Updated for 2022! Dairy-free frozen desserts have come a long way. Just a decade ago, there were only a few pints hidden in the frozen food department of expensive markets. Now, there are entire chilled sections dedicated to non-dairy delights in many natural food stores and some conventional grocers. The question has shifted from what dairy-free ice cream is available to which one you should try first! So what is the best dairy-free ice cream?
To find out, we’ve sampled our combined weight in store-bought dairy-free frozen desserts and we’ve factored in reviews from you, our readers. All in all, over 40 product lines of dairy-free ice cream were considered! Collectively, you’ve helped us pick the fifteen best dairy-free ice cream pints currently available in North America.
The Best Dairy-Free Ice Cream Pints Sold at Grocers
These are the unbiased favorites of our tasting groups and many of our readers. Feel free to read the full product reviews that I’ve linked up to for more details. If you don’t see your favorite on the list, it might have just missed the cut (many others are good!). But you can make a difference on next year’s list. See our Dairy-Free Ice Cream Reviews where you can leave your own unbiased ratings and reviews on the brands you’ve tried (no login required). We want to know the best dairy-free ice cream in your opinion, too!
Update: Unfortunately, Consumer Reports was a little misinformed with their recent Best Dairy-Free Ice Cream taste test. First, Nick’s Vegan is NOT dairy-free. It’s made with genetically engineered milk protein, and is very much a dairy product. Second, we agree with them that Häagen-Dazs Non-Dairy Frozen Dessert was the clear winner. Yes, sadly, it was. Their staff didn’t realize they were sampling the last remaining pints on the shelves. We’re still in mourning over the loss of those insanely decadent Peanut Butter Chocolate Fudge, Chocolate Salted Fudge Truffle, and Coconut Caramel flavors. *sniff* But we must move on. Here are the best dairy-free ice cream pints and quarts available now …
So Delicious Dairy Free Cashewmilk Frozen Dessert
When their Cashewmilk pints landed on the market, it was a game changer for dairy-free consumers. After years of coconutty ice cream, this dreamy line emerged with a more neutral base flavor and unbelievable decadence. Even die hard dairy ice cream fans have trouble turning down a scoop of these varieties. See our full review for tasting notes on select flavors.
- Base: Cashew Milk
- Champion Flavors: Snickerdoodle, Salted Caramel Cluster, and Chocolate Cookies ‘N Cream
- Key Dietary Notes*: They are all vegan, gluten-free, and soy-free, but depending on the flavor, you might find other tree nuts in the ingredients.
- Availability: United States and Canada
Earth Grown Frozen Desserts
This is a “get it while you can” group of products. Earth Grown is an ALDI U.S. house brand, and their dairy-free frozen dessert pints go in and out of availability throughout the year. All three types receive top marks by reviewers, including the Oat Milk, Almond Milk, and Coconut Milk flavors. See our full reviews for tasting notes on select flavors.
- Base: Oat Milk, Almond Milk, or Coconut Milk
- Champion Flavors: Mint Chip Coconut Milk, Strawberry Oat Milk, and Chocolate Almond Milk
- Key Dietary Notes*: They are all vegan, but check the individual pints for other top allergens. Some do contain gluten, soy, and/or nuts.
- Availability: United States (exclusive to ALDI stores)
So Delicious Wondermilk Frozen Dessert
This is the company’s first attempt at truly mimicking dairy ice cream, and they’ve done a pretty darn good job. The texture is rich and creamy, and the taste is pure. Don’t worry if you aren’t a coconut fan, there aren’t any tropical hints in these pints. If you’re missing Ripple Ice Cream, which was sadly discontinued in 2022, this is the product to try. See our full review for tasting notes on select flavors.
- Base: Pea Protein and Coconut Oil
- Champion Flavors: Vanilla, Buttery Pecan, Cookies & Crème
- Key Dietary Notes*: They are all vegan, gluten-free, and soy-free, but depending on the flavor, you might find tree nuts in the ingredients.
- Availability: United States
Ben & Jerry’s Non-Dairy Frozen Dessert
Like all Ben & Jerry’s ice creams, their Non-Dairy line is over-the-top. It includes several riffs on their most popular classic flavors, like Cherry Garcia, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, and Phish Food. But they’ve also whipped up a couple “non-dairy only” pints like Bananas Foster, Coconut Seven Layer Bar, and P.B. & Cookies. But be sure you are prepared for a flavor rush. These are very sweet pints that often contain dessert within the dessert. See our full review for tasting notes on some flavors.
- Base: Almond Milk or Sunflower Seed Butter
- Champion Flavors: P.B. & Cookies, Americone Dream, and Caramel Almond Brittle
- Key Dietary Notes*: Depending on the flavor, you might find wheat, soy, peanuts, or tree nuts in the ingredients. But they are all egg-free and vegan.
- Availability: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, and Australia
Cado Avocado Frozen Dessert
This company whips avocado puree and avocado oil with other pure, natural ingredients to create a surprisingly creamy finish. Consumers rave about their simple flavors, many proclaiming this brand the best on the market. See our full review here.
- Base: Avocado
- Champion Flavors: Simply Lemon and Mint Chocolate Chip
- Key Dietary Notes*: All of their flavors are vegan, gluten-free, soy-free, tree nut-free, and even coconut-free and free of added proteins. But they have added a peanut butter flavor.
- Availability: United States
Planet Oat Non-Dairy Frozen Dessert
Oat milk products have been racing to market, but Planet Oat seems to be coming out ahead in many categories, including dairy-free ice cream. It’s a whipped milk and oil blend that’s winning customer raves for creaminess and flavor. For more information, see our full review.
- Base: Oat Milk and Coconut Oil
- Champion Flavors: Blueberry Oat Crumble and Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl
- Key Dietary Notes*: Their base is vegan, nut-free, and soy-free, but they do use gluten and/or peanuts in a few varieties.
- Availability: United States
Forager Project Organic Dairy-Free Ice Cream
They actually incorporate a little oat flour into their cashew butter base for just the right texture and flavor. The results are well-loved for creaminess, rich flavors, and for more virtuous ingredients. For more information, see our full review.
- Base: Cashew Milk
- Champion Flavors: Cookies & Cream and Bittersweet Chocolate
- Key Dietary Notes*: Their base is vegan, gluten-free, and soy-free, but the cookies in their Cookies and Cream are made with wheat.
- Availability: United States
Talenti Dairy Free
This is the only brand on both our best dairy-free ice cream and best sorbet lists. They offer just a few creamy dairy-free varieties, but they are pretty darn delicious. And their fruity vegan flavors are bound to win you over, even if you aren’t a big sorbet fan. See our full review for more information.
- Base: Coconut Oil
- Champion Flavors: Cold Brew and Dark Chocolate
- Key Dietary Notes*: The fruity varieties are vegan and made without top allergens. But a couple of the creamier flavors contain eggs, the layers contains gluten, and nuts are a possibility depending on the flavor.
- Availability: United States and Australia
Daiya Frozen Dessert
If you like their dreamy frozen dessert bars, then you will love these pints. They’re the scoopable versions of the ice cream in the bars. The only problem with this product is it can be hard to find. But they do ship direct to customers in the U.S. For tasting notes and more information, see our full review.
- Base: Coconut Cream
- Champion Flavors: Classic Vanilla Crème and Salted Caramel Chip
- Key Dietary Notes*: They are all vegan and made without top allergens.
- Availability: United States and Canada
Breyers Non-Dairy Ice Cream
If you’re a value-oriented consumer, then this brand is worth a try. It’s sweet, creamy, sold at many major grocers, and comes in 1.5-quart tubs that are even cheaper than some of the dairy-free pint brands. They are on the indulgent side (like Ben & Jerry’s), and now come in several flavors. See our full review.
- Base: Almond Milk
- Champion Flavors: Chocolate Chocolate Chip and Oreo Cookies & Cream
- Key Dietary Notes*: These are vegan, and the ice cream base is gluten-free, but select flavors contain gluten and/or soy in the add-ins.
- Availability: United States
Nadamoo Dairy-Free Frozen Dessert
We’ve seen several ice cream shops release pints, but Nadamoo started with pints, and then opened an ice cream shop. If you can’t make it to Austin, Texas, just head to your local grocer. In all likelihood, they’ll have at least a few fun Nadamoo flavors in stock. It’s coconut-based, with hints of coconut in most of the flavors. But they get quite creative with the flavors and always boast a very creamy consistency. See our full review for tasting notes and more information.
- Base: Coconut Milk
- Champion Flavors: That Snickerdoodle Dough, Birthday Cake Cookie Dough, and Vanila…ahhh
- Key Dietary Notes*: Depending on the flavor, you might find tree nuts in the ingredients. But they’re all certified vegan and certified gluten-free. I believe they are also soy-free.
- Availability: United States
Simple Truth Frozen Desserts
Kroger is doing it right with their house brand of dairy-free ice cream pints. Simple Truth Frozen Desserts come in Almondmilk, Coconutmilk, and Oatmilk bases, each with a few flavors. And it’s hard to say which type is better! See our full review for more information.
- Base: Almond Milk, Oat Milk and Coconut Oil, or Coconut Cream
- Champion Flavors: Vanilla Bean Almondmilk, Chocolate Brownie Swirl Coconutmilk, and Black Raspberry Chip Oatmilk
- Key Dietary Notes*: They are all vegan, but check the individual pints for other top allergens. Some do contain gluten, soy, and/or nuts.
- Availability: United States (exclusive to Kroger family of stores)
O’My Gelato
This is a simplistic dairy-free ice cream with “clean” ingredients and a rich coconut cream base. Some flavors are creamier than others – ranging from soft straight from the freezer to more of a sherbet-like consistency. But they all received top marks for taste and rich mouth feel. For tasting notes and more information, see our full review.
- Base: Coconut Cream
- Champion Flavors: Mint Chip and Orange Cream
- Key Dietary Notes*: They are all vegan and made without top allergens.
- Availability: United States
Frönen Non-Dairy Frozen Desserts
This simple, paleo-friendly brand has shed their nice cream image. They’ve moved on from bananas, and now use a purely coconut cream base. The transition was successful, and has brought many new fans on board for both taste and quality. Their formulas use 7 ingredients or less and are sweetened solely with honey or coconut sugar. See our full review for more details.
- Base: Coconut Cream
- Champion Flavors: Salted Caramel Swirl and Strawberry
- Key Dietary Notes*: They are made without top allergens. This brand is also plant-based, but they’re not strictly vegan because they use honey in most flavors.
- Availability: United States
Open Nature Frozen Dessert
This Albertsons / Safeway store brand would rank higher on our list if there was more consistency across the types. Their Oatmilk an Coconutmilk based flavors get rave reviews. But but they aren’t as readily stocked as the Almondmilk and Cashewmilk varieties, which are less than stellar. Hopefully they shift more toward the oat and coconut bases in years to come, or improve the almond and cashew lines.
- Base: Oatmilk and Coconut Oil or Coconut Cream (for the top recommended lines)
- Champion Flavors: Blueberry Oatmeal Crumble and Toasted Coconut
- Key Dietary Notes*: Depending on the flavor, you might find gluten, peanuts, or tree nuts in the ingredients. But the varieties mentioned do appear to be vegan and soy-free.
- Availability: United States (exclusive to Albertsons family of stores)
Honorable Mentions
If we made it a top 20, these five would also be on the list.
- Hudsonville Dairy-Free Frozen Dessert – This up and comer gets top marks for its fluffy, creamy consistency. But not all flavors are solidly hitting the mark, and it’s very hard to find their dairy-free pints, which are still sold mostly in the Midwest.
- So Delicious Dairy Free Oatmilk Frozen Dessert – Their oatmilk line has some creative flavors, and definitely some fans. But it’s firmly in the “pretty good” category.
- Yellofruit – If you are a banana nice cream fan, then this fruity frozen dessert should not be missed.
- Tofutti Dairy Free Frozen Dessert – Like many of you, we still love this classic brand made with non-GMO soy and cocoa butter. Unfortunately, it’s just become so hard to find that it can’t remain at the top of our list.
- Mauna Loa Macadamia Milk – This is the first macadamia nut milk ice cream, and it holds promise. The flavors are fragrant and impressive. The consistency is more like ice milk, which we loved as a more refreshing treat on a hot day. But it lacks that soft creaminess that you might be expecting from frozen dessert.
*Know Your Needs! All of the above were dairy-free by ingredients at last check. But always check the label. Ingredients and processes are subject to change at any time. Also potential cross-contamination with dairy or other allergens is always a concern in product manufacturing. If you are dealing with a severe or sensitive food allergy, always contact the manufacturer to ensure their processes are safe for your needs prior to consumption. Although the FDA labels coconut as a tree nut, coconut is not a tree nut, and is not technically a top allergen in North America. But it is possible to be allergic to coconut or any other food.
57 Comments
There was a comment Breyers only had 2 flavors. WRONG. There us plain vanilla, chocolate and even oreo cookie
Hi Christine, Breyer’s only has two Dairy-Free flavors. I believe the ones you are referring to are Lactose-Free. Here is information on the dairy-free products -> https://www.godairyfree.org/product-reviews/breyers-non-dairy-ice-cream. If you are lactose intolerant, and not avoiding dairy for any other reason, then the lactose-free flavors are a great option. But for dairy-free needs, those should be avoided.
Trader Joe’s vanilla soy ice cream is super yummy. I melt some TJ cookie butter (also vegan) and pour on top for some major indulgence.
Cado Avacado dark chocolate frozen desert.
Talenti peanut butter fudge sorbetto is hands down the creamiest most luxurious non dairy ice sorbet on this planet but ridiculously hard to find in stock from Maryland to Florida to Chicago, etc! I’m going to have to try Hagen Das chocolate peanut butter. Thanks for the review!
I have tried numerous brands and flavors since my local market stopped carrying my favorite which is Double Rainbow “Very Cherry Chip”. The best I have ever tasted! Gotta find another source and hopefully I can get a gallon!
Unfortunately, Perfectly Free ice cream is no longer being produced. It was my favorite, local ice cream. ;(
Hands down the very best vegan ice cream is Trader Joe’s Soy Vanilla frozen dessert with their Chocolate Cherry Chip a close second. I’m not 100% positive but I really believe that Double Rainbow makes their Soy Ice Cream. Whoever, it THE BEST and by ingredient list the healthiest. It is organic and with far fewer chemicals additives than any other brand I’ve seen. And it half the price to boot!!
Thank you for sharing this Mary! Yes, I think it is Double Rainbow too.
can i ge t these icecream in jamaica
We have quite a few restrictions that make selecting the perfect ice cream a difficult task so I appreciate all the details you included about the brands. We don’t have Perfectly Free here but I really like their frozen bites. And I’d have to say that So Delicious is probably our go-to, but we just have to watch out for nuts.
I agree, it’s definitely harder with nut-free. There was one banana brand that was actually quite good. I’ve got to find that one again!
This really is a great time to be a vegan ice cream lover! When I first went vegan, the options were on the slim side. Nowadays, I haven’t even tried all of these on your list!
My favorite vegan ice cream is Ben & Jerry’s PB & Cookie. Second place would be So Delicious Snickerdoodle. Coconut Bliss Cherry Amaretto was my favorite for the longest time, but I haven’t had it in way too long now.
You have a sweet tooth, like me! Excellent choices 🙂
It’s so exciting to see so many new dairy-free ice cream choices! My favorite is So Delicious cashew, I haven’t tried Haagen Daz. That will happen soon!
Yes, that does need to happen soon. Those Haagen Dazs dairy free pints are epic!
Vegan ice cream really has come a long way! I remember when the only kinds I could find were Rice Dream and Tofutti. I’ve only tried a few on this list, so I think I need to get myself to the grocery store!
Well which is your favorite thus far Dianne? Or did I miss one of your favorites?
I am so happy to find dairy free frozen desserts on the shelves in the stores. Sometimes I just don’t have time to make it at home. Your recommendations is greatly appreciated. I like the So Delicious, but want to try some of the others.
Yes, I definitely recommend branching out a little. They all offer such different experiences.
There are so many good choices! Some I haven’t tried yet, but the So Delicious is probably my favorite. My mom is crazy about the Mocha Almond Fudge Coconutmilk dessert.
Ooh, I could see that one being popular with coffee fans.
How can these products be called ice cream when these is no cream in it? Oxymoron? How do you get milk from an almond or cashew?
You have heard of coconut cream and coconut milk, correct? Those are a real foods that have been around since before “ice cream” was a term. In other cultures “milk” has been used for centuries to describe things that aren’t dairy. And “to cream” or “to milk” something doesn’t just refer to dairy. People use these terms for familiarity and description. If it’s confusing, the ingredients can always clear it up for you, that’s what we have to read all the time! All of the above products are made with similar ingredients to ice cream (with dairy-free base instead of dairy milk), churned like ice cream, scoop like ice cream, and in general, have tastes and creamy consistencies of ice cream. If they create specific terms for dairy-free products, that would be helpful. Thus far, they’ve only tried to limit terms rather than creating them. Unfortunately, “frozen dessert” can be dairy or dairy-free, a novelty or a pint, or even an icebox cake – it can be any dessert that is frozen, no matter the ingredients or type. Once more specific and recognizable terms are created and disseminated, I’m sure that the special diet communities will be more than happy to embrace them. We would love to recognize dairy-free products easily! Perhaps you know someone who can fund such a campaign?
What a round-up! Somehow I find the dairy-free ice creams I’ve been able to try a little too sweet for me. Perhaps its because they are trying to mask some of the coconut flavour. Still better than nothing though!
Yes, I agree with you. I’m posting a sorbet list later this week that might appeal to you more, as there are some creamy, less sweet options.
I love that there are so many dairy free ice creams now. For me, the least amount of ingredients the better. I also prefer a coconut base – it’s creamier and I have less issues with allergies.
I could see that – very rich and fulfilling too.
Great list…now I’m obsessed with Booja Booja 😉
That is such a neat brand!
I had no idea So Delicious made a peachy maple pecan flavor! I’ll have to look for it and that caramel cafe pint of Perfectly Free. Yum!!
It’s one of their new flavors, and it’s so unique but really good!
Thanks for such a comprehensive review and for including Canada!
Of course! I do my best 🙂
I tried a lot of the different flavors of Stevie’s Ice Cream and I thought a lot of the flavors are nasty. I did like the lemon blueberry ice box cake flavor, because there is a lot of flavor in the one flavor of ice cream.
Thanks for sharing Brittany!
Definitely the SO Delicious Cashew milk Ice Creams!! Especially their Bars! OMG!
Agreed! And the bars list is coming up 🙂
Totally agree. I just had their salted caramel bar for the first time and it is AMAZING! I don’t miss the dairy at all!
That’s awesome!
That’s a hard choice! For versatility, I’d say So Delicious Vanilla Cashewmilk. But for eating, the Ben & Jerry’s flavors are just spot on, especially the PB & Cookies and the Caramel Almond Brittle.
I have to agree – that vanilla cashewmilk is a go-to around here!