Updated February 2023! If dairy-free ice cream custom ordered with your flavors of choice and made instantly before your eyes sounds too good to be true, then you haven’t been to a Sub Zero Nitrogen Ice Cream shop. They use liquid nitrogen to flash freeze your ice cream, which also eliminates ice crystals. That said, they have told us that the vegan varieties are a bit more like ice milk in consistency, but still quite good. And you can choose from all of the mix-ins and flavors below.
Sub Zero Nitrogen Ice Cream Dairy-Free Guide
You choose the base, your flavors, and mix-ins, and they prepare your dairy-free ice cream in your own bowl! Be aware of special order requirements in parentheses () next to the menu items, and see the Heads Up notes to help fill in the blanks. Please note that this guide is for the U.S. locations. Options may vary in other countries.
Allergen Protocols: According to Sub Zero Ice Cream, their processes help them to be allergy-friendly. “There is no danger of cross-contamination, because for every new order we use a new, clean bowl, and we use a different measuring cup to measure the non-dairy base than the one we use for the dairy ice cream bases.” They can also get fresh toppings from the back, on request. But despite their confidence, there is always some degree of risk for cross-contamination with allergens in a food handling environment. Always speak with the staff to ensure you feel their processes and ingredients are safe for your needs.
Other Allergen & Dietary Notes: All of the following are made without egg, gluten / wheat, peanuts, tree nuts, and soy, unless otherwise noted or clear in the name. All of the following are also reported as vegan, except the marshmallow items, gummies, and graham cracker crumbs.
Bases
- Almond Milk
- Cashew Milk
- Oat Milk (might not be certified gluten-free)
- Coconut Milk
Heads Up! Which options are available at each location does vary. Some just have one dairy-free base option, others have multiple. And sadly, some locations no longer offer a dairy-free options – so always check in advance! They previously offered soymilk and rice milk bases, but these no longer seem to be available. There is a lactose-free base, but it is just free of lactose (milk sugar). It is not dairy free.
Flavors
- Amaretto
- Banana
- Blackberry
- Blueberry
- Blue Cotton Candy
- Bubble Gum
- Butter Pecan
- Butterscotch
- Cake Batter (contains wheat)
- Caramel
- Chai
- Cheesecake
- Cherry
- Chocolate
- Cinnamon
- Coconut
- Coffee
- Dark Chocolate
- Dr Pepper
- Huckleberry
- Lemon
- Lime
- Mango
- Maple
- Marshmallow
- Mint
- Mocha
- Peach
- Peanut Butter (contains peanut and soy)
- Pink Cotton Candy
- Orange
- Peppermint
- Pistachio
- Pina Colada
- Pumpkin
- Raspberry
- Rootbeer
- Strawberry
- Tiger’s Blood
- Vanilla
Heads Up! According to the allergen information from Sub Zero Ice Cream all flavors noted above are top allergen-free, except as noted. But verify before ordering. Brownie Batter, Dulce de Leche, Malt, Nutella, and White Chocolate were the only flavors that were listed as containing milk at the time of our review.
Mix-Ins
- Almonds
- Brownie Bites (contains wheat and soy)
- Cashews
- Coconut
- Graham Cracker Crumb (contains wheat)
- Gummy Bears
- Mangos
- Maraschino Cherries
- Marshmallows
- Mixed Berries
- Oreos (contains wheat and soy)
- Peaches
- Peanuts
- Pecans
- Pineapple
- Rainbow Sprinkles (contains soy)
- Raspberries
- Strawberries
Heads Up! All of the above items at Sub Zero Ice Cream are also egg-free, but they are not all vegan. Obviously, the nuts are tree nuts or peanuts. The Chocolate Flakes, Cookie Dough, and Waffle Cone Bits do contain milk.
Toppings & Other
- Chocolate Syrup (not the Hot Fudge)
- Dragon’s Breath
- Marshmallow Crème
Heads Up! The whipped topping at Sub Zero Ice Cream is lactose-free and might be labeled as non-dairy, but it is not dairy free. Their waffle cones and bowls do contain dairy.
This Post is for Informational Purposes Only
Menus, ingredients, kitchen procedures, management, food sourcing, and restaurant protocols are subject to change at any time. Always read the menu and discuss your dietary needs with the staff before ordering. Make sure they can accommodate your situation. This post is for informational purposes only, and should not be construed as advice.
There is always a risk for potential cross-contamination of allergens in any commercial kitchen. If cross-contamination is an issue for you, always speak with the manager to ensure that your meal can be safely prepared. Listings here do not guarantee that a restaurant is safe enough for your individual needs. Only you can make that decision.
Each location of a chain restaurant has different management and staff, and some might have different owners. This means differences in processes, ingredients used, menu options, and food sourcing can occur. Always verify the safety of your order for your needs at your current location.
Where to Find Sub Zero Nitrogen Ice Cream
They have about 40 locations scattered across the U.S. See their website below for addresses, hours, contact information, and online ordering.
Website: www.subzeroicecream.com
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3 Comments
My husband and I have been here a couple of times this year and have yet to be disappointed with their dairy free options. Most of their syrups are dairy free so you don’t have to just get a sweetened rice or soy milk option, you can have pumpkin flavored ice cream.
The consistency of the ice cream is not as creamy as the real stuff, but still tasty. We’ve found that agave syrup is a much better sweetener because it makes the consistency thicker.
Our favorite combo so far has been the rice milk, agave syrup, and cinnamon base with various fruits… it tastes like a frozen horchata.
Thanks for sharing your experience Marissa – that horchata combo sounds amazing!
Last week my husband and I went to Sub Zero Ice Cream because we’d heard their dairy free options were good. We asked for the almond milk base, then added flavoring and a raspberry mix in, plus they added sugar as a sweetener (they had other options to sweeten it as well). After one bite, we asked for our money back. It tasted like and was the consistency of a snow-cone without flavoring. I was so disappointed!
I don’t know if choosing the soy base would make it better, but I’d definitely say no to the almond milk base in the future.
Just thought I’d give my feedback so people don’t make the same mistake I did.
(they were very understanding and refunded our money right away.)