Non-dairy & Non-animal Dairy

Consumers seek out plant-based and dairy-free alternatives for their favorite foods including meat products, ‘milks’, and ice cream. It was reported in 2020 that non-dairy frozen dessert sales are slated to exceed $1 billion worldwide by 2024.³: This space started seeing innovation with entrepreneurial visionaries attempting to create alt-dairy lookalikes of the traditional options for frozen desserts. It was led by brands like Tofutti and Rice Dream, which are still prominent, followed by dairy-based market leaders Häagen-Dazs, Breyers, Ben & Jerry’s, Baskin-Robbins, and Magnum.

Since then, as more experimentation in this category has happened, so has the evolution for this chilled category. Some consumers are no longer choosing these products to leave dairy out of their diets (whether for dietary reasons or lifestyle choices), but rather as a preference. At the end of 2021, The Urgent Company, the CPG company from Perfect Day, announced the acquisition of ice cream brand  Coolhaus and the transition of its full portfolio of ice cream and novelties to include the animal-free whey protein.

Often times referred to as “nice cream”, better-for-you frozen desserts have scooped up demand by consumers embarking on health journeys. At the beginning of 2022, 46% of consumers said they planned on eating healthier in the new year.⁴ Low-sugar, low-calorie, and high- protein  options have let consumers indulge in frozen treats without compromising their long-term goals. Ice cream, popsicles, and other functional frozen snacks are available from brands like Halo Top, Enlightened, and Yasso, who continue to release new healthier options using alternative sweeteners and high-protein formulations.

Melt-worthy Flavors

Fan favorites in frozen desserts may always consist of the classics – vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry, but consumers are also keen on trying out some more indulgent and unique flavors. 35% of consumers said they are interested in trying cereal milk flavored frozen desserts and 43% said they are interested in oatmeal cookie.⁵ Salt & Straw released an entire LTO menu of cereal-inspired flavors earlier this year.