Today is the FARM-founded Meatout Celebration, the national day to convince everyone you know to kick the meat habit! I hope everyone can celebrate the joys of not eating meat with friends, loved ones, family members, companion animals and the world on this joyous day! Especially since it’s the first day of spring too!
The best way to celebrate in my mind would be with some vegan ice cream, because, well, why not? Everyone loves ice cream, right? Who wouldn’t want some ice cream that tastes wonderful and that is offered up for consumption in a nice ready to eat vegan ice cream cone or beautiful glass ice cream dish with some tasty toppings?
The best soy ice cream I can think of to suggest to non-vegan ice cream eaters is Purely Decadent by Turtle Mountain. I have never met a non-vegan that did not like Peanut Butter Zigzag when I invited them to have some! The more the merrier! Coconut Craze, Mocha Almond Fudge and Chocolate Brownie Almond also work wonders for new soy ice cream tasters! Classic flavors too like Mint Chocolate Chip are almost enough to replace any memory of ever having eaten anything else other than Purely Decadent?!
For those who would prefer naturally sweetened ice cream, there is a fruit sweetened line called “It’s Soy Delicious.” Try the Chocolate Peanut Butter, it won’t disappoint!
Another great type of soy ice cream is Soy Dream, especially tasty is the Green Tea flavor! Don’t forget the sister brand of rice milk based ice cream, Rice Dream!
Some other tasty brands are Double Rainbow Soy Cream (uses organic soy), Whole Soy (made with organic soy and yogurt cultures; try the chocolate hazelnut), Temptation Vegan Ice Cream (uses organic ingredients) and Tofutti (very smooth but strange consistency for non-vegan ice cream eaters to try for the first time!). Tofutti also makes the adorable ice cream sandwiches, “Tofutti Cuties” that everyone can enjoy at a picnic in the park! L’il Soy Buddies are good ice cream sandwiches too, and made with organic ingredients!
Finally, of course, there are the sorbets that so many ice cream brands will make, all of which are vegan! So if you are stuck going to an ice creamery with your friends, family and loved ones, you can still opt for a sweet treat by choosing sorbets. Be sure to double check though, since some “sorbets” might add dairy ingredients, despite the definition of a sorbet prohibiting such additions….
Although vegan ice creams are so delicious on their own, the possibility of toppings could create a reason for a party! Fresh fruit, nuts, vegan sprinkles, vegan hot fudge, marshmallow vegan creme… so much to experiment with and so little time!
There are also some other fabulous local ice creams around the country, some of which are made in restaurants and ice creameries. Check the Happy Cow site for the restaurant offerings near you!
What are your favorite flavors?
As spring has sprung and summer approaches, three cheers for vegan ice cream! Hip hip hooray!
6 Comments
Tatiana (20 comments)
March 24, 2008 at 10:13 amI like the Tofutti Cuties a lot, and my favorite tub ice creams are usually the Rice Dream ones. Pretty much all the veggin’ ice creams I’ve tried have been darn delicious, though!
Another thing to look out for when shopping. Sherbet. This is sometimes used interchangeably with sorbet. Sherbet quite often uses dairy and/or eggs so read that label!
mothersson2002 (18 comments)
March 26, 2008 at 5:55 amI prefer Tofutti because its not watery unlike the other brands that I have tried.
liene (1 comments)
March 26, 2008 at 2:24 pmI know some people are keen on the Rice Dream, but I wouldn’t call it non-vegan-friendly. Even as a vegan, I find it hard to stomach, unless it’s the only thing around — a friend of mine (also vegan) described it as tasting like “frozen chalkwater.” And we love our ice creamz.
That said, I’m incredibly fond of Luna and Larry’s Coconut Bliss! They’re only available in the western US, but they’re rich and delicious — they use a coconut milk base, sweeten with agave, and the only soy that ever pops up is lecithin in the ones with chocolate flakes. It is also, as Food Fight!‘s shelf tag says, “expensively delicious,” but in my opinion, it’s well worth it. I find it far too rich to eat in one sitting, which makes it easier to justify splurging on. Plus, pina colada? Count me in.
And I don’t hate all rice-based frozen goodies: I’ve had great luck with Good Karma’s Rice Divine ice creams, too. I particularly like their Mudd Pie, but I’ve only had a few flavors.
Chia (324 comments)
May 1, 2008 at 11:24 amVegan ice cream is a treat but I find all of them to be overly sweet.
Nonetheless, it’s still a treat for vegans. Well, except if you are soy intolerant… many company makes their vegan ice cream with soy.
vegan-nutritionista (1 comments)
August 6, 2008 at 10:05 amI’ve polled quite a few people and it seems the overall favorite is Soy Delicious’s chocolate peanut butter. Word on the street is that the peanut butter tastes like freshly ground peanuts, and the chocolate is smooth and creamy.
Atomic7 (1 comments)
March 19, 2010 at 6:32 pmHi All,
There is now finally made to order Vegan ice creams. Come check us out on facebook.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Atomic-7/210762778054