Surprisingly, Amy’s Ice Cream didn’t last very long on the market (it was quite good!). But many brands have. See our Dairy-Free Ice Cream Reviews for dozens of options that are currently available.
It was over a year ago that I proclaimed my excitement over the new line-up of Amy’s Ice Cream. It seems my jubilant outburst was just a touch premature. They didn’t make it to market last summer, but they are here now, and let me tell you, I think it was worth the wait.
Tasting Notes for Amy’s Ice Cream
There are many wonderful coconut milk frozen desserts on the market. But Amy’s ice cream takes a slightly different approach, focusing on a perfectly whipped consistency and purity of flavors for an intense and more “traditional” ice cream experience.
Vanilla
This was the creamiest, softest vanilla dairy-free ice cream that I had ever indulged in. It remained perfectly scoop-able until the pint was polished off (no need to let it soften at room temperature!). As for the taste, the visible flecks of pure vanilla bean enveloped my taste buds and offered a decadent vanilla flavor that barely hinted at the coconut base. My niece didn’t love it – she prefers a super-sweet vanilla, and this Amy’s ice cream focused on flavor depth rather than excess sugar.
Chocolate
Pure cacao lovers will swoon for this deep chocolate delight. For our house it was a touch too intense. We still devoured it, but it wasn’t one we would seek out. This is a dark, I would estimate 80 to 90%, cacao dessert.
Mint Chip
It took me a few bites to warm up to this icy flavor, the coconut shined through a bit much at first. But the bold and refreshing mint and generously distributed chocolate chips eventually took charge and won me over. My husband really liked this flavor, too.
Mocha Chocolate Chip
My niece (the sweet coffee lover) adored this flavor. It was too “coffee” for me (I’m an herbal tea gal), but I think most espresso fans would happily dive into this Amy’s ice cream flavor.
Truly Dairy-Free Transition: From the beginning, Amy’s Ice Cream was dairy-free by ingredients, but they were sourcing chocolate for three of the flavors that “may contain trace amounts of milk”. However, according to an Amy’s representative, they have found a delicious truly dairy-free chocolate to use. Beginning this summer (2014) the chocolate-containing varieties will be strictly dairy-free (we were told that they are made on their own line in the Amy’s facility) and reflect that in new packaging. During this transition, strict dairy-free consumers are advised to look for the “new” banner on the pint carton, and to read the ingredient and allergy statement for confirmation.
The Facts on Amy’s Ice Cream
Dietary Notes: By ingredients, Amy’s ice cream is dairy-free / non-dairy, gluten-free, grain-free, nut-free, peanut-free, soy-free (we were told that the chocolate used in the new packaging – rolling out in 2014 – would be soy lecithin-free), vegan, and vegetarian. Nonetheless, check with the company on their manufacturing processes for all varieties if potential allergen cross-contamination is an issue for you. Processes and labeling are subject to change at any time for any company / product.
For More Product Information: Visit the Amy’s Kitchen website at www.amys.com.
14 Comments
This is the best non dairy ice cream. If nobody told you it was non dairy you would never know though it’s been so long since I have eaten dairy I forgot what it taste like. I give this a 5 star must try eating.
I’m a first time eater!! Just ate a pint of mocha chocolate chip! Now I’m looking for caffeine content…. Will I sleep tonite??
Haha, seriously, that stuff is strong Margaret! Perfect for coffee purists, not for going to bed early 🙂
So the ice cream is vegan but may contain milk that makes no sense
Hi Priscila, if you are dealing with food allergies, then it’s essential to understand our confusing world of food labels. I’ve got a guide here – http://www.godairyfree.org/food-and-grocery/food-label-info. Using a “may contain” label is completely optional, and does not mean the product has even a trace of milk nor that it doesn’t contain a trace of milk. The product is “dairy-free by ingredients” as noted, but manufacturing processes can present risks for cross-contamination with dairy-containing products – rarely in notable amounts, usually parts per million trace amounts – but this is still essential to consider with a severe food allergy.
I love the chocolate chip moca its my fave! I really love this ice cream because i fine these days dairy makes me very sick and this ice cream is really satisfing!
So glad you found a dairy-free ice cream that is fitting the bill for your Sarah. I agree – seriously satisfying!
I have tried the chocolate ice cream and found it quite good. Like all of Amy’s products, it lived up to thier name. It was smooth creamy ad it tasted as good as any ‘dairy’ ice cream I have had.
Thanks for the feedback Ellen – per your other comment, yes, the comments are moderated to keep spam out!
Hello. I have tried both the Vanilla and Chocolate flavors of Amy’s non-dairy frozen desserts. They are both the best vegan non-dairy “ice cream” alternatives
I have ever tasted – and I’ve tried them all. Even though the Chocolate version
includes dark chocolate the end result is really not “dark” tasting. It also has
natural vanilla and I consider it more of a “mlk” chocolate taste as I am not a
dark chocolate fan. The vanilla version has a wonderful vanilla bean flavor as
the review mentioned and both it and the chocolate have just a mild coconut
taste which is something Amy’s has come up with that makes these frozen
deserts unique and not as overwhelmingly coconut tasting as all the other
brands, particularly the always icy tasting “So Delicious” variations. Amy’s
goes to the top of the list again.
Thanks for sharing your review JB!
What a great product review! I can not wait to try the dark chocolate! I love a super intense chocolately flavor and this one sounds AMAZING!
I am looking forward to trying this, especially the mint one. I used to love the dairy full mint chocolate chip before. Thank you for your review. I would not have known about it otherwise.
Thank you for GoDairyFree too, as I’m very new to this.
I hope you enjoy Jeannette! And if this one doesn’t end up fitting the bill for you, don’t fret, there are other dairy-free mint chips out there to be trialed!