This Dairy-Free Ice Cream is Out of This World
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If you love decadent desserts but you’re dairy-free, it can be tough to find ice cream that really satisfies — it’s hard to achieve that particular creaminess without the cream. And of the many dairy-free scoops I’ve tried over the years, the best I’ve found is the lonely vegan flavor that our local creamery makes in-house. It’s exquisite, sold only by the single scoop, and impractical in 9/10 settings that call for ice cream.
But mercifully I recently discovered a less-niche and still exceptional option: Jeni’s dairy-free ice cream.
Jeni’s isn’t a dairy-free brand; they offer lots of dairy ice cream in addition to a relatively small non-dairy collection. But this is what they say about each of their non-dairy ice creams:
Forget that this flavor is dairy-free. It’s as good as, if not better than, everything else we make.
Consider it forgotten. The creaminess that Jeni’s has accomplished with its dairy-free line sets it apart, and the flavors remain pure and lovely. It’s an unstoppable combo. Coconut cream serves as a lush base, yet the end results are not at all coconut-forward. You might think they used something more neutral for the base, like oat, without looking at the label.
Jeni’s dairy-free flavors are also interesting and fun, and linked here for your browsing convenience: Caramel Pecan Sticky Buns, Lemon Bar, Cold Brew with Coconut Cream, Texas Sheet Cake, Dark Chocolate Truffle, and Banana Cream Pudding. They’ve got sorbets that are vegan-friendly as well: Snow Cone Sorbet, Frosé Sorbet, and Hot Toddy Sorbet.
Their flavors feature unique ingredients that further elevate the experience. Like Fair Trade, Dutch-processed cocoa powder, cold brew made with organic, Direct Trade coffee from Slingshot Coffee, and Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Extract. Each flavor ends up feeling intentional and carefully crafted.
I have tried five out of six of Jeni’s dairy-free ice cream flavors and one of their three sorbets, and though some slapped a little harder than others — I could take or leave the Frosé — the line up easily makes it to my top three favorite non-dairy ice creams. And I’ll underscore that I’ve tasted a LOT of non-dairy ice cream. (The others in my top three are the aforementioned flavor from our local creamery and Ben & Jerry’s huge collection of 37 baller, dairy-free flavors.)
Any downsides?
This review has been rave thus far, so let’s turn a critical eye for a moment. Here are some things to consider about Jeni’s:
- Theirs is craft ice cream, and it’s priced accordingly. ($8 – $12 a pint, depending on where you buy it.)
- If you’re a purest, you may be put off by their occasional use of less-than-ideal ingredients. (e.g. corn syrup in the fudge sauce in their Texas Sheet Cake flavor)
- Jeni’s uses palm oil not infrequently, and I can’t find any evidence that it’s ethically sourced.
- Jeni’s is a B Corp, which is wonderful, but interestingly their score has been dipping in recent years.
Do with those tidbits what you will. Just food for thought.
Far from a comprehensive review of dairy-free ice creams, this post is meant as a PSA. I hadn’t tried Jeni’s until recently, and I hope that others will discover this A+ non-dairy option. Jeni’s is quite widely available in stores, or you can order them online. So if you get the chance, I highly recommend picking up a flavor or two for your next movie night, birthday party, or personal pint.
