By Laneece Hurd, VRG Intern

Non-dairy ice creams come in a large variety of bases including soy, almond, coconut, cashew, and even fruit, such as banana. The purpose of this review and taste test was to see how these non-dairy alternatives stack up against their dairy counterparts and to determine if non-vegans would be open to substituting these products into their diet in place of dairy ice cream without feeling as though they are missing anything. I organized a panel of six non-vegans, who regularly consume dairy products on a daily basis. To ensure there was diversity in the palettes, I chose panelists of different age groups, with the youngest participant being thirteen and the oldest being seventy-four years old. Each was given an evaluation sheet and asked to rank the desserts based on the following criteria: texture/creaminess, taste/flavor, and likeliness to eat again. The rating was on a scale of one to five with one being the lowest and five being the highest. The numbers below are average scores calculated from the panelists’ individual scores.

So Delicious makes a large variety of vegan ice creams ranging from different bases including soy, almond, cashew, and coconut. The panelists tasted three of the flavors they offer including: Dark Chocolate Truffle and Snickerdoodle cashew-based ice creams and Cookies ‘n’ Cream almond-based ice cream.
• Snickerdoodle Cashewmilk
o Creaminess: 4.7 out of 5
o Flavor: 4.5 out of 5
o Likeliness to eat again: 4.6 out of 5
o Comments: The panelists unanimously enjoyed the flavor and all stated that they would absolutely eat it again. One panelist commented that they specifically enjoyed the smooth, creamy texture and the chunks of snickerdoodle cookie dough throughout.
• Dark Chocolate Truffle Cashewmilk
o Creaminess: 4.0 out of 5
o Flavor: 4.4 out of 5
o Likeliness to eat again: 4.3 out of 5
o Comments: One of the panelists stated that they were very pleased with the contrasting textures between the creamy dark chocolate ice cream, the velvety fudge ripple, and the crunchy chocolate chunks. Overall, all of the panelists were satisfied with the flavor and said that they would eat it again.
• Cookies ‘n’ Cream Almondmilk
o Creaminess: 4.0 out of 5
o Flavor: 3.0 out of 5
o Likeliness to eat again: 3.2 out of 5
o Comments: Many of the testers enjoyed the creaminess of this ice cream and were surprised that almond milk could so closely replicate dairy milk. However, some felt that this flavor left a slight aftertaste and that the cookies could have been a bit crunchier.
To find So Delicious ice cream in a store near you, visit http://sodeliciousdairyfree.com/store-finder

NadaMoo! produces coconut milk-based ice creams that are vegan and gluten free. These frozen desserts come in a huge variety of flavors, some of which are classic such as Vanilla, Chocolate, and Cookies & Cream, and some are more unique like Chocolate Cherry Fudge Brownie and Birthday Cake Cookie Dough. The panelist tasted four of their flavors and the results are below.
• Gotta Do Chocolate
o Creaminess: 4.6 out of 5
o Flavor: 4.7 out of 5
o Likeliness to eat again: 4.8 out of 5
o Comments: Everyone stated that they were highly satisfied with the smooth creaminess and velvety chocolate flavor of this ice cream. A few testers added that they could taste a slight coconut undertone, but they did not mind and felt that it complimented the chocolate flavors well.
• Vanilla…ahhh
o Creaminess: 4.6 out of 5
o Flavor: 4.7 out of 5
o Likeliness to eat again: 4.7 out of 5
o Comments: One panelist noted that vanilla ice cream is their favorite dessert and they regularly consume the dairy version, but they couldn’t taste a difference when trying this one. Some of the comments were that the vanilla bean specks really enhanced the authenticity of the flavor and appearance.
• Mmm…Maple Pecan
o Creaminess: 4.8 out of 5
o Flavor: 4.5 out of 5
o Likeliness to eat again: 4.7 out of 5
o Comments: As with the chocolate and vanilla flavors, the panelists were highly impressed with creaminess of this ice cream. One comment in particular, stated that the pecans had a nice toasted flavor and there were plenty of them folded throughout. Others voiced that they would have liked the maple flavor to be a bit more prominent.
• Lotta Mint Chip
o Creaminess: 4.3 out of 5
o Flavor: 3.3 out of 5
o Likeliness to eat again: 4.0 out of 5
o Comments: Many of the comments stated that texture was creamy and the mint flavor was strong and bold. Some panelists enjoyed it and others found it a bit overpowering and would have liked to taste the chocolate more. In addition, almost all of the testers thought that the chocolate chips were a bit too crunchy, which took away from the smoothness.
To find NadaMoo! ice cream in a store near you, visit http://nadamoo.com/find-us/

Cado is a brand that makes avocado-based frozen desserts that are soy-free, gluten-free, vegan, and contain a whole avocado in each pint. The panelist reviewed all three of the flavors they currently offer including Simply Lemon, Mint Chocolate Chip, and Deep Dark Chocolate.
• Simply Lemon
o Creaminess: 3.0 out of 5
o Flavor: 2.6 out of 5
o Likeliness to eat again: 2.8 out of 5
o Comments: One of the panelists thought that the lemon flavor was prominent and refreshing and was a nice cleanse for the palette, while others found it a little sour. Also, a few of the testers felt that this lacked the creaminess that they typically expect of frozen desserts.
• Mint Chocolate Chip
o Creaminess: 3.8 out of 5
o Flavor: 3.4 out of 5
o Likeliness to eat again: 3.6 out of 5
o Comments: Some of the tasters stated that they couldn’t believe that it was made of avocado because of the smooth consistency. One taster mentioned that they appreciated that there was such a large amount of chocolate chips throughout the pint. However, a few others voiced that the mint flavor was a bit too overpowering.
• Deep Dark Chocolate
o Creaminess: 4.0 out of 5
o Flavor: 3.8 out of 5
o Likeliness to eat again: 3.8 out of 5
o Comments: There were mixed reviews about the deep dark chocolate flavor in this ice cream, some thought it was a bit too bitter, while others thoroughly enjoyed it. Just as in the Mint Chocolate Chip flavor, many also mentioned that they were pleased that there was such a generous amount of chocolate chips. One panelist commented that they loved how this dessert felt very rich and indulgent, yet still felt light and fresh.
To find Cado in a store near you, visit http://cadoicecream.com/where-to-buy/

Ciao Bella is a brand that carries many different flavors of gelato and sorbets. Unlike the rest of the brands reviewed, Ciao Bella is not an entirely vegan brand as the gelato is made with dairy products, but all of their sorbets are fruit-based and dairy-free. However, all of Ciao Bella’s gelatos are made with cane sugar that is not organic so they may not be completely suitable for some vegans. They currently offer ten flavors of non-dairy sorbet and the members of the panel tasted three of them.
• Mango
o Creaminess: 3.6 out of 5
o Flavor: 3.5 out of 5
o Likeliness to eat again: 3.2 out of 5
o Comments: Many of the testers thought that this flavor was surprisingly smooth and creamy rather than icy, considering it was sorbet. One of the panelists, in particular, commented that this tasted just like a perfectly ripe mango because the mango flavor was so sweet and intense.
• Blueberry Passion Fruit
o Creaminess: 3.0 out of 5
o Flavor: 4.8 out of 5
o Likeliness to eat again: 4.6 out of 5
o Comments: This flavor was the favorite of the three by a landslide. All of the panelists thought that it was light and refreshing without being too sweet. One panelist wrote that this flavor was nicely balanced between the sweet blueberries and tart passionfruit.
• Strawberry Limonata
o Creaminess: 2.5 out of 5
o Flavor: 2.8 out of 5
o Likeliness to eat again: 2.6 out of 5
o Comments: Some stated that this flavor was just like having a frozen strawberry lemonade and would be perfect to enjoy on a hot day. However, some thought that the lemon was a bit sour and would have liked to taste more sweetness from the strawberry.
To find Ciao Bella in a store near you, visit http://ciaobellagelato.com/

The contents of this website and our other publications, including Vegetarian Journal, are not intended to provide personal medical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health professional. We often depend on product and ingredient information from company statements. It is impossible to be 100% sure about a statement, info can change, people have different views, and mistakes can be made. Please use your best judgement about whether a product is suitable for you. To be sure, do further research or confirmation on your own.