Coconut Milk
So Delicious Ice Cream Vanilla Bean
This is a great tasting ice cream but it does have a strong coconut taste even with the real vanilla specks. Dairy free ice cream tends to be harder than regular ice cream, so I usually set it at room temperature for a few minutes before scooping. So Delicious also makes ice cream with other alternative milks (oat, soy and cashews) but I only found coconut milk at the store. It is gluten free, vegan, pareve and non-GMO.
NadaMoo! Organic Vanilla Bean
Nada means nothing in Spanish so the name cleverly translates to nothing dairy. It is a family owned business and organic, gluten free, vegan, and non-GMO. Unlike So Delicious, their coconut ice cream does not taste like coconut but vanilla. Their website asks “why are we dairy free?” to which they answer “Everyone deserves to have frozen dessert.” Brilliant answer.
Halo Tops Birthday Cake
Halo Tops ice cream is smooth and probably the easiest to scoop ice cream I have tried. However, you would expect birthday cake to be exploding with flavor ((like the sprinkles), but it has a mild taste. Halo Tops is vegan and gluten free.
Oat Milk
Oatly Coffee
Oatly is vegan and made from gluten-free oats. The coffee flavored ice cream has a mild coffee flavor, however with a bitter aftertaste. I’m not sure if it’s from the coffee or oats.
Avocado
Cado Vanilla Bean
Unlike the other brands, Cado is not made from alternative milk but from avocados but does not taste like avocados. It is smooth and creamy with real specks of vanilla bean. This is a wonderful option for those who don’t like or are allergic to alternative milks. As it melted, it looked like the oils were separating, making it slushy, so I don’t think this would hold up in a cone and recommend scooping it into a cup. The ice cream is dairy free, soy free, vegan, gluten free, organic and non-GMO.
Not Reviewed
Ben and Jerry’s Dairy Free Ice Cream is not gluten free.
Whipped Cream
What better way to top ice cream than with whipped cream. There are three brands, two of which resemble Cool Whip in plastic containers, and one well-known brand in a can dispenser.
CocoWhip
So Delicious also makes a whipped cream, CocoWhip, in a container that resembles Cool Whip. The container says it can be thawed at room temperature for a whipped consistency or scooped out of the container for a firmer texture. There is also a Lite variety with 50% less fat than the original. It is dairy free, gluten free, vegan, non-GMO and pareve. The coconut taste is powerful, which goes well with coconut ice cream. But if you want whipped cream that has more of a Cool Whip dairy cream flavor, Reddi-Wip and TruWhip have great alternatives.
TruWhip Vegan
So Delicious is made from coconut milk, whereas TruWhip is made from soy. Both come in plastic containers and have a great whipped consistency. While So Delicious’ coconut flavor would complement coconut ice cream, I prefer TruWhip’s whipped cream taste on other flavors. The directions are to thaw unopened 4 hours in refrigerator and it can be refrozen. TruWhip vegan is also gluten free, pareve, BPA free and produced in a peanut free facility.
Reddi-Wip
Reddi-Wip, well known for their whipped cream, has a non-dairy version in a can dispenser made with coconut milk. I am so happy to see that well-known brands are offering dairy alternatives. I followed directions to place 1/3 of the can in warm water and shake 10 times. I expected it to be runny, but it wasn’t. Instead, smooth whipped cream came out of the can with the consistency of original Reddi-Wip. It has a milder coconut taste than So Delicious’ CocoWhip. And it’s dairy free, gluten free, and soy free.
Ice Cream Cone
Let’s Do Gluten Free Ice Cream Cones
A great dairy free ice cream deserves a great cone. This brand pleasantly surprised me. It tasted like regular cones, but is gluten and dairy free. I worried about a stale taste but they were fresh out of the package, did not crumble, and were crunchy and tasty. They are also pareve and non-GMO.
Conclusion
If you like a strong coconut taste, So Delicious makes a tasty ice cream and whipped cream; NadaMoo! makes coconut milk ice cream that tastes like vanilla; while Halo Tops’ Birthday Cake was bland. I did not like Oatly’s bitter aftertaste and Cado is a great option to alternative milk, being made with avocados. They can be scooped into Let’s Do Gluten Free Ice Cream Cones which are crunchy and delicious.
If you like whipped cream on your ice cream, CocoWhip and Reddi-Wip have coconut-based choices. CocoWhip is firmer with a strong coconut flavor, whereas Reddi-Wip is fluffy with a mild coconut taste. My suggestion is to use them on coconut ice cream for a strong coconut taste. But if you prefer a Cool Whip-like flavor, I’d go with TruWhip.
Fun Food Fact
Vanilla is the #1 most popular ice cream flavor in most ice cream-loving countries.
Did You Know?
When you re-freeze your ice cream, it becomes a different texture. That’s because ice cream has air bubbles that keep it soft and fluffy. When it melts, the molecular structure breaks down, and the air escapes. https://www.benjerry.com/whats-new/2017/09/ice-cream-useless-facts
Quote
“How do you say no when a little kid is asking you for ice cream? I know I can’t say no to it myself.” Jimmie Johnson