In the summer, there's nothing I crave more after dinner than a nice scoop of ice cream. I work out hard and eat healthy most of the time, and life is all about balance, so I am more than happy to treat myself to ice cream every once and a while.
What I don't want to do, however, is fill my body with the chemicals and artificial ingredients that are in many ice cream brands. That's why I recently went to Whole Foods on the search for organic ice cream.
Here's a breakdown of the organic ice cream brands that I found and how I think they stack up in the flavor department.
Whole Foods' 365 Brand
Always the OG, Whole Foods’ 365 store brand offers a huge range of organic ice cream, and non-dairy frozen dessert options. Whether your craving is for nostalgic ice cream sandwiches, fudge bars, or just a plain old scoop of ice cream, you can find an organic version under the 365 label.
Alden's Organic Ice Cream
I’m big on buying organic when it’s not going to cost me an arm and a leg to do so. Alden’s family-sized, organic, and non-GMO ice cream lets me enjoy a variety of traditional and delicious flavor options without spending my whole paycheck.
If portion control is an issue, you can always try their ice cream sandwiches or bars, but the flavor options are even more limited.
Julie's Organic
All of the products from Julie’s are organic, so as long as you see the brand name, you know you’re going to get real, non-GMO, organic ingredients. If you’re an ice cream sandwich person, you’ll definitely want to try their sea salt caramel ice cream sandwich squares.
Julie’s also has fruity non-dairy bars and gluten free sandwiches to accommodate those with dietary restrictions.
Luna and Larry's Coconut Bliss
Luna and Larry’s should be the go to brand for everyone who’s dairy-free, gluten-free, soy-free, vegan, paleo, or just looking for a delicious frozen dessert made from real, natural ingredients.
My favorite thing about this brand is their huge variety of flavors. They always put their own little unexpected twist on traditional flavors, like cinnamon chocolate fusion.
Stonyfield Frozen Yogurt
Stonyfield keeps it simple with their organic frozen yogurt flavors. There are only 6 flavor offerings for regular frozen yogurt and two for bars.
Stonyfield’s redeeming quality is their price, and the fact that you can find it in almost all grocery stores, including Whole Foods. It’s nothing special, but there’s nothing to complain about either.
Three Twins Ice Cream
Fans of Three Twins are lucky that Whole Foods now carries pints, sandwiches, and cones because, until recently, you could only enjoy their innovative and organic flavors if you lived near one of their stores.
With 22 different flavor options to choose from, there’s something for everyone in the Three Twins section.
So Delicious Coconutmilk Frozen Dessert
This non-dairy ice cream is made from coconut milk, which adds extra flavor complexity that you won’t get from the original. Their flavors are fairly straightforward, but what sets them apart is the no sugar added and gluten-free options.
Make sure you check the labels, though, because So Delicious frozen treats made with cashew milk and almond milk aren’t organic. Although they’re still so delicious.
New Barn Almond Creme
The almond milk used to make this organic ice cream is as natural as if you had made it at home. Then, it’s combined with other all-natural ingredients to make delicious non-dairy ice cream flavors like strawberry, ginger snap cookie, cereal, and coffee.
If you want to enjoy New Barn almond milk products all day long, be sure to check out their organic almond milk, which comes in a variety of flavors.
Dream Plant Based
This brand makes a variety of non-dairy milk products, but not all of them are organic. The Rice Dream ice cream is a great option for vegans, but the organic flavor options are pretty limited.
Trickling Springs Creamery
Unfortunately, Trickling Springs Creamery's fun limited edition flavors like earl grey sriracha and smoked cinnamon aren’t usually organic, but there are plenty of organic options to keep your freezer fully stocked with traditional and nontraditional flavors.
The super premium high-fat base makes for one of the creamiest ice creams i’ve ever tasted.
Saltisweet Ice Cream Factory
My prediction is that this small company from Colorado is going to make it big when people start seeing their product in Whole Foods this summer.
It’s a pretzel dipped in chocolate, then wrapped in a layer of organic ice cream, then dipped in another layer of chocolate. What more could you want from an organic ice cream dessert?
Now you've got eleven organic ice cream options and a whole summer ahead of you to try each and every one.
Which will be your new favorite go-to dessert?