Author and Photographer: Krishna Raghavan

With veganism and the sustainability movement on the rise, alternatives to dairy and meat are increasing in popularity. Brands such as Beyond and MorningStar have found success with their meat substitutes, and oat milk, nut-based milks, and soy milk are now coffeehouse mainstays. But what about ice cream? Ice cream has been a cornerstone of the global sweet tooth for decades, and those in search of dairy alternatives or adopting veganism do not want to let it go! The prospect of vegan ice cream also opens up a realm of culinary possibilities, as it can be prepared with any non-dairy milk variety as its base. Today, I have decided to put popular vegan ice cream brands to the test! How do they compare to one another? This feature contains my (mostly) objective opinions; However, to keep things consistent, I chose to sample the vanilla ice cream variants of each of the following dessert brands.

*For reference: All of the products can be found at the 53rd Street Target in Hyde Park!

Oat-Ly! Vanilla Frozen Dessert

I decided to sample Oat-Ly's “vanilla non-dairy frozen dessert” first, which is made from an oat milk base. The texture is very smooth, pleasant to the tongue, and creamy. Its consistency can be compared to “Cool Whip” with its foamy and voluminous appearance. The taste is not overbearingly sweet, and the vanilla feels perfectly balanced with the texture. When compared with dairy ice cream, the consistency is definitely on the light and airy side, and the oat taste is a bit discernible, but the flavors all combine in a delicate, enjoyable manner. Not to mention, this ice cream is a bit slow to thaw or melt, which can be great on a summer day! Overall, this dessert was delicious!

My Rating: 9/10

So Delicious Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

I decided to sample the So Delicious coconut milk based vanilla ice cream next. My first impression was that the texture felt almost identical to dairy ice cream! It is super smooth and has a pretty similar appearance as well. The flavor felt a bit too sweet to me, although that balances with the “realistic” texture one would expect to experience with dairy ice cream. I do feel like this dessert is a bit denser and heavier than other brands on the market, and it left me feeling a lot fuller than the oat milk-based ice cream. Overall, I enjoyed the flavors, but the coconut taste is a tad too strong for my flavor palate.

My Rating: 8.5/10

Favorite Day Vanilla Bean Frozen Dessert

The last brand I found at Target was Favorite Day, whose vanilla dessert is made from almond milk. I felt that the texture of this dessert was hard to cut through, and eating it required a bit of tooth. The taste is sweet but not overbearing, but the almond flavor is extremely discernible and can be overwhelming if you are not an almond fan. However, this dessert also feels light and less dense, similar to the Oat-Ly dessert. I am not a huge fan of the almond aftertaste, but overall, I appreciate the light feeling, and the vanilla flavor is a nice and subtle touch.

My Rating: 6/10

RESULTS

As I look back on my tasting extravaganza, I can gladly say that all three of these ice creams were unique and made for a yummy dessert experience! The taste of each dessert was largely dependent on its type of milk, as each dessert retained the flavor properties of its nut or oat constituent base. It will be interesting to see how the alternative food industry changes in the years to come, but as of right now, these non-dairy ice cream products showcase the variety of today’s culinary world. There is no doubt that the vegan ice cream scene is in great shape!

Vegan “Ice Cream” Brands Put to the Test!