Ben & Jerry’s has created a vegan version of its top-selling flavor, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough. The launch also features an exclusive non-dairy flavor, Chocolate Caramel Clusters.
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough features vanilla almond milk ice cream with bits of vegan cookie dough and fair trade chocolate chunks. Chocolate Caramel Cluster combines sweet and salty with peanut butter fudge chunks and salted caramel swirl.
“Ever since we introduced Non-Dairy in 2016, our fans have been clamoring for more,” said Flavor Guru Sarah Fidler. “The biggest challenge this time was creating a chocolate chip cookie dough flavor that stood up to the original. I think we nailed it.”
Ben & Jerry’s now offers 11 vegan ice cream flavors, representing 25 percent of the company’s “full-time” flavors. The company launched its first four vegan flavors in 2016.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BtyNSeLAFcE/
Mainstreaming Vegan Ice Cream
Sales of vegan ice cream are set to reach $1 billion by 2024, according to research from Global Market Insights released last October. Experts predict that the demand will be driven not only by consumers seeking healthier alternatives to dairy, but also ice cream aficionados seeking ice cream made from “innovative” bases like banana, avocado, and hemp milk.
Over the past few weeks, several brands have launched new vegan ice cream flavors. Magnum finally brought its dairy-free ice cream bars to the US market after debuting in the UK, EU, Australia and New Zealand. Low-calorie ice cream brand Halo Top launched its first vegan ice cream flavors in 2017 and now offers 17 flavors.
Last week, Häagen-Dazs launched a booze-infused ice cream line, featuring non-dairy Amaretto Black Cherry Toffee. The brand now has eight vegan ice cream flavors, including bars.
Established ice cream brands aren’t alone the vegan freezer. Earlier this week, Houston-based brand NadaMoo!, which is increasingly available in major supermarkets, launched three new coconut milk-based flavors. Cado, an avocado-based ice cream, is available in Whole Foods Market stores across the nation.
Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough and Chocolate Caramel Clusters are available in major grocery stores nationwide. The former will also be available in select scoop shops. According to the brand, more non-dairy options may be introduced later this year.
