You Say Nondairy Dessert, I Say Ice Cream

Published on Friday, February 22, 2008, by Deborah Lewis / Edit Post

Frozen nondairy desserts like Tofutti are certainly delicious and worth indulging in, but they’d never be mistaken for ice cream with that “I’m a soy-based product” flavor. Now arrives a new contender: Wheeler’s Black Label Vegan Ice Cream (yes, they call it ice cream even though it contains no dairy). It comes in a multitude of flavors, which frequently change; I tried chocolate chip (good but would’ve been great had the chocolate chips not been dry and crumbly), pumpkin (nice blast of spice up front that then lingered way too long, leaving an unpleasant, chemically aftertaste), and my favorite, peanut butter (a sweet-salty combo).

A couple of fellow tasters found the consistency to be gummy, but I thought Wheeler’s creamy texture approximated ice cream better than other products out there. Also, the company custom-designs flavors, so you can order something special for yourself. And if you’re lucky they might even send you a free pint. Every day they pick an email from their in-box and send that person free ice cream.

Wheeler’s Black Label Vegan Ice Cream, $4 to $10 per pint

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POST A COMMENT |6 Comments

COMMENT

  • The term "ice cream" is like "milk". They dairy industry wants to own the terms, and they don't. Soy cream and almond milk are what they say they are. "Vegan ice cream" is hard to mistake for dairy, folks, and won't do anyone any harm.

    Has anyone here successfully ordered their product? I've emailed and they don't respond, and there's no online store. They have a retail show on Mass Ave near the...+READ

    The term "ice cream" is like "milk". They dairy industry wants to own the terms, and they don't. Soy cream and almond milk are what they say they are. "Vegan ice cream" is hard to mistake for dairy, folks, and won't do anyone any harm.

    Has anyone here successfully ordered their product? I've emailed and they don't respond, and there's no online store. They have a retail show on Mass Ave near the Symphony stop on the E line, but it's under construction....-COLLAPSE

  • dinasoup, you can order Wheeler's online through their website, http://www.icecreamproject.com/.

  • I think sometimes you need to use the terminology of the food you're imitating to properly convey the idea. How else would you label something like a vegetarian "chicken" patty? "Breaded soy patty" doesn't seem to really let you know what you're in for (especially as soy can be given so many different flavors and textures). Just as frozen non-dairy dessert doesn't really tell you what you're...+READ

    I think sometimes you need to use the terminology of the food you're imitating to properly convey the idea. How else would you label something like a vegetarian "chicken" patty? "Breaded soy patty" doesn't seem to really let you know what you're in for (especially as soy can be given so many different flavors and textures). Just as frozen non-dairy dessert doesn't really tell you what you're getting (assuming you're a first-time consumer of that sort of product who doesn't know what code words to look for). I mean - a popsicle or frozen fruit bar could just as easily be described as a non-dairy dessert...

    That being said, I'm all in favor of being more clear with labeling. I just don't see "vegan ice cream" as being any more deceptive than "veggie burger." Nobody wonders if a veggie burger has beef in it, just as the word "vegan" in front of "ice cream" should convey that there is no dairy (though I suppose there are some folks out there who don't know what vegan means). Regardless, I do think packaging should be more clear about surprise ingredients (the surprise being the presence/absence of certain things).

    (I like meat analogues a lot less than this comment might otherwise suggest~)-COLLAPSE

  • Deceptive labeling. Agree completely with Panini Guy. Especially as vegans and vegetarians are often leading the charge over labeling "violations."

  • Why can't we just call things what they are? If it doesn't have cream, it can't be "ice cream". How hard is that? If you're vegan, you're not looking for "ice cream" anyway, you're looking for "non-dairy dessert" or something similar. "Soy Milk" says what it is (although technically, it's soy "juice"). If it were just labeled "milk", it would be pretty confusing in the dairy aisle.

    Sorry, it's a...+READ

    Why can't we just call things what they are? If it doesn't have cream, it can't be "ice cream". How hard is that? If you're vegan, you're not looking for "ice cream" anyway, you're looking for "non-dairy dessert" or something similar. "Soy Milk" says what it is (although technically, it's soy "juice"). If it were just labeled "milk", it would be pretty confusing in the dairy aisle.

    Sorry, it's a personal bugaboo. I invest enough time already reading ingredient lists. Why is it too much to ask that if something says "ice cream" on the box, it would actually include "ice cream"?-COLLAPSE

  • Where can I find this ice cream. I live in Bergen County, NJ. I am lactose intolerant and eat a lot of soy and bake a lot of lactose free goodies. I would love to have many varities of ice cream to pick from.