Are Vegan Ice Cream Alternatives Truly Healthy?

One of the greatest things about life is being able to enjoy some dessert to add some sweetness to your day. From brownies to cupcakes to cannoli’s, dessert just makes your day so much better.

Here at Beach Town Pops, makers of artisan ice creams, gelatos and sorbets…

We think one of the best types of dessert… especially during the hot Los Angeles summer wave, is ice cream!

All the love without the dairy. Vegan ice cream is your way to go!

Let’s be real, who doesn’t love ice cream? Not many, that’s for sure! Ice cream is loved by everyone around the world and it’s awesome that each country creates their own version of this amazing frozen treat.

It’s quite common in the Los Angeles area, and all over the world, for people to have specific diets such as vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free and pescatarian. And since this is nothing new, there are so many alternative food options to accommodate people with specific diets, including ice cream!

Companies such as Ben & Jerry’s, Haagen-Dazs and Halo Top have taken their time to make ice cream flavors catered specifically to people who have a vegan or dairy-free diet. However, there is a stigma around vegan food. Many people believe that if a food is vegan, that means it is automatically healthy. Same goes for ice cream: many believe vegan ice cream is much healthier than regular ice cream. Though that may be true about some vegan ice creams, that shouldn’t define all vegan ice creams. That brings up the question: is vegan ice cream truly healthy?

[ Additional read —> Best Ice Cream Makers for Homemade Frozen Treats & Fun ]

Let’s Talk About the Ingredients

So, what makes a vegan ice cream different than regular ice cream? Vegan ice cream does not contain any sort of dairy products such as milk, cream or eggs. Instead, coconut, soy, almond or cashew milk are used to replace these dairy ingredients. Coconut milk is possibly the most common alternative ingredient in vegan ice cream because its saturated fat works great for giving the ice cream a rich and creamy texture similar to regular ice cream.

Coconut is our favorite vegan ice cream topping.

However, vegan ice creams that are coconut milk-based can sometimes have even more calories and saturated fats that regular ice cream! As you may know, saturated fats are the type of fats that we should stay away from as much as possible. If your diet is high in saturated fats, this could cause a rise in your levels of LDL cholesterol, which is commonly referred to as ‘bad cholesterol’. High levels of LDL cholesterol could then lead to development of fat deposits in your blood vessels. The bigger the fat deposits grow, the harder it is for blood to flow through your blood vessels. If these develop into clots, it can actually cause a stroke or a heart attack.

Knowing the risks of high levels of saturated fats, I’m sure you can understand why some vegan ice creams are not a healthier alternative to regular dairy ice cream. Let’s talk a little more specific. Some vegan ice creams that are coconut milk-based can have up to 250 calories, 20 or more grams of sugar, and 15 grams of fat. On the other hand, regular dairy ice cream typically has 150 calories, 10 or more grams of sugar, and 2 to 5 grams of saturated fat. With these facts alone, it is no doubt that regular ice cream can sometimes be a much healthier option than some vegan ice creams.

[ Additional read —> A Beginner’s Guide to Making Ice Cream from Home ]

What About Other Vegan Ice Cream Options?

Now let’s talk about the other vegan milks that are used in vegan ice creams. Soy milk was one of the first milk alternatives to use in many non-dairy treats. However, as with most fruits and vegetables, it is always best that the soybeans used to make the soy milk are organic and without GMOs or pesticides.

So many vegan ice cream toppings to go nuts about!

Almond milk and cashew milk are becoming more and more popular. The issue with these types of milks is that very often, neither almonds nor cashews are actually used to make their versions of milk. Instead, companies add thickeners such as guar gum and locust bean gum to replace the nuts without sacrificing the texture of the ice cream. When looking for ice cream with almond or cashew milk, be sure to read the ingredients as best as you can to make sure you’re actually eating ice creams that contain these nut milks.

Rice milk ice cream is also quite popular. However, rice is not high in fats, meaning it alone will not create a thick and creamy ice cream. Instead, companies add oil and thickeners to create the thick creamy texture that most people are looking for. This makes them just as bad as coconut milk-based ice creams.

Dried fruit makes for a great addition to your vegan ice cream.

Apart from the milk alternatives, it is important to watch out for other ingredients as well. Many fruity ice creams don’t even contain fruit. Instead, they are made with fruit juice form concentrate, food dye and lots of added sugars.

With Us, You Don’t Have To Worry!

Here at Beach Town Pops, we believe a delicious frozen treat should be made with the best ingredients possible. All of our ice cream, popsicles and sorbets are made with organic, cold pressed and gluten free ingredients. That way, you won’t feel super guilty while you munch on our amazing treats!

Try our vegan ice cream at our Los Angeles, Palm Springs, Orange County or Santa Barbara pop up events.

We are a catering service based in the Los Angeles area. You can invite us to your next event, and we will provide the best frozen treats you and your guests have ever tasted. Not only that, but we can also customize our ice cream cart, ice cream cups, popsicle sticks and wrappers to match your event! Whether that be a logo or initials of the bride and groom, we can make your event so much more special. And our frozen treats will keep everyone happy and cool in the hot summer. By the way, we have boozy options too! Let the adults have their own fun with a Strawberry Margarita, Mojito or Sauvignon Blancicle popsicle. Don’t forget to check us out!