Introduction to Ben & Jerry’s Non-Dairy Ice Cream

Ben & Jerry’s first introduced non-dairy ice cream flavors to their lineup in 2016. Their goal at the time was to mirror the delicious flavors and quality of their popular dairy-based ice creams using plant-based ingredients. Since then, they have added flavor after flavor of the delicious, cruelty-free treat for a total of 19, about 25% of their full product lineup. This makes it the “#1 non-dairy packaged frozen dessert in the U.S.”  

The Evolution of Ben & Jerry’s Non-Dairy Line

The Shift to Oat Milk

Ben & Jerry’s made their original plant-based flavors with almond milk or sunflower butter. For now, you can still get almond milk and sunflower butter recipes. Soon, however, all plant-based recipes will be made with oat milk. The flavors will be the same and still contain the much-loved swirls and chunks, but the oat milk will make the ice cream smoother, richer, and creamier. It will also contain fewer nut allergens.  

The company tried many formulas to create the creamiest, most flavorful varieties of plant-based ice creams. They finally discovered that the oat milk formula delivered all the qualities they sought. They expect that all their customers will appreciate the new recipes. “Many Ben & Jerry’s fans are flexible and choose both non-dairy and dairy pints based on flavor, so we focused on creating the best taste experience possible,” said Colleen Rossell, Ben & Jerry’s flavor guru.  

The Journey from Almond Milk to Oat Milk

Almond milk was the most popular choice for vegan ice cream recipes in 2016, so that was the base of Ben & Jerry’s first plant-based recipes. They introduced their first sunflower butter recipe in 2020 with three flavors: “Milk” & Cookies, Crème Brûlée Cookie, and Mint Chocolate Cookie. Later the same year, they partnered with Colin Kaepernick (social activist, NFL player, and vegan) to add the sunflower butter-based Change the Whirled.  

As time passed, Ben & Jerry’s remade some of its top-selling ice creams into non-dairy recipes, such as Stephen Colbert’s Americone Dream, The Tonight Dough starring Jimmy Falon, Phish Food, and Karamel Sutra. They continued to partner with a diverse array of people from many backgrounds to develop new, dairy-free flavors. One example is Ava DuVarney, a film director famous for 13th, Selma, and A Wrinkle in Time. She became the first black woman to have a Ben & Jerry’s flavor, Lights! Caramel! Action!  

To further inclusivity, the company developed Non-Dairy Oatmeal Dream Pie with Denise Woodward from Partake Foods. This flavor is allergen-friendly, gluten-free, and vegan. It was created with a sunflower butter base, vegan marshmallow swirls, and oatmeal cookie chunks. This product was perfect for those with food allergies.

“We want everyone to be able to enjoy a pint of Ben & Jerry’s, no matter their dietary preferences, allergies, or restrictions, which our new formula delivers on.”   

Ben & Jerry’s Climate Justice Impact

“We love making ice cream – but using our business to make the world a better place gives our work its meaning.”

Social Goals

Ben & Jerry’s considers itself a social justice company. It strives to maintain and grow inclusivity with all its products. Creating delicious ice cream flavors from plant-based milk allowed an entirely new demographic, those who prefer plant-based products, to enjoy its amazing ice creams. Using oat milk in its recipes makes Ben & Jerry’s even more inclusive due to oat milk’s reduced allergen profile.  

Environmental Impact

Plant-based alternatives help Ben & Jerry’s meet its sustainability goals. One pint of ice cream produces 3.3 lbs of greenhouse gases during production, and the company aims to decrease this and other negative impacts.     

Climate Change

With the help of the Science Based Targets Initiative, Ben & Jerry’s developed these targets in 2018.  

• 100% renewable energy by 2025  
• 40% greenhouse gas intensity reduction by 2025  
• 80% greenhouse gas intensity reduction by 2050  

Productive Waste

Instead of sending waste to the local wastewater treatment facility, Ben & Jerry’s sends it to regional anaerobic digesters. The waste is then sent into a methane digester, which uses it to generate renewable energy.  

Cleaner Greener Freezer

Ben & Jerry’s stores its ice cream in hydrocarbon (HC) freezers instead of the more commonly used hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) freezer units. These are much more efficient and possess a significantly lower potential to produce global warming effects than HCF freezers.  

Responsibly Sourced Packaging

Ben & Jerry’s has committed to making 100% of its product packaging free of petroleum-based plastics by 2025, making it all reusable, compostable, or recyclable.  

Ben & Jerry’s Non-Dairy Ice Cream Flavors

Ben & Jerry’s makes a scrumptious line of non-dairy ice creams. You can even find non-dairy versions of some of your favorite classic flavors. The company is working towards an all-oat milk portfolio that will include every non-dairy flavor they have developed. However, during the transition, you can still find some almond milk or sunflower-based favorites.  

Chocolate Caramel Brownie  

“When salty meets sweet & chunk meets swirl, it’s more than your average love story. With dreamy chocolate, salted caramel, & fudgy brownies, it’s a non-dairy flavor you can bank all your forevers on.”

Strawberry Cheezecake

“Milk” and Cookies

“We’ve kicked our non-dairy flavors up a notch with an OATstanding new recipe. Prepare for this creamy, dreamy, OAT-of-this-world concoction to knock your socks off.”

Americone Dream  

“Our non-dairy flavors have an OATstanding new recipe, & this is the only one that gets a s’cream of approval from The Late Show host, Stephen Colbert. What’s sweeter is it supports charitable causes through The Stephen Colbert Americone Dream Fund.“

Bananas Fosters   

“We’ve kicked our non-dairy flavors up a notch with an OATstanding new recipe. Prepare for this New Orleans-inspired, OAT-of-this-world concoction to knock your socks off. The only thing missing is the tableside flambé service.”

Boom Chocolatta!  

“As you slam dunk your spoon through the OATstanding new non-dairy recipe of mocha & caramel to celebrate the epically gluten-free cookie core, your technique may not be perfect, but the victory’s perfectly delicious.”

Cherry Garcia   

“Our famous flavor named for a jam band legend has an OATstanding new recipe. Prepare for this dreamy, OAT-of-this-world concoction boldly loaded with cherries & fudge to knock your socks off. Go ahead, rock on.”

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough   

“We’ve kicked our non-dairy flavors up a notch with an OATstanding new recipe. Prepare for this creamy, legendarily dough-loaded, OAT-of-this-world concoction to knock your socks off.”

Chocolate Fudge Brownie   

“The fabulously fudgy brownies in the newest OAT-of-this-world version of this fan favorite come from New York’s Greyston Bakery, where producing great baked goods is part of their greater-good mission.”

Colin Kaepernick’s Change the Whirled

“Colin Kaepernick is serving up sweet justice with this compilation of cookies & caramel in a new OATstanding non-dairy recipe. This flavor honors Colin’s activism in pursuit of racial justice & his portion of the proceeds go to knowyourrightscamp.org.”

Karamel Sutra  

“We’ve kicked our non-dairy flavors up a notch with an OATstanding new recipe. Prepare for this creamy, dreamy, OAT-of-this-world concoction to knock your socks off.”

Lights! Caramel! Action!  

“Ava DuVernay’s thriller of a flavor has been non-dairily remastered with an OATstanding new recipe. Guaranteed to be a hit in freezers nationwide, this flavor gives back through Ava’s ARRAY Alliance, advancing social justice through art, like the film, ORIGIN. Arraynow.com”

Mint Chocolate Cookie   

“We’ve kicked our non-dairy flavors up a notch with an OATstanding new recipe. Prepare for this creamy, dreamy, OAT-of-this-world concoction to knock your socks off.”

Netflix & Chilll’d  

“Tudum! Our sweet & salty collaboration with Netflix has an OATstanding new recipe! Prepare for this OAT-of-this-world concoction to satisfy any snack craving. It’s a flavorful world, and everyone’s invited to grab a spoon.”

Oatmeal Dream Pie  

“Our friends at Partake have provided the gluten-free oatmeal cookies in this OATstanding new recipe. Prepare for this creamy, dreamy, OAT-of-this-world snack favorite to knock your socks off. partakefoods.com“

P.B. & Cookies   

“We’ve kicked our non-dairy flavors up a notch with an OATstanding new recipe. Prepare for this creamy, dreamy, OAT-of-this-world concoction to knock your socks off.”

Peanut Butter Half-Baked  

“We’ve kicked our non-dairy flavors up a notch with an OATstanding new recipe. Prepare for this creamy, dreamy, OAT-of-this-world concoction to knock your socks off.”

Phish Food  

“A while back, we created Phish Food® ice cream with our neighbors in Vermont. Now there’s an OATstanding new recipe of Phish Food Non-Dairy; like the original, this vegan version supports the charitable efforts of the WaterWheel Foundation.” – PHISH

The Tonight Dough   

“Inspired by the show & host we love staying up late for, here’s an OATstanding new recipe of the non-dairy flavor you love spooning into – dedicated to SeriousFun Children’s Network. seriousfun.org”

Ben & Jerry’s Commitment to Inclusivity and Sustainability

Ben & Jerry’s is a unique and compassionate company that creates some of the best ice cream we have ever tasted, and their core beliefs make them stand out amongst their peers. Which delicious, plant-based flavors from Ben and Jerry’s have you tried so far? Please share your favorites with us. We love hearing from you. 

*Some images sourced from www.benjerry.com