What up Friends! How is everyone doing? Whew chile - between the rising COVID cases and the rising temperatures, I’m just trying to stay calm, cool and Coronavirus free.

Fun fact about me - I am actually lactose intolerant….like severely intolerant. I hear a lot of people saying they are intolerant too, and then I see them eating pizza. I envy those folks. Not my testimony fam. I will get so sick (bloating, painful and worse) for days after I consume something that is full of creamy, delicious goodness.

Anywho, I’ve been lactose intolerant since 2009. You can read more about my health journey here. The main jist is that so many delicious foods, like pizza, cheese cake were off limits and back then (more than 10 years go, phew life is FLYING by), there were little to no #dairyfree options for ice cream besides sorbets. Thank the Lord for progress.

LOOK AT ALL THESE OPTIONS!!

With temperatures rising here in Dallas, I thought now is the PERFECT time to give you a quick list of my absolute fave non-dairy and lactose free ice creams! National Ice Cream Day was a few days ago, but true ice cream enthusiasts understand these treats can be enjoyed any day of the week, any season of the year. All of the items below are non-dairy, but I’ve a made a note if they meet any other dietary restrictions (gluten free, vegan, etc), and I tried to score them! :) Without further ado, my favorite non-dairy ice creams…in no particular order…kinda. HA!

BEN + JERRY’S: “Milk” & Cookies

Allergies: Certified Vegan

Okay - I lied. This list isn’t in order, but Ben & Jerry’s is BAE and must be first! They have about 15 non-dairy flavors, some made from sunflower butter and others made from almond milk. One of the newest flavors, “Milk & Cookies” is FIRE!! Cookies n Cream is my favorite flavor of ice cream and this delectable dessert has both chocolate sandwich cookies, chocolate chip cookies AND chocolate cookies swirling around vanilla ice cream, made from sunflower milk. I could seriously eat the whole pint in one setting, but I’m trying to stay snatched. Plus, if you didn’t know, Ben + Jerry’s is down for the culture, bout that life and just gets it when it comes to equality. They have other non-dairy flavors to try, but either way, they will continue to get my coins forever eva.

Score: 6 / 5 (extra points because again, they bout that life).

SO DELICIOUS - SALTED CARAMEL CLUSTER

Allergies: Vegan

Our friends at SO DELICIOUS get an A+ for being a company completely dedicated to non-dairy products. From yogurts to cheese to ice creams, they have a wide variety of non-dairy sources. I’m going to mention two on this list, but this Salted Caramel Cluster was my fave. Love subtle combination of sweet and salty. This cashew milk based ice cream is 100% vegan, but super creamy with tiny bits of delicious caramel. YUM!

Score: 4.25 / 5

WHOLE FOODS - CHOCOLATE CHIP PEANUT BUTTER SWIRL

Allergies: Vegan + Gluten Free

Y’all, my favorite candy in the entire world is Peanut Butter Cup. I love the combination of chocolate and peanut butter and this ice cream brings me so much joy. Whole Foods private label “365” created this flavor which means it’s available in almost every market…where there’s a Whole Foods. Plus, they often times have sales, (yes Whole Foods has sales) especially during the summer months, so keep an eye out for it!

Score: 5 / 5

OAT-LY: STRAWBERRY

Allergies: 100% Certified Vegan + Gluten Free

Now listen, I’m normally not a huge fan of strawberry ice cream, but this one from Oat-Ly is silky and not overwhelming sweet. It’s made from oats (ya’ll know that’s the latest trend since cauliflower), 100% certified vegan and gluten free. They have a variety of flavors including the 3 basics, plus hazelnut swirl and salted caramel. So for all my friends who have serious dietary restrictions, this one is for you!

Score: 3.5/5

NADA MOO - THE ROCKIEST ROAD

Allergies: Vegan + Gluten Free

After Cookies + Cream, my 2nd fave flavor of ice cream would have to be Rocky Road - chocolate cookie crumbles, marshmallows and crunchy almonds mixed in with a rich chocolate coconut ice cream. I’m in heaven! Nada Moo is an Austin-based company and makes product from Coconut Milk. Even though it’s non-dairy, they didn’t hold any stops making sure each bite was full of Rocky Road goodness. The only con is that the chocolate ice cream is a smidge bitter, but that’s common with this flavor.

Score: 4.5 / 5

SO DELICIOUS - OATMILK CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT BROWNIE

Allergies: Certified Vegan + Gluten Free

Three words - rich brownie pieces. YESSSS!!! This is like a cold version of brownie a la mode and i mean really, is there anything better than brownies and ice cream?? NAH…except for if you add some Hazelnut butter to it. *faints* Our new bae Oatmilk is the star of this chocolate ice cream making it silky smooth and not too grainy even with the brownies mixed in. If you’re a fan of chocolate ice cream, then you’ll love this treat!

Score: 4.75 / 5

KROGER SIMPLE TRUTH - VANILLA BEAN 

Rounding this list off, is the tried and true Vanilla Bean ice cream made from Simple Truth, the signature, private label from Kroger. It’s simple, clean and delicious. Plus, I’m of the belief that if you can get non-dairy vanilla right, then the rest of the flavors should be bomb too. This is probably the cheapest out of all the items on the list. Plus Kroger always has something on sale.

Score: 4 / 5 (for doing vanilla right)

Phew - did I leave anyone off the list? Anyone you absolutely love? Drop them in the comments below! I’m always looking for new flavors…and it’s only going to get hotter here in Texas. Might as well stay cool any way possible. P.S. if you’re wondering if I tried all of these for the blog, yep…SUREEE DID! Research is hard! ;) That’s all for now friends. Stay safe and don’t forget to wear your mask.