Snack Bar, Vol. 4: I Scream, You Scream…

First up: a Hail Mary for our friends with sensitive stomachs. Alec’s Ice Cream is made from the world’s only certified organic regenerative A2 milk, which avoids the A1 protein that gives many people an issue with milk. While it’s not a workaround for those with diagnosed lactose intolerance,  it’s a lifesaver for many who assumed that’s what their issue was, then found out it was those pesky A1s. Just as luckily for the rest of us, Alec’s Ice Cream is absolutely delicious no matter the milk type they use. While I loved the chunks of honeycomb in their Honey Blueberry Lavender flavor, the unparalleled champion was their Peanut Butter Fudge Honeycomb. It was perfectly creamy, without a hint of ice crystals, and deeply flavored without being overwhelming.

Next up is Coolhaus, who are widely synonymous with their ice cream “sammies”. I tried those years ago and was a big fan – don’t sleep on the Salted Caramel sandwiched between snickerdoodle cookies – but was eager to sample their pints for this round. Sadly, I was less than impressed. The Campfire S’mores was overly sweet and a little grainy, and tasted so much of graham crackers that I missed the expected marshmallow notes. It’s possible I hadn’t noticed their ice cream’s flaws when it was sandwiched between two great cookies, but either way the pints are an inferior part of their line.

As promised, a vegan and gluten-free brand does exist – and they’re making ice cream cones, no less. I won’t pretend that Jolly Llama’s cones are a dead ringer for the real deal (they taste a little like rice flour tbh), but a GF pal of mine was so ecstatic to be eating a cone that she had very few complaints. Luckily the ice cream is on-point, with a rich coconut milk flavor, though I found it to be much more delicious in this form than in their bland Vanilla Sandwiches. Those were shockingly unsweetened, while the cones got the sweetness level right.

When I got a look at Marco’s flavor lineup, it was love at first sight. Moroccan Honey Nut and Vanilla Chai are two of the combinations inspired by global spices, with fragrant, floral undertones that always complement the base flavor. Turkish Mocha was a huge hit in my house – I couldn’t get enough of the cardamom, coffee, and chocolate – but I tried almost all of their offerings and didn’t find one misfire. As this brand was totally off my radar ‘til now, I’m even more excited to shout them out. Fellow ice cream aficionados should definitely take note.

Formerly known as Xio Chi Je, MiLa is Chinese-American owned brand killing it with everything from soup dumplings to Asian-inspired ice cream. As a diehard stan for green tea-flavored pints, I knew I had to try their rendition – and folks, it’s pretty fantastic. The perfectly creamy texture married beautifully with the delicate tea flavor, one of my favorites during warm-weather months. I was less excited about the Rose Lychee pint (a favorite of Shang-Chi himself, actor Simu Liu), but truthfully have just never been a fan of those flavors to begin with. Rose and/or lychee fans should consider giving it a try considering how enamored I was with their other products.

Anyone who’s had an oat milk latté knows it’s a damn good dairy substitute – so it comes as no surprise that oat milk ice creams are suddenly everywhere. As the most recognizable beverage brand in that field, I was curious to see what Oatly could do with frozen desserts. The results were mixed. I enjoyed the Strawberry and Mint Chip flavors, since their flavors were able to override the jarringly pronounced taste of oats that lingered in the Vanilla pint. I haven’t had that issue with other non-dairy vanillas, and I think vanilla is an important barometer for an ice cream brand’s success. So this gets only a tepid endorsement from me for all you dairy-free Mint Chip lovers.

My first bite of Trader Joe’s mochi ice cream bites is a formative food memory for me. That said, I hadn’t tried many other varieties aside from trips to dedicated mochi shops, so I was intrigued by Sweety’s origin story as a mom-and-pop ice cream parlor in Monterey Park. There’s a lot to like about their product, though they were by far the most difficult to source online. You’ll have better luck finding them in supermarkets like Vons, Pavilions or Albertsons, where there Ube Purple Yam and Azuki Red Bean flavors are definitely worth the purchase. I just didn’t happen to enjoy their Alphonse Mango flavor very much, which is always my go-to and thus was a slight letdown.