I've been secretly lamenting my lack of dairy free and soya free ice cream recently - ever since I realised I was beginning to react to the lovely range of Tesco free from ice creams. No idea why, but eventually, as much as I loved them, the tummy discomfort that followed became too much to ignore. 'Is it the lupin?' I wondered. Well, maybe!
I tried a few coconut-based ice creams, but they didn't really float my boat, so I ended up going back to Almond Dream's Mint Choc Chip. I love it, but sometimes you just want a bit of variety!
Then, the other night... THESE hit my screen (courtesy of @chubbania & @_ayrtonnn on Twitter).
'Huzzah for Alpro!' I thought!
And I wasted no time in tracking them down!
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| Huzzah for Alpro! |
In fact Alpro has not produced just one, but actually THREE ice creams!! A Coconut flavoured iced dessert, a Chocolate and Hazelnut one, and also a Vanilla version. That one is made with soya, so no good for me, although Kiddo can have it, but the Coconut and the Chocolate and Hazelnut are just right!
What's in them?
Coconut:
Water, Soluble gluco fibre, Coconut milk (13.3%) (Coconut cream, Water), Sugar, Vegetable fats (Rapeseed, Shea), Fructose-glucose syrup, Emulsifier (Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids), Stabilisers (Locust bean gum, Guar gum, Carrageenan), Sea Salt, Flavouring.
Free from dairy and gluten. May contain traces of soya & nuts (no peanuts).
Hazelnut & Chocolate:
Water, Soluble gluco fibre, Sugar, Vegetable fats (*Palm kernel, *Palm), Fructose-glucose syrup, Hazelnuts (2.9%), Chocolate (1.7%), Fat-reduced cocoa (1.7%), Emulsifier (Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids), Stabilisers (Locust bean gum, Guar gum, Carageenan), Sea salt.
Free from dairy and gluten. May contain traces of soya & nuts (no peanuts).
Vanilla:
Water, Soluble gluco fibre, Sugar, Hulled soya beans (6.1%), Vegetable fats (Rapeseed, Shea), Fructose-glucose syrup, Emulsifier (Mono- and Diglycerides of fatty acids), Vanilla extract (0.4%), Stabilisers (Locust beangum, Guar gum), Sea salt, Vanilla seeds.
Free from dairy and gluten. May contain traces of nuts (no peanuts).
(*Sustainable sources of Palm have been used.)
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| Can decide which to have? Have two or even three at once!! |
What are they like??
I like them all (I had a sneaky lick of the soya and am hoping for no ill after effects. So does Kiddo! The coconut was a definite improvement on some I have tasted before. Unlike another I've tried, quite recently, it wasn't too sweet, and, although it tastes of coconut, it's not over-poweringly coconutty. It's also quite creamy.
I really like Alpro's hazelnut milk and as chocolate and hazelnut are a classic flavour combo, I enjoyed the Chocolate & Hazelnut flavour too. I was a bit surprised that Kiddo liked this one, as she can be a fussy mutt. I was mainly worried becuase hazelnut can add a slightly acrid after-taste, but Kiddo doesn't seem to have noticed, or if she has, she hasn't minded it!
The Vanilla is really creamy and actually tastes (from what I could tell from my small sample) a lot like a Mr Whippy ice cream. Kiddo was ecstatic when I told her this, as it has been her ambition for a long while, to be able to have a Mr Whippy ice cream. Now *all* she wants is for me to buy a machine that will serve it like a commercial ice cream machine, in a nice little swirl!! Hmm! I've looked online... looking at the prices of them THAT isn't gonna happen any time soon!
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| And here's the Vanilla flavour! |
The Vanilla is really creamy and actually tastes (from what I could tell from my small sample) a lot like a Mr Whippy ice cream. Kiddo was ecstatic when I told her this, as it has been her ambition for a long while, to be able to have a Mr Whippy ice cream. Now *all* she wants is for me to buy a machine that will serve it like a commercial ice cream machine, in a nice little swirl!! Hmm! I've looked online... looking at the prices of them THAT isn't gonna happen any time soon!
How much?
In Tescos, which is the only place that I know of so far, that stocks the new Alpro ice cream, Each 500ml tub costs £3.50. This is pretty well comparable with the cost of Almond Dream, so not too bad. Swedish Glace is certainly cheaper, so I'll probably stick with their vanilla for Kiddo, but I would definitely buy the other two flavours again - for me, if no-one else - although I suspect that Kiddo (even though, being able to have soya, she has a lot more choice than I) will want more too!
So well done Alpro! Now, when are you going to make us a yogurt without soya?? Now that you've done it with ice cream, we know you can do it!
Pretty please??
Please note:
This post is not an advert. I have not been paid to write this post. I am not sponsored in any way, even by advertising. I do not receive products free to review, although I have often been offered them. This is to try and maintain an unbiased approach. All views expressed are my own (unless I've asked for The Hub's or Kiddo's).
Related posts:
Mint Choc Chip Almond Dream
Choices, Choices, Tesco's Free From Ice Creams
