behind this ice cream? It’s Tyra Banks’ new ice cream brand that is about to hit a grocery store near you in July 2021!
We have the whole scoop…
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The History of Smize Cream
Tyra Banks, the famous model, TV host, and entrepreneur, has been thinking about launching an ice cream brand for many years. And earlier this year, during the Covid-19 epidemic, she finally did a soft launch of a small store to test out the concept. And she had so much success that it sold out…more than once!
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Tyra said she began working on this idea almost 15 years ago. While growing up she used to bond with her mom while eating ice cream and that gave her many fond memories.
As she recently told People Magazine:
“Ice cream makes me happy. I used to bond with my mama [while eating it],” she says. “We used to go to Häagen-Dazs on Friday nights and sit in the car and I’d eat my coffee ice cream and she’d eat her chocolate and we talk about everything.” –Tyra Banks
Tyra Banks Launches Her Own Ice Cream Company
Tyra appeared on Kelly and Ryan to discuss how she came up with the idea for her new ice cream company. If you want to hear her story in her own words, its worth a watch.
Currently, the ice cream is only available at the Santa Monica store, but in a few days in early July 2021, it will become available nationwide in grocery stores.
Originally the ice cream was going to be part of her ModelLand theme park (which is also at Santa Monica Place) but the COVID-19 pandemic delayed the opening. They decided to pivot the business focus and open the small ice cream shop instead. So now you know, when you hear Smize Cream you will know it’s the Tyra Banks Ice Cream!
“Ice Cream Makes Me Happy” – Tyra Banks
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Smize Cream Flavors
SMiZE Cream is available in many luscious and mouth-watering flavors, including seasonal ones that have limited availability
Purple Cookie Mon-Star & Me
This looks like a fun flavor. It has the purple salted sweet cream base with added Oreo pieces. This looks like a massive sweet sugar rush! The cookie dough surprize is a chunk of cookies & cream cookie dough.
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Chocolate Barbecue
Smoked Chocolate Ice Cream with Gooey Chew Brownies and roasted almonds.
The cookie dough surprise in this flavor is called “Banging’ Bourbon” (non-alcoholic)
Salted Caramel King
This is a very flavorful salted caramel. If you like salted caramel you will love it. It features salted sweet cream ice cream with butter-roasted pecans and rich salted caramel butter. The cookie dough surprize is Caramel Pecan.
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The Best Vanilla I Ever Had
This is by far the simplest flavor of the bunch. It’s a very solid, flavorful vanilla. If you want the least sweet option (like me!) this is the one to go with. It features a luscious Vanilla Custard-Style Ice cream with a Cereal Cookie Dough Surprize.
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Brownies, I Love You
If you want a rich chocolate option, this is a delight. It contains gooey, chewy baked brownies and brownie batter bites…all mixed into chocolate ice cream. It is a sweet and rich chocolate blend of flavors. If you like the Ben & Jerry’s complex flavors, you will like this one too.
It features milk chocolate ice cream with gooey chew brownies and brownie batter bites luscious fudge. And get this…the cookie dough surprize is Chocolate Blueberry!
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Strawberry BirthYAY! Cake
Okay, not gonna lie, but this was way too sweet for me. But if I was like 5 years old, I would be in sugar heaven.
This has a flavorful strawberry base. But then they have cake and sprinkles mixed in. It’s very colorful and that of course means it is great for Instagram too!
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Caramel Cookie Queen
Caramel ice cream with cookies. This is for all the girls and women that call themselves “Queens” – I think this will be a massive hit! It features a Vanilla Ice Cream base with caramel butter cookies and a salted caramel swirl! The cookie dough surprize is caramel toffee.
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Limited Edition – Holiday 2021 Flavors
My Mamas Peach Cobbler Tastes Better Than Yo Mama’s
This is an AMAZING flavor if you like peach cobbler. It has Patti Labelle’s Peach cobbler that is sauteed with secret bangin’ butter sauce, then tossed with salted crispy crumble to give it a luscious crunch. And then it is blended into he creamy vanilla frozen custard base.
What’s the smize surprise in this flavor? it is a Sock-it-to-me truffle that is drenched in salted caramel.
Whisky Nog
If you like egg nog and whisky you will LOVE this one!
They mix whisky and eggnog flavors into their frozen custard, added spiced up pecans and 2 different Cookes – White Chocolate Eggnog and Cinnamon Shortbread.
This is topped off with a Dulce de Leche drizzle
The Smize Surprise at the bottom is a gooey Pecan Pie Truffle.
If you love sweet, this is the sweetest flavor they offer. Warning – it’s very sweet though!
What is the “Smize Surprise?”
Yah, I was totally curious about this too.
It turns out there is another cool unique thing about Tyra’s Ice Cream…
This is one of the cool things that Tyra talks about when promoting her Smize Cream. The idea is to have a surprise in EVERY SERVING!
There is a golf ball size dollop of cookie dough that is covered in white chocolate. The flavor of the cookie dough changes depending on what ice cream flavor you are eating.
It’s a very creative idea, don’t you think? And Tyra says it is a “lil’ reward for hustling’ all the way down” to the bottom of the ice cream. Watch this IG post to hear her explain how she got the idea originally and explain it in her own words.
Here is a close up of what it looks like while they make it. Looks really fun and tasty to me!
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Limited Edition Halloween Flavor: WiTCH, PLEASE!
Tyra just announced a new limited edition flavor and it is ONLY available at the shop in Los Angeles!
Haven’t tried it yet because it just came out but here’s the scoop:
It is a naturally colored creamy GREEN vanilla ice cream. The ice cream is filled with Halloween OREO cookie pieces and roasted marshmallow swirls! And then of course a cookie dough secret surprise on the bottom.
This one is super sweet – so all kids and everyone with a sweet tooth will love it!
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Pride Month Special Flavors (June 2022) – Yaaas Serve us S’More
To Celebrate pride for the LGBTQ community, Smize rolled out new flavors which are colorful and flavorful! They are available in a 6 pack through Goldbelly.
Each order contains this 6 pack with extras.
5 Containers of “Yaaas, Serve Us S’More” Ice Cream (Comes in 5 different colors)
- Orange Extravaganza
- Yum Yum Yellow
- Come Through Blue
- Power Pink
- Give Me Life Green
- 1 Container of Lionel Richie’s “All Night Love” Vanilla Salted Caramel Ice Cream
Each container weighs 14 oz.
Extra bonuses:
- Keepsake double-sided SMiZE Cream poster + Goalz & Dreamz card + Page of SMiZE Cream Stickers
- An AR Experience on each container that brings your ice cream to life!
- Choose to add on a Digger Spoon (each 6″)
- Cute Digger Spoon to help you dig for that yummy Truffle Surprize we hid inside every cup!
What’s the yummy Surprise at the bottom?
Lots of rich chocolate hearts to celebrate love!
Smize Store Closing (December 2021)
Sad to say, but the breaking news today is that the Smize Santa Monica store is closing. We are sad to see this happen. The store was originally intended to help provide a place to test the concept and it succeeded in that regard. Moving forward, the shop will be online only!
Tyra Banks Teaches Us What a Smize Is
Tyra first coined the term “Smize” (to “smile with your eyes”) while she was hosting America’s Next Top Model.
In this fun video clip from the Drew Show, Tyra Banks teaches Drew Barrymore what a smize is and how to do it! She walks Drew through the “art of the smize” and also discusses her new ice cream launch.
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SMiZE Cream Taste Test
Jaydius loves Tyra and in this video he reviews her Smize Cream. He reviews all five flavors of Smize. Worth a watch if you want to see it up close and hear his honest opinion!
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Smize Cream Grand Opening in Santa Monica on July 2nd 2021
The official store grand opening was on July 2, 2021. We were there and have this amazing video of Tyra speaking about how she got the idea and inspiration for the store. And she also introduced Dr. Maya Warren who was the food chemist that helped Tyra create the delicious flavors.
Tyra asked the crowd “Who wants some Smize Cream?” and all hands went up and the crowd went crazy!
SMiZE Cream Location and Store Hours
Tyra’s store is at Santa Monica Place. The address is 395 Santa Monica Place #155. Santa Monica, CA 90401. You can’t miss the store, it is in a little kiosk in the center of the mall, on the ground floor (right by the escalators).
The current hours, as of July 2021 are:
| Friday | 1–9PM |
| Saturday | 12–9PM |
| Sunday | 12–9PM |
| Monday | 1–9PM |
| Tuesday | 1–9PM |
| Wednesday | 1–9PM |
| Thursday | 1–9PM |
Smize Cream Store Pictures
If you are in Santa Monica, you will see signs on the outside of the mall that will entice you to check out the store. And note that ModelLand (Tyra’s other business) is right above the sign.
You can follow Smize Cream on Instagram at @smize
Finally, if you would like more Tyra inspiration, here are some Inspiring Tyra Banks Quotes
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I’m Jim Edwards and I started this website to share my love of Junk Food. We cover new junk food, desserts, snack foods, fast food secret menus, candy (of course!) and other related news. We love trying “secret menus” at restaurants. And we love trying new products too. So, we are trying to have some fun with our hobby and share some useful information with you, our community. Please feel to send us your suggestions and feedback through the contact form. And if you have products you would like us to try, let us know…!