The world of dairy-free desserts has come a long way.
And by “long way,” we mean a long way. Rewind to only a decade ago, and anything “dairy-free” was few and far between. There may have been a few options in the health and organic aisle, but choices were still scarce, foreign, and relatively unappealing.
Fast forward to today (hi!), and the chilled aisles in grocery stores have devoted entire sections to non-dairy desserts! Believe it or not, non-dairy is now the fastest-growing segment of the frozen dessert category. Progress is beautiful, isn’t it? The question is no longer “what vegan dessert options are there?” Instead, it’s all about which one to try first.
It Might Be Time to Ditch Dairy
Consumer demand for non-dairy delights (from ice cream to “cheeze” and everything in between) has never been higher. It’s loud and clear; people want plant-based, non-dairy alternatives. And it’s been a rather pleasant surprise to see companies not only listening and responding but doing a pretty darn good job at it too.
But why the sudden market-wide shift toward ditching dairy? There have always been many good reasons to ditch dairy; it’s only recently, thanks to an increase in ease of accessibility information and research, that everyone else seems to be figuring this out.
First of all, we’re humans, not baby calves. We aren’t biologically intended to consume dairy, and this is reflected in the whopping 30-50 million Americans who have some degree of lactose intolerance. The matter becomes even more apparent when we zoom out and see that approximately 65% of the world’s population has a reduced ability to digest lactose. Nausea, cramps, gas, bloating, and diarrhea are no fun at all, and these symptoms are entirely avoidable by ditching dairy.
Eliminating or even significantly reducing dairy intake commonly leads to improved skin conditions. Hop on Google to see article after blog post after promotional advertisem*nt featuring another raving review about happier skin after ditching dairy. Say good-bye to dairy and hello to improved skin texture, tone, and brightness.
One of the biggest reasons to switch to non-dairy alternatives is to help the planet. Choosing plant-based options may be the single, easiest way to reduce your environmental impact. Dairy-free ice cream requires less water, less land, and emits fewer greenhouse gases into our atmosphere. We don’t want to get too into it, but the dairy industry is also perhaps the cruelest of all.
For those not yet convinced, how about simply why not? Non-dairy products really have made their move in the industry, and they’re here to stay; dairy-free alternatives are now nutritionally on par with “regular” options, as well as finally having settled down around the same price point.
But It’s Never Going to Be Time to Ditch Dessert
Cutting out dairy? Totally reasonable and understandable. Cutting out dessert? Hah, no.
It’s never going to be time to ditch dessert. Dessert feeds not only the stomach but, even more importantly, feeds thesoul.
Good thing we can have the best of both worlds; cue, non-dairy dessert options. No matter your favorite “regular” dessert, there’s a vegan version of it out there somewhere. We love all desserts, but in our humble opinion, ice cream is superior. I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream; the vegans, lactose intolerant, and non-dairy people included.
What Is Vegan Ice Cream Made From?
Excellent question. Not dairy milk.
Dairy-free ice cream may sound outrageous to some people. We get it—it’s still a relatively new concept. Maybe it sounds crazy, something like cheese-less mac and cheese or chocolate-less chocolate chip cookies.
Dairy-free ice cream is made with any kind of milk other than animal milk. The most common options are almond, soy, coconut, cashew, and oat milk. The type of milk used actually makes all the difference. With something like vegan ice cream, which only has a few ingredients, each one counts.
For example, almond milk is mostly water. This means it’s much “lighter” in calories and fat content, but this results in ice cream that lacks thickness and richness (AKA, deliciousness). Most dairy-free ice creams on the shelves will spotlight their lower calorie count and use it as their main selling point. Except, these types of ice cream aren’t nearly as tasty or satisfying. Isn’t dessert supposed to be an indulgence?
Using an almond (or other plant-based) creamer may seem like the perfect alternative. However, most creamers on the market contain thickeners, flavorings, and other artificial additives. We know ice cream isn’t the healthiest thing to eat anyway, but we can still choose ice cream with pure, wholesome ingredients. Steer clear from long ingredient lists and stick to shorter ones with ingredients you can actually pronounce, like ours, for example. Our ice cream has only six ingredients, all of which are straight from Mother Nature herself and four syllables or less – woohoo!
Soy Ice Cream
Getting back to “is soy ice cream a vegan non-dairy dessert option?” Yes, it is. One of the best ones, actually.
Non-dairy ice cream made from soy milk is one of the most eligible to compete with high-quality, premium “regular” ice creams. Remember how almond milk makes boring ice cream because it’s so watery? Soy milk has a higher fat content, which helps create rich, creamy ice cream – yay!
Ok, let’s address the elephant in the room: we know soy is one of the most controversial topics in nutrition. No, soy milk won’t give men “man boobs.”
Soy milk has been shown to help lower bad cholesterol and promote good cholesterol. Soy may also protect heart health by reducing inflammation thanks to the isoflavones that it contains. Lower blood pressure and sugar are more benefits that have also been linked to soy products.
Cultures across Asia and specifically in Japan have been preaching the benefits of soy for hundreds of years. The Japanese may even consume upwards of 20kilogramsof soybeans per person per year. And better yet, research done by the National Cancer Center of Japanreporteda higher intake of soy products associated with a lower risk of mortality.
That said, soy products can come with some not-so-great side effects, too. For one thing, the soybeans that are going into your soy ice cream are often genetically modified. While there’s not a ton of research on what GMOs do to the human body just yet, many people choose to steer clear of them just in case. Some studies also suggest thatsoy can lead to digestive issues and inflammation—and if you’re switching to non-dairy ice cream to avoid this in the first place, that’s kind of a downer.
So, not only is soy ice cream an option, but it’s a pretty good one.
What Other Non-dairy Dessert Options Are There?
Uhh, just about everything you could imagine? It’s 2021, and we were serious when we said just about everything has a non-dairy alternative.
We already declared we’re biased toward ice cream, but is that even a bad thing?
Let us tell you about the best non-dairy dessert option of them all: Eclipse ice cream.
Eclipse is dairy-free ice cream that’s just what it sounds like: dairy-free ice cream. We took the whole “vegan dessert” thing one step further and decided to make ours entirely from plants. Our ice cream base of six ingredients includes oat, corn, potato, cassava, cane sugar, and non-GMO canola oil. It sounds natural because it is. We make our ice cream in a kitchen, not a laboratory.
Our ice cream is indistinguishable from conventional dairy, with no sacrifice to taste, texture, or functionality. Ready to try and test it out yourself? Our Classics collection is an excellent place to start;Vanilla,Chocolate, andCookie Butterice cream are our OG’s, and you better believe they’re tried and true.
Vanilla tastes just like vanilla – that’s the whole point. It’s as simple as that.
Chocolate is chocolate, with a hint of chocolate, and an extra touch of chocolate. Rich, creamy, and decadent – no compromise. Even the cows are jealous of our chocolate ice cream.
And to all the cookie lovers out there, we have you covered. Imagine a velvety river of vanilla sweetness and chunks of cookies so golden, you’ll feel like a miner.
Is your mouth watering? So is ours.
We All Scream for Non-Dairy Ice Cream
When it comes to dessert, you probably want ice cream. And when it comes to ice cream, you’re going to want Eclipse ice cream.
Eclipse ice cream is good by design. It’s the first plant-based ice cream that requires no sacrifice, ever. Creamy and rich, it’s not a dairy alternative; it’s a dairy sequel. Better yet, our ice cream even works toward something bigger: Eclipse Foods is working toward developing a more sustainable, responsible, and humane food system. A pint of ice cream isn’t just a treat for yourself; it’s helping save the world.
The takeaways? Yes, soy ice cream is a vegan non-dairy dessert option. But Eclipse ice cream is still the best of all.
External Sources
Dairy-free, plant-based beverages have exploded onto the food scene | Chicago Health Online
Lactose intolerance | Medline Plus
Does Soy Really Cause Man Boobs? | Men’s Journal
SOYBEANS, SOY SAUCE, NATTO, MISO AND TOFU IN JAPAN | Facts And Details
Study Finds Eating More “Nattō” Reduces Risk of Mortality | Nippon
