Halloween is coming, and it’s the perfect time to try something that turns your tongue black and reminds you of digging in a graveyard.

We’re talking about the Trick or Treat, a seasonal concoction made with Boo Batter ice cream and studded with M&Ms, chunks of KitKat and pieces of Halloween Oreo cookies. As a bonus, you can order it nestled in a pumpkin-orange waffle cone.

Cool or creepy? Delightful or disgusting? We weren’t sure. So we headed to Cold Stone Creamery in Trussville, which is offering the Trick or Treat for a limited time at 1430 Gadsden Highway, Suite 108. Here’s what we found.

FEAR FACTOR? CHECK.

Black ice cream might seem like a scary proposition, probably because it brings to mind dirt, asphalt or some other gritty substance that’s entirely unappetizing. Sure enough, the sweet employee scooping up Boo Batter for us confirmed that most folks who walk into the store are afraid to try it.

To calm their jitters, he emphasizes that Boo Batter is Cold Stone’s Cake Batter ice cream darkened by black food coloring. You can order plain Boo Batter with no add-ins, but what fun is that? Halloween means candy, and the Trick or Treat has lots of it, along with orange-and-black Oreos. When in doubt, focus on the chocolate.

The creamery’s website describes Boo Batter as “pitch black,” but our scoops looked more like tombstone gray. Outside the store, in a shady spot, the ice cream appeared dark blue verging on purple. (OK, that’s a little weird.)

SIZE DOES MATTER

Three sizes of the Trick or Treat are available: Like It ($6.09), Love It ($6.49) and Gotta Have It ($6.89). The ice cream comes in a regular paper cup or with an orange waffle cone tucked into the cup. (The cone is more like a basket, but never mind.) We went for the gusto with the largest size, all the trimmings and a waffle cone. It cost $7.88 plus 10 percent tax, for a total of $8.67. Sound pricey? A family of four could easily share this thing and leave satisfied. Nutritional information for the super-size Trick or Treat is out there somewhere, but frankly, we don’t want to know.

TASTE TEST: FIRST IMPRESSION

Right away, it was clear that the Trick or Treat tastes much better than it looks. The familiar candies and cookies dominate the flavor profile — think sweet, crunchy, chocolate-forward — and the ice cream is basically a mild vanilla.

AFTER A FEW SPOONFULS

When the initial surprise fades — hey, this stuff is good! — a strange disconnect emerges between what you’re seeing and what you’re tasting. There’s no polite way to put it: Boo Batter looks like sludge, particularly when it starts to melt. So you’re dipping a plastic spoon into something gross and bringing it to your lips. The brain goes “Ick!” and the taste buds go “Yay!” It’s a queasy experience, especially when you’re spooning up lumps of stuff — crushed candy and cookies — covered in gray goop. (For us, that’s where the “digging in a graveyard” imagery comes in.)

DRIP, DRIP, DRIP

Messy? Absolutely. The Boo Batter quickly started to melt, dripping down the sides of the cone and the cup, dropping M&Ms in its wake. Unless you gobble the ice cream with lightning speed, you’re gonna get splashed by sticky stuff that leaves behind purple/blue stains — even more so if you try to eat it in your car, as we did. Our advice: Forget the store’s napkins; bring a packet of baby wipes.

AFTERMATH

As you might expect, Boo Batter stains your tongue black. That’s not horrible, but it’s not cute, either. The food coloring also can darken your lips and teeth, but only slightly, not in a full-on zombie way. The effect is temporary, and can be remedied by drinking a bottle of water. (We also brushed our teeth when we got home.)

UM, REALLY?

Some folks say Boo Batter ice cream makes your poop turn green or blue, like other Halloween treats that have used black food coloring. We cannot confirm or deny this.

VERDICT: YUM OR YUCK?

As a Halloween novelty item, the Trick or Treat is kinda weird and kinda wonderful, mainly due to that mind-boggling Boo Batter ice cream. Shudder, shiver and enjoy.