The boom of plant-based ice cream
The boom of plant-based ice cream
Traditionally driven by indulgence, the ice cream category experienced an unexpected surge in better-for-you options. In the US, Halo Top disrupted the category by proposing low-calorie, high-protein frozen desserts that consumers could eat in one sitting without feeling guilty. Soon after, other brands entered this niche by launching non-dairy / dairy-free options. This growth opportunity reached Western Europe, where launches of dairy-free ice creams increased 4 folds between 2014 and 2018 (Source: Innova 2019). The Western European dairy-free ice cream market represents 222m€ in retail value in 2022 and is expected to grow +10.9% CAGR 2021-2025 (Source: Innova 2019). Italy, Sweden and the UK are the top 3 countries.
Interested in entering this market?
Discover how ice cream companies are positioning their ice cream products and get inspired:
- Indulgent products that just happen to be dairy-free
- Sustainability is key
1 - Indulgence, now without dairy
Whether on a vegan diet or not, consumers eat ice cream as a treat, and taste is the key purchase driver. Ice cream brands understood this well and widened their consumer base by launching plant-based indulgent ice creams. Taste is the key reason consumers buy these ice cream products, the fact that they are vegan / dairy-free is an add-on.
Magnum Vegan: “100% pleasure: a velvety plant-based product that provides a creamy experience without the need for dairy”
Vegan salty caramel hazelnut ice cream by Oatly
2 - Plant-based sustainability is key
One of the top reasons to consume plant-based products is because a plant-based diet is considered "better for the environment and for animal welfare by consumers. Sustainability credentials are now clearly explained at the front of pack, like for example
Ben & Jerry’s (Europe): Partnered with Tony’s Chocolonely on their mission to make slave-free chocolate the norm. A new vegan ice cream was launched to celebrate their impact-driven collaboration.
Brave Robot (USA): Ice cream made with animal-free dairy, coming from a precision fermentation process. The brand claims to be “planet-friendly” with 72% fewer Emissions, 23% less water and 61% less non-renewable energy vs ice cream made from conventional dairy production methods
More about vegan and dairy-free
To go further
Taste is key, but what kind of positioning should you go for? Which ingredients can you use/not use?
Learn more about the difference between vegan, dairy-free and non-dairy claims.
Discover our Plant Craft ingredients here.
