Best dairy-free ice cream taste test

How the best dairy-free ice cream taste test worked

Four members of the olive team conducted a blind taste test to find the best shop-bought dairy-free ice cream. We tasted all of the biggest dairy-free ice cream brands widely available in the UK. The group choose an overall winner, and their other favourites. We have also listed others we tried.

Winner: Alpro soya vanilla ice cream

About the dairy-free ice cream: This dairy-free and vegan ice cream made with soya beans contains vanilla extract and vanilla seeds.

Comments: With its soft creamy texture, strong natural vanilla flavour and smooth consistency, this ice cream was an overall winner for us and we couldn’t tell it was dairy-free.

Price: £3.75/500ml, ocado.com

Creamiest dairy-free ice cream: Blue Skies dairy-free mango and passion fruit ice cream

About the dairy-free ice cream: Made with coconut milk, mango purée and fresh passion fruit juice, this ice cream is suitable for vegans.

Comments: This tangy dairy-free ice cream had a thickly churned texture and was incredibly creamy.

Price: £4.99/450ml, waitrose.com

Here are our best ice cream recipes to try at home including:

• Dairy-free no-churn banana ice cream
• Chocolate and black pepper gelato
• Brown butter ice cream
• Instant mango fro-yo
• Pecan praline ice cream

Best classic dairy-free ice cream: Sainsbury’s deliciously free from choc iced dessert

About the dairy-free ice cream: This coconut oil based dairy-free ice cream also contains water, sugar and cocoa powder. It’s milk, egg and soya free.

Comments: This ice cream had a good classic chocolate flavour. While the flavour didn’t last for long it had a very smooth texture.

Price: £3.50/500ml, sainsburys.co.uk

Best nostalgic dairy-free ice cream: Swedish Glace soy delightful raspberry dairy-free ice cream

About the dairy-free ice cream: This dairy-free ice cream is suitable for vegans, made with soya bean powder, coconut oil and raspberry puree.

Comments: While we felt this ice cream had a slightly artificial flavour, we enjoyed the sweetness and the creamy, slightly foamy texture.

Price: £2.50/750ml, ocado.com

Best flavour dairy-free ice cream: Almond Dream salted caramel non-dairy ice cream

About the dairy-free ice cream: Made with almonds, soya protein, caramel and soya lecithin, this dairy-free ice cream is suitable for vegans.

Comments: Although this ice cream wasn’t as creamy as others we tried, it had a rich toffee flavour that we loved.

Price: £4.99/472ml, ocado.com

Other dairy-free ice cream we tried

Booja-Booja organic caramel pecan praline ice cream

About the dairy-free ice cream: Made with cashew nuts, agave syrup, pecan nuts and coconut syrup, this dairy-free ice cream is suitable for vegans.

Comments: Our testers were surprised to discover this was Booja-Booja as we love the hazelnut chocolate truffle one, however this one had a slightly odd oaty flavour with smoky notes and a strange aftertaste.

Price: £5.99/500ml, ocado.com

Ben & Jerry’s dairy-free chunky monkey ice cream

About the dairy-free ice cream: This dairy-free ice cream is made with banana purée, almond pasta, pea protein and coconut oil.

Comments: While this ice cream had good chunks of walnuts, we felt it had a very artificial flavour and synthetic banana taste.

Price: £5.50/500ml, ocado.com

Coconuts naturally coconut caramel organic dairy-free ice cream

About the dairy-free ice cream: Made with coconut sugar, coconut extract and water, this dairy-free ice cream is free from soya and suitable for vegans.

Comments: This ice cream had a strong coconut flavour however it was slightly sour and had an odd aftertaste.

Price: £5.29/500ml, ocado.com