Vegan Ice Cream: Store-Bought & Homemade Info (2024)

FAQs

Is vegan ice cream better for you than regular ice cream? ›

Choosing non-dairy ice cream can offer some health benefits that include saving you calories, sugar, and saturated fat, which can contribute to high cholesterol. In other cases, though, the plant-based versions have more of the above.

Texture: Most people said the homemade ice cream seemed softer and fluffier, and it melted a little faster than the supermarket sample. Flavour: Our testers found the homemade sample's flavour was more subtle – which was considered a good or bad thing depending on the person.

Our Non-Dairy flavor creations are made with almond milk, 100% certified vegan, and boldly loaded with chunks and swirls. You'll get Ben & Jerry's euphoria in every bite.

Sugar content among vegan ice creams can vary dramatically. Some of these products are high in sugar. Others are very low in sugar, replacing this ingredient with substitutes such as erythritol. Some types of vegan ice cream contain as much as 20 or more grams of sugar per serving.

Homemade ice cream usually contains much less air than the stuff you buy in the store. Air keeps ice cream soft. So the less there is, the harder your ice cream. It can also be caused by low fat or sugar content.

Opt for homemade

When making ice cream at home, it's easier to control the amount of added sugar. "It will also be free of any allergens you may need to avoid, as well as any gums or stabilizers," says Largeman-Roth.

Most ice cream experts agree that unopened commercial ice cream stored in the coldest part of your office freezer can last about two to four months (homemade ice cream made without preservatives lasts about one month).

Instead, many plant-based ice creams opt to use coconut oil, or coconut butter instead! This helps add some fats to the ice cream and helps slow down the melting process – meaning your plant-based ice cream stays nice and firm for a good amount of time.

Coconut Milk or Coconut Cream

The reason so many vegan ice cream recipes turn to coconut milk is that the high-fat content replicates the creaminess and mouth feel of ice cream better than any other option. If the goal is to faithfully replicate a dairy ice cream with vegan ingredients, coconut milk is hard to beat.

What vegan milk is closest to dairy? ›

According to the updated 2020 to 2025 US Dietary Guidelines, fortified soy milk is nutritionally equivalent to cow's milk. Cup for cup, soy milk contains the same amount of protein (8 grams), calcium (30 percent of the RDA), and vitamin D (15 percent of the RDA).

Good news! Our non-dairy collection just received Vegan Action certification!

Is vegan ice cream healthy? When compared to dairy-based ice cream, there are potential health benefits to plant-based alternatives. Chief amongst them are lower saturated fat levels and zero cholesterol. LDL cholesterol contributes to heart and circulatory diseases.

Please download our Food Allergies and Sensitivities PDF for learn specific details about the contents of our products. Does Cold Stone Creamery make a lactose-free Ice Cream? Cold Stone Sorbet flavors are lactose-free and our Chocolate Silk® Almondmilk Frozen Dessert is plant-based.

Some options mimic the look and feel of regular ice cream but don't contain all of the calories and fat. Those include Halo Top, Enlightened, and Sweet Habit. Frozen yogurt is also a great alternative that gives you that frozen treat feel but with the same health benefits as yogurt.

A 1998 study comparing vegan cream with dairy cream found that calories and fat content were similar, but that the vegan cream was lower in saturated fat and higher in polyunsaturated fat. The vegan cream contained low vitamin A, no vitamin D, and lower calcium than dairy single cream.

Vegan junk food: Vegan ice cream, candy, cookies, chips and sauces generally contain just as much added sugar and fat as their non-vegan counterparts. Plus, they contain almost no vitamins, minerals and beneficial plant compounds.