When I stopped eating processed sugar and dairy for a couple months last quarter, I was forced to find healthy ice cream options to satisfy my sweet tooth. My discoveries did not disappoint.
LA is apparently full of dairy-free, sugar-free, gluten-free, and soy-free desserts. Here are three of my favorites...
1. Rawberri
If you've never heard of Cocowhip, prepare to be amazed. This creamy soft serve is made out of only three components: coconut water, bio-fermented coconut powder, and vegetable-sourced stabilizers. It's refreshing, sweet, and comes in two flavors — classic and chocolate. My favorite part is Rawberri's adorable decor. While the ice cream itself will cost you about $9 with toppings, the location, with its neon lights, hanging hammock chairs, and palm tree-printed walls, is truly priceless.
2. Pressed Juicery
Infamous for its juice cleanses, Pressed Juicery proved it can do more with veggies than just liquify them. Pressed Freeze is a soft serve that comes in six, sometimes seven, flavors ranging from Greens (ingredients: kale, spinach, romaine, cucumber, apple, lemon, dates, coconut meat) to Fruit (ingredients: fuji apple, strawberry, coconut meat, dates) to Vanilla Almond (ingredients: almond, dates, sea salt, vanilla). The texture of each is perfectly light without being too watery, and it'll cost you a little over $5 with toppings.
3. Nekter
I saved my favorite for last. While the ice cream from Rawberri and Pressed tastes vaguely healthy, Skoop from Nekter has the texture and flavors of normal, creamy, dairy-full ice cream. It's main ingredients are cashew milk, coconut sugar, honey (no, it's not vegan), and cocoa powder for the chocolate flavor. Skoop is also the least expensive of the three, costing less than $5 with toppings.
If you want to commit to your diet, but are too lazy to leave the house to try Cocowhip, Pressed Freeze, or Skoop, try making "nice" cream. All you need is a frozen banana, food processor, and any other optional ingredients in your pantry. My favorites flavors are peanut butter, mocha, and the classic chocolate.