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There are just so many food memories and events to consider when going dairy-free. During a recent soccer tournament, an ice cream truck came jingling by. The lone frozen dessert peddler was intelligent enough to make a detour to the many fields where hundreds of players were hot, tired, and of course, hungry. Yet, aside from the less than exciting popsicles, I knew that his visit held not a single treat for my special diet. To be honest, my brief moment of sorrow had nothing to do with the contents that lay within his freezer truck. Rather, it was the inability to share in some youthful novelty fun with my friends. While the ice cream man seldom taunts me, I can only imagine the frozen dessert torture that dairy-free children must endure every summer. This is where one very intuitive frozen dessert manufacturer steps in. Turtle Mountain has created an array of dairy-free frozen dessert novelties that easily rival their dairy-rich enemies. Though the ice cream truck may not yet stock these dairy-free options (I emphasize yet!), any mom can have a supply readily stocked in the freezer for when the jingling returns. I recently sampled their seemingly authentic dairy-free “ice cream” sandwiches. Pleased, I decided to give a few other novelties a try. Their new So Delicious Creamy Bars seemed like a natural next choice. 
All Natural Creamy RaspberryAs I opened the box I was a bit surprised to discover three bars. I suppose I could have read the box beforehand for this information, nonetheless, it seemed like such an odd number. Quickly moving on, I unwrapped my first bar. An attractive swirl of pink and white greeted my appetite. 
The taste was luxuriously rich and creamy, and … in fact … an exact replica of Turtle Mountain’s new Organic So Delicious Cream Raspberry Quart, but on a stick! While the vanilla was creamy, and just a touch “beany,” it swirled amongst a dairy-free raspberry “sherbet” for a refreshing twist. The first few bites presented alternating tastes of raspberry and vanilla, but an overall creamy raspberry flavor emerged, as I get further into the bar. It was perfectly indulgent; yet light enough for the dog days of summer. All Natural Creamy OrangeWith the same visual appeal as the raspberry bar, but with orange swirls of “sherbet” rather than pink, I was excited by the potential of a creamsicle-like experience. Of course, a traditional creamsicle is a think layer of vanilla ice cream, surrounded by an almost popsicle like orange frozen dessert. The So Delicious bar was pure creamy goodness and the flavors tended to intermingle. Nonetheless, it did exude that yummy creamsicle flavor. 
Like the raspberry, this bar didn’t even hint at non-dairy. It had a dessert sweetness that satisfied me when one of those mid-afternoon junk food cravings hit and it was 90º plus outside. You know the ones. Honestly, it felt like I was indulging in an ice cream cone… on a stick! My only disappointment was that the bars seemed to have a much higher ratio of vanilla to orange. As much as I love vanilla flavored everything, I felt that this bar could have benefited from a more generous dose of orange “sherbet.” Organic Creamy FudgeWhile I have yet to find a turtle mountain product I didn’t like, the Creamy Fudge Bar didn’t dazzle me. In the past (way back there), I have enjoyed a few real fudgsicles. Yet, the So Delicious Creamy Fudge Bars just tasted too cocoa for me. The bar was quite creamy, but the cocoa flavor dominated my taste buds in a way that just whispered “its okay.” I also found this chocolate dessert to be a bit more like hard packed ice cream in nature, heavier and less refreshing than the fruity varieties. Somehow, I remembered fudgsicles as a lighter version of chocolate ice cream, but I could be wrong. All in all, chocolate enthusiasts may beg to differ with my opinion, but I plan to fill my cart with the Creamy Raspberry and Orange bars, while I will pass on the Creamy Fudge. 
My Extra Notes & Tips: - To Turtle Mountain’s dismay, I have not yet hit on the biggest selling factor of these bars…they are low calorie and low fat! Yes, the fruity varieties have just 80 calories and 1.5 grams of fat per fairly sized bar, while the creamy fudge only takes it up a small notch with 90 calories and 2 grams of fat per bar.
- Though I thought the three bars per box was a bit skimpy, the bars themselves are regular-sized. Turtle Mountain wanted to ensure none of us felt gypped the next time that ice cream truck rounds the corner.
- The creamy fruit falvored bars are labeled as all-natural rather than organic, but the primary ingredients (including the soymilk and sweeteners) are organic.
Where to Purchase: Turtle Mountain’s frozen desserts are widely distributed throughout the U.S. and Canada. In fact, there isn’t a grocer in my area that doesn’t carry at least a few flavors. These new Purely Decadent pints are just now hitting stores in the U.S. and may make their way up north in the near future. See the Turtle Mountain website for a store locator.
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