13 Best Dairy-Free Ice-Cream Brands, Ranked
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Dairy-free ice cream has seen a massive rise in popularity, and, according to market predictions, this is only supposed to continue to grow (via Grand View Research). But, of course, not all non-dairy ice cream is created equal. In a popular field, it was inevitable for more and more options to become available to consumers.
Unlike classic ice cream, which is usually made from cow milk, heavy cream, sugar, and sometimes eggs, non-dairy ice cream can be made from any number of plant-based sources. This can include nut bases, such as almond or cashew, grains such as rice or oats, soy, or, even in some cases, avocados. There are almost infinite possibilities, but not all of them will produce a rich, creamy frozen treat that can satisfy all your cravings. That is where we come in.
We have compiled a list based on reviews and research to find the best dairy-free ice cream out there. We looked at factors such as flavors, textures, and consistency to find the brands people love and why. Without further ado, here are the 13 best dairy-free ice cream brands:
13. Halo Top
A lot of people have tried to hop on the Halo Top ice cream train. A low-calorie, high, protein ice cream? Sign us up! The company now even offers a line of dairy-free options. It should be a slam dunk. Unfortunately, Halo Top is not one of our favorite ice cream brands, and the dairy-free flavors just emphasize its shortcomings. Halo Top has a notoriously off aftertaste (via Reddit), which may not bother some, but is hard to look past, which is present in the dairy-free flavors as well (via Reddit).
Halo Top non-dairy ice cream is made with a coconut milk base (via Halo Top). They are certified vegan, but unlike Tofutti, they are kosher dairy, not parve. We suspect this due to the facilities they are processed in. Currently, the company only offers four flavors: Chocolate Almond Crunch, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Peanut Butter Cup, and Sea Salt Caramel. The brand has struggled to find its footing with its dairy-free line. They used to offer more choices, literally four times as many in fact, but they have discontinued most of them (via Go Dairy Free). Then, in 2020, they went through a reformulation that added ingredients like fava bean protein. They still do not seem to have found their footing, though, with many negative reviews on the flavor and texture.
12. Tofutti
Tofutti is an old school dairy-free and vegan brands, which has been offering products in stores since 1981 (via Tofutti). The brand was founded by David Mintz, who saw a need for dairy-free desserts and cheeses for the Jewish customers at his buffet who kept Kosher, as they could not mix milk and meat together (via Tofutti).
As one of the early dairy-free dessert offerings, we respect and appreciate the company's innovation and inclusivity. That being said, now, in a world with so many options, being the first is not enough.
Tofutti is made from a tofu base, with corn syrup and cocoa butter, as well as some thickeners and additional flavors (via Tofutti). This combination makes it creamier than other options, as one commenter on Go Dairy Free mentioned. The company also now makes six classic flavors. This is all well and good, but as the ice cream blog Big Muddy Ice Cream says, while the consistency is there, the blend leaves a weird aftertaste on the tongue. They also found that unlike other dairy-free ice creams, which tend to be icy and thin, this was actually too thick.
11. Breyers
With more boutique ice cream companies coming out with non-dairy ice cream, ice cream company Breyers did not want to be left out of the mix, so they came out with their own. Breyers uses an oat milk base for its ice creams (via Breyer's). The ice cream company offers gluten-free varieties as well as dairy-free, and while they are not certified vegan, we did not find any non-vegan ingredients in them.
As grocery store ice cream goes, Breyers dairy-free is not bad. It comes at an affordable price and in a 1.5-quart container, which is larger than the single pint many dairy-free ice creams typically come in. Currently, the company offers four flavors, including plain vanilla, cookies and cream, chocolate chocolate chip, mint chocolate chip, and peanut butter (via Breyers). As far as options go, it's not a bad bunch, especially if you are looking for quantity. However, while customers tend to like the base well enough, enthusiasm varies greatly based on the flavor. One commenter noted that they loved the cookies and cream flavor but found the mint chocolate chip to be practically flavorless (via Breyers). Overall we would like to see some more consistency.
10. Trader Joe's
Trader Joe's gets a lot of love for its low priced and often eclectic array of food items. Always trying to be on top of food trends, it is not surprising they began to offer some dairy-free options. For Trader Joe's that meant offering just three oat-based dairy desserts (via Go Dairy Free). The three flavors they offer are a Strawberry with Almond Brittle, Very Chocolatey Fudge Brownie, and a seasonal Okie Dokie with toffee bites and caramel. It should be noted though that the Okie Dokie is a limited flavor and will not always be available. Additionally, they do also offer oat milk ice cream sandwiches (via Trader Joe's).
Based on reviews, the weak link seems to be the strawberry. Weirdly enough, the strawberry dessert does not contain real strawberries in it and instead uses candied strawberry pieces. Many reviewers on Go Dairy Free commented on its artificial color and weird flavor as a result.
That being said, Trader Joe's does get the consistency right, a notoriously difficult task with dairy-free ice cream. Freezer Meal Frenzy said that if they had not known it was dairy-free, they would not have guessed otherwise.
9. Favorite Day
Not to be outdone by other name brands, Target store brand Favorite Day has also released its own line of dairy-free ice cream. Favorite Day non-dairy, plant-based ice cream is made with an almond milk base (via Target). The company currently offers several flavors ranging from classic vanilla to more out-there flavors such as strawberry and fudge, vanilla cake, and cookie dough.
We love to see store brands going into non-dairy ice cream. It makes it more accessible and affordable for those who can't have traditional dairy ice cream. In general, people seem to like ice cream. Reviewers on Target's website stated they found the texture creamy and the ice cream delicious. Others, though, did find it too sweet and found the vanilla cake flavor to be overpowering and artificial. Still, more reviewers on Go Dairy Free found quality control issues with pints being under filled and one with a piece of broken plastic in it. We hope those issues can be resolved so that Favorite Day can meet its full potential.
8. Planet Oat
There are a lot of no-dairy milk options out there, but oat milk has been making a huge bid as a favorite milk alternative, with chains such as Starbucks even offering it now. Enter Planet Oat. Planet Oat is, first and foremost, an oat milk company. They offer milk, creamer, and now ice cream. We are not going to lie; this ice cream is pretty good, and it comes in eight different flavors, including vanilla, chocolate, and coffee fudge swirl.
Where this frozen dessert loses some of its appeal is with the ingredients and lack of certifications. It is not certified vegan or plant-based. It is not kosher, and many of the ingredients include common allergens such as wheat, nuts, and soybeans, which multiple reviewers commented was a concern for them (via Go Dairy Free). Other reviewers were also concerned about the high sugar content (via Amazon). Still, if other ingredients are not a concern, pick up a pint and see if it hits the spot.
7. Cado
Cado is breaking the non-dairy ice cream mold and bringing one of our favorite green fruits to the mix. That is right, they make avocado ice cream. This may sound a little odd, but we think the company is on to something. Avocados are naturally high in fat and creamy. They have been used before to make things like chocolate pudding.
Cado ice cream contains roughly half the sugar of other ice creams, is lower in calories, and in addition to being dairy-free, is paleo-friendly (via Cado ice cream). We would choose this over Halo Top as a "healthy" ice cream any day. It also comes in 10 flavors, which the company seems to continue to be adding to regularly.
The best part about this ice cream is the taste. One reviewer on Amazon said the chocolate flavor was just as good as any other. Others on Reddit also commented on how much they loved it, noting the taste is incredibly similar to dairy ice cream.
6. Earth Grown
Back to supermarket brands, we have Aldi's own Earth Grown dairy-free ice cream. Earth Grown ice cream is oat milk-based (via Go Dairy Free). What started off as just chocolate has been expanded to strawberry, cold brew coffee, vanilla cookie chip, and even ice cream sandwiches.
But that's not all, as Earth Grown also offers a line of almond milk in Mocha Fudge, vanilla, and chocolate, and coconut milk ice cream in mint chocolate chip, chocolate peanut butter, and raspberry cheesecake (via Go Dairy Free and Aldi). This is a lot of range coming from one brand. Possibly too much range. Offering three different milk bases does allow consumers to pick based on personal preference but adds a lack of continuity between flavors. Still, reviewers generally seem to like them, with each line getting between a 4.6-4.8 rating on Go Dairy Free.
One of the major downsides, though, is that they can only be purchased at Aldi locations. So if you do not have an Aldi, you will sadly not be able to try them for yourself.
5. Oatly
Oatly is another brand based solely on oat milk products. They do not just produce ice cream, as they also produce oat milk and "oatgurt" (via Oatly). We are so glad Oatly branched into frozen desserts, though because their product is on point. Not only do they offer oat milk-based pints in nine flavors, but they also offer four flavors of ice cream bars and a soft serve mix, too. Not everyone likes hard-packed ice cream, and this is the only brand we have seen so far that offers soft-serve mix to consumers.
Oatly is also on top of it with the certifications. The ice cream is vegan, kosher dairy, gluten-free, non-GMO, and glyphosate-free certified (via Oatly). The ice cream does contain coconut oil, though, which may be a concern for some people, but we appreciate them jumping through all the hoops for the other certifications so consumers can eat with confidence.
Reviews are generally positive, with reviewers on influenster stating the ice cream is creamy and has the ability to go toe-to-toe with any dairy ice cream. Reviewers on abillion agree with this sentiment. The main complaint seems to be health concerns over the added coconut oil and that some flavors are better than others.
4. Jeni's Splendid
Jeni's Splendid ice cream was founded over 20 years ago by Jeni Britton, who wanted to make quality scratch-made ice cream with a unique twist on flavors (via Jeni's). Jeni's is not about your classic vanilla and chocolate. Instead, you get flavors like dairy-free Caramel Pecan Sticky Buns and dairy-free Banana Cream Pudding.
The company uses coconut cream bases for its ice cream. However, with such experimental flavors come some mixed results. As commenters on Go Dairy Free noted, some flavors are better than others. It is hard to find mass appeal when you focus on boutique flavors. That said, a Facebook reviewer at their brick and mortar store loved the three flavors they tried. So it is a bit of a mixed bag, and, unfortunately, the bag comes at a steep price. When buying Jeni's online, a pint costs $12. This is a lot for something you are going to eat straight from the carton with a spoon, so this ice cream will need to be saved for a special occasion.
3. Van Leeuwen
We couldn't not mention Van Leeuwen on a ranking of best dairy-free ice cream brands. They are so incredibly delicious and get name-dropped as one of the best brands whenever people ask for dairy-free ice cream recommendations (via Reddit).
Van Leeuwen started life as a humble ice cream truck in New York City and has since grown to multiple stores in New York and Philadelphia, as well as packaged products sold in stores (via Van Leeuwen).
The company makes both dairy and non-dairy flavors, currently featuring seven of the latter (via Van Leeuwen). Different flavors use different bases, some using oat milk, others utilizing cashew milk, some with coconut cream, or some combination. They clearly work hard to get the perfect mix for each flavor, and it shows.
The reason they do not rank even higher on this list is for two main concerns. They can be challenging to acquire and are expensive. A quick trip to its website shows pints selling for $12 each. They are a gourmet product and are justified in their prices. However, you simply can not be the best all-around dairy-free ice cream brand if people can not actually buy your brand without taking out a loan to do so.
2. So Delicious
Another brand that will inevitably be brought up when asking for dairy-free ice cream is SO Delicious. SO Delicious has been making dairy-free products for more than 30 years (via SO Delicious). Additionally, all the products are certified vegan and non-GMO, and the company is a B Corp company.
SO Delicious makes a wide range of dairy-free ice creams made from cashew milk, coconut milk, oat milk, soy milk, and "wondermilk," which uses a combination of those ingredients. Honestly, this is a lot, and if we tried to list all the individual flavors, we would be here all day. What you need to know is that they are delicious. However, the cashew milk line ranks as their superior product, and Reddit agrees. We love having options, but sometimes having too many options can be overwhelming and can make it hard to find the best products. Still, if you can find SO Delicious in your grocer's freezer, they are worth a scoop.
1. Ben and Jerry's
Ben and Jerry are the kings of decadent ice cream. Their flavors range from the unusual to absurd, but no matter what, we always come back for more pints. We were thrilled when, in 2016, the company began to branch out into the non-dairy ice cream world (via Veg News).
When it first launched, they appeared to be testing the waters with four almond milk-based flavors. Flash forward to today and Ben and Jerry's now offers 10 almond milk flavors, including favorites such as Phish Food and Netflix and Chill'd. We love seeing our favorite flavors go dairy-free and receive vegan kosher DE status, which means made on dairy equipment. The main issue we had with this is that while the flavor was spot on in ways only Ben and Jerry's can be, the consistency was a bit icy.
Ever the innovators and willing to try new things, in 2020, Ben and Jerry's premiered a line of sunflower butter based flavors in classic and new varieties. The company now has nearly 20 different kinds of plant-based ice cream, making it one of the largest selections. While other companies paired down their selection, Ben and Jerry's has only ramped up, showing there is a demand for their delicious pints. Do yourself a favor, and the next time you are at the grocery store choose a pint to take home and enjoy.