If you’ve been scrolling Disney foodie TikTok lately, chances are you’ve already seen THIS dessert.
The now-viral Cookie Dough Brownie Ice Cream Sandwich at Disney’s Animal Kingdom has quickly become one of the most talked-about snacks at Walt Disney World — with guests lining up daily at Terra Treats just to grab one before they sell out. But now, Disney is sharing the story behind how the wildly popular dessert was created.
According to Disney, the dessert was brought to life by Pastry Chef Kellie Matthews and Pastry Cook Joe Vella, two Disney cast members whose professional journeys first crossed years ago at Disney’s Contemporary Resort back in 2018. At the time, Vella had just started his Disney career as a cook while Matthews was working as an Assistant Sous Chef.
Nearly a decade later, the pair reunited at Disney’s Animal Kingdom and began collaborating on what would eventually become one of the park’s breakout viral snacks.
For Matthews, the inspiration behind the Cookie Dough Brownie Ice Cream Sandwich came from childhood nostalgia. Disney says she often pulls from personal memories when developing desserts, and cookie dough (one of her longtime favorite treats) became the starting point for the concept. She also drew inspiration from classic 1940s-style ice cream truck treats wrapped in parchment paper.
Turning that nostalgic idea into a dessert capable of serving thousands of guests each day, however, became a major challenge. Vella helped tackle the logistics side of the project, working through melting points, transportation concerns, and production consistency as the team tested multiple versions of the dessert before landing on the final product.
According to Disney, Matthews immediately knew the dessert was special after assembling the first successful version. In Disney’s “Behind the Bite” feature, she recalled cutting into the sandwich and realizing “I struck gold” before taking a bite and screaming from excitement.
Vella also predicted the now-accurate outcome that the dessert would eventually go viral.
The Cookie Dough Brownie Ice Cream Sandwich features a brownie base layered with vanilla ice cream and topped with edible cookie dough and chocolate chips. The dessert is currently available at Terra Treats in Disney’s Animal Kingdom, located across from Creature Comforts near the path into Africa.
Since debuting earlier this year, the dessert has developed a cult following online, with social media videos showing long lines forming daily at the kiosk, even during rainy weather. Guests and Disney food bloggers have praised the treat’s soft texture, nostalgic flavor profile, and oversized portion size.
For Matthews and Vella, Disney says seeing guests react to the dessert online and inside the park has become one of the most rewarding parts of the experience. The chefs explained that creating nostalgic food memories for guests is one of the things they love most about working at Disney.
We’ll continue following the latest Disney World snack trends, viral Disney treats, Animal Kingdom food updates, and Walt Disney World news, so be sure to check back soon for even more Disney Parks foodie coverage.
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