Food

Taste test: vegan vanilla ‘ice cream’

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Coconut Bliss calls this flavor Vanilla Island, but it should be called Coconut Island. We’d still totally enjoy being marooned there.
Photo: Mikayla Whitmore
Erin Ryan, Brian Nordli

November is World Vegan Month, and the Weekly has been on a non-dairy tasting adventure. Our master-taster is former Las Vegas Sun writer Brian Nordli, who has a dairy allergy severe enough to be life-threatening. Finding the tastiest alternafoods is important to him, and I was just hella curious. With cheese already in the books, we moved on to one of the most ubiquitous treats in America—vanilla ice cream. How creamy could it be? Would the vanilla get lost in the strong base milks? Which product would win our hearts? Thanks to Whole Foods, we had a nice lineup of contenders turning everything from soy beans to coconuts into pretty convincing dessert.

    • Almond Dream

      ER: I like the nutty overtone, but the vanilla flavor is so sweet. Too sweet for me. BN: It is very sweet, but the nuttiness gives it a little salt, keeps it from being cloying. Almond Dream is my go-to, but I can't eat too much at a time. The Verdict: Wins for authenticity of vanilla flavor; Brian's No. 1 pick; Erin's No. 2 pick. $4.29 per pint; 140 calories per serving, 7 grams of fat, 12 grams of sugar, 1 gram of protein.

    • Luna & Larry's Coconut Bliss

      BN: I'm always on the fence about coconut things 'cause I'm not a big coconut eater, and this is very coconut-y. It's basically coconut-flavored ice cream. I'm pretty surprised how creamy it is. ER: I like it! It is a little funky. Tastes like tapioca when you make it yourself, in a good way. This pint is coming home with me. The Verdict: Brian's No. 3 pick; Erin's No. 1 pick. $6.79 per pint; 210 calories per serving, 14 grams of fat, 12 grams of sugar, 2 grams of protein.

    • Double Rainbow Soy Cream

      BN: This one's a little bit bland in my opinion, sugary and then you get a hint of vanilla. I don't think I would dive into that tub too often. ER: It tastes like frozen soy milk ... because it is. Not my favorite. The Verdict: Wins for creaminess; Brian's No. 2 pick; Erin's No. 3 pick. $4.49 per pint; 180 calories per serving, 8 grams of fat, 21 grams of sugar, 2 grams of protein.

    • Good Karma Rice Divine

      BN: It's not bad, but it's not creamy. It's almost like shredded ice. I would say it's my least favorite. It does end world hunger, though, according to the packaging. So there's that. ER: It’s powdery, like sawdust. And it tastes exactly like Carnation Instant Breakfast. The more I eat it the more I don't want to eat it. The Verdict: Brian's No. 4 pick; Erin's No. 4 pick. $5.99 per pint; 150 calories per serving, 7 grams of fat, 12 grams of sugar, 0 grams of protein.

    Tags: Dining, Food
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