Tyra Banks is introducing her “Hot Mama” hot ice cream to the United States, with the dessert’s debut planned in New York City this winter, Parade reports.
The product, part of Banks’ SMiZE & Dream ice cream brand, was first released in Australia, in late September. Unlike traditional ice cream, “Hot Mama” is served warm and designed to be sipped rather than scooped, according to the outlet. The dessert’s smooth, creamy texture and unexpected temperature quickly gained attention online following its international debut.
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“At first, we tried just heating standard ice cream bases, but they turned sticky, gloopy, or too thin,” Banks said in a press release, per Business Insider. “The breakthrough came when we found the perfect viscosity — not too thick, not too thin — where hot ice cream still felt as dreamy as cold ice cream.”
Parade notes that Banks and her team are working with several partners across New York City, including museums, hotels, cafés, and department stores, to make the dessert available to the public.
“People have been hitting us up nonstop,” Banks said in a statement, per the outlet. “My friends, fans, countless journalists in our SMiZE DMs—everyone wants to know when they can try it. I didn’t expect this level of buzz on a global scale, so it’s been kinda wild in the best way.”
The Australian release in Sydney featured flavors such as buttery vanilla biscuit and pecan and caramel butter. While the U.S. lineup has not been finalized, similar flavors are expected. Each serving is formulated to keep a creamy consistency even when warmed, the result of extensive testing by Banks’ team.
Banks has said that the name “Hot Mama” was inspired by mothers and caregivers.
“We call it HOT MAMA… because mamas (and mama figures) hustle hard — and deserve to indulge in a little hotness for themselves,” she said, per E! News.
Carolyn London, Banks’ own mother who sacrificed to raise her children after a divorce, was her personal inspiration for SMiZE & Dream, as AFROTECH™ previously reported.
Banks first revealed plans for a “premium ice cream” brand to her Instagram followers in 2020, as Business Insider notes. She officially launched SMiZE & Dream internationally in 2023 in the United Arab Emirates through a partnership with Brunch & Cake, as AFROTECH™ previously reported. The collaboration featured a special ice cream “residency” across the restaurant group’s locations.
“Ice cream, it’s happiness for me,” Banks said at the time. “No matter where I am in the world, when I tell people I have an ice cream company — whether they’re a head of state or the head of a school — the idea of ice cream just makes people happy.”
The brand also hosted a pop-up shop in Washington, DC, in summer 2024, according to Today, and opened a brick-and-mortar location in Sydney’s Darling Harbour at Tumbalong Park in June 2025.
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Exact launch dates and locations for the brand’s “Hot Mama” hot ice cream in New York City have not yet been announced, but continue to check for updates through SMiZE & Dream’s social media channels or website.
