‘I scream, you scream, we all scream, for ICE CREAM!’
Nothing compares to the magic of creamy, delicious ice cream. But on the low-FODMAP diet those frozen treats are not the safest bet. Though options exist to limit lactose, they aren’t all low-FODMAP…and if they are, how do they taste?
I decided to test for myself. I shopped around, read a ton of labels and found some low-FODMAP options.
Here is my low-FODMAP ice cream taste test! Also…Check out over 500 low FODMAP recipes right here on the blog. You may love my low-FODMAP desserts and treats collection for some recipes for your own low-FODMAP popsicles and ice creams.
Be healthy and happy,
Rachel Pauls, MD
P.S. Did you know that I have a COOKBOOK ?!
This is the BEST resource for low-FODMAP diet know-how, a 4 week meal plan and more than 100 low-FODMAP Recipes that prep in 30 minutes or less and have NEVER been published on the blog!
Click this link to learn more!!
Dr. Rachel’s GREAT Low-FODMAP Ice Cream Taste Test
Rules:
- The judges ranked the choices on taste, texture and overall.
- For the low-FODMAP challenge, we selected those with almond milk, coconut milk, and lactose-free dairy.
- Beware, however, many options that appear to be low-lactose have high-FODMAP ingredients. Read labels.
- Also, please note that none have been formally tested for FODMAPs.
- Example of some questionable additives in some popular brands:
- Arctic Zero- whey protein, chicory root, monk fruit concentrate, sugarcane fiber
- So Delicious Coconutmilk Vanilla -No Sugar Added (this variety only): chicory root extract, erythritol
- Organic Coconut Bliss: agave
- Ben and Jerry’s Dairy free Dessert: pea protein, corn syrup solids
- So Delicious Soy: soymilk
- Also, maltodextrin is listed on many labels, as well as carrageenan. Not necessarily high-FODMAP, but these could upset stomachs and trigger inflammation. So take it slow, avoid these additives, or (what I’m considering) buy an ice-cream maker for home!
Note: I did get an ice cream maker! Check out my recipes for low-FODMAP dark chocolate ice cream and low-FODMAP french vanilla ice cream!
Here are the low-FODMAP ice cream contenders and their ingredients:
- Note they all melted very differently so it was difficult to get a great photo. The dairy free ones had a tough consistency and were very hard to scoop (kind of a turn-off)
Almond Dream:
Vanilla: filtered water, evaporated cane sugar, almonds, expeller pressed safflower oil, tapioca maltodextrin, natural vanilla extract, potato maltodextrin, guar gum, carob bean gum, sunflower lecithin, sea salt, natural flavors
Cappuccino Swirl: filtered water, evaporated cane sugar, almonds, expeller pressed safflower oil, tapioca maltodextrin, coffee extract, potato maltodextrin, guar gum, carob bean gum, cocoa (processed with alkali), sunflower lecithin, natural flavors, rice starch, sea salt
Toffee Almond Fudge: filtered water, evaporated cane sugar, almonds, expeller pressed safflower oil, tapioca maltodextrin, contains 2% or less of cocoa (processed with alkali), potato maltodextrin, guar gum, carob bean gum, tapioca starch, rice starch, natural flavors, sunflower lecithin, salt
Chocolate: filtered water, evaporated cane sugar, almonds, expeller pressed safflower oil, tapioca maltodextrin, cocoa (processed with alkali), potato starch, guar gum, carob bean gum, carrageenan, sunflower lecithin, natural flavors, sea salt
So Delicious Coconutmilk:
Vanilla: organic coconut milk (filtered water, organic coconut), organic cane sugar, organic coconut oil, acacia gum, baking soda, locust bean gum, guar gum, natural flavor, vanilla bean
Chocolate: organic coconut milk (filtered water, organic coconut), organic cane sugar, cocoa, organic coconut oil, acacia gum, locust bean gum, baking soda, guar gum, natural flavor
Lactaid:
Vanilla: milk, cream, sugar, corn syrup, guar gum, locust bean gum, natural vanilla flavor, vanilla beans, lactase enzyme
Mint Chocolate Chip: milk, cream, sugar, corn syrup, semi-sweet chocolate chips (sugar, unsweetened chocolate, milkfat, cocoa butter, unsweetened chocolate processed with alkali, soy lecithin, vanilla extract), peppermint extract, guar gum, locust bean gum, lactase enzyme
Breyer’s Lactose-free:
Vanilla: skim milk, sugar, corn syrup, cream, whey, less than 2% of: vegetable gums (carob bean, guar, tara), mono and diglycerides, natural flavor, lactase enzyme, vitamin A palmitate, carrageenan
Chocolate: skim milk, sugar, corn syrup, cream, cocoa (processed with alkali), whey, contains 2% or less of each of the following: gums (carob bean, guar, tara), mono and diglycerides, salt, natural flavor, lactase enzyme, vitamin A palmitate, carrageenan
And here are the results…what is the best low-FODMAP ice cream you ask?
- In general, the tastes were better than anticipated, and in many some cases 9-10/10 (we are ice-cream lovers)
- However, the non-dairy varieties (both coconut and almond) were very slow to melt and remained hard in the container
- This led to difficulty scooping and a harder, grittier texture.
Winner Low-FODMAP Ice Cream Taste Test:
Breyer’s Lactose-free Chocolate and Vanilla:
Both of these scored 9.5 out of 10 in all categories. They tasted exactly like regular ice creams, melted right and were smooth in texture.
Runner-up low-FODMAP ice cream taste test:
Lactaid Mint Chocolate Chip:
Scored 9/10 on all categories, great having the little chocolate pieces, if this is a flavor you prefer.
Honorable mention Low-FODMAP ice cream taste test:
Lactaid Vanilla: average 8.5/10. Could have more vanilla flavor. The texture was better than the non-dairy contestants but not as smooth as Breyer’s.
Best dairy-free low-FODMAP ice cream:
Almond Dream Toffee Almond Fudge– this scored 7/10 on all parameters. Great bits of almond, but the ice cream didn’t melt on the tongue right and had a strange aftertaste. Still, heads above all the other dairy free options.
The rest of the rankings:
Almond Dream Cappuccino Swirl: average 5.5/10. Not enough coffee taste, strange texture. Nice fudge ripples made it passable.
Almond Dream Chocolate: average 5/10. Definitely not chocolatey enough.
Almond Dream Vanilla: average 4/10.
So Delish Coconutmilk Chocolate: average 4/10. Dark and seems rich but coconut aftertaste and poor texture. Got mixed reviews- some preferred the coconut flavor but most scores indicated this to be the lowest chocolate ranked.
So Delish Coconutmilk Vanilla: average 3/10. Virtually no vanilla notes. Very lackluster.
So there it is! The results of our low-FODMAP ice cream taste test!
Of course- you should make your own decisions. Ice cream is one of those things that even when its bad, it’s still really good.
Check out my blog for more great low-FODMAP tips, including my low-FODMAP Flour Bake Off and low-FODMAP Fast Food Lists.
