Heavy on the Ice, Light on the Cream

A review of six non-dairy ice creams 30

This is part two of a two-part series on organic ice cream; see our previous review of conventional, dairy-based ice creams by Tom Philpott.

ice cream bowlCow juice alternative?The Sheppard family has what you might call an ice cream problem.

When I was 8 and my brother was 5, we went to Disney World. After a day of themepark excitement, my brother started walking with a pronounced limp. My mother asked him what was wrong. “My leg hurts,” he replied. “I need Mickey Mouse ice cream.”

Another time, when I was about 12, my father lurched up from his chair in our living room in the middle of prime-time television, grabbed his chest, and fell to the floor yelling, “Arrrghhhh!” This was followed by, “I’m dying! There’s no ice cream in the house.” My mother, who had assumed he’d had a heart attack, was nonplussed by his plea for dairy delight.

Needless to say, ice cream was the dessert of choice in the Sheppard household. Imagine my dismay when, sometime during my senior year of college, my body suddenly developed an inability to digest lactose. I’ll spare the details, but let’s just say it makes my dairy air not so pleasant.

I only recently discovered the non-dairy alternatives out there, derived from soy, rice, and coconut milks. Sadly, I find most of the soy- and rice-based options gross—their texture is nothing like real ice cream, and they seem to add way too much sugar to compensate for the lack of cow juice. I was excited to discover that coconut-milk based brands come much closer to the taste and feel of regular ice cream, but I had to get over the fact that they remind me of eating sunscreen.

In search of the best options out there, I assembled a panel of judges to conduct a highly scientific taste-test of six non-dairy ice cream varieties to find out for you, dear readers, what ranks highest. Of course, it will never be the same as real ice cream. I think you really have to create a separate category for these types in your mind and taste buds, divorcing yourself from the idea that they will ever be like the real thing. My roommate put it best in an eloquent analogy: “Soy ice cream is to real ice cream as a vibrator is to sex.” Still enjoyable, but just not the same.

 

Rice Dream frozen dessert.

Rice Dream Organic Vanilla
Milk base: Rice
More details: Organic, dairy-free, gluten-free
Price: $3.69/pint

One reviewer remarked that this one had a “papery taste.” Another thought it tasted like that weird white Laffy Taffy stuff you ate when you were a kid—not like real vanilla. It is decidedly not rich, creamy, or ice-cream-like.

Organic So Delicious Dairy Free Mocha Fudge So Delicious frozen dessert.
Milk base: Soy
More details: Organic, dairy-free; Turtle Mountain supports sea-turtle restoration, sustainable ag
Price: $4.45/quart (quarts only)

This one is creamier than the other soy options, but panelists complained that it was too sweet. The taste of the sugar made it hard to actually discern that it is supposed to taste like mocha. The chocolate swirled into it, however, is pretty tasty. The overall conclusion from tasters was, “Take it or leave it—it’s not that good.”

Luna & Larry’s Coconut Bliss Chocolate Hazelnut FudgeLuna & Larry\\'s Coconut Bliss frozen dessert.
Milk base: Coconut
More details: Organic, soy-free, dairy-free, gluten-free, agave-sweetened
Price: $7.95/pint

This treat elicited squeals of delight from panelists, who heralded its proximity to real ice cream. It’s very chocolatey, and the nuts are good too. They’re very small and mild, so they don’t overwhelm the other tastes (which is good, as I am generally opposed to nuts in ice cream). The hazelnut and chocolate tastes work well together, and they also work with the faint taste of coconut. The texture and sweetness are both just right.

Good Karma Organic Rice Divine Mint Chocolate SwirlGood Karma frozen dessert.
Milk base: Rice
More details: Organic, dairy-free, gluten-free; supports sustainable ag, donates a portion of proceeds to hunger organizations
Price: $3.99/pint

This cream tastes good at first, but the mint leaves a strange (and not particularly good) aftertaste. There is not much in the way of chocolate swirl, despite the claim on the package. The texture is nothing like real ice cream—it’s not creamy and it doesn’t even melt on your tongue right. It also tries to compensate for its deficiencies with too much cane juice, resulting in an ice cream that somehow manages to be both too sweet and too bland, with an aftertaste that one panelist likened to Kaopectate.

Turtle Mountain Purely Decadent Dairy Free Cookie DoughPurely Decadent non-dairy frozen dessert.
Milk base: Soy
More details: Organic, dairy-free, gluten-free; Turtle Mountain supports sea-turtle restoration, sustainable ag
Price: $4.99/pint

Of the soy-based options, this is probably the best. Or at least, it got better as it melted a little bit, according to our panel. At first panelists complained the texture was all wrong, but their opinions improved the more they ate, and the meltier it got. The cream part is pretty good, but the dough balls were almost uniformly categorized as gross—they had a “sandy” texture, according to one taster, while another said they were “grainy.” It was also deemed too sweet, but passable as ice cream.

Turtle Mountain Purely Decadent Coconut Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter SwirlMore Purely Decadent non-dairy frozen dessert.
Milk base: Coconut
More details: Organic, dairy-free, gluten-free, agave-sweetened; Turtle Mountain supports sea-turtle restoration, sustainable ag
Price: $4.99/pint

My immediate reaction to this was that it tasted like chocolate-flavored sunscreen, and that those two tastes should never mix. But a few more spoonfuls convinced me otherwise, once I grew accustomed to the presence of a mild coconut flavor hanging in the background to the flavor it’s supposed to be exuding. The peanut butter swirl is also very tasty, and compliments the other flavors quite nicely. This one has great texture—very smooth, and it actually feels, looks, and melts most like dairy-based ice cream. Unfortunately, the fact that you need to get over that coconut flavor makes you more inclined to eat the whole pint yourself.

The bottom line: The coconut-based brands are the way to go, as long as you’re not averse to the ever-present hint of coconut flavor. While both coconut ice creams in this tasting ranked well, Luna’s sky-high price could put it out of reach for some. In general, anything chocolatey is probably a better bet than vanilla, and soy-based is better than rice.

Kate Sheppard is Grist’s political reporter.

Related Stories

Advertisement
Advertisement

  1. AmandaD Posted 10:02 am
    30 Jun 2009

    Very helpful comparisons.  I really enjoy learning about the sustainable food landscape and organics.  I like to follow Dorothee Royal-Hedinger (http://changents.com/OrganicNation.tv) for information about organic foods and how they’re made.

    Permalink

  2. JDakota Posted 10:35 am
    30 Jun 2009

    Agree on the coconut-based ice cream. My daughter gave up dairy to help combat allergies (constant congestion and snotty nose). She now breathes more easily, no longer has rubbed-red nose and her skin cleared up! We weren't expecting that one, though a herbalist saw her acne and said there might be something going on with her digestive system.

    Anyhow -- she really grieved over no ice cream, and we tried all of the above and more -- the coconut stuff brought her out of mouring.

    Permalink

  3. JDakota Posted 10:40 am
    30 Jun 2009

    oops -- you didn't like the coconut stuff! We didn't pick up on the underlying coconut flavor and wouldn't have associated it with sunscreen -- maybe macaroons... Different strokes.  Bottom line - nothing replaces ice cream.The rest of the family eats the real stuff, and we spring for that little bit more for the one who can't tolerate dairy.

    Permalink

  4. Kiley Posted 10:45 am
    30 Jun 2009

    Hi- Thanks for such a wonderful review!I work for Luna & Larry's Coconut Bliss and I wanted to chime in about the price of our product listed on this review.  $7.95 is not an average price for our product; most stores carry our product around $5.49-$5.99
    (I would be interested in knowing where our pints retail for $7.95)Our price is slightly higher because we use no fillers and use only organic & fair trade ingredients, please stop by our homepage and take a look at the ingredients in our flavors.   

    Permalink

  5. Kate Sheppard's avatar

    Kate Sheppard Posted 12:53 pm
    30 Jun 2009

    Hi Kiley,

    I (and other Gristers) have seen retail prices around $7 at a few locations, but we're glad to hear it doesn't cost that much everywhere! Folks, it appears you can find Luna & Larry's at a better price, which is awesome news. We should include a disclaimer in here that retail prices vary depending on where you shop -- we just report what we find.

    And for you, JDakota, I did love the coconut brands – though the flavor initially took some getting used to. The empty pint of chocolate hazelnut fudge in my trashcan stands as a testament to my new-found allegiance.

    -Kate

    Permalink

  6. MeowAllieCat Posted 2:29 pm
    30 Jun 2009

    I don't see the Trader Joe's brand cherry chocolate soy ice cream on your list! It's creamy, delicious, and contains huge chunks of cherry. It's also on the lower end of the price scale for a larger container. Definitely give this one a try. (And no, I wasn't paid to give my endorsement. :p)

    Permalink

  7. gristle Posted 4:49 pm
    30 Jun 2009

    Sky-high price?I don't work for Larry & Luna, though I wish I did (but it's probably best for all involved that I don't). However, I think even at $7.95 a pint (though I've never seen it cost that much anywhere) it's still a steal of a deal for the product and the highly thoughtful ingredients that go into it. For goodness sakes, it's a treat. Where do we get the idea that everything has to be super cheap? That's why we have food issues on such a huge level. Good stuff comes at a price and a pint of incredible dessert is less than a couple cones at a shop.The Mint Galactica flavor is pure... well, bliss. I'm not a huge frozen mint fan but this is subtle. They've had some other wonderful flavors I haven't seen for a while and miss which I'd never think to put together or ever believe I'd like but they work. I think I remember lilacs in one. Doesn't matter, as one of the things I've found with L&L is that I don't need much. A few spoonfuls of "squealing" good (oh and it is for everyone I've shared with) frozen confection and I feel satisfied. A pint can last quite a long time in my freezer with lots of little treats, all of which are far more satiating than the other alternatives.Really, you do get what you pay for. Unfortunately those down the line also get what you pay for, or don't. Are we all worth it or not?

    Permalink

  8. TheDude Posted 9:30 pm
    30 Jun 2009

    I'm mystified by your panel's reactions to the So Delicious and Purely Decadent products. Thankfully, I've never tasted sunscreen, but I have tasted all of their soy and coconut milk ice creams, and I think they're terrific. Coconut Bliss is okay, but Purely Decadent coconut milk ice cream (especially the chocolate flavor) is the closest thing I've tasted to real ice cream, or dare I say, gelato.

    Permalink

  9. cannylink Posted 2:57 am
    01 Jul 2009

    Hello!
    I don't use dairy products as a personal choice (but also becasue milk never does anything good to my stomach). Unlike you, I really like the soy ice cream and was never keen on the rice one. Will take you up on the coconut ice creams, though. Thanks!

    Permalink

  10. mihan's avatar

    mihan Posted 9:31 am
    01 Jul 2009

    If you can't eat dairy, then eat sorbet. It's not trying to be ice cream and just has to taste great for what it is. I fed the following to a friend without telling her it was vegan; she said, "It's really good. It almost tastes like sorbet."Chocolate (or Mocha) SorbetThis makes one quart of smooth, dark, and lovely sorbet. If you like bitter chocolate you will love it. The kind of chocolate, liquid, and booze are flexible; you can make many different flavor combinations. I've made this with coffee, plain chocolate, and bourbon; also coffee, Green and Black's Maya Gold, and Kahlua.

    1 c. sugar
    3/4 c. unsweetened cocoa
    3 c. water (or coffee to make mocha sorbet)
    3 oz. good quality dark chocolate (flavored if you like; Green and Black's Maya Gold bar is good), chopped
    1 tsp. vanilla
    2 Tbsp. of 80-proof booze (Grand Marnier, Kahlua, rum, bourbon, whatever---if it's not 80-proof, scale accordingly)


    In a 2-quart saucepan, mix cocoa and sugar. Slowly add water or coffee, whisking until smooth. Bring to a boil and simmer for a few minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in the chocolate until smooth. Add vanilla and booze. Chill until cold, then freeze in an ice cream maker. Alternatively, scrape it into a metal pan (like a 9" square pan) and freeze completely (it won't freeze solid because of the booze). Chop half of it into a food processor and process until smooth, then transfer to a quart container. Repeat with the other half and put the container in the freezer.

    Permalink

  11. John Fish Kurmann Posted 9:56 am
    01 Jul 2009

    It seems to me that testing different flavors from each brand is a lousy way to compare them. Why not pick a single flavor readily available from each? It would likely have to be a simple vanilla or chocolate.I avoided ice cream for years because I was vegan, but I also love vanilla ice cream so I've tried several different brands of dairy-free imitations. Unfortunately, the beany quality of soy tends to overpower the subtleties of vanilla and, consequently, most of them didn't taste particularly good to me. The rice substitutes never worked for me, either, because I think the strong rice syrup flavor also interferes with the crisp, clean vanilla taste. Cocoa, having a much stronger flavor, holds up much better to the soy and rice flavors.Unfortunately for all those who love vanilla and don't eat dairy for one reason or another, my favorite vanilla soy cream was part of the Wholesoy Glace line that was discontinued several years ago. Wholesoy does still sell a lowfat "frozen soy yogurt" (Wholesoyco.com) but I don't think I've ever tried it. Lowfat ice cream (or imitation) seems to me to be a contradiction in terms. Of the brands that are still on the market that I've tried, my favorite is the Double Rainbow Vanilla Bean Soy Cream (DoubleRainbow.com).The coconut-based imitations didnt' hit the market until after I started eating real ice cream again so I don't have an opinion about their compatibility with vanilla.

    Permalink

  12. LeapAndFly Posted 10:49 am
    01 Jul 2009

    Loved the intent behind this but it was so limited in scope. I am an afficianado of ice cream and thankfully am not restricted by dietary constraints. That said...I am in love with and addicted to Tofutti's Marry Me Bars...and I don't like tofu. The chocolate melts at tongue temperature and is just the right balance for the creamy vanilla interior. I started on their Cutie Ice Cream Sandwiches and then graduated. Here's a link I found that covers the plethora of non-ice cream/milk alternatives. Enjoy!

    Permalink

  13. colleent Posted 11:31 am
    01 Jul 2009

    I love both of Turtle Mountain's soy and coconut based ice creams. The coconut one is just so good I have to hold myself back from eating the whole container!While I love both of these, another easily tops my list: Chicago Soy Dairy's Temptation Ice Cream. The coffee flavor is amazing!!! You can check their website to see if someone carries it in your area (it's mostly in the midwest and east coast): http://www.gotemptation.com/ice_cream.php It's highly worth trying!!

    Permalink

  14. ColinPage Posted 11:31 am
    01 Jul 2009

    Try and get hold of a soy based ice cream sold in the UK under the brand name "Swedish Glace"For further info try www.ingmanglass.se

    Permalink

  15. JessSteinitz Posted 12:00 pm
    01 Jul 2009

    For all of your attempts to be an environmental organization, I believe you've failed with this post. Nothing about this article encourages people to try ice creams made from other milks than cow's milk, and you even neglected to mention both the terrible health problems caused by consuming cow's milk and the environmental damage caused by the dairy industry.As an environmentalist, I can't justify eating dairy when
    I know the extent of the degradation it causes to Earth. And why would
    I? There are so many ice creams made from milks that are produced more
    sustainably. (Some of my favorites, for instance,are Vanilla Tofutti Cuties and So Delicious Coconut Almond bars.)I am also a nutritonalist, and need to point out that not everyone who doesn't eat ice cream made from cow's milk -- or as you degradingly referred to it, "the real thing" -- is lactose intolerant, although most adults are. (Specifically, 80% of Asian and Native Americans, 75% of African Americans, 51% of Hispanic Americans,
    and 21% of Caucasian Americans.)
    This is because cow's milk is made for baby cows just as breast milk is made for baby humans. After that, don't consume it! Simple.Lastly, since you are associating the smell of coconut with sunscreen, I'm worried you might be using an unhealthy kind of sunscreen. Sunscreens made by terrible brands like Coppertone put that overwhelming smell in their product, but most healthy sunscreens do not. So please check and make sure you're using sunscreen that is actually protecting your body, not damaging it, and that isn't running off into our oceans and bleaching our reefs.
    Please be the environmental organization we all want you to be! Thanks for listening.

    Permalink

  16. arielarose Posted 2:30 pm
    01 Jul 2009

    Awesome post but non cow boob milk icecream! This is so much healthier! Eating vegan really has no sacrifices--it's amazing! GirlieGirl Army http://www.girliegirlarmy.com has the most amazing vegan recipes, fashion tips, animal rights posts, and they did a review of the best non dairy ice creams and cheese before months ago!

    Permalink

  17. biscuits Posted 3:20 pm
    01 Jul 2009

    My partner is vegan for ethical reasons but I occasionally eat some dairy. One issue I have with dairy alternative ice creams is that in a small town they don't sell fast so they are always stale when I buy them -- so they may taste better fresh. I enjoy the so delicious (or maybe it's purely decadent) chocolate and peanut butter swirl -- it's really good. I agree that a lot of soy ice creams have a strange bean taste but the PB texture here adds a rich creaminess. Also, any good vegan knows to think outside the box: Tofutti Cutie ice cream sandwiches are AMAZING! I like all soy/rice ice cream bars -- adding chocolate sauce on top balances it out. Or, they are all good when used to add a scoop to a piece of cake or eating it with cookies because it helps balance out any strangeness. Also, of course fruit sorbets and Edy's Whole Fruit popsicles are a great summer vegan treat, holy crow!But overall, I find the coconut ice creams superiour even to regular ice cream -- esp. if you consider health factors. You can use coconut milk (buy it in industrial size cans for a killer price) in an ice cream maker and make your own too! Super cheap!Whichever commenter said price shouldn't be an option when you buy food -- where do you live and how do I get there? 

    Permalink

  18. John Fish Kurmann Posted 8:05 pm
    01 Jul 2009

    Ice cream is the real thing, as in the original that all these soy, rice, coconut, and hemp (see below) frozen desserts are trying to imitate, with varying degrees of success.You're absolutely right that cow's milk isn't a healthy food for everyone. Wikipedia gives an estimate that 75% of the world's adult population have some degree of difficulty in digesting lactose. For those of us who don't have such difficulty, though, I see no personal health argument for avoiding milk entirely--and ice cream and gelato are absolutely luscious. There must have been some evolutionary advantage to eating milk or the mutation that allows people to continue producing the enzyme necessary to digest lactose--lactase--throughout adulthood wouldn't have become predominant in certain populationMany ecosystems need ruminants to be healthy, so I don't see any reason why those of us who can digest milk just fine shouldn't be able to eat milk from ruminants grazing such ecosystems. We can argue about how much to eat, but there're no personal or ecological health reasons for arguing we should never eat milk, period. You can make an ethical argument, of course, but that will always be a matter of opinion.Personally, I think Tofutti's products have a bizarre synthetic quality to the texture and mouthfeel.I was in a health food store today and saw another alternative: Living Harvest Tempt frozen dessert based on hempseeds (LivingHarvest.com)! I didn't buy any--it was expensive and the hempseeds weren't organic, though some of the other ingredients were--but it's another option for those who decline to eat dairy for ethical reasons or who have health problems when they do.The Wholesoy Glace I mentioned in my last message used a Swedish process that reduced the beany flavor, and they still use it for their soy "yogurt" and soy "yogurt" frozen desserts.Anyone else remember the Ice Bean brand of imitation ice cream? When I was vegan, that was the first brand I ever had, as I recall. I remember thinking it was tasty, but it had been years since I'd had the real thing so it couldn't pale by comparison.

    Permalink

  19. Linette Posted 8:42 pm
    01 Jul 2009

    My favorite is the Trader Joe's Mango Soy Ice Cream - it's 1/2 Mango sorbet and 1/2 soy vanilla ice cream but it does not have that strange taste other soy ice creams have, but a nice, vanilla-y, creamy smootheness.  It is absolute yummy and so far the only thing I have found that is somewhat acceptable.Although I still have to try the coconut ones ... (tho not a big fan of coconut I'm not sure how I will like them)

    Permalink

  20. pankit Posted 3:33 am
    02 Jul 2009

    I dont like milk products much. But since I was in south africa in may to watch a cricket match, I had chance to taste coconut ice-cream there, and I loved it. Thanks for sharing it, I will try to make one for my kid now :)

    Permalink

  21. cannylink Posted 5:10 am
    02 Jul 2009

    Mihan! Thank you for the recipe :)!

    Permalink

  22. Truly Scrumptious Posted 8:11 am
    02 Jul 2009

    You can find Temptation Ice Cream at two stores in the PNW.  It's a great product.Sidecar for Pigs Peace, which is in Seattle (and which, by the way, sells Coconut Bliss for the lowest price I've ever seen in Seattle): www.sidecarforpigspeace.comandFood Fight! in Portland: www.foodfightgrocery.com

    Permalink

  23. miyakayu Posted 9:49 am
    03 Jul 2009

    Great selsction. The best ice cream is really Gelato and you get it in Italy.  If you want a diet ice cream then I usually have Blue Bunny because I
    am diabtic but HEB markets have some diet ice cream called Creamy
    Creations and it is fabulous too.
     Miyaka@______________Furniture Store

    Permalink

  24. janicenumtwabe Posted 5:01 pm
    03 Jul 2009

    Oooh that soy ice cream is my favorite!

    Permalink

  25. kogden Posted 8:04 am
    06 Jul 2009

    I have been hesistant to spend money on anything that might not taste like the real thing, but as you stated, that will most likely never be achieved by anything less than a dairy based product. But if the coconut milk based products are where it's at then im right there with ya. I dont usually associate the taste of coconut with sunscreen, as i grew up surrounded by falling coconuts, so i am hopeful that i will be spared the taste of sunscreen in these non-dairy delights. Nevertheless, i found this survey quite useful, seeing as my boyfriend is also a lactose intolerant ice cream lover.  

    Permalink

  26. chelsjaye Posted 2:03 pm
    06 Jul 2009

    I will admit that I have tried all of the above ice creams.  I'm a bit of an ice cream fiend myself.  One you didn't mention that I find to be the best non-dairy ice cream I've ever tasted is Temptation Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough.  It's a soy base and it's unbelievable. http://www.gotemptation.com/ice_cream.php

    Permalink

  27. GreenMonger Posted 1:26 pm
    07 Jul 2009

    Lactose intolerance is common among many Americans, especially African-Americans and finding alternatives can be difficult. It is great to know these alternatives are out there and are of good quality. Just like doctor reviews, it is great to have organic diary product reviews online. 

    Permalink

  28. splashy's avatar

    splashy Posted 2:13 am
    08 Jul 2009

    Having grown up eating coconuts (we used to open them with just a butter knife to peel the husk and sidewalk to crack them open on, using the butter knife to dig out the meat, very determined we were!) I'm thinking about trying some of these ice creams. I don't have a problem with milk, but gee this sounded so good!I don't like dried coconut at all, it's like eating coconut flavored cardboard, but melty cold sweet coconut - sounds devine. Kinda like a pina colada, not sunscreen.

    Permalink

  29. Username's avatar

    Username Posted 7:08 am
    14 Jul 2009

    That icecream is my fav!

    Permalink

Add a Comment

You are not logged in. Thus, you cannot post a comment. If you have an account, log in. If you don't have an account, well, by all means go make one! Meet you back here in five.

Hello, Visitor!    Why not register?

Viewed
More
Commented
More
Advertisement