Can vegans eat ice cream?

Ice cream is one of the most popular sweet treats for people across the globe. And, when the weather is hot, there’s nothing quite like delicious ice cream to cool you down. If you are dairy-intolerant or vegan, you’ve likely had to give up on this delicious treat due to all the milk-derivatives contained in the traditional ice cream recipe.

But this is too good a treat for us not to enjoy all together. Thanks to the growing need for more plant-based foods, it’s now possible to include a lot of foods that you loved before into your current vegan diet.

Can vegans eat ice cream? Absolutely, yes! Today’s market is filled with tons of dairy-free ice cream that are just as creamy, decadent, and delicious as their regular counterparts and obviously, without animal exploitation, stomach-aches, and high environmental impact. Plus, you can also make your own excellent vegan versions at home.

While some people have chosen to go vegan, others struggle to enjoy the dairy in traditional ice cream due to dietary complications. This has left ice cream companies no choice but to create dairy-free alternatives. It’s exciting to see so many new vegan options that are also high on taste and in an abundance of flavours coming to local scoop shops and grocery stores. By choosing these options you can help reduce the animal cruelty that goes on in the dairy industry. Here’s the ultimate guide to vegan and non-vegan ice creams so you can make an informed decision about what to include in your diet.

The Vegan Status of Ice Cream

The traditional ice cream is definitely not vegan-friendly as it contains a number of animal-based ingredients such as:

  • A variety of milk products (cream, whole milk, condensed milk, and instant skim-milk powder): Dairy cows spend their entire lives in a permanent state of pregnancy as they are repeatedly forcibly impregnated to keep producing milk. Their babies are taken away from them almost immediately after birth, causing grief and anguish to both the mother and the calf. Factory farming has been exposed for forcing animals to live in filthy, crowded, unfavourable conditions never to see the light of day. By continuing to purchase traditional ice cream, you are increasing demand for animal-based products and sort of contributing to the suffering that animals go through in factory farming.
  • Eggs: These are derived from chicken and obviously non-vegan
  • Gelatine: This is a flavourless food ingredient that is derived from boiling hides, bones, and other animal body parts.
  • Sugar: While this is technically vegan, its production process might raise eyebrows among stricter vegans. That’s because bone char, which is derived from charring animal bones, is often used to bleach sugar and make it white. The good news is some sugar manufacturers are now using plant-based filtering agents to purify sugar.

Then there’s vegan ice cream. This is made from virtually any kind of plant-based milk (like coconut milk, almond milk, cashew milk, soy milk, oat milk, etc), frozen fruits and berries, as well as natural sweeteners and nut butter (peanut butter, almond butter, etc). The possible combinations for making vegan ice cream are endless, just ensure the all the ingredients are plant-based to make the ice cream 100% vegan. Every base offers a unique flavour and texture but you can expect them to taste just as great as traditional ice cream.

Is There A Difference Between Dairy-Free And Vegan Ice Cream?

The terms dairy-free/non-dairy and vegan are often used interchangeably when describing ice creams, but they mean two different things. The former means a product is free of dairy but not necessarily free of other animal products while the latter means a product is free of all animal products, including dairy. Many dairy-free ice creams contain honey, which is considered non-vegan as it’s an animal by-product. I just thought you should know so you don’t accidentally consume non-vegan ice cream. Always read the ingredients list carefully before consuming any store-bought food to ensure it is 100% vegan.

As I had mentioned earlier, people go for vegan ice cream for ethical reasons while others for dietary concerns. Lactose is the naturally-occurring sugars in most animals’ milk, meaning vegan milk is free of lactose and safe for those with dairy allergies or are lactose intolerant. However, ice creams that are labelled lactose-free don’t necessarily mean they are dairy-free. Lactose-free ice creams can still contain milk and other dairy but with the lactose enzyme broken down to an extent that they cannot cause a reaction in your body. If you’re looking to avoid animal-based products and by-products altogether, stick to ice creams that are strictly labelled vegan.

Is Vegan Ice Cream As Good As Milk-Based Ice Cream?

The dairy substitute market seems to be growing with each passing day and they come in just as many flavours as traditional ice cream. The toppings are also unlimited with options including fresh or frozen berries, vegan candy sprinkles, and a variety of vegan syrup, all of which give your vegan ice cream an extra splash of taste and fun.

However, getting good vegan ice cream can be surprisingly difficult. For starters, plant milk, fruits, and other natural ingredients that go into making vegan ice cream don’t come cheap.

Secondly, some vegan ice-creams never really match up to the dairy ice cream you were used to. They are a bit flat as they lack the creamy, fluffy texture. That’s because plant-based milk generally has low-fat content and high water content. Luckily, coconut milk has a naturally creamy texture that can make the perfect vegan ice cream. Thick cashew or almond milk has also been found to offer the best texture and consistency once they have been turned into ice cream.

Last, but not least, plant milk comes with their distinct flavours that are quite subtle but still hard to nullify. For this reason, manufactures add too much sugar and flavouring agents to enhance the taste. Too much sugar is, obviously, not healthy and some of the natural flavours can be derived from animals.

Therefore, when choosing vegan ice creams, you need to keep in mind that they are not all created equal. But wth limitless choices, you are bound to find your perfect fit.

Vegan Ice Cream Brands

Several mainstream ice cream brands have created vegan-friendly flavours to cater to the growing vegan community. While so many options ensure something for everyone, it can make the selection process a bit daunting. Here are some of the top ice cream brands that sell vegan ice cream to help you get started:

Ben & Jerry’s

Their vegan ice creams are usually made using almond milk bases and are available in multiple flavours. In fact, some of the most classic Ben & Jerry’s ice cream flavours, including peanut butter half baked, coffee caramel fudge, chocolate chip cookie dough, and chocolate fudge brownie, come in vegan versions. Best of all, all these non-dairy ice creams are certified vegan, meaning they don’t include any animal-based ingredients.

So Delicious

This all-vegan company offers one of the widest ranges of vegan ice creams with options for coconut, almond, cashew, soy, and now oat milk. From ice cream sandwiches, bars, and pints, these vegan ice cream options are available in several unique flavours to suit different tastes.

Baskin-Robbins

This popular ice cream chain has over 30 vegan flavours and is constantly rolling out more non-dairy options.

Häagen-Dazs

From scoops to bars and even sorbets, this brand offers a flavour of vegan ice cream for everyone.

This list isn’t exhaustive as there are a ton of great options out there for you to try. But as with most foods, it’s best to make vegan ice cream at home. This gives you total control over the ingredients and guarantees that they are 100% vegan and healthy.

Benefits of Eating Vegan Ice Cream

It’s a Healthy Alternative

Despite many people’s love for dairy products, health experts agree that they are some of the top sources of saturated fat. Too much consumption has been linked to breakouts, weight gain, diabetes, heart disease, and an increased risk of certain cancers as well as autoimmune diseases. By switching to vegan alternatives, you will avoid all these possible health problems.

Prevents Allergic Reactions

As I had said earlier, a good number of people are allergic to dairy products with symptoms ranging from mild to severe. Vegan ice cream is a great way to enjoy the taste and texture of your favourite frozen treats without worrying about any adverse side effects. This makes it suitable for people with dairy allergies or are lactose intolerant.

It’s Environmentally Friendly

Factory farming requires large amounts of land and water, and creates a lot of waste that is damaging to the environment. It has also been linked to large amounts of greenhouse gas emissions, which contributes to climate change. Switching to vegan ice cream reduces the demand for dairy products, which is ultimately better for the environment.

Reduces Animal Cruelty

The life of a dairy animal is difficult but thanks to plant-based products like vegan ice cream, the need for exploiting these beautiful animals is slowly reducing.


Welcome to VeganClue - My name is Robert Van De Ville and together with my team we spent hundreds of hours researching the most relevant topics for Vegans and non yet Vegans. Are you looking for more information about Veganism, animal welfare, diet, health, and environmental benefits of the Vegan lifestyle? You are in the right place! Enjoy the site.
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