I’m not at all medically-averse to dairy, but I do love a good dairy-free ice cream. Some of my favorite ice creams are in fact almond or coconut-cream based. Nowadays with everyone looking for healthier alternatives to every kind of food, those who are looking for dairy-free ice cream options are very lucky. There are a plethora of great options — you don’t have to just stick to the sorbet section anymore. A lot of people even prefer these dairy-free flavors, as they say they provide a better depth of flavor than traditional ice cream. I personally find that staying away from dairy helps my skin stay clear, so that’s also an added bonus. Whatever your reason for searching these out, here are some of the best dairy-free ice creams out there.
You’ve probably encountered a friend who has been talking about how she’s replaced all of her meals with a pint of Halo Top. Although obviously it’s not the healthiest idea nutrition-wise, we understand the obsession. These low-calorie pints come in a wide variety of dairy-free flavors and have a low-calorie range between 280 and 360 calories. The delicious dairy-free flavors include cinnamon roll, caramel macchiato, oatmeal cookie, chocolate almond crunch, and candy bar.
It’s pretty hard not to recognize this infamous ice cream brand. Thankfully they’ve recreated the fan favorites in a dairy-free form — Cherry Garcia, Chunky Monkey, and Chocolate Fudge Brownie. Make sure you pick up a couple at your local grocery store next time you’re in the mood for a sweet treat!
When I used to live in L.A. I would go to Van Leeuwen as much as I could. I swear all of their vegan, dairy-free flavors probably taste better than their milk-based ones. The deep flavors thanks to the coconut cream and cashews just complimented flavors such as honeycomb and salted caramel perfectly.
Everyone’s favorite grocery store has a selection of dairy-free ice creams that are raved about. They come in two varieties — based in soy and frozen coconut. Flavors include simple flavors like chocolate and strawberry as well as chocolate and vanilla sandwiches.
So Delicious is a brand dedicated to providing dairy-free alternatives to favorites such as ice cream, yogurt, and other dairy-based products. They have a wide variety of ice cream options that are based in coconut milk, cashew milk, almond milk and soy milk. Reviewers say that the coconut flavor is stronger than the cashew, while the almond and soy are mostly neutral. There are not only ice cream flavors such as blueberry cardamom and cold brew coffee, but there are also your favorite treats such as ice cream fudge bars and ice cream sandwiches.
If you’re looking for a truly vegan, kosher and dairy-free alternative, this tofu-based ice cream could be for you! This brand also has a wide variety of flavors such as vanilla almond bark and berry supreme along with novelties like fudge pops and ice cream sandwiches.
This avocado-based ice cream has a creamy texture that's almost exactly like the real thing. The Simply Lemon and Deep Dark Chocolate Flavors have such rave reviews I’m about to order a couple of pints myself.
This San Francisco-based ice cream shop specializes in soy-based ice creams. Their delicious offerings include mint chocolate chip and vanilla bean as well as mango sorbet and coconut sorbet varieties.
All the reviews show that almond-milk based ice creams are most neutral in taste and similar in texture to regular ice cream if that’s what you’re looking for. This variety comes in a wide range of flavors like Cappuccino Swirl and Praline Crunch.
This Seattle-based, plant-based shop ships across the country. It is an artisanal ice cream shop that comes in a wide variety of unique flavors, with regular standbys being Salty Caramel Ash and Brown Sugar Vanilla and seasonal flavors like Velvet Heartbeat and Fire Cider Shrub.
This banana-based treat (hence the name) comes in such a wide variety of unique flavors that you wouldn’t even believe it! There are cacao, matcha and passionfruit flavors that will satisfy any kind of craving you have.