We’ve got the scoop on this year’s hottest (coldest?) new dessert. That’s right, Cold Stone Creamery is kicking off 2022 with its first-ever vegan ice cream.
The ice cream chain partnered with Danone North America and its Silk brand to launch Silk Chocolate Almondmilk Frozen Dessert.
As part of the launch, the new flavor is part of the chain’s latest frozen concoction: Don’t Cry Over Spilled Silk. The new menu item features Silk’s chocolate vegan ice cream, bananas, peanut butter, and roasted almonds.
Cold Stone previously only offered vegan-friendly sorbet flavors like strawberry, pineapple, peach mango, and pink lemonade. The ice cream chain carries a variety of plant-based toppings, such as nuts, fruit, Oreo crumbles, sprinkles, pretzels, and chocolate syrup. Shops also offer a vegan-friendly sugar cone.
Cold Stone launches vegan ice cream
The move to include more vegan offerings is in line with the growing consumer demand for plant-based products. In particular, the popularity of plant-based milk has fueled the growth of other vegan dairy categories, including ice cream.
The non-dairy ice cream market was valued at more than $500 million in 2019. The sector has a compound annual growth rate of 13.7 percent, according to a 2020 study conducted by market research firm Allied Market Research. A growing awareness of the health impacts of dairy and an increase of people with lactose intolerance were cited as contributing factors for the growth.
Cold Stone isn’t the first dairy-centric ice cream company to embrace vegan options. Following the release of its Non-Dairy Strawberry Streusel in 2021, Baskin-Robbins launched its second vegan oat milk ice cream flavor. Non-Dairy Salted Fudge Bar features a base of salted dark chocolate oat milk ice cream with fudge pieces and chocolate fudge swirls.
The oat milk flavors join Baskin-Robbins growing range of dairy-free offerings since the launch of its first vegan ice creams in 2019. Other plant-based flavors include Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Chocolate Extreme, and Non-Dairy Coffee Caramel Chunk.
Other companies are getting in on the frozen treat action. Last year, KFC China launched three varieties of Oatly non-dairy ice cream: strawberry, chocolate, and a latte-flavored soft serve. Even Ghirardelli is finally offering scoops of plant-based ice cream. The chocolate company launched vegan vanilla ice cream by plant-based frozen dessert brand Coconut Bliss.
For LIVEKINDLY’s complete guide to non-dairy ice cream, click here.
