Trends

Summer is right around the corner, which means that we are seeing a burst of innovation in one of our favorite categories – ice cream!

For instance, Beyond Better Foods has collaborated with the popular food media brand Delish to launch a new keto ice cream flavor under the Enlightened brand. Gluten-free, low-carb, and packed with added protein, the P.B. Cookie and Brownie Dough flavor was developed in part by analyzing reader metrics from Delish.

 According to Joanna Saltz, editorial director for the media company, “we have seen the low-carb audience grow tremendously in the last few years,” adding that “keto recipes and videos are the top viewed and searched on our site.” Not only does this indicate a possible surge in demand for keto-friendly desserts that help consumers beat the heat, it also could be the start of a new wave of product launches inspired by trends in food content.

Another trend that we’re seeing is that ice cream manufacturers are making food safety a bigger priority, especially when it comes to packaging. That was the inspiration behind My/Mo Mochi Ice Cream’s new single-serve packs, which allows consumers to indulge in just one ice cream ball without sacrificing the freshness and quality of a larger pack. When a customer opens a full box just to eat one mochi at a time, the rest of the ice cream balls could be contaminated by things like freezer burn after prolonged exposure.

Speaking of innovations in single-serve ice cream, Halo Top has launched a larger version of the miniature ice cream pops that the company debuted in 2019.  This gives even more choices to consumers who want to indulge in a low-calorie dessert, but may not necessarily be up for finishing a whole pint.

The rising popularity of dairy-alternatives like oat milk has led to major growth in vegan frozen desserts. Artisanal ice cream company Van Leeuwen released a collection of oat milk-based ice creams in February, expanding vegan varieties within the premium market.

With flavors like “Oat Milk Brown Sugar Chunk with Cookie Dough, Brownies, & Candied Oat Clusters” and “Chocolate Oat Milk Cookie Dough Chunk with Honeycomb,” Van Leeuwen is producing some of the most complex flavors available in vegan ice cream.

Ice cream is a very diverse category, with more innovations seen every year as new trends in flavors, ingredients, and packaging emerge. This is just a taste of what we consider to be some of the most exciting new developments, but we are looking forward to seeing how other brands take the classic summer treat in unexpected and interesting directions.